The Home Machinist!

Just a little update, I sourced some bronze spherical plain bearings to use for the bolster pivots on the riding car. A scrap of 1-1/4" schedule 80 left me enough meat inside to bore it for a light press fit for the bearings housing. Next up will be a clearance hole through the 1x2 tube bolster...

Yeah mine uses the big sized button batteries. Walmart carries them so it's hasn't been a big issue for me. I got about 6 years out of my first batteries, it takes 2 of them.

I'm building a switcher in 2" scale. A couple weeks ago I wasn't really imagining the ultimate size of it until I cut the frame rails for it and they are 77" long, plus 4" on each end for the bulkheads and steps.
You've got to be looking at a 10' plus locomotive in 2-1/2" scale?

I have a older large opening Miller weld helmet as well for TIG use. It's about 15 years old and was $220, they are less now. I think my MIG and Dual Core helmet is a Pro-Star, the brand that Praxair carries and it was about $100 at the time. I'll work with select things from harbor freight, but I w...

I'm 43 and starting early I guess, my "fab shop" is going to be a 20' freight container so it will just be a matter of wiring it with some lights and power for everything. My last house had a good sized shop and I loved it, but so did the tax assessor. Nothing like tossing away a new car p...

Harold, I'm pretty shaky, so I have a huge collection of remnant tubes blocks and the like to help prop my hand on. Also, a auto darkening helmet is a must have in my opinion for more intricate work. I'll arrange them so I can slide my hand down a block for an entire weld if possible. It sounds like...

I found a website for a railroad supply company(full size) that makes all the hand brake wheel assemblies. Looks like the prototype diameters are mostly 18" 20" and 22". Think I'll scale mine for 22" being it's still got to work with full size hands, will still be under 4" i...

Harold, what are you welding with as far as a machine? I have found the #1 thing with TIG is not to be timid. Dive in with the torch, hit the pedal, and get moving and stuffing rod. The added rod cools the weld and moving quickly keeps from overheating the part. I really don't even use my AMP dial a...

No I did not, I've only purged the few stainless pipes I've done that were food grade. This was just a matter of stomping on the pedal and stuffing the rod in there, move quick so the heat doesn't build and "grey" the weld. These are the "light duty" version of my trucks for my r...

Thanks Harold, as a welder I always feel like I could do better
It was strange, the puddle didn't want to wet out onto the rectangle tube very well, and preferred the thicker laser cut slider plates. Maybe if I'd flap wheeled the outside ends of the tube I could managed a smaller bead.

Ryan, yep, tough to do a seasonal setup, such as a Christmas train for the public. Unless one commits to a six week run and plans on doing some kind of additional commercial setup in the summer. Hard to justify $3k annual policy for only a week or two effort. But at least for backyard railroading, ...

Looks like the overall width of the trucks from the end of the pillow block axle collars is going to be 17-1/2", for locomotives and rolling stock that are 20" wide. I think it's going to look ok. I could have tightened it up another half inch, but this would have left me having to trim ea...