Welcome to my Workshop

Hello and welcome!

My name is Andrew, and this is the online home of my model engineering adventures.

For years I've been drawn to the combination of steam, mechanical precision, historical machines, and the sense of satisfaction that comes from building working models with my own hands.

A Quick Look Around the Workshop

My workshop is located in a small garden shed that has slowly evolved over the years from “barely functional” to reasonably well-equipped.

Here’s the core machinery I currently rely on:

Axminster SC2 - my faithful small main lathe since 2023
Axinster Sieg X1 Micro Mill
Record pillar drill - heavy duty
Axminster Micro drill - great for smaller items
Sheet metal equipment - Vevor slip roller & – Warco Mini Bender
Warco Belt Sander

I also have a reasonable collection of measuring equipment:

Dasqua micrometers & verniers
Dial test indicators & magnetic bases
Height gauge, sine bar, slip gauges

What I'm Currently Working On / Planning to Build

Here are the projects that are either on the bench right now or firmly on the “must-build” list:

Oscillating Engines - great to start off with
3 1/2" gauge "Tich" – a great first "proper" steam engine
Elmer Verburg - great little engines - not sure which yet
5" gauge "Charlatan" – currently at the frames stage
5" gauge "Pansy" - an inherited project, at the frames stage
Traction Engine - I would like to own one, not sure which yet

Why I Started This Site

I decided to start writing here for a few reasons:

To keep myself accountable (nothing makes you finish a project like publicly saying you will…)
To share mistakes (there will be many) as well as successes
To hopefully help one or two other people avoid the same blind alleys I’ve walked down
To connect with other model engineers — whether you're just starting or have been at it for 50 years

If any of this sounds interesting (or you just want to point and laugh at my inevitable disasters), feel free to stick around.

Comments, questions, tool recommendations, and polite mockery are all very welcome.

Thanks for stopping by — I hope you enjoy watching (and perhaps following along with) the journey.