Shop

Testing motor mount

I have a couple of small machine rooms that have the equipment that I use to build trains. I wish I had a larger, more professional shop area but, for now, this will do. The following is a list of equipment that I use regularly. A link may be provided for some of the equipment to explain how it came to be in my possession or other details about it. For those without links, more information may be found below.

  • Mill/Drill – large – Enco (08/2000)
  • Mill/Dill – small – Grizzly (12/2004)
  • Hurco KM3P CNC Mill (Acquisition/Restoration/Maint.)
  • Hurco KM3P CNC Mill (General information)
  • 4×6 bandsaw (01/2001)
  • Acetylene torch/welder
  • MIG Welder – Hobart 140 (07/2005)
  • TIG Welder – Miller (02/2005)
  • 12 x 24 Lathe – Craftsman (03/2008)
  • Floor drill press – Craftsman (07/2015)
Enco Mill/Drill

In August 2001 I bought the mill/drill shown below online from Enco and had it delivered. It included a stand. It came with a number of accessories (drill chuck, drill chuck arbor, 3″ face mill, 52-piece clamp set, stand, and angle vise). It was also fitted with a power bed motor.It has made a lot of parts, starting with the crossheads for Shay #213. Eventually I converted it from AC to DC and added a PWM control to allow for infinite RPM control. It is much easier to use now since I rarely have to change the belt pulley setup. It uses R8 collets. I added a low-code DRO to make it more precise. I got really tired of using the hand wheels and less-than-precise markings on them.

  • Brand new out of the box
Craftsman Lathe

I got this lathe from a friend after he upgraded to a larger lathe. This is an upgrade from a small 9×20 Enco lathe that I used for a long time. The little Enco lathe cut all of the parts for Shay #213 and all of the wheels for the Western Maryland #6 project. It didn’t owe me anything and did a good job for what it way. I just needed something a bit bigger when this came along so I couldn’t pass it up. I tool it all apart, cleaned it, and repainted it before putting it into service. I also converted it to PWM DC so I had infinate spindle speed control. And, eventually I added a DRO to it. I love the DRO!

Bandsaw

In January 2001 this bandsaw was purchased from MSC. They have a showroom in my area so I was able to pick it up myself and avoid the delivery costs. It has served faithfully for many years.