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CA-ALL Where to buy Kits?
- Thread starter djberta
- Start date
Canada Wide
Ages ago I purchased the Hemmingway knurler kit direct from England. At the time shipping was pretty inexpensive whereas today the shipping to my postal code is $4 short of the cost of the kit.
I have heard that you can purchase drawings for some items but I don't for which products drawings are available.
I have heard that you can purchase drawings for some items but I don't for which products drawings are available.
Ordering more than one kit is a good point.
Unfortunately with Hemmingway more kits adds an almost equal shipping fee. Knurler and rear toolpost is $108 shipping on $126 worth of kits
FWIW I have ordered a bunch of woodworking stuff from Axminster and some of it was super bulky and the shipping was not nearly as expensive.
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trlvn
Ultra Member
There is a fellow in Elmira, Ontario that offers PM Research kits. I've never dealt with him nor even checked prices, but ...
Canadian Model Engineering
Welcome to the Canadian Model Engineering website. You will find Steam Engines, Boiler Kits, Gas Engines, Hot Air Engines, Milling Machines, Lathes, Tooling, and more.
www.cmodele.com
Craig
Sometimes they come up on the ME forums. I have no idea of price. Sometimes shipping to Canada is a turn off for some, so if you had a USA re-shipper address that would a) increase your odds of a sell b) probably be net cheaper landed
www.homemodelenginemachinist.com
Classifieds - Buy / Sell / Trade
Have something for sale? Looking for something?
www.homemodelenginemachinist.com
I really like that build. I like the one that runs on a lathe as well. I really like some of the kits that are out there but the price and shipping is prohibitIve To my budget.
140mower
Don
Have you looked at the metal lathe accessories website? Sadly, we are probably the last cheap things left...... But the quality of the castings has been reportedly good and the tee slot cross slide I got seems to support that.
Kits for model engines or tooling?
It's getting tougher. There used to be Power Model Supply (blew himself up) and Coles (faded away after the partiachs death, afaik) that had great selections of locomotives, traction engines, stationary engines etc. All gone now.
The chap in Elmira took over from Ted McJannet (of Golden Triangle Model Engineers) and he had some nice casting kits. I built his 1/4 scale Perkins hit and miss and the Rider Ericsson hot air engine. I thought there were good well done projects and would recommend them if Canada Model Engineering still sells the kits that I think Ted was involved in developing.
Castings sets frequently come up for sale in the classifieds, where I've bought all mine. I've got so many under benches its frightening.....better get busy or the market will be flooded one day when the kids go to clear it all out. Stuart Major beam, Seal 4 cyl engine, vertical hobbing machine, two locomotives and three tractions engines.
The UK is centre ice for model engineering with lots of suppliers, Reeves, Stuart Turner and so. Check out how many businesses service the sector:
fmes.org.uk
Many kinds of engines you need castings for an authentic looking model (radials being one exception that comes to mind) but if its tooling you are after, I'd just go bar stock (even it means getting a hunk of durabar)
It's getting tougher. There used to be Power Model Supply (blew himself up) and Coles (faded away after the partiachs death, afaik) that had great selections of locomotives, traction engines, stationary engines etc. All gone now.
The chap in Elmira took over from Ted McJannet (of Golden Triangle Model Engineers) and he had some nice casting kits. I built his 1/4 scale Perkins hit and miss and the Rider Ericsson hot air engine. I thought there were good well done projects and would recommend them if Canada Model Engineering still sells the kits that I think Ted was involved in developing.
Castings sets frequently come up for sale in the classifieds, where I've bought all mine. I've got so many under benches its frightening.....better get busy or the market will be flooded one day when the kids go to clear it all out. Stuart Major beam, Seal 4 cyl engine, vertical hobbing machine, two locomotives and three tractions engines.
The UK is centre ice for model engineering with lots of suppliers, Reeves, Stuart Turner and so. Check out how many businesses service the sector:
Over 115 Leading Suppliers To Model Engineers | Federation Of Model Engineering Societies
This suppliers list has been created to support model engineers whether buying ready to run or a construction project. Suppliers are grouped according to their type of business. Many suppliers exhibit at exhibitions and shows. Let us know if other suppliers should be added to our list
fmes.org.uk
Many kinds of engines you need castings for an authentic looking model (radials being one exception that comes to mind) but if its tooling you are after, I'd just go bar stock (even it means getting a hunk of durabar)
More for engines, as I am selling my engines and tractors as we down size. I would like to replace them with a more size orientated option.
I really love the look of the cast iron models. Some of the tooling options are neat but can be made from some of the metal I have. I would love one of the metal lathe accessories die filers, but a die filer can be made from scrap. Making an engine from scrap is doable but it doesn't have that neat look. Th seal 4 cylinder is really neat kit.
Scale rendition of radials could certainly benefit from castings, but it might be pushing the limits of what could be reasonably cast. I've seen FS head & cylinder fins about 0.050" thick & 2-3" deep. Now multiply that by 25% for a 1/4 scale model - we're talking cast feeler gages. But with my CAD model & your lost wax casting prowess, we could make wonderful music together LOL.
Peter, I was in hindsight pretty flippant with that remark, so I should retract and correct.
There have been some amazing engines built with barstock where great effort was made to replicate the appearance of castings. The late Bill Huxhold who entertained us at TSME meetings with his incredible models is a standout example, and there are others. For us mere mortals though, castings are often part of reasonably correct, at least period correct, looking model (i.e. a model being something trying to look its full sized prototype vs small fee lance engines). There are also numerous interesting bar stock small engines that are neat and fun to build (but aren't really models of anything so I kind of don't think of if we're talking "models"). Check out the Whittle air cooled V8 for example.
Come to think of it, the inexperienced builder would do well to consider a bunch of bar stock engines as initial projects. They are inexpensive, easier to build (castings present fixturing challenges) and most importantly, aren't so painful when one makes the inevitable mistake here and there. Mistakes don't disappear with experience, but hopefully become less frequent giving one a fighting chance of not messing up an expensive or near irreplaceable casting.
There have been some amazing engines built with barstock where great effort was made to replicate the appearance of castings. The late Bill Huxhold who entertained us at TSME meetings with his incredible models is a standout example, and there are others. For us mere mortals though, castings are often part of reasonably correct, at least period correct, looking model (i.e. a model being something trying to look its full sized prototype vs small fee lance engines). There are also numerous interesting bar stock small engines that are neat and fun to build (but aren't really models of anything so I kind of don't think of if we're talking "models"). Check out the Whittle air cooled V8 for example.
Come to think of it, the inexperienced builder would do well to consider a bunch of bar stock engines as initial projects. They are inexpensive, easier to build (castings present fixturing challenges) and most importantly, aren't so painful when one makes the inevitable mistake here and there. Mistakes don't disappear with experience, but hopefully become less frequent giving one a fighting chance of not messing up an expensive or near irreplaceable casting.
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gerritv
Gerrit
HMEC is doing a club build of a David Croft designed engine (from Steam and Stirling Book 2) to help beginners dip their toes into building an engine. David is a member of HMEC. He shows 2 ways of making the cylinder block, one carved from CI, the other built up from bar stock using silver solder. Lagging adds to the look of being real. Either way a learning experience.
On the other end of the spectrum this is being built without castings or cnc:
I am building this Rudy Kouhoupt engine from bar stock, once cladded and painted you might not know it is from bar stock:
On the other end of the spectrum this is being built without castings or cnc:
I am building this Rudy Kouhoupt engine from bar stock, once cladded and painted you might not know it is from bar stock:
gerritv
Gerrit
As to buying a casting kit, I am as frugal as they come. But one thing I have learned in retirement, at some point the pleasure you get from building something overrides the cost of buying materials. In my case last year it was brass and cutting it into swarf. In your case it is castings and shipping. If the engine takes a year or two to build, think of the joy at the end, and the cost of castings spread over a year instead of 1 lump. IOW change the perception of cost a bit 
gerrit
gerrit
Tom O
Ultra Member
What size are the bores on your compound?