The Home Machinist!

I built one last winter and am presently building 3 more. I was able to obtain a set of plans from a friend. I made patterns for the journal boxes, wheels and bolsters. I also have the auto-cad drawings presently at the laser cutters doing 3 bodies for me with all the rivet holes laser cut along wi...

Why not have a "dual-boot" system and partition the drive? OR you could also use freeware called VM Ware, that will allow you to run your computer as two separate machines. The Virtual Machine software will still recognize the dongle and Rhino will run just like it always did. I use MasterCam V9 (20...

Gene was a true gentleman and one heck of a craftsman. Not many like him then or now.

There aren't many folks around who knew that Gene was the Chief Engineer on the WWII victory ship S.S. Lane Victory moored in Long Beach, CA and was deeply involved in the restoration of that ship's engines.

A member of Los Angeles Live Steamers now owns Doug Alkire's 5300 President Washington. This member brings the engine to the club anytime there is a 1" scale "Steam Meet". STILL a beautiful model after all these years....very well maintained .

Christopher, I buy all my rivets (for my 1-1/2 inch stuff) from Hansen Rivet in Pacoima (local to both of us). The smallest solid rivet they carry is 1/16 in diameter with a .101-.122 diameter round heat and about .045 high (copper or steel. Should be pretty close for a 1" scale tanker. Painted blac...

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...