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Simon Collier

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Name: Simon Collier

County/State: NSW

Country: Australia

More about me:

I am a retired bio-medical scientist who discovered model engineering at age 50 by living near a 5" gauge miniature railway. I was amazed by how realistic the locomotives were, with all the right sounds and smells and blowing safety valves. I knew nothing of metal work or how steam locos worked, I did not even know why they puffed. Fireplaces don't puff! I had never heard of model engineering and did not know what a metal lathe was. I joined the club, SLSLS, in West Ryde, Sydney, in 2006, and asked the members how to begin. I cleared out the garage and bought a 150 x 900, 38 mm spindle bore Chinese lathe with digital readout plus all accessories and tooling, an SX 3 mill drill, 8" grinder, and later, band saw, rotary table, silver soldering equipment, etc.. I bought plans and castings and obtained the ME series on Martin Evans' Springbok. I bought books and magazines and taught myself to turn, mill and silver solder. I quickly felt more at home in the workshop than I ever did at the laboratory bench. The engine first steamed in October, 2017 in an unfinshed and unpainted state.

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264 forum posts
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Last online: 04/02/2019 06:22:38

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