Workshop Practice Series – serie

Gears in one form or another are a part of most mechanisms, but they are by no means as simple as they may appear. This book explains simply, clearly and comprehensively the underlying theory involved and, in its second part, how to cut gears on a lathe or milling machine. Explanations and reasons for all conventional types of gears are clearly set out in this book together with useful tables and machinery techniques to form an invaluable reference work for anyone dealing with machinery. It covers all the questions raised by enthusiasts who have watched the author demonstrating gear-cutting techniques at exhibitions throughout Britain, where his advice on engineering matters has been constantly sought.

In this valuable book Tubal Cain takes the reader beyond the superficial or the simply practical with explanations of the composition of steel, its additives, and the effects of different temperatures on its constituents. With a grasp of what changes are actually taking place in the metal the care needed in following the practical processes described becomes understandable and will lead to better and more consistent results. Flame, salt bath and furnace heating are detailed, with information on accurate measurement or recognition of temperature levels. For the average small workshop operative or model engineer the discourses on tool material, hardening and tempering will be of most use, and in this connection this book replaced the author's earlier Hardening and Tempering Engineers' Tools, providing a broader-based, more detailed and up to date examination of the subject.

One of the most useful functions of a modern lathe is its ability to cut any form of external or internal thread of any thread form, pitch or diameter within the overall capacity of the machine. Detailed information of a practical nature is, however, not easy to find - a situation that this book does much to rectify. The author was a very experienced engineer with the capability of converting factual analyses into easily understood forms. His own expertise and the standards to which he worked are evident in his writing, and in addition he is also quite at home with both imperial and metric measures having considerable experience in the conversions required when working in partially metricated areas. This book is not only an invaluable treatise on lathe screwcutting but is also a useful demonstration of working in both imperial and metric standards.

Despite the growing numbers of milling machines in amateur workshops, a majority of model engineers still rely on a lathe and a drilling machine as the basic equipment. The lathe, 'the king of machine tools', can be adapted for almost any function, but next to turning its most valuable use is for milling operations, either using the lathe itself to drive the cutters or by extending its scope by the addition of a separate milling attachment. One of the most popular titles in model engineering books for almost sixty years was Milling in the Lathe, which first appeared in the 1920s and continued in updated and revised editions until 1983. This book replaces it, covering all the basic information it contained and adding to it from recent experiences and developments. The author, Tubal Cain, needs no introduction to Model Engineer readers as a highly experienced engineer and skilled craftsman with an ability to write on engineering subjects in a clear, simple and thorough style.

Although much of model engineering work is a matter of making one part to fit another and thus may obviate the need for the sophisticated means of measuring often called for in production engineering, the accuracy of a finished job begins with the exactness of the initial making out and continues with the accuracy of measurements made during the progress of the work. How to use measuring equipment and how to mark out work - not always the simple matter it might at first seem - are essential skills for any engineer and the purpose of this book is to show how they may be acquired and employed.

The increasing appearance of vertical milling machines in model engineers' and other small workshops has brought the versatility of this type of machine to the notice of a large and growing group of potential users, but until the first edition of this book was published in 1977 there was little available guidance for the average amateur or small user. This third revised edition includes descriptions of many of the very wide range of operations possible with photographed examples, plus information on machines, accessories, cutters, chucks, requirements and methods of work-holding.

Joining metals by one form or another of soft or hard soldering, or brazing with various alloys, are run-of-the-mill jobs in model and light engineering workshops - so much so that little thought is given as to whether there might be a quicker, more efficient or less expensive means of achieving the required end. In Soldering and Brazing respected engineering writer Tubal Cain examines in detail the processes, equipment and materials, and explains what is happening in the joints as they are made with practical examples, test pieces, tabulated data etc. This is a thorough, comprehensive and, above all, useful book.

The art of welding wrought iron has been practiced by village smiths in their forge fires for centuries. Gas and electric arc welding are however comparatively recent developments. This introductory book explains the process as it has been developed and used in industry, and its applications to model engineering. Welding, by oxy-acetylene or electric arc, is a skill in increasing demand and one for which the basics can be learned without great difficulty. In this book, the author sets out the basic techniques and the art for oxy-acetylene welding, brazing, flame-cutting and electric arc welding with mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel, copper, brass and aluminium etc in sheet plate or cast form.

The techniques of depositing a thin metallic layer on an object for decoration, corrosion protection, electrical conductivity, wear resistance and so on have been known for many years but have been developed and improved to a remarkable extent in the second half of this century. This book sets out to discuss the principles and practice of those forms of plating most suited to the amateur and small workshop, using relatively simple and inexpensive equipment to produce results virtually undetectable from work carried out by major plating concerns. Jack Poyner, a professional involved in all forms of plating for many years, is also a keen model engineer able to recognise the dividing line between what his average fellow enthusiast would consider practical and worthwhile and what is really better left to experts in the field. The result is a really useful and practical book, which will be of value to both amateur and light industrial users in many diverse fields.

Drilling true and correctly dimensioned holes and cutting accurate threads are basic requirements in all engineering work, but as in all areas of engineering new materials and new techniques lead to alterations in standards. Many of these are primarily concerned with production engineering and are well documented, but others affect the quite different the discontinuation of 'number' drills and the phasing out of cycle threads; add the currently book written with the small user in mind is apparent. Drills, Taps and Dies not only provides comprehensive tables of all the tools available or likely to be encountered but also explains the differences in various types of drill and thread form and their practical applications. One of the features of the book is a thorough examination of the correct size holes for thread tapping, which in itself could save readers the cost of the book several times over, in the avoidance of broken taps!

The accumulation of odds and ends of bar and rod is inevitable with any lathework, but rather than throw them into an ever-growing scrap-box, why not turn them into useful little tools to simplify and speed up future work? In this book Stan Bray describes twenty-two simple but useful adjuncts to the tool kit for bench and lathe use, none taking any more than 3 to 4 hours or involving special materials, yet each able to save considerable time in use as well as aiding accuracy. You may not see an immediate need for some of them, but once made it is surprising how often they will be used. There is also the satisfaction of turning what might have been wasted into something useful and the knowledge that money has been saved.

The saw is one of the most basic tools and tends to be taken very much for granted. Many hours and much effort can be saved, and more accurate work produced, if the user has the knowledge of how his saw works and how to keep it in good condition. In this book Ian Bradley provides detailed guidance on the use and maintenance of all types of saw, both hand and mechanical, from the humble junior hacksaw to circular and bandsaws, in the comprehensive and succinct manner that has made him such a respected writer on workshop matters.

The centre-lathe is by far the most versatile machine tool in the workshop, but as soon as you depart from plain turning between centres, the question arises 'how to hold the work'. This book explains the methods and techniques required. A fundamental requirement of lathe operation, for accuracy and safety, is the ability to hold any workpiece securely and, preferably, repeatedly on the machine. While few problems arise with straightforward work on a properly aligned lathe, the variety of jobs undertaken by small workshops and model engineers is bound to give rise to occasions when how to hold work requires consideration. When great accuracy is essential, working methods and lathe set-up are vital for an acceptable result. In this book Tubal Cain discusses in his inimitable, practical style all aspects of the subject with the whys and hows, including basic lathe alignment.

A considerable amount of engineering work takes place on the bench, using hand tools and techniques which are second nature to those who earn their living in an engineering environment; they probably learned at a technical college, as an apprentice, or possibly by the example of older and more experienced workmates. The amateur or hobbyist engineer may not have enjoyed such advantages and, for example, may break a lot of hacksaw blades because he has not been shown how to use the saw or what sort of blades he should be using. This book sets out to cover all the normal bench processes in a simple but informative manner which should help all who have come to enjoy working with metals but whose education did not include a grounding in the basics of engineering benchwork.

Few mechanics are entirely devoid of springs of one sort or another, but satisfactory operation rests on details such as spring strength and degree of movement. Yet information on calculating and making springs is not easily available. This book explains the property of each type of spring, plus essential materials and methods. Engineers, professional or amateur, often find designing springs difficult due to the number of variables and the complexity of the formulae. The book also introduces the designer to charts and nomograms, which greatly simplify the process. Tubal Cain draws on several decades of experience in the actual processes and covers the design and manufacture of compression and extension coil springs, simple and compound leaf springs, torsion springs and torsion bars, springs relying on bending actions and a useful graphical method of designing valve springs for IC engines.

Over many years in a workshop, the knowledge and ability to perform a wide number of relatively minor jobs becomes second nature to a skilled engineer, but the amateur, no matter how great his natural talent, rarely has the opportunity to experience the same wide range of tasks. This book, by the experienced engineer Ian Bradley, contains useful advice and instruction for beginners on workshop practices including arbors and mandrels, belt jointing and splicing, shaft collars, finishing metal surfaces, G-clamps, surface gauges, cutting holes, special nuts, hand turning tools, the wobbler, case-hardening, and machining square material. This book was suggested to the author by his many readers and correspondents as a supplementary volume to his classic textbook The Amateur's Workshop.

In recent years there has been a great increase in the variety, sophistication and effectiveness of adhesives, sealants and threadlocking types. This book is intended to provide practical help and guidance in deciding what adhesive out of the ever-expanding modern range should be used for particular tasks. The book explains in simple terms the features of adhesive classification together with joint design data and assembly techniques for a wide variety of materials. Aimed mainly at the model engineer, but also at the home mechanic and woodworker, it covers pattern, base and case making from wood, applications in tool and equipment, as well as individual requirements including structural joints and sealing against water, steam or oil. Illustrated throughout, Adhesives and Sealants will be of interest and of value to all workshop owners and model engineers.

Some years ago the author, Jim Forrest, a professional engineer and model engineer of many years' experience, needed a purpose-built and relatively inexpensive workshop for his hobby. After discussing this need with Peter Jennings, a professional architect familiar with system build construction, a three-metre wide design was developed which proved to be very easy to build and easily the match for far more expensive types of building. This book was written as a complete work on the construction methods used. It not only contains the details required to build the floor assembly, walls and roof, but also covers all of the peripheral areas including layout, planning regulations, tools, materials, fitting out, security and insurance. The design is easily adaptable and most variants are covered including several floor types, lean-to construction etc., and illustrative drawings are used extensively to show precisely how the building is detailed.

The author's earlier book Electric Motors (Workshop Practice Series No. 16) described the basic principles of operation and methods of application of the wide range of motor types likely to be encountered in small scale engineering. This book provides additional information about popular workshop applications for motors. Detailed advice is given on how to identify and make good use of discarded and surplus motors from both domestic and industrial sources and also how to operate three phase motors from single phase supplies. Examples are given of actual workshop applications and conversions, and on battery supplies for the use of motors in mobile projects.

Since 1898, Model Engineer magazine (originally weekly, now fortnightly) has proved a remarkable source of knowledge for all manner of engineering practices. Its readership has always included many highly experienced engineers, some of considerable eminence, who have answered readers' questions and contributed valuable information in order that everyone the construction and use of machines should be able to extend his scope and skills. The answer to virtually any engineering problem can be found somewhere in its pages, it is said. Many of the magazine's most helpful nuggets of knowledge have appeared in brief notes or articles, often many years ago, and have never been republished. This book offers a selection of fascinating hints and tips culled from the magazine's wide time-scale (from the 1890s to the 1960s) but as relevant today as when they were first printed. They may save the reader time and possibly money; certainly they will interest and instruct anyone who works with metal.

At one time, most towns of any size had somewhere a small foundry that would undertake small casting jobs, often more out of interest and good neighbourliness than for commercial gain. Regrettably, those days are no more and the model engineer in many areas must either adapt commercially available castings or send away to a specialist foundry that will undertake small jobs, often at some expense and with some delay. The alternative is to make your own patterns and castings, which is in fact much easier than you may think. The Backyard Foundry covers basic principles, materials and techniques, pattern making, moulding boxes, cores and core-boxes, electric, gas and coke furnaces, and includes step-by-step procedures with examples of locomotive cylinders and wheels. Sources of specialised materials and even the design of an outdoor furnace suitable for small-scale commercial work are given. Each stage and subject is covered in detail so that even the inexperienced can undertake casting with confidence. Although the book is written primarily for the model engineer, anyone wishing to make mouldings or castings will profit from its pages.

If you do not own a milling machine (and even if you do) what you can achieve in your workshop is greatly enhanced if you own a spindle or two for use with your lathe. Spindles come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from 19mm (0.75 in) to 57 mm (2.25 in) in diameter, depending on the uses envisaged for them. This book describes the design, construction and use of a variety of spindles that will be of interest to the amateur engineer. Milling, grinding and drilling spindles are covered along with a unique light gear-cutting frame for clockmakers. The emphasis is on spindles that are easy to make and have as few parts as possible; all but one for example use sealed ball bearings (the exception uses tapered collar bearings and thus needs to have seals installed to protect the bearings.) The basic spindle described uses the same spindle nose as the Myford Super 7 lathe; this allows all chucks, plates, collets and closers designed for the lathe to be used with this spindle. It can also be modified for other lathe nose standards.

However well equipped the workshop may be there seems to be an incessant need to make up special gadgets of one sort or another. These may range from mutilating a clothes peg to act as a 'third hand' up to major modifications to an existing machine tool. The making of such devices can be fun (indeed, some may appear to do nothing else!) but nevertheless the time taken up in 'devising the device' can often delay the completion of an important project. Shared experience is a most potent tool in reducing such delays, and can, moreover, often provide solutions to problems hitherto believed to be intractable. Tubal Cain has enjoyed more than sixty years' experience in designing and building engines and machines (in both full size and model dimensions) and over this time has made many ancillary devices. In this book he shares 52 of them with you. A number of these had been published in magazines from time to time and some were assembled in volume form about thirty years ago. The opportunity was later taken not only to reprint that book but to revise some of the entries to take advantage of user experience, to add new material and to introduce it into the popular Workshop Practice Series.

This book is regarded as the perfect introduction to casting common hot metals in moulds, providing all the information needed by amateur foundrymen. Since 1954, when Foundrywork for the Amateur was first published, the advance of technology and engineering has been enormous and there have been many revisions along the way. However, conditions in the 21st century are so far removed from the state of affairs in the 1950s that, although the basic principle of the foundry remains the same, the language and the presentation of the book was due to be uplifted. This present edition therefore represents a complete rewrite to conform to the era and, in particular, to the availability of material which at one time was taken for granted. Not only has the text been updated, but the illustrations have been completely redrawn and, on the basis of the advances made in the amateur foundry since the early days, the photographs have also been renewed and increased in number. This new edition also reflects the author's growing interest in the model steam locomotive.

Tubal Cain has achieved an international reputation both as a writer and modelmaker, but it is known less generally that in his previous career he was not only an engine designer of some note but also a teacher of engineering drawing. In this book he has amalgamated that experience with an appreciation of the difficulties often felt by model engineers when reading or making workshop drawings. He explains not only the 'rules' but also the reasons why they are important and, acting on the principle that one sketch is worth a thousand words, illustrates his points wherever possible. One of the merits of this book are the illustrations of conventions which are now out of date but are still to be found on many of the archive plans and drawings needed by the model engineer. This book will also serve as an aide-memoire to the professional engineer whose drawing-office days are over. This revised edition features the author's classic text with completely new illustrations and technical drawings, specially created for this purpose.

Computers are a closed book to many of the older generations of model engineers, despite the fact that more than one-third of all British households now have a personal computer. By taking one step at a time, the computer can soon be tamed and turned into a versatile drawing tool with many advantages over traditional draughting methods. Derek Brown's demonstrations and lectures on the subject at various model engineering exhibitions over the past few years have proved very popular. In this book he seeks to strip away the mystique surrounding the subject by avoiding jargon and providing practical advice on how to choose the right system and to make progress with it.

This book describes the many varied materials used by model engineers in their workshops such as iron and steel, non-ferrous metals including aluminium, brass and copper, hard and soft woods and a number of engineering and other plastics. It also contains details about abrasives, adhesives, bearing materials, ceramics and refractory materials, coatings, electroplating solutions, fuels, gases, lubricants, pickles, polishing materials, sealants and solders. It provides an easy reference for those seeking the right material for the task or an item specified on plan. Packed full of useful information, the book is aimed at those who build model locomotives, traction, boat and stationary steam engines, oil, diesel, glow and petrol engines, gas turbines, artillery pieces, farming appliances, carriages and other road vehicles as well as those who make clocks and workshop tools. It is also directed at those working with full-size machinery, such as vintage cars, motor and pedal cycles, traction engines and railway locomotives.

In this follow-up to Making Small Workshop Tools (Workshop Practice Series No.14), the former editor of Model Engineer's Workshop magazine presents another collection of fifteen invaluable additions to the model engineer's armoury of tools and equipment. This practical collection covers benchwork, the lathe and milling operations and includes marking-out and machining aids plus a simple filing machine and an unusual milling vice. Fully dimensioned drawings, descriptive text and photographs accompany each project in the book.

The Unimat 3 was a well made and enormously popular lathe; when equipped with a range of accessories it is still an excellent machine for smaller modelling and experimental jobs; it will accomplish in miniature what many larger machines are capable of and will provide the owner with enormous satisfaction. Bob Loader has become an authority on the Unimat mini-lathe, developing numerous accessories and techniques to assist the model engineer in getting the best from the machine. The projects described here increase the scope of the machine and advise on the performance of a number of tricky operations. Invaluable to all Unimat owners.