The Home Machinist!

That is a different machine Bill (trick question?). A hone is for round and a lap is for flat surfaces. I use a cast iron surface plate for lapping the valve mating surfaces using non embedding lapping compound such as Timesaver - Green Label for the iron and Yellow Label for the bronze. Wring them ...

24 x 48 - now we're talking!

Converted an Enco knee mill back about 2003 to CNC using Mach. Studied and tried not to go cheap on anything to do with the conversion. It still runs to this day very well. The lead screws were converted to preloaded ball screws except Z which didn't have room for preload ball nuts - never an issue....

I bought a Sunnen Hone many years ago (mine is red - old!) when I was building miniature internal combustion engines (still have a few untouched casting sets). It is an indispensable machine for a 'perfectly' sized and finished bore. The bluish photo of the cylinder finish that reveals the 'cross ha...

I came in a little late here, sorry to go over 'old history' on this project but along with reading here and taking the recommendations Brian had to offer with the engine base - we are a success! The engine base is nice and square, end to end is within 1.5 thou, the height worked out very well too a...

I certainly agree with your term 'wonky' for the engine base. I have handled it so much working with setting it up - it should be shiny. I started with the bottom and I believe that was a mistake. I took off just enough to clean the casting off for a good resting point but there are some low spots o...

Technology previous to the civil war was mainly mechanical and was busting at its seams. The engineering and scope of manufacture was, and is still flabbergasting to this day. There was no CAD and certainly no CAM so engineers were sleeves rolled up manual workers with the foundrys and with machine ...

That is a good one... FEDUP. Looks like Fedex has already partnered with USPS and is actually doing them well - better reliability. Sort of an eye opener that Amazon has gone massively into the delivery business. That is a major cut to USPS. There was talk of privatizing the USPS and just a bit more...

I've only built a few engines, two early-1950s MGs and a Crosley, . . anyone remember Crosleys? I had the manuals and other information specific to rebuilding those engines so I'm almost certain if there had been any indication there was a "right" way up I'd have seen it. But those were e...

And if you burn coal that condensation is black! Fun, fun!! I always wear a white shirt when I run...

Jeff; Speaking of castings; your pattern making is superb to say the least. The bronze cylinder blocks are by themselves, large chunks of precious jewelry!
Oh yes, Jeff what do you do in your 'spare time' ?!!

I believe that 99.9% of the people that work for the Postal Service are the finest but looking at the whole government run snowball gives reason for a sigh. When a dam is built it is for worst case - not so with the USPS. They are underfunded, short staffed, pandemic, Christmas rush, transportation ...