The Home Machinist!

I have been working on my PS-4 project for some time now (years gathering factory drawings) when I happened to stumble on to this forum. PS-4 Glad to meet you. Curios as to the drawings you have found. I am working from the Fitt book which is about all I have found. Also what CAD program you are us...

Good point. Actually I am very new to being a machinist and have only recently learned about the tolerances assigned to the various methods of drawings. The reason they are four digit is that I am drawing in AutoCAD 2002 and that is where the dimensions are set. I guess as I finalize the drawing I c...

All is good in the Pipes House Came home from California to hook up the three phase power and tonight fired off the lathe for the first time. All is good. Speed control works and she runs much quieter than I expected. I believe it helps having the idler inside the base. Still have to tweek the speed...

Continuing to work on the Pilot Beam and Pilot drawings

Still a lot to do on it as I am going with a long tube Pilot and am drawing it to be able to lay out the holes to drill to get everything mounted.

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There are two photos of Number 1395 in the book "Model Railroader Steam Locomotives-cyclopedia vol 1 on page 156 showing the engine in Baker Valve Gear dated 1936 and a later photo after the gear was switched to the Walchaerts set up. Not sure of the authenticity of the dating but it is one ref...

As parts are starting to pile up and I have a lead on a milling machine that sounds promising tonight this discussion thread will soon convert over to a buildalong. In the mean time can anyone give me a lead on true paint colors for this engine. I see lots of photos of it in deep green but a few boo...

Well I guess that is what I have done as the coupler on the pilot is way out front. I have spent the evening drawing the crank pins. I am following Roger Goldmann's advice and going with .75 pins that I will harden after turning then putting a ground finish on them. The bearings in the side rods wil...

About the only thing needed to use the Super Scale coupler is to mill the tabs off the bottom and make a pin for it to hinge on. DSC_0045.jpg DSC_0049.jpg I guess the fitting of these two parts is the official kickoff of the Pacific Project. Guess I will write the date down on the calendar. Anyone k...

Home at last. Headed for the shower and my bed. I hate hotels. I enjoyed my trip to California and feel sorry for everyone who has to live out there with the crowding and driving. I mostly enjoyed the Los Angeles Live Steamers meet where I met up with Barry Hauge of Super Scale who had a table there...

Dave if you see this I will try to get the wheel drawings out in the mail Monday when I get home.

I am still stuck in the deserts of California until tomorrow when I will head for home.

Recieved this photo from Ted Love in Arizona. Hope to see them sometime next week at my house.

Great Photos I was at the meet on both Saturday and Sunday. What the photos don't depict is how great the members treated me as a guest. Everyone that I spoke with went out of their way to make me feel welcome. Food and music were great and I had two days to crawl around engines and talk with owners...

Came back to the hotel to work on the Side Rod Drawings. They are a modification of Roger Goldmanns work in that the wheel base is shortened to 10.400 vice Rogers 10.500