The Home Machinist!

Looking great Vic, hope to see your engine soon.
-Kevin S.

After my daughter ran my steamer, she hardley ever runs her electric. I asked her about it, in which she replied "it's boring, compared to the steamer"
-Kevin S.

Dwight, what I did on my RRSC 173 was to use 1/4" plate steel silver soldered 5/16" half round brass to the edge then put oak vanier on top. You get the look of wood on top with the weight of steel underneth, plus it makes it easier to bolt the running boards from the bottom.
-Kevin S.

Well, I finally got the braided line tested at work. Unfortunatly they tested lower then expected. The barb pulled out from the line at around 250 lbs of force, see pictures. I was talking with the quailty personal, we came up with another idea, what about adding roughly a 3/16 thick cable where you...

As I am getting my American ready for its new boiler. I noticed there was some slop in the valve linkage. Looking at reaming out the holes then adding bronze bushings. Thinking of all the work, and then probably having to repeat this proccess a few years down the line. The idea came to me what about...

And now for something completely different. What about using the air/ vacuum line as the safety chain link between cars. I have a set of metal braded lines that was orginaly designed for paint ball setups. This way you can have something between cars that looks some what realistic as opposed to a bi...

Jack, thanks for invinting us over, it was a pleasure to see your shop! As for a a yellow glow for and LED, just get a yellow LED. I have three sitting in my headlight on my American.
-Kevin S.

Dave, the engine is not green it is just the way the light is reflecting off it. I know for a fact that the color on the Sonoma is a mixture of a cobolt with some iron gray mixed in to accheive close to a Russian Iron Blue. I know this because I am the person who had that color mixed to match a colo...

I am loking for a little larger steamer to buy. I am looking for either an Atlanic or a Pacific, 7.5" gauge, oil fired if possible. I am looking for pretty much a turn key locomotive. I have looked around Discover Live Steam, but have not recived any response back in over a week. If you know of...

One trick you could do to not have the thick paint build up would have been to adjust the fan pattern down to a needle spray pattern, also adjust the paint down to a fine mist while turning the air down to accomodate.
-Kevin S.

Dose anybody know of a source of close to scale coragated sheet metalor know a trick on how to make some?
-Kevin S.

My old one screwed on, it was a very fine thread.
-Kevin S.