Model Engineering In Thailand and South East Asia

Website Update

I continue to be amazed at the huge wealth of model engineering and home metalworking skills and workshops there are here in Thailand.
One I just discovered belongs to Henry – a lovely and extremely well equipped model engineers workshop in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, now offered it for sale.
This includes:-
  • Emco Compact 10 Lathe As New
  • BVZX 16 Bench Milling Drilling Machine
  • Three-In-One Sheet Metal Worker (Shears, Bender, Roller)
  • Axminster Floor Standing Drilling Machine With Compound Table
  • Bench Grinders
  • High Speed Sensitive Drilling Machine
  • Other Model Engineering Workshop Tools and Equipment, etc, etc
Too much to show everything on the website so I have also provided download links where you can download all the images (about 64 in total) of the tools and equipment.
Other Website Updates
Another CNC Movie
Mike has posted another short lathe video to YouTube showing the lathe cutting a small mild-steel spindle.
Help Wanted
Small Project Fabrication
Chris is looking for a machine shop preferably in the north Bangkok area that will take on small projects. Can you help please?
00 Hornby Railways and Model Plane Kit Suppliers
Can anyone help Ian find a supplier in Thailand of these hobby items?
Bogie Drawings Wanted
Andrew – Bryn is asking if you can release any drawings of your bogies.
New Resources Added
Steel Supplier
Mike has posted the details and full Google Maps Street Views of this useful shop in Chon Buri.
Nuts & Bolts & Other Fasteners
Mike has posted the details and full Google Maps Street Views of this useful shop in Chon Buri selling Nuts & Bolts or other fasteners.

The Modelengineeringinthailand.Com Website Has Been Massively Updated This Week

Creating Free Time Where None Existed Before

I have found a way to actually create free time where none existed before!

I’ll maybe let you into my secret on that one day but what it means to you and to Model Engineering in Thailand is that with this new-found free time I have been able to spend time on the website and bring it up to date.

Well, kind of. I still have a stack of photos and videos to illustrate the articles I have yet to write. If I actually managed to write all those articles and incorporate the media it would be a full time job. And that’s without updating the RetiringInThailand.net website!

A List Of All New Updates Since The Last Announcement List Email

Here are the major updates:-

Massive updates to the ModelEngineeringInThailand.com website including a Guests section featuring Guests models, workshop equipment, motorcycles etc.

I’m having a great time getting used to the big machine tools in readiness for when I start making the 1/2 full size Little Samson traction engine. (Soon!)

Hit a few problems with the Argo mill on the way but the solutions although simple in the extreme were not so easy to find.

There’s got to be something to interest you on at least one of these brand new pages on the ModelEngineeringInThailand.com website.

Workshop Equipment For The Model Engineer In Thailand

ARGO 3VH Turret Milling Machine
Sub Pages

Lathes In Thailand

Kinwa CH-430X1100 Lathe
Sub Pages

My first ever attempt at screwcutting in the lathe. Movie showing how I fared.

Links to Blogs & Websites

A very valuable resource page. Add your own favourite web page links here.

Links to Blogs & Websites

New Page – 6″ Scale Little Samson Traction Engine Update

Today I Started Building The 6″ Scale Little Samson Traction Engine In Thailand

New Resouce Page

Review of SCNC – Bench Lathes, Mini CNC Lathes, Mills, Components

New Comments and Responses

https://modelengineeringinthailand.com/#comment-795

 

 

 

Outline Design For The Makita 2107F Bandsaw Frame Almost Completed

I have been steadily working away at the design of the frame to hold the Makital portable bandsaw model 2107F to allow it to cut off lengths of (mostly) steel bars easily. I have reached the stage now where the basic outline is complete enough to buy the materials and start fabrication.

Many details need to be developed but I’ll do those as I build the frame and update the CAD drawings accordingly.

To see the updated drawings please go to the Update 29 Dec 2013 – Outline Design Almost Complete Page

New Page Added About Buying A Big Lathe In Thailand

My life’s ambition is to build a model steam traction engine and drive down to the nearest pub here in Pakchong (Pak Chong).

I want a big engine, not some small little model that you have to stoop down to operate.

No, I want a big one that you can sit on and that’s big enough to take a proper place on the roads in Thailand.

I have settled on a 6″ scale (that’s half full size) Little Samson model and have bought the drawings already.

My existing lathe that I bought in Thailand a year ago is not big enough to make the big parts for this traction engine so I’m considering buying another big lathe from a supplier in Thailand.

Buying a big lathe in Thailand will be quite an event. There are many things to consider such as size, price, accessories and not least a three phase power supply.

So this subject deserves a page or pages on it’s own which is why I have started the Buying A Big Lathe In Thailand Page.

 

General Update On What I Have Been Doing Relating To Model Engineering In Thailand In The Last Few Days

Continuing the Makita 2107F Horizontal Bandsaw Frame Design

This is still progressing in AutoCAD. The swing arm design is complete and I have managed to achieve 120 mm capacity for round material and 180 mm square material capacity without making the arm excessively long.

I’m now drawing up the base and trying to minimise the material content and weight with compromising strength and function.

Buying And Using A SESA MMA200 Arc Welder

I knew that I would want to arc-weld the Makita bandsaw frame when I build it. I have oxy-propane equipment and have welded my steel workbench using it but it is slow, uses a lot of gas and the welds are ugly.

(Its all described with photos on the Page “Setting Up A Model Engineering Workshop In Thailand – Making A Steel Work Bench” on RetiringInThailand.net website. Also there are a few more photos showing the steel sections available at the Ying ja Luem shop in Pak Chong and a photo of the tools sections.

Also in the last few days I have started to assemble the Stuart Turner Victoria steam engine (just the main pieces that are complete or semi-complete) and want to put some holding down ugs on the base which is a piece of steel channel.

I could braze them using the gas torch but I wondered if I could weld them.

So it was a good excuse to go out to buy an arc welder.

Buying And Using the SESA MMA 200 – 200 Amp DC Inverter Arc Welder

I have started a new page SESA MMA 200 – 200 Amp DC Inverter Arc Welder Review where I’ll cover the story in more detail. I have already started the story on the previous Update page at https://modelengineeringinthailand.com/update-131215/

As I mentioned in a comment the welding glasses were too dark so I tried to find something better. I couldn’t find the automatic electronic type that George mentioned but I did buy an “auto-darkening welding” filter for 350 Baht.

I also bought some welding goggles with flip down glass and that was not so dark as the welding mask that came with the welder.

Needless to say when I got home and started to try out the new glasses:-

  • The auto-darkening welding filter wouldn’t fit the welding mask nor the goggles.
  • The auto-darkening welding filter instruction warned to use a polycarbonate clear shield in front of it so that weld spatter doesn’t destroy the photocell sensors.

The original welding mask didn’t have a clear glass protection filter and the dark glass was peppered with weld spatter. So I decided not to try the auto-darkening welding filter until I had the protective glass.

I was able to see a bit better with the welding goggles than with the welding mask and I produced some better – but still unacceptable – welds.

Building The Stuart Turner Victoria Steam Engine

I wanted to make some small steel lugs 15 mm square (ends would be rounded) and about 3 mm thick. Also I needed two 3 mm plates 50 mm X 100 mm to fill in the ends of the steel channel base.

I had already bought a piece of black 2.8 mm steel plate a metre square from Jing Jaleaum so decided to try out the Bosch GST 25M Jigsaw again. The first cut was to remove a long strip from one side which had been flame-cut and was both extremely rough and also hard.

To cut a long story short (and I’ll be giving more detail, photos and a movie on the “Bosch GST 25M Jigsaw Review” Page it was a struggle. With sparks literally flying from the blade it’s no wonder it went blue even though I was using plenty of oil on the cut.

I then cut of a strip just over 50 mm wide for the ends of the steam engine baseplate. This went much smoother because:-

  • There was no flame-cut edge that the blade and jigsaw had to deal with
  • I didn’t use a guiding fence – just followed a marked-out line by hand
  • I changed to a finer blade
  • I discovered the speed adjusting knob!

I made a two spare for trial welding.

For the holding down lugs I cut strips of a black steel bar and then sawed them to individual lengths using a slitting saw in the milling machine. I made a few spare for trial welding.

Except where they had been cut or machined all the parts were left with the black millscale on them. Not quite the cleanest surface for brazing!

Since my second welding practice session was not successful (third session pending the clear protective glass) I decided to gas braze the lugs and end plates on a spare section of channel I had.

I started to braze one end piece then it started to rain to I left that and went on the quickly try brazing the lug. I think I melted that.

The parts are stuck together but not very neatly. I couldn’t see what I had actually achieved because of the black flux.

I have put the parts including the unused ones in a bath of citric acid to clean them up. I’ll then see what I have achieved and the citric acid will make the other parts cleaner (and remove the black mill-scale) so that my next attempt at brazing should be an improvement.

Replies to Comments Added

Andrew’s comment: https://modelengineeringinthailand.com/#comment-106

George’s Comment: https://modelengineeringinthailand.com/resources/tools/importing-tools-from-uk/rdg-tools-order/#comment-105