The Home Machinist!

I'm still here I swear! I check back in every so often to see who's doing what. I would say almost to the day that I'd finally situated my shop exactly how I wanted it for this project, life got turned upside down. I went from being a CNC machinist in Vermont to being an engineer for a company makin...

Hey, This all helps tremendously. I don't think I'll be attempting to fake the leaf springs with coils; the way you guys have explained it seems a bit less daunting. I might even try finding the center point and doing some calculations out as system balancing is an interest of mine, but it's good to...

Hey guys, I'm into the spring and equalizing system on my 7 1/4" Pacific design. I've found info here and there throughout the forum on why equalizing an engine is a good thing for derail prevention and tractive effort, but I still have a few questions. What is the proper process for actually equali...

Last CAD update, I swear. My 'assembly' of the linkages is finish, which means I now have a moving projection. Like, it moves. I'm pretty happy with it. I have lots of number crunching to do now. My slots in the valve liner are in the wrong spots, and something is causing the reverser in center to s...

And they ran their geeps backwards..... :lol: I did the inspection on a GP9 replacing check valves and control stand parts (1272 day? it's been a while) where they'd manufactured the engine to go backwards because of one union's demands, then was sold to another railroad where the requirement was t...

Hey, Just a quick update. I think I've got the majority of the linkages figured out. I have a lot of playing to do with the saddle and cylinder block in general, but I've seen a welded-up cylinder set before so I think it'll work. Once I have the channels drawn up for steam passages I can verify the...

There's been lots of hot discussion on drawing copyrights, but this brings up the software side. I can't tell what program you're using, but do you have a license from the manufacturer? If not, I'd keep the sales on the down-low. License user agreements for trial or free-version CAD often have claus...

That seems like a nightmare building a cylinder block that way. Save yourself a year of design/build work and years of frustration with getting it to seal and buy a cylinder block from Little Engines. Would be worth every penny... You're right. I backtracked a little bit, and I did take a second lo...

Sorry for disappearing on ya there. I keep hoping to have more to report, but I haven't done more than pick up material for the frame. It's sitting in a big pile on the bench, but it does exist. I still need to level a few of my machines before I start cutting, and the Army voluntold me for some ext...

If you've got a good internet connection, Onshape is pretty much the same as Solidworks, though it takes some getting used to. It's free for 'public' use, and you're computer doesn't have to be a workstation; it's cloud based.

... the live steam boiler would likely be more than three times as thick (5/16" or 0.312"), making the intermediate supports completely unnecessary. Awesome. I might drill and tap a few holes on top of the crossties just in case I decide to do it, but probably will not. The running boards are prett...

Using the forge is in no way the subject of the project, and I have no reservations keeping me from using castings. Simply put, I have a forge and a plasma cutter. I don't have a foundry or a water jet table. My goal is to build an engine with what I've got. If I can't, I was gonna run into the back...