The Home Machinist!

Steve, When I first started in the trade (tool and die), I ran one of these planers (just like the one in the first photo you posted). It looks like that particular machine is missing the bed and ways on the other side of the main column. These things were huge and took up a lot of floor space in a ...

I have been doing this for over two years now. I work with Marty Pinkston (FairWeather Foundry in Kent, Ohio). I design parts in MasterCam and Marty does the 3D printing for the pattern for the sand casting. It works great. So far only aluminum castings. But we are going to be doing other types of m...

Railroad Supply Corp. caboose marker lights are the best. I have them on my wood caboose (built in 1980) and on all seven of my Baldwin/Westinghouse P.E. 1600 series freight motors. The new lights are easier to build now because of the one-piece bronze casting. The 35+ year old lights were multiple ...

Thought I would throw my design in here........I built this transport rack about five years ago to take my two Baldwin electrics to run at Los Angeles Live Steamers. Granted that drive is only about 8 miles round-trip. But both engines ride just fine in this car. Each engine weisghs 350 pounds each ...

During my 45+ years in the die sinking trade (made forging dies), I always used red. The shop provided the smaller cans with the built-in brush and also provided provided red and blue Dykem in 1 gallon jugs. It was always up to the preference of each die sinker to use what they liked. Because forgin...

Despite the negative comments above about a round column mill/drill......I was a die sinker by trade for forty years AND I have an old Enco mill/drill in my home shop now. I bought it new in 1980. This mill will do nice work for you. ANY mill is only as good as the machinist using it! I have built n...

Here's my $.02 on mill vises for what it's worth.......I was a journeyman die sinker for forty plus years in the forging industry making forging dies and impressions,,,,fussy work. A good mill vise is well built with what looks like box ways and very accurate. NO hammers should be used within 300 mi...

That is very cool stuff. What scale is the caboose? Would it look right in 1”? If this caboose was built by Scott Lindsay, it is most likely 1-1/2 inch scale. I'm not sure it would look "right" for 1 inch scale because the "planks" are 1/2 inch wide. They would be a "little wide" for even 1-1/2 inc...

I forgot.....the sample pack also includes their plastic tie plates for use on wood ties.

Has anyone tried using Rumber for ties? This is a recycled plastic product made from chopped up auto/truck tires, plastic and various binders. Sounds tough as anything. If you bought some of the larger boards, it could easily be ripped into tie-sized pieces on a table saw. http://rumber.com/ I woul...

I don't care what a supplier says........I wouldn't do it. After forty plus years in the trade, I've seen too many wheels blow up on folks and lost eyes. What's your eyesight worth? Bottom line.

Just a suggestion.....about 25 years ago, there was a company here in Southern California, retrofitting NEW Bridgeports with Bandit controllers. Buy the Bridgeport for around $6K, add the Bandit controller for another $2K (3-axis BTW). Had MDI OR you could drip feed a program to the controller using...