The Home Machinist!

Hi, A couple of things. First, Harold is correct. When it comes to the stator, the correct choice of steel is important. What you need is a very low hysteresis material and for most of us, the best source would be old transformers. You need a material you simply can't magnetize permanently at all . ...

Hi, If you get the surfaces truly flat, you don't need anything at all, just metal to metal. Getting the parts flat is easy if you have a surface plate. If you don't happen to have one, window glass works almost as well (these days even window glass is mostly made by the Float process). Get some 400...

Hi, A couple of things. First, now that you have the valve cover off, check to see that air can flow through the connection into the valve chest. You need to do your checking and testing logically and step by step and also understand what you are doing in each step and why. Step #1 is to see that ai...

Hi John, Its as Greg says, it depends. Usually, its the shaft that rotates, and in that case, the press fit of the bearing is on the shaft, not the housing. If the shaft is stationary, then the press fit is in the housing. As they come from the manufacturer, most rolling element bearings are a bit s...

Hi Bob, Each metal tends to have its own characteristics and I don't pretend to be an expert, but most of them will work harden to varying degrees and from your drawing, you really want a sharp bend which increases the likelihood of cracking from work hardening. Since you want 50 parts that have to ...

Hi Bob, #6-32 is not the best choice to use. #5-40 would be much better (which is also the right size for 1/8" dia.). The reason is that the ratio between the thread OD and the root diameter is highest for #6-32 and so it is the hardest thread to cut and also the most difficult to tap, especial...

Hi apm, I'm anything but an expert, but why not start out with a welded portable track with sections like toy train track that you lay down on the lawn when you want to "play train' and that you take up when the day is done. That can be stuck together pretty easily with a welder and by choosing...

Hi shild, For press fits, you typically allow .001" to .0015" interference per inch of diameter. Coincidentally, the same numbers are used for a close slide fit. If you are going to do a press fit on a shaft, what I would do in your case is to turn the shaft down until it is close to the d...

Hi shild, Being a relative newcomer, you don't have a history on chaski. Since I have been watching and contributing for at least 15 years now, I can tell you that Harold is definitely one of the ones to listen to. As has been said, we are all fortunate to have him as a moderator and contributor. If...

Hi Steamin, Glad you got it sorted out. My hat's off to you. The suspension has to be flexible so the wheels can follow the track. I have found that as long as that is possible, the locomotive will stay on. It may bounce around all over the place, but it won't come off. Best of luck. Richard Trounce.

Hi Steamin, It looks as though you and Bill have pretty conclusively eliminated axle #1 as the problem. Perhaps you can check axle #2 the same way and although #2 and #3 seem to be alright, it would be interesting to do #3 as well. The binding has to come from somewhere and its just a question of el...

Hi shild, You are at the stage where you don't even know what you need to know yet. Don't sweat it and just be patient, we have all started in the same place and you will be making the same journey that we did. Because we all have traveled the same road that you are starting down, you will find that...