Hi. I, like many others, enjoy making things. I am curious about how things work, why things fail, what makes things durable and how things can be made well. These days I would be known as a "maker", but in my younger days I would have been described as a metalworker, a model engineer, a woodworker, a wood turner or a bloke who likes mucking around in the shed. I suspect I am someway along the autism spectrum because I get very focused on a project once I start. I was once described by a colleague as a "finisher" in that I was very driven to finish something once I had started. This is not always a good thing as it can mean pushing on when many others would recognise a lost cause and give up. Nonetheless I enjoy what I do and as a former teacher I recognise the importance of passing on one's knowledge whenever possible. To that end I am happy to post my rather quirky selection of videos. These revolve around the disciplines of metal craft, design, woodworking and allied materials.
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Outstanding!! Mark, what a beautiful outcome.. museum quality 👍 Thanks also for showing the full etching process for brass plate, that’s something I’ve been interested in.. Great series! Cheers….
She runs as sweet as a nut! Now we've got a boiler build and a loco build to look forward to. I think all my birthdays have come at once!!
You have done a really good job on the steam engine Mark. 12:18 "It's the middle of winter here so the daytime temperature is only about 22". It is around 14 degrees here in the daytime at the moment. Our last trip to Brisbane was in June just before covid hit. It was like we were in a NZ summer.
Thanks Jon. We are heading for NZ in August. We are starting in Wellington but then flying to Queenstown. We have been checking the temperatures, especially in Wanaka. We were hoping to drive to Mt. Cook but we are unsure if a rental car will make it if there is ice and snow. We have puffer jackets and thermal underwear! Regards, Mark
looks great. I didn't see what bothered you on the fly wheel. So it's quite close not to show up on video. Great build. Thank you.
It's close but not perfect. You need to see it with a reference edge to see the runout. I am confident I can correct it though. Regards, Mark
If the analog function is required simply slide the scale down until the numbers read correct
I am very impressed with the result. I especially like the plaque you made!
Thanks. I like making those photo etched nameplates but man, there are so many steps and so many opportunities for it to go wrong. If only I owned one of those fancy fiber lasers! Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 😆 Like maybe a CO² or a Diode? Still you always come through with an awesome result! Thanks for taking us along.
A nice conclusion to a great project.
Great achievement as usual! Question: would a peelable masking compound be an option to tape? Similar to the stuff used to mask pcb’s when soldering, or same as used for spray welding?
I am not sure if it would work, but I haven't tried it either. The main requirement is that it can withstand an oven temperature of 200C. Regards, Mark
Would perhaps be possible for you to test if you happens to come by a suitable compound?
Love watching your work. Magnificent as always.
Bravo!
Lovely, but to run on compressed air is not the same as running on steam.
That is true. It also needs to run under a load to sound right. Regards, Mark
Well done Mark. I always enjoy the birth of a steam engine. I’ve really enjoyed the build videos, great content, nice to see your adaptations to the model. Looking forward to watching your next project whatever it will be. Always different and always interesting. Thanks. ✔️
Nice job Mark
A lot of work, but it's really worth it. It's a piece of artwork.
Thanks Michel. Making it look nice is both a blessing and a curse. It means I am very reluctant to actually run it or make it do any work. I have two steam locomotives that just sit in a glass cabinet because I don't want them to get all oily and sooty. Regards, Mark
Beautiful work as always, Mark.
Hi Mark Many thanks for a great project. I learnt so much! Mid summer here in the UK and it's not much warmer than where you are!
Yes, we complain about mornings when it's 12C but in Minnesota or Montreal that would be balmy summer's day. Regards, Mark
Absolutely wonderful! Beautifully finished and perfectly engineered. I have looked forward to every episode of this build. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! Regards, Mark
Great series of videos with you work on the pump. Looks fantastic, your attention to detail is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely beyond beautiful, mate! Love the color! Is there ANYTHING you can't do?!?!?! Cheers!
Yes, I can't dance and I can't sing. 😁 Regards, Mark
Beautiful finished product, a truly great demonstration of persistence and patience. Well done Preso, cheers!
👍❤👍
Fantastic. I like the colour. Well done. I'm planning a 3inch OD coal fired boiler as a scratch made portable engine so I look forward to seeing your boiler when you get to it.
I have to find a reliable supplier of copper tube and sheet. It used to be readily available here but there is only one or two model engineering suppliers here in Australia now. And it costs a fortune! Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 Thankfully easier here in the UK. Plus I was given a few meters of 3inch copper pipe thats begging to be turning into a boiler or two..!
It isn't difficult to think of many applications that would benefit from the "precision" filing capability possible with this set up.
Yes. I believe watchmakers use a similar tool. The size can be scaled quite easily to suit really small lathes. Regards, Mark
Let's run this "on air" boom boom😊. Nice job Preso!
Great job. I assume you put that drive wheel in the lathe because it looks like it runs quite true. Have you ever done a video on converting that stove for powder coating?
I haven't yet trued up the flywheel. It is very close but not perfect. I was quite annoyed really. I reamed the bore of the flywheel and initially it fitted snugly but during the rest of the build it was taken on and off the crankshaft many times and that was enough to make the fit slightly loose. Fitting the key tends to move the axis of the flywheel relative to the crankshaft and that 20 micron clearance shows up as a slight wobble. I didn't make a video on the powdercoat oven but in reality, you could just use a regular domestic oven or even a small toaster oven. Although I fitted a PWM temperature controller you don't need that level of control. I only fitted the controller because I found the oven in a skip and the original temperature thermostat was missing. Regards, Mark
Hi Mark, I wanted to take a moment to commend you on the outstanding engine build. Your craftsmanship and attention to detail are truly exceptional. The performance of the engine is impressive, and the finish you achieved is fantastic. It’s clear that you put a lot of skill and dedication into this project, and the results speak for themselves. Great job!
Thanks. It is always nice to pick up a project that once belonged to someone else. My Uncle was a prolific collector of not just model engines but also gemstones, old sewing machines, lace making bobbins and small offcuts of very rare wood. Some would say he was a hoarder but I thought it was important to finish the engine in a way that he would be happy with. Regards, Mark
Hi Mark, lovely engine....interesting colour scheme 😉🏴
I like it and it's almost the same colour as my Bridgeport mill. Sometimes less is more. 😁
Beautifully done !
The flywheel balance is "Good enough for Australia" 😅
The finished article looks really great, your attention to detail is fantastic.
Absolutely delightful. The finished engine is a beauty. I never considered powder coating at home before - the finish is excellent. The photolith process took me back to my days working as a process engineer in a semiconductor fab - your attention to detail really paid off there. The name and nameplate are excellent finishing touches. Aaaaaaaaaaaand…….THANK YOU! Really appreciate the channel mention. Greatly appreciated!
Thanks. I am a very big fan of powdercoating. It is so durable and there are so many choices with colour but also the textures. I have some that mimic chrome and anodised aluminium. I just finished up on the powdercoat on the little Stuart water pump today. I will try to post some pictures of it shortly. Regards, Mark
Nice work.... curious to know where you obtained the gasket material.
I was given a pack of that red fibre material. It was a sample pack with about 10 different thicknesses. My wife's uncle used to be a sales rep for Sellars Atkins in Adelaide. They sold just about everything to do with engineering and manufacturing and he would keep boxes of samples and redundant stock for me. Sadly, he was made redundant and overnight my boxes of freebies dried up. Cry! Regards, Mark
Beautiful work Mark.
Thanks John. Gotta get it running on steam though. Regards, Mark
Enjoyed…great build/finish/video production
As always such exemplary work Mark. A most enjoyable and educational build from finish to glorious end. Well done. 👏👏👍😀
Thanks Mark. Nice tip on SM Components. Never heard of them. I had a quick look and they have some interesting stuff. Bookmarked! Regarding your power coating masking, I wonder if you could use latex to mask some of the more intricate parts like on the flywheel. Not sure if that would work. Maybe it would depend on whether it's conductive? 🤔 The engine looks great!
Parts don't need to be electrically conductive for powdercoat to stick. If it is a masking material, anything will do if it will adhere to the metal and withstand 200C. I have used aluminium foil crushed into cavities and Blu Tac but I haven't tried liquid latex. I am thinking that something like Liquid Paper might be worth a try. Regards, Mark
What a testament to your skill set Mark - not only the machining but the exemplary finishing nicely shows off the range of skills you have developed. Always a pleasure to watch and such a source of learning, hints & tips and inspiration. Looking forward to your next project. Thanks as always, Nick
Thanks Nick. I tend to get hung up on the finishing processes and I know there are a lot of model engineers who don't paint their engines, preferring the bare brass and cast iron. I do like that aesthetic but I have the powdercoating kit so that is what I tend to use. Regards, Mark
Lovely looking engine
Have enjoyed all of your builds, unlike you, I came from a woodworking hobby of building wooden models as can be seen in my u tube, to now building a Farm Boy stationary engine and also the Rob Roy loco. So will look forward to seeing that build when you get back on it.
Thanks. I had a quick look at your KZread channel. I am not sure if you have seen Richard Blizzard's books on wooden toys (I suspect you have) but I built a number of his models including the Landrover, the Scania truck and the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. It's a great way of using up scraps of nice wood and replicating sheet metal parts is always a pleasant challenge. Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 Yes I do have some of his books
Gday Preso, I’m always amazed be the finishing processes you use, the name plate etching is something I’ve never seen done before and the finish plate is absolutely amazing, the choice of colours in my eyes is spot on and really suits the engine nicely and I didn’t know that cast iron could be powder coated, love your work mate, cheers
Thanks Matty. I hadn't done an etched brass plate for a while and I had to re-learn the whole process. It's a great way of replicating fine detail though. You can powdercoat any metal, and some non metal parts as long as they can withstand the 200C heat from the oven. Regards, Mark
Worked as a screen printer (and in a dark room every day) for many years using very similar systems. Your double layer of the negative is causing your issues I'd say. Light is refracting and reflecting because the black in each image is only on one side, leaving a clear thickness of plastic allowing light to bleed. You could try printing one in pos and one flipped to get the carbon on the same side when sandwiched together or just use one.
I did eventually purchase a genuine toner cartridge for my Brother mono laser printer. The aftermarket recycled cartridge was leaving bare streaks in the printed film and I had seen that doubling up the printed images would help to reduce the likelihood of getting UV bleeding through. Next time I will try just one film thickness to see how that goes. Regards, Mark
well Mark nice process from the etching through to the powder coat and final running but i have lost faith in you now and am not enjoying your video's anymore since you did the draw on the DIE HOLDER i am sorry but have to leave now Cheers all best for your future projects 😥😢
Love what you can do! The Stuart Turner turned up a treat! (Please excuse the pun.) I used to build large telescopes, now I build tiny model ones and can share in your frustration with the smaller "fittings". I go down to 14BA with some of the ones do.
Wow! The smallest I have used is 10BA and that was when I was younger. 14BA sounds like watchmaking! Well done. Regards, Mark
Excellent!
Beautiful steam engine Mark! Congratulations!
Looks to be running quite well. I find that color a bit different but very pleasing! Good choice.
The Plateau Green that I used is almost the exact same colour as my Bridgeport mill. In fact I bought it in case I need to powdercoat any parts for the mill. It's a bit understated for a Victorian era steam engine but as they say, "less is more". Regards, Mark
A mount for a dremel might be handy for less precision.
I have a cast aluminium mount that fits in my compound slide for a small Makita router motor. It is useful as a substitute for a tool post grinding attachment. It will take mounted grinding points and milling cutters and the spindle bearings are rigid enough for good precision. I find that the modern variants of the Dremel have pretty "flexible" bearings with lots of end float but for small jobs in aluminium and plastics they do the job. Regards, Mark
Beautiful little engine , something to be really proud of. You did an awesome job on it .
Thanks for that. It's a nice engine but I prefer working on something a bit larger now. Regards, Mark
Another great engine build. I like the colors. A while ago I made some brass coins with etched faces and bypassed the fiddling with uv foil and such by just spray painting it and then use the laser to remove the to be etched area. Came out great, can send you pics if interested
Thanks. I have used that method and in fact I did try it for the nameplate but the resolution wasn't good enough for the finer details. I also tried etching through the Kapton tape and that worked too, but again, for very small details it leads to undercutting. Regards, Mark
Beautiful piece of work, it's still on my todo list to make something along the lines of that, but in cast Aluminium, but I have just spent 10 weeks building a Tool & Cutter grinder using my own castings and ideas and I think I've had enough of that just for the time being, again, well done. 👍 PS, I really should go and get some stickers made and send you one so you can add Thailand to your map.
I did build a Quorn tool and cutter grinder but almost as soon as I completed it I purchased a generic D-bit grinder. The Quorn was an interesting build but it had some serious drawbacks to do with being able to set the angles accurately. I tend to think it was designed to be a bit too universal and sometimes a simpler setup would be better. Designing your own is probably a better way to go. Go ahead and get your stickers made. I think it is a good way of building the KZread community. I'd be happy to do an exchange. Regards, Mark
@@Preso58 I've decided I'll head into town next week and get some stickers made. The only sticker I have on my wall at the moment is a Rustinox sticker, I must send him one as well.