The Home Machinist!

Electric engines replaced steam all over the world except in the U.S. where we went with diesel-electric. Too bad we didn't stay with electric. I can see the RR's running catenary from Chicago to.....San Francisco. :D There is a good reason for diesel electrics. There are more miles of track (even ...

home at startup, which establishes position of the turret with relation to machine center line and spindle Z zero of the machine is just as critical to a lathe as a mill, UNLESS you are working with ABSOLUTE ENCODERS, which most 'home' machines do not have.

titanium is easy...

cut it all day with one 0.4 mm diameter end mill with no worries
the next day...new tool.

for main rod / crosshead, I like delrin AF or nylatron.

requires no lubrication and will NOT beat out oval....

the concept of cheap and ball screws is an oxy-moron. hiwin ball screws is a source -> but they might not have a size you need for the smaller machine. small diameter ball screws are actually quite annoying to make - I f you look at what is inside of the 'nut' you will understand why 25mm is somewha...

I do not know what MACH 3 does, but on many other systems, G28 is usually accompanied by G91 or uses U V W as incremental coordinates. G91 G28 Z0 or G28 W0 This technique bypasses any intermediate point and goes STRAIGHT HOME., where G28 in ABSOLUTE goes though the intermediate point. There are othe...

Yes, I know it was George's construction ....

I am interested in maybe finding it today...if at all possible.

ever see Charlie's riding car couplers?

He used screen door hooks...

how far back do you want to go? I have pictures back into 1977 with me which is when I started building my 3/4" Langworthy Hudson. Jim's library (which is at home), goes back to 1971 Anybody know who owned (not built) the camelback at the time and maybe know where it is? http://i93.photobucket....

that's me - ad NAUSEUM... :lol: (before Dave says it)... most of building a loco is like that....drill 2000 holes, insert rivets.....turn a good wheel, repeat 7 times.... As Charlie Purinton once told me -> I am building locomotives, not tenders (made his from wood), or fancy riding cars (made the t...

there is a lot there for $20.00 for someone just getting started in programming, it is hard to find major fault with the offering....and $19.95 is only a couple of gallons of gas or a trip to McD's for dinner :twisted: get some inexpensive software that will output basic DXF files and you can have a...

did you ever have Jim or Harold along in the cab?

Jim used to cab ride from Philly to Wilmington whenever he knew the crew.