TinkerJohn.com

I?ve joined the many folks that have started (yet another!) live steam locomotive.  This weekend I made my first parts for the Pennsylvania A3 Switcher in 3 / 4 scale.  It is the one designed by Kozo Hiraoka and serialized in Live Steam Magazine.

I can remember when the articles first came out in the early 90?s and I thought what a great engine to build.  However I was knee deep in the Falk #1 by Bill Harris.  Unfortunately, several casting I need are no longer available.  I can get by without most of them except the cylinders.  They seem a little tricky to make a weldament and I don?t have a foundry that will cast them. So I?ve got a Falk 1, sitting on a shelf that may or may not get finished.

Sooo?I?ve dusted off the plans and started work today with the tender wheels of the A3.  It looks like this will be a 4-year project.  So my goal is by end of 2012 early 2013 there will be at least one more of the A3?s running.

I?ll keep you posted on the progress.  Hey, at least I'm planning on 'progressing' at this point

Keep turning!

--TinkerJohn---

Well, the holidays are over and it?s time to get back in the garage workshop.  As with most folks, our family has been busy for the past 90 days getting ready for Christmas, celebrating Christmas, then the New Year, and finally cleaning up.  Whew?glad that?s behind for another year and I can get some shop time.

Not much has gone on.  I did take a few minutes to make a hand crank for my lathe spindle.  The crank is nothing special and every lathe I?ve owned I?ve made one.  They take about an hour to make.  Just turn some stock to fit a few inches into your headstock spindle, drill a hole for a bolt, cut an angle and bolt on a handle.  I?ve seen much nicer ones than this on the web, but simple is good enough for me.

These cranks are excellent for tapping in the lathe; you can control the speed and reverse as needed with ease.

If you don?t already have a hand crank, make one the next time you?re in the shop and you?ll be glad you did.

After a long, hot summer , Mississippi is getting nice again and I'm back in the shop.  A few updates from previous projects:

Backplate for 5C chuck--I'm back to square one.   The cast iron weight from Academy Sporting Goods was *way* too hard to touch even with carbide tooling.  I tried grinding the scale away and it made no difference.  It's back to the drawing board to find another source of cast iron about an inch thick and 5 inches in diameter.

Elmer's Mine Engine:  Did a few more small things like fabricating the crank, etc.  Will post pics soon.

Shop Gloat:  Purchased a nearly new mini lathe and mini mill with lots of tooling for a very good price.  They?re sitting in the shop while I decide where to put them.

That's about all for now; hopefully I?ll get some pictures up soon.

TinkerJohn

Here is a brief weekend update.  I started a small project building a carbide insert dovetail cutter.  I got the idea from Bob Warfield?s CNC Cookbook site. If you?ve not visited his site, I highly recommend you spending some time there.

I also got rollers on a few of my tools on casters to save space and made a video of my shop and uploaded to YouTube. You may find it interesting to see what can be done in just one side of a two-car garage.

Here's a shot of the start of the dovetail cutter.  I'll keep you posted on progress.

Until next time..keep turning!