THE TORONTO SOCIETY OF MODEL ENGINEERS
JAN 2008 THE MODELLER VOL 38 No 5
WEB SITE: www.tsme.ca Pictures from the meetings will be posted with The Modeller that is posted on this website
TSME CHAT LINE: tsme@yahoogroups.com
Winter is upon us, and it is Canada, after all and we should expect this fluffy and to be shoveled, white stuff – (ain’t it fun!). Before you strain you back shoveling, stop the work, drive/walk over the snow pile and forget it for the coming evening, and join your fellow members at our first meeting of 2008 on –
FRIDAY 11 JANUARY 2008 AT 8.00pm; the usual place - 1001 QUEEN STREET WEST
PARKING is now $8.00 at CAMH. There is free/cheaper parking on Shaw north of Queen, on the north side of Queen and on Rebecca (one street north of Queen, running parallel to Queen) – but please make sure you check to ensure it is okay to park where you choose to do so!
THIS EVENING’S PROGRAM IS A “TO BE ADVISED”: COME AND SEE, & HEAR, WHAT MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE. If you have a project you are currently working on, or recently finished – please bring it along to show, and you can talk about it, if you wish.
WHAT’S UP & COMING : MEETING DATES: 11 Jan 2008, 8 Feb, 14 March, 11 April, 9 May, 13 June @ 1001 Queen Street.
It is with sadness that we report the death of longtime member, JOHN NICOLAIDES, who died 13 November 2007. John had been a member of TSME since the mid 1960’s. He was also a member of other clubs associated with model cars, boats and locomotives. John was a skilled craftsman and his expertise was sheet in machining, particularly sheet metal work. He produced, amongst other models (a fine model of Royal Scot in 3 ½” gauge, for instance) some very fine models of racing sports cars – the Ford GT40 being one. In fact an article appeared in The Toronto Star magazine some years ago, which highlighted John’s car models. He will be sadly missed. We offer our condolences to Virginia and his close family and friends. There will be a commemorative service for John on 15th of Jan 2008 at 2pm, viewing ay 1pm, at Andrew’s Funeral Home, 8190 Dixie Rd., north of Steeles in Brampton ………. |
$30.00 for the coming year. Your cheque or cash will be happily accepted by our stand in Treasurer – KEVIN CLOSE Please let KEVIN know, however, if you feel you have difficulty in affording to pay the dues: we wish you to remain a member. Sending by mail? Kevin’s address is 1432 Goldmar Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 1M3. If you are joining as a New Member, please provide your: name, address, phone number and e-mail address if you have one, and whether you would like to receive our newsletter, THE MODELLER by email, or by post.
MEMBERSHIP LIST If at all possible, the 2007/8 membership list will go out with the February Modeller. If you want to be on it, then please make sure that you have paid your dues for the year!!
DECEMBER - IN CASE YOU MISSED IT,
SAMEER HAQQI, a guest of DAVE SAGE, is building a 9ftspan model of the Lockeed Super Constellation. Sameer fist gave us the history of the valiant attempt at trying to keep the old TCA Superconnie in Canada. The hulk of this aircraft was converted into a cocktail lounge associated with the Constellation Hotel on the airport strip in Mississauga. It took several years from 2001 to locate the elusive owner of the SC after the bar failed. By 2006, dismantling of the aircraft had started where it stood, isolated at Pearson. An export ban was placed on it while attempts were made to raise funds to purchase it from the potential owners, the Museum of Light in Seattle. The museum wanted in the order of $1/2million, an offer of $50,000 was made, more in line with what the aircraft was really worth in its state of deterioration. This was unsuccessful, so it has gone, in pieces to its new home.
Sameer’s uncle had piloted a similar aircraft and stories of his flying tweaked Sameer’s interest. He went onto explain the construction methods he is using to build his RC model in foam plastics. This was well illustrated with pictures, as was the full size aircraft in its dismantled state. Sameer asked for any TSME member to help in the machining of components for the model’s flap mechanism.
GEOFF KINGMA showed the Shaper Indexer he has made from castings (2) he obtained from New
Zealand. He explained, with pictures, how he set up and machined the castings, and the various other
components.
JIM STUPPS, another visitor, brought in a gauge ‘1’ live steam model of a Midland compound Atlantic that his father had made. It is fitted with Joy valve gear. It has yet to be pressure tested. Jim asked for advice on how best to hook up the locomotive to run on air, so that he could show his grandchildren what their great grandfather had made.
ROB STELLIK, who visited us several years ago, talked about his Robotic Firefighter that he is in the process of designing. He explained the basic rules of the competition. The robot, fitted with suitable sensors, must locate and extinguish a candle that is positioned in a “room” of a small (8ft x 8ft) layout. The robot may have several obstacles to negotiate, i.e. carpets, stairs mirrors. Rob showed the alternative drives – 2, 3, or 4 wheeled. Some or all wheels being steerable. He prefers the 4 wheel “synchronous” design and asked if any member could machine a few of the drive components for him (a few names were exchanged). Interestingly, it takes only 7 to 10 seconds or so for these robots to find and extinguish the candle!
DAVE BRAY brought in one of the 4 wheels he has machined from cast iron, for a welsh slate wagon he is building in 4 ¾” gauge to go along with the Hunslet locomotive. Dave explained how the machining stages he went though, to finish the wheels. Each stage being carried out on each of the 4 wheels before moving onto the next stage.
DAVE POWELL showed his Steam Wagon chassis. He had found that the differential had ceased up, and it took him some careful thought to determine the cause. A shaft on one side had rusted up and ceased in its bearing, but also, he found that the shaft did not have adequate support when under heavy load. He has now added another bearing to give the cross shaft extra support from the chain drive, and he expects this to solve the problem.
NEWS SNIPPETS FROM UK: The preserved 40 year old Vulcan, 4 engine jet bomber, XH558, had its first flight in October after 13 years and £6 million!
The first mainline steam engine to be built from scratch, the A1 60163 Tornado pacific, is now more than 90% complete. This is the first mainline steam locomotive to be built in Britain for 50 years! It has cost a few £million so far.
FOR SALE, WANTS OR SWAPS:
FOR SALE: via JOHN CHAPPELL john.chappell@rogers.com. Table Circular Saw, ½ HP motor, complete. $75.00. 110 volt ¼” drill, B&D and another, Skil, $12.00 each. 110volt Sabre
Saw, Sears $12.00. 110 volt toy train transformer $2.00. Hand Crank grinder $2.00. 230volt to ? transformer $0.50 !
FOR SALE by JOHN HUGHES: Myford MLSuper7 lathe complete with quick change gearbox, motor, 3
and 4 jaw chucks, tailstock Jacobs chuck, traveling and fixed steady as well as tools. Asking $1500.00.
Please call John through the TSME exec at exec@tsme.ca
FOR SALE: by Bert deKat; Watchmaker’s Lathe with collets & graver rest, but without
cross slide.
FOR SALE from: MIKE SALISBURY: A fellow model engineer, Richard Hentzelt, has 2 Lorch lathes to sell ex Leica (now Elcan) plant in Midland. Specs are 4.5" swing, 14.5" between centres, set of collets, 2 - 3 jaw chucks. One lathe is 220v single the other 230v 3 phase. Model #s are A series (A6k) the other B series (B6po).Price below $1000 negotiable. If you are interested call Richard. E Mail is richpetz@csolve.net. Lorch have a web site, go into Google and under Lorch Lathes will you find more info.
STILL WANTED: A new editor for the TSME newsletter – THE MODELLER. Dave Bray will be stepping down of from this task in June 2008 (with no extension !), so please think about taking this on, or no newsletter will arrive in September 2008! – a free training session is included as well! You would need computer, Excel (or similar) and word processing software.
ALSO WANTED: Someone to take care of the coffee at the meetings. Please let anyone on the exec know that you would like to help out with this valuable and popular task !
Dave Bray, email: davybray@aci.on.ca or membership@tsme.ca
CHANGES:
STEVE ESTOK: new email address: dls130@hotmail.com
PICTURES FOR THE TSME WEBSITE If you have picture/s that you think are good for posting on the TSME website, please email to KIM TYSON at webmaster@tsme.ca
WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY AND A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2008
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