In searching the Worldwide Web, sometimes we come across a page that shares some of our passion for the quest for good craftsmanship. We may not have the time right at the moment to further pursue adding the person to the museum, but we feel you might enjoy looking at some of these pages they have produced themselves. If you come across any that would be appropriate for inclusion here, please e-mail a link to craig@craftsmanshipmuseum.com.
• The Vista Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum—A large facility with hundreds of steam tractors and pieces of farm equipment on display. Twice a year in October and June they have a large tractor show and thresharee. See their site at www.agsem.com for more information. It is only a few miles from the Craftsmanship Museum.
• March Field Air Museum—For those interested in military aircraft, there is a museum just outside March Air Force Base in Riverside, CA. They have quite a selection of aircraft with displays inside a large hanger (with another hangar on the way) and larger planes like the B-52, SR-71 and even Russian Migs outdoors. See www.marchfield.org for a schedule and details. March Field is about a 1-hour drive from Vista.
• San Diego Aerospace Museum— See www.aerospacemuseum.org for more on one of the numerous museums in San Diego's famed Balboa Park. Located near the San Diego Zoo, there are also other museums to be visited there like the Automotive museum or...
• The San Diego Model Railroad Museum—also in the same museum complex above. (See www.sdmrm.org.) San Diego is about a 45 minute drive south of Vista during mid-day. (Morning and evening traffic on I-5 on weekdays can make it a longer drive.)
Also in San Diego is the Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum. This new and growing museum features not only the Midway itself but a growing display of vintage aircraft on its deck. See www.midway.org for details.
• For railfans, not far from the March Field Air Museum is the Orange Empire Railroad Museum in Perris, CA. See www.oerm.org for details and hours of operation. These are the full size trains, not models, but they do offer a short ride on both a train and a streetcar loop.
• Phoenix, Arizona is about 8 hours from San Diego, but for those passing through, Paul Knapp has put together an excellent model engine museum there. It is called the Miniature Engineering Museum and can be found at www.engine-museum.com.
• Further yet, but still on the West Coast is the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. See www.museumofflight.org. Exhibits include Air Force One and a Concorde along with 28 fighters and many other aircraft in Boeing Corp's back yard. Their restoration facility is 30 minutes further North in Everett, WA.
• A great page about model engines—A lot of work has gone into this web site by Ronald Chernich, which has been up since 1999. See www.modelenginenews.org for news about model engines of all kinds and everything related to engine building. See the "Editorial Index" link in the menu bar at the left of the page for a list of many past issues. The "Projects" section offers a list of beginner, intermediate and advanced engines for people looking for recommendations on what to build depending on their skill level.
• Tatjana van Vark is hard to categorize. See www.tatjavanvark.nl and judge for yourself. The craftsmanship is without question outstanding, but as you study this site and her projects you may find you have more questions than answers. A combination of mathematics, physics and metalworking skills blend to create an appreciation of the beauty of complicated mechanical machines. Very few of us may ever fully understand it, but we can certainly appreciate and marvel at the results. Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once wrote, "Any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic." These projects border on magic.
• The New Yankee Workshop—Norm Abrams is probably one of the best known craftsmen on TV. Norm got his start in TV as Bob Vila's hard-working sidekick on the show that started the trend toward do-it-yourself shows on TV—This Old House. A master carpenter himself, he has done much over the years to spread the word about craftsmanship and to get people interested in not only making things, but in making them well. WGBH in Boston produces his shows for public television, and this site shows what's coming up in the 2003 season.
• The New Chinky Workshop—Ching Ky is a furniture maker with a nice shop and a good sense of humor. The play on the name of Norm Abrams' shop is obvious, but he is a fine craftsman in his own right. He shows some of his work plus some jigs and fixtures he has made to enhance the accuracy of his shop.
• The Smithsonian Folklife Festival honors masonry craftsmen—In Washington DC, the Bricklayers and Allied Crafts Union (BAC) displayed many facets of the masonry trade to the public in a summer outdoor festival exhibit. You can also go the BAC Union home page to learn more about craftsmanship in masonry and related trades.
• Machine Tool History and Information—If you are interested in learning about an old metalworking tool you picked up at a sale or auction, Tony Griffiths has published a wealth of free information at www.lathes.co.uk. Look in the "Archives" section. His write-ups include photos of the tool, a history of its development and copies of sales literature when available.
• Great Platte River Road Archway—Designer Kent Bloomer worked with a company called Welding Works to come up with a spectacular sculpture of a horse made from aluminum plates. It really doesn't fit the definition of this site because of its large size, but it is such a nice piece of work we thought you might enjoy taking a look at it. See http://www.weldingworks.com/newsltr/nl.htm to learn more about it. This project involves the interplay between an artist, a fabrication company and a structural engineering firm. Coordinating a number of diverse requirements on such a size scale presents many challenges not encountered by a single person working in his home shop.
• To learn how a scale model diecast top fuel hydro drag boat is designed and constructed, visit Bad Ass Diecast's site at www.diecast-badass.com. Former NHRA and NDBA racer Stan Gill designed these boats and has put togerther an informative walk-through of the lengthy process of going from plans to a finished, painted, assembled die cast model. The limited edition models are also for sale there if you are looking for something cool to hook up behind that 1/18 scale diecast car sitting on your desk or bookshelf.
The Home Shop Machinist--a bi-monthly publication devoted entirely to metalworking. Editorial is directed to professionals and those who have just discovered a new hobby. Each issue contains "how-to" articles on lathe work, drilling, milling, grinding, foundry, and micro-machining, plus metal shop projects (complete with drawings prepared to ANSI specifications and photographs).
Machinist's Workshop--a bi-monthly magazine that is the sister publication to The Home Shop Machinist and the answer to reader's requests for projects they could work on between issues of Home Shop. Intended for serious machinists/metalworkers, each issue offers plans for valuable tools and accessories, and challenging hobby projects. Every project is complete in one issue.
*NOTE: This magazine was former titled "Projects in Metal" but has now been renamed The Machinist's Workshop and has undergone a major change in format to make it even better.
Live Steam--a bi-monthly magazine devoted to all aspects of steam power. Primarily, it serves the hobby aspect of steam, with most feature articles directed toward the scale model builder. Approximately 80% of the readers enjoy large scale model railroading (mainly steam, but also diesel and electric). Other interests include stationary steam engines, steamboats, steam traction engines, automotive steam and various other engines. Articles of historical interest are often featured, along with construction projects, "how-to" articles and news about the hobby.
Model Engine Builder is a new magazine for those interested in building engines. Unlike Strictly IC (see below) which it is intended to replace, it will not be restricted to only internal combustion engines, but will also give some coverage to Stirling and other interesting engines as well. It will include plans and articles, beginner and advanced projects, articles about builders and their shops and photo coverage of the major model engineering shows. The initial issue should be available March, 2005. For more information or to subscribe to this publication, contact editor Mike Rehmus at 737 Elmwood Avenue, Vallego, CA 94591-6641 or call (707) 643-1970. You can also e-mail editor@modelenginebuilder.com or see their web site at www.modelenginebuilder.com. It will initially be published quarterly with plans to go to bi-monthly as subscriptions permit.
Strictly I.C. was the magazine for miniature engine design and construction. Published by expert technical writer Robert Washburn, this magazine served a very focused part of the modeling market. The magazine published its last issue in December 2001, but back issues are available. Write to Strictly I.C. Publishing, 24920 43rd Ave. So., Kent, WA 98032-4160. Their 24-hour fax number is (253) 946-5253. The web site address is www.strictlyic.com.
Model Engineer--is now published in England by Magicalia Publications. It has been around since 1896 and offers an interesting look at modeling from a European perspective. You'll see things advertised there than often do not appear in American magazines. To contact them, write: Magicalia Publications Ltd., Berwick House, 8-10 Knoll Rise, Orpington, Kent BR6 0EL. Telephone +44 (0) 1689 899200. In the USA, subscriptions can be ordered from Wise Owl Publications at (760) 603-9768. Magicalia also publishs a sister magazine called Model Engineer's Workshop.
(Thanks to Jim Clark, the Foundation now owns a complete collection of Model Engineer magazines dating from the first issue in 1898 up through 2002. We now have a subscription to keep the collection current but are seeking donations of issues from 2002 to present.)
Steam in the Garden--Garden railways combine two hobbies...model railroading and gardening. This magazine specializes in garden railways that run on live steam. They often include articles that would be of interest to miniature machinists interested in making small live steam locomotives and rolling stock. A construction article on building a Vest Pocket Climax locomotive has been running as a series. Sherline tools are used in its construction. One of their readers created a web site that shows the continuing progress of the locomotive. It can be found at http://www.uwimona.edu.jm/users/kmanison/fls/climax/vpc.html.
Seaways' Ships in Scale Magazine is a great source for model ship builders and ship historians. Their site offers a summary of articles in the current issue plus some great photos of model ships. They also have e-mail centers for both ship modelers and ship historians. There is a resource section as well with links to sellers of ship kits, plans, tools and other items of interest to those into ship modeling.
By the way, the Ship Modelers Association's Western Ship Model Conference is held every year or two in the L.A. area. They display some really beautiful models. A few years ago it was held on the Queen Mary. For information on the Association, contact Lloyd V. Warner, 2083 Reynosa Drive, Torrance, CA 90501, (310) 326-5177.
Books military aircraft and history plus more—The Shiffer Military and Aviation History catalog offers a host of books on subjects that are often hard for researchers to find. They provide books for the gift shops at places like the San Diego Aerospace Museum among others, but you can order from their on-line site at www.schiffermilitary.com. If you are more into crafts like making pens, knives, bows or boats, their arts and crafts site might be of more interest to you at www.schifferbooks.com. The Foundation library now has on hand the book The Master Scratch Builders: Their Aircraft Models and Techniques by John Alcorn thanks to a donation by Schiffer Books publishing rep John E. Jones of Vista, CA.
ENGINES AND OTHER MACHINING PROJECTS
∙ PLANS FOR STEAM, STIRLING and IC ENGINES...Jerry Howell of Colorado Springs, CO offers a large selection of well-drawn CAD plans for an interesting variety of engines. See his web site at www.jerry-howell.com. The Joe Martin Foundation is currently building his V-4 engine as a shop project.
∙ PROJECT PLANS ON CD FROM GUY LAUTARD...You get a lot for your money on this CD featuring plans for several projects, letters with all kinds of handy shop tips and more. Plans include: a universal vise for holding small parts, a surface gage based on a 120-year old design and a small hammer for fine work. There are also links to other interesting sites, three "shop tales" and much more. For details and prices for various parts of the world, contact Guy Lautard, 2570 Rosebery Avenue, W. Vancouver, B.C. V7V 2Z9, Canada or see his web page at www.lautard.com/GRUPPOPAGE.html. Guy is well known in the machining world for his "Bedside Reader" series and for providing quality information to the hobby, and with his digital camera and the use of modern technology, it looks like he is taking this quality to the next level. (5/05)
Guy's latest set of plans allows you to build a highly efficient tire pump. See http://www.lautard.com/TirePump.html for details on how to order plans. (6/06)
∙ STEAM ENGINE PLANS...Ray Hasbrouk has a web page at http://hasbrouck.8m.com/ that offers plan sets for some nice engines he has designed. Many are sized small enough for Sherline tools. The plans are very reasonably priced, most at around $15.00. He can be reached by mail at: Ray F. HasBrouck, 20 Brouck-Ferris Blvd., New Paltz, NY 12561
∙ MORE STEAM ENGINE PLANS...Here's a simple, fun one. Try http://www.good-fellow.net/twins.html for instructions and photos on building the "Saimese Twins" two-cylinder steam engine by Dave Goodfellow. Plans are available for download in .pdf format. The design is based on the steam engine in Rudy Kouhoupt's video with the addition of a second cylinder, and Dave built it on Sherline equipment. (5/01)
∙ EVEN MORE PLANS FOR SOME SIMPLE STEAM ENGINES...Dean Williams has put up a site with some machining projects and some reasonably priced plans for simple engines. There are shots of his Sherline shop layout too. See his site at http://home.rmci.net/deanw/first.html.
∙ HUGE SELECTION OF FREE STEAM AND IC ENGINE PLANS...Join the forum at www.hobbysteam.com and get access not only to the discussion group, but also a very large collection of scanned engine plans in their download section. The drawings and articles are high quality zipped .tif files that print out nice and clear.
∙ ENGINE PLANS BY BOB SHORES...The "Little Angel" Hit 'n Miss engine by Bob Shores finished 4th in the 1996 N.A.M.E.S. Show Contest. More details on the engine can be found by going to Bob's site at www.bobshores.com. Others have also built winning versions of this engine. Bob offers complete plans for this handsome, smooth running engine as well as a similar engine called the "Silver Angel". They can both be built on Sherline equipment. The plans are full scale on 5 sheets of 18" x 24" blueprint paper (6 sheets for the Silver Angel) with each part fully detailed and dimensioned in a very professional style. A detailed set of typewritten instructions is also included for each. If you have a little experience in machining and want to go beyond working with kits, this could be a good way to do your first scratch built project. Plans are $25 in the USA which includes postage and handling. Add $5 for delivery outside the USA. Contact Margaret Shores, 108 Carmelina Street, Ruskin, FL 33570. (813) 645-8322. E-mail: bobshores@msn.com.
NOTE: Bob Shores passed away May 18, 2004, but his wife Margaret will continue offering the plans and kits he developed.
—Also offered is a new 2-cylinder, 4-cycle gas engine called the "Silver Bullet". It is water-cooled and can be built on a 6" lathe. (Bob says he thinks it could be built on a Sherline lathe with riser blocks.) The casting kit and 26 drawings are $95.00 postage paid in the USA. For shipment outside the USA, add $15.00. Also available are molded spark plug wires, rimfire sparkplugs and a shop wall chart that Bob modestly claimed is "worth hanging on the wall". The serious I.C. engine builder will also want his book, Ignition coils and Magnetos in Miniature. The 253-page hardback book is $25.00 ($30.00 outside USA).
The newest engine from Bob Shores (see address
above) was designed with Sherline tools in mind. The little
"Hercules"
was designed for easy construction and reliable operation. It is truly a nice
little engine that starts easy, idles very slow and is not difficult to build.
It is a 4 cycle gas engine with 5/8" bore, side operated valves, splash
lubrication, water pump and very efficient radiator. It uses a 'waste fire'
ignition system utilizing a motorcycle ignition coil.
The casting kit consists of four Almag castings for the block, oil pan, gear
cover and bell housing with 28, 11" X 17" high quality drawings detailing engine
construction, water pump, radiator, fuel tank, ignition systems and useful
construction tools. The casting kit is $110.00 in the USA or $120.00 outside the
USA including postage. (Click on the small image above for a larger version.)
Ordering details and more info can be found at Bob's web site at
www.bobshores.com.
∙ PLANS FOR ENGINES, RIFLES AND MORE...Contact Dick Saunders at Saunders Machine, 145 Delhi Road, Manchester, IA 52057-1801. Dick has designed and offers plans for everything from a top ($5.00) to two different single shot rifles ($12.00 each or $20.00 for both). He also has plans for a tin can hot air engine, a 10" shear, a fire eating engine, a cup engine and a center drill guide. Most are $10.00 or less. Write him for plans or more information.
∙ PUZZLE PROJECTS...Hex nut within a cube...Some of you may have seen the "cube within a cube" project shown in Joe Martin's book, Tabletop Machining. Matthew Russell has come up with a new twist on that idea. A metal cube with holes in all six sides contains a large hex nut that is too big to fit through the holes. It is all machined from one piece of metal. How is it done? For $5.00 you can find out and build one yourself. It requires some fixtures and careful cutting, but once mastered an interesting conversation piece can be produced in an afternoon's work. For a set of plans on how to make the fixtures and written instructions on how to use them to machine this unique project, send a check for $5.00 to: Matthew Russel, 33 Woodridge Drive, Mendon, NY 14506. Matthew now also has plans for how to make a set of elliptical gears. They have no practical function but look great and provide a very unique motion when cranked, which is reason enough for their existance.
∙ MINIATURE GUN PLANS...The Miniature Arms Society was founded in 1973 for builders and collectors of miniature weaponry. They now maintain a library of drawings, sketches and plans for old guns and other weapons. These are free for members. The society also recently published a large coffee table type book called The Art of Miniature Firearms, which contains over 300 pages of color photos of the finest craftsman in the miniature weapon world. To learn more about miniature weapons and the society, contact Bill Adrian, 2502 Fresno Lane, Plainfield, IL 60544 or call Joel Morrow at the Imperial Miniature Armory in Houston, Texas at 1-800-MINIATURE (1-800-646-4288) or see their site at www.1800miniature.com.
∙ If you are interested in building your own model amphibious assault vehicle, see the site: http://www.technogap.com/model.htm. The author has presented many detailed photos in the construction of his own large model including many setups using Sherline tools to make the metal parts. Though not really a "set of plans", the site is very well done and full of ideas on how to go about making a working model from scratch
∙ FREE PLANS FOR MACHINING A CHILD'S TOP...Karl Schwab provided a reprint of a one-page article he had published about how to build a spinning top he remembers from his childhood. CLICK HERE for the plans. Karl has entered many projects in Sherline's Machinist's Challenge contest and his grandson, Scott won the youth division in 2004. See the 2004 contest results for photos of their projects and all the other entries.
∙ WANT TO BUILD A NEW, SUPER-EFFICIENT ENGINE DESIGN?... Tired of building conventional engines? Louis Moore has been advertising in the model magazines for some time. He is seeking people who can build a prototype of a new engine design called the Monomotor. He claims it is perfectly balanced, smooth and efficient. He has the ideas and some plans, but not the skill to build a prototype himself. If you are interested in working on a project like this, contact him at 1-573-435-6666 or write Louis Moore, P.O. Box 522, Edgar Springs, MO 65462. (He does not have a web site or e-mail.) He has a fully equipped shop you can use or you can work with him from your own shop. I have not seen the plans or met the man, but he seems determined to make a better engine. In speaking with him, he seems long on vision but short on details. I'm not sure exactly what to make of his offer, but here it is for anyone who wants to try something different. He says the prototype could be built on small tools.
∙ TINY POWER has a nice web site and offers a variety of kits including a new steam engine by Ed Warren that makes a great Sherline project. See their web site or contact them at (417) 334-2655. They are located near the country music capital of Branson, MO. Write: Tiny Power, P.O. Box 1605, Branson, MO 65615 or e-mail info@tinypower.com.
∙ HISTORIC STEAM MODELS LTD. in Surrey, England manufactures steam plant /mill engine combinations assembled and ready to steam or as a kit for the enthusiast to self assemble. Whether completed or in kit form the models are superbly machined and finished with electro-lacquering on all copper and brass, lagging on all hot pipe work and stove enameling on all painted items. Full details can be found on their website www.historicsteammodels.com where their latest brochure can be downloaded. For more information, email info@steammodels.co.uk or write to Historic Steam Models, Monument House, Monument Way West, Woking, Surrey, GU21 5EN, England. Phone/Fax: +44 (0) 1403 786206.
∙ HISTORIC AIRCRAFT MODEL MAKERS...When Young C. Park made the 1/16 scale all aluminum cutaway models of the Corsair and Mustang featured in our museum, how did he know how all the parts inside the planes were interrelated? He purchased the original classified WWII factory maintenance manuals. You can too, from Aerotec Data. See their site at www.aerotecdata.com or write them at P.O. Box 771, Monument, CO 80132. Their phone number is 719-481-2286, Fax is 719-481-2203.
∙ Build a "Denney" Stirling cycleHot Air Pumping Engine...Designed in 1895 by American Machine Co. in Newark, Delaware, the company was purchased by Ericsson Co. 15 years later. This is a 1/4 scale model of that engine. The kit includes raw castings ready for machining and will construct an engine that is 14" tall with a 7" flywheel. A set of drawings is also included, of course, that consists of 4 sheets (18 x 24). The drawings and set of 12 castings is $345.00 plus $35 S&H. Order from Wade Eisner, 10 Hammond lane, Eliot, Maine 03903-1843. Phone: (207) 439-3536 or e-mail wade-eisner@comcast.net. Photos of the engine can be seen on Snapfish.
• REALLY SMALL NUTS, BOLTS AND RIVITS FOR MODELERS...See modeler Bob Breslauer's page if you need some extremely small fasteners. It can be found at www.scalehardware.com. Bob's work was featured in Joe Martin's Tabletop Machining book.
• BUILD YOUR OWN MODEL POND YACHT...Charles Blume has a web page on traditional model pond yachts at www.pondyachts.net. He also offers a set of plans for making your own plank-on-frame "A" class model. Photos of his sailing dinghy are also on the site. Traditional pond yachts used self-steering rigs (shown in photos on the site), but the addition of modern radio control gives much more control and saves a lot of walking around the pond to retrieve your boat. They also look great on the mantle when not in use! (4/11/08)
CLOCKMAKING
∙ William R. Smith is well known in the field of clockmaking. He has recently designed a T-Rest for the Sherline lathe which makes it possible to hand turn parts using a "graver", which is a common technique in watch- and clockmaking. His credentials include a degree in mechanical engineering as well as FBHI (Fellow, British Horological Institute), FNAWCC (Fellow, National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors), CMC (Certified Master Clockmaker) and CMW (Certified Master Watchmaker). Over his career he has had over 60 horological articles published. He has also published several books and a video on clock making which should be of interest to anyone who is serious about restoring clocks or making them from scratch. The clocks he describes are "skeleton" clocks, which are beautiful and ornate enough that they are not intended to be hidden by a solid case, but rather are displayed in glass or plastic cases so the delicate movement can be seen in action.
∙ We are happy to announce that Bill Smith has posted a web site where you can see some of his work at http://www.wrsmithclocks.com. He has another at http://www.wrsmithtelegraphkeys.com.
∙ Mike Kovacich at The Clock Shop in Anaconda, Montana offers a kit to assemble a large brass clock movement. You can buy it as plans only, plans plus materials, plans, materials and pre-machined gears, a complete kit or a fully assembled clock–with or without wooden case. If you want to learn how a clock works, this is a good starting project, and you will end up with a very interesting timepiece for your mantle. See the kit at www.clockshopkits.com or call (406) 563-2498.
∙ A number of clock kits are available from Murray Clock Craft. at http://www.murrayclock.com. They used to have a list of clock museums around the world posted on their site, but at last look I could no longer find it.
WOODWORKING
∙ PLANS AND RESOURCES FOR WOODWORKERS...For those using Sherline tools for woodworking projects, visit http://www.woodcraft4u.com/ for plenty of links to sources for project plans.
∙ SEVERAL SOURCES FOR WOODEN TOYS YOU CAN MAKE...Toys and Joys at P.O Box 628, Lynden, WA 98264 offers a catalog of patterns, kits and drawings for making wooden toys. Send $1 to the above address for a catalog or see their site at www.toysandjoys.com. See also http://www.u-bild.com/patterns-wood-toys/ for a web site that offers many kits for toy vehicles and trains. Even home repair specialist Bob Vila gets into the act with his site at http://www.bobvila.com/ProductServices/SmartBuys/SmartDirectory/Toys_and_Games-ClassicToys-PlansandKits-1.html.
∙ If you played with the old battery powered wooden boats from Japan in the 1950's, you can now relive the fun. Rick Bodziak at R-C Craft makes some very nice finished wooden boats at reasonable prices considering the work involved. He models real Chris Crafts, Garwoods, Hacker Crafts and other popular mahogany powerboats of the 30's, 40's and 50's. They would be equally at home as a display in the cabin or being run in the lake or pool. Despite the name, they are not radio controlled, but are made to run on "C" batteries like the originals. See http://www.rccraft.com/ for his web site.
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