Just found the time to introduce myself
May 29, 2021 21:49:10 GMT
via mobile
gwrfan, dscott, and 6 more like this
Post by rob49er on May 29, 2021 21:49:10 GMT
Hello lads and lassies.
I am a recently retired mechanical engineer with 5 grown up kids, 13 grand kids and 2 great grand children (getting posher).
Thought that it was about time I perused a new hobby so bought the wife a new telly and set up my workshop that was in storage.
The workshop consisting of two 3 1/2" lathes, one a flat bed foot treddle powered Drumond and the other a electric powered Granvile, a hand operated shaper, a bench drill press, a good heavy duty vice (ex BR), with a good stock of drills, reamers, taps/dies etc all of which need sorting for signs of corrosion.
I inherited all of this from my dad who was in his own right a very knowledgeable and able engineer. He had served in the army REME as a Staff sergent in north Africa for most of the second world war and not demobed until 1947.
On his return home to England he and his dad who had then recently been retired as an engine fitter for BR decided to have a go at building the LBSC Minx as described in th ME in 1949. (Same year that I was born. They didn't have a telly either).
At first the work progressed well with most of the chassis, motion and valve gear completed but unfortunately my grandfather passed away and my dads professional career became more demanding so Minx sat on the bench untouched for many years to follow. Dad bought mum a telly and he got totally immersed in his work. He did however find time in the seventies to have a go a the Minx boiler but that window was short lived.
Dad suffered a heart attack and passed away to the Great Workshop in 1980.
That's where I come into the story. MY own chosen career had flourished and I was now the Chief Draghtsman at a busy engineering company which meant me travelling throughout Europe and America.
Although I had inherited that unfinished Minx and the equipment to complete the job I could not fit that into my own family commitments even though I had bought my wife a brand new latest technology television.
Well here I am now up to date with events. Workshop nearly sorted and ready to get going on completing that Minx Which was first started on by my dad and grandad in 1949, some 72 years ago.
And here I have the first problem. Seems that my sister has got rid of all of those early ME magazines that described the LBSC Minx.
So what do I do now. Read somewhere that the Minx drawings were included with the Maid of Kent drawings featured in the same ME articles.
Phoned two model engineering suppliers who confirmed that this was the case, so I ordered a set of the Maid of Kent drawings from one supplier.
The set of drawings arrived a few days later. I turned the telly on for the wife and set about perusing the excellently draughted details only to find very little of those apertaining to the Minx ie. No frame detals, no boiler details, no tender, no valve gear/ wheels and much more.
There is no way that I can complete this project without a reasonable set of drawings.
Can anybody advise me where to go for this info.
In the mean time the wife is watching a film on the telly so I might just join her. Might even make her a cup of tea.
Dont go off the rails!
Rob49er
I am a recently retired mechanical engineer with 5 grown up kids, 13 grand kids and 2 great grand children (getting posher).
Thought that it was about time I perused a new hobby so bought the wife a new telly and set up my workshop that was in storage.
The workshop consisting of two 3 1/2" lathes, one a flat bed foot treddle powered Drumond and the other a electric powered Granvile, a hand operated shaper, a bench drill press, a good heavy duty vice (ex BR), with a good stock of drills, reamers, taps/dies etc all of which need sorting for signs of corrosion.
I inherited all of this from my dad who was in his own right a very knowledgeable and able engineer. He had served in the army REME as a Staff sergent in north Africa for most of the second world war and not demobed until 1947.
On his return home to England he and his dad who had then recently been retired as an engine fitter for BR decided to have a go at building the LBSC Minx as described in th ME in 1949. (Same year that I was born. They didn't have a telly either).
At first the work progressed well with most of the chassis, motion and valve gear completed but unfortunately my grandfather passed away and my dads professional career became more demanding so Minx sat on the bench untouched for many years to follow. Dad bought mum a telly and he got totally immersed in his work. He did however find time in the seventies to have a go a the Minx boiler but that window was short lived.
Dad suffered a heart attack and passed away to the Great Workshop in 1980.
That's where I come into the story. MY own chosen career had flourished and I was now the Chief Draghtsman at a busy engineering company which meant me travelling throughout Europe and America.
Although I had inherited that unfinished Minx and the equipment to complete the job I could not fit that into my own family commitments even though I had bought my wife a brand new latest technology television.
Well here I am now up to date with events. Workshop nearly sorted and ready to get going on completing that Minx Which was first started on by my dad and grandad in 1949, some 72 years ago.
And here I have the first problem. Seems that my sister has got rid of all of those early ME magazines that described the LBSC Minx.
So what do I do now. Read somewhere that the Minx drawings were included with the Maid of Kent drawings featured in the same ME articles.
Phoned two model engineering suppliers who confirmed that this was the case, so I ordered a set of the Maid of Kent drawings from one supplier.
The set of drawings arrived a few days later. I turned the telly on for the wife and set about perusing the excellently draughted details only to find very little of those apertaining to the Minx ie. No frame detals, no boiler details, no tender, no valve gear/ wheels and much more.
There is no way that I can complete this project without a reasonable set of drawings.
Can anybody advise me where to go for this info.
In the mean time the wife is watching a film on the telly so I might just join her. Might even make her a cup of tea.
Dont go off the rails!
Rob49er
