The Home Machinist!

I don't recall ever hearing an opinion that a full coil is required . . . Is it "better" than a loop, maybe, but not much more (if any) in our scales. It looks more interesting, and it might make it easier to locate the gauge in something other that a straight up position, but otherwise not IMHO.

All good advice, but to elaborate on an earlier post, "roughing-up" is a good start but may not get the job done. Like everything else you've ever read about soldering (of any type) the work must be as clean as possible of contaminates (like oxides), and blueing is an oxide, so removing every trace ...

I had the same question myself, Dick, considering how detail-oriented Bill Fitt was in his publication. And being an architect, his professional work would have been protected only so long as people respected the copyright laws. As for Penrose, who I did not know, I suppose he thought no one would c...

I hear-tell that Clarksville Foundry (in Clarksville TN - 45mi North of Nashville - http://clarksvillefoundry.com/) will do loose pattern work, but I've never had anything done there, and I've never seen any live steam work known to be from there. A year or so I saw a local TV segment on them and th...

Brian,
You might approach McGrath about loaning the patterns to a foundry for a 1-time run of castings. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

Thanks Ed. See private reply.

Thanks Mike.

From re: News of Return of Mercer Rather than fabricate one, I'm hoping I may be able to adapt a Mercer Camelback smoke box saddle casting to resurrect a long-ignored locomotive project. I don't have the casting so I need the dimensions of the saddle to make that determination. Even a hand-drawn ske...

A simple solution . . . .

When I realize it's going to be that kind of session . . I simply walk away and let it go for a while. Seriously. I just KNOW when it won't be a good day and I walk out right then, before I do any damage, or more damage.

BTW, I've always liked your motto.

I think another reason should be considered . . . the pervasive notion (about almost everything these days it seems) that "Bigger is Better." (Like that 14" lathe and Bridgeport you MUST have to build a live steam locomotive, or a pickup truck that will pull a loaded 747, just in case the Farm & Hom...

Excellent work by anyone's standards Steve. Well done, and a marvelous example of what can be done, with skill and persistence, on modest equipment.