Hi from Crewe

Even though I have been machining for almost all my working life, I haven't yet dabbled into CNC.
I have a small but fully manual machine equipped small workshop, with all the usual items.
Being of rather a ripe age, CNC machining will be a complete minefield for me, when I eventually get a CNC mill into the shop.

Even though I know John S personally, I thought I would try to at least attempt to help myself before falling on his superior knowledge.

If things go to plan, later in the year, I will be investing in the larger of the two Sieg CNC mills, mainly because it will take most of the tooling I already have, and it should compliment the size of machines I already own.
My workshop is used as a sort of small production unit making precision items and doing rework, but only for a minor amount of the time, just to pay for keeping the workshop running, the rest is devoted to my designing and making of small steam/air driven engines. I am hoping that the CNC mill will help take the pressure off me when I am doing production work.

Thats about it for the moment :wave:

Bogs

Hi Bogs welcome to the site, i look forward to seeing some of these steam engine parts coming ot of your cnc once your up and running.

Unfortunately Lee, I doubt very much if my engines will ever be made by CNC.
I design and make on the run, manual machining here and there where necessary. I doubt if CNC could keep up with my one off production. I don't even use CAD, just rough sketches.

This was designed and made just like I described above.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...os/custom1.jpg

Or maybe a three rotor air/steam turbine will wet your whistle

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/finish21.jpg

Both about 4.5" high

I need massive help for when the CNC eventually turns up, not hardware, that is all sorted hopefully, but where to start in getting it to do what I want.

I am looking at Dolphin and Mach III software.


Bogs

That's neat! :clap:

Fantastic work Mr Tandard

Nice work mate,bet that used up a good few hours.

Hi Boggy time you introduced the brains of the partneship, Bandit

Peter

Hi Peter,

I mentioned about him joining as well, but he mumbled something about becoming a physicist, and was too busy to take on anything else.

Maybe he will change his mind a little later.

John

Hi! It's a small world - I recognise you from the Home Model Engine Machinist forum!

I've just purchased a CNC Taig Mill and currently coming to grips with it!

Good to see you here too!

Alan

Steve,
I forgot to answer you before, sorry.
Not really, the piston valve engine, I made two 'on the run', designing and making as I went along, and they took about two months. Mostly made from scrap picked up from here and there, and cost me about £10 each, and most of that was on the fastenings. The forum build for it was turned into a 'book', which should be able to be downloaded from here. A fair few have been sucessfully made.

http://rapidshare.com/files/23781034...ngine_book.exe

Hi Alan,

I have still to purchase my machinery. I want to try to get some facts and figures and software under my belt before I take the plunge. Mainly because it will be a secondary machine in my shop, and I won't be able to spend all my time on it when it eventually arrives.
If I can get the basics learned first, it won't be such a struggle for me when I get my grubby hands on it.

John