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MARTIN
Martin Eastburn - co-founder of SCMC: I grew up with a shop at home,
the car in the driveway. The earliest shop could hold at least 8 cars,
being a 'town' house of a local rancher before we bought it. It was a massive
Victorian, with a two story shop!We had three boarders, met one two years
ago after a long time. The boarders were into scale engines, (as I recall
12" track.) I was using my electric drill, saw, hammer and such at the
age of 4. The drill/saw was one of those 'everything' kits in the newspapers
in the '50's - Into wood at the time, I built a chickencoop, cages for
odds and ends. I was always in the shop. Later I got into electronics and
won first place in the regional science fair for a computer design. (1957!).
By the 60's I was designing with tubes and transistor modules. A mechanical
door chime that used electronic tone generators and a rotating drum with
fingers that chose what note to play. These modules begat another computer,
a rather dedicated controller. At the university,I ran the Physics shop,
making mechanical and electronic machines for lab and research. For
fun, I took several shop classes where I got to do some metal spinning,
plexiglas forming, and ceramics. Yes, I itch for metal casting. I took
some lapidary classes to learn lapping with grit and diamond. Always making
something, I was more than happy when Dad called and asked if I would come
and get MY lathe. A 11x44 Sheldon. Since that time, I have been fixing
various metal items around the house - and making tools. I bought a Merry
Engine this year and have been working on a number of the parts. I've been
tooling up, buying special tools for my engine and general work. I work
on other projects for skill development and whenever I think of another
project. Lots to do, so little time! I'm in the process of re-learning
and learning new (to me) techniques of metal shop work. I don't worry if
I don't know, I'll invent a way or ask for a hint. I hope to get a bench
mill of some type in the next year for general work and naturally the Mery.
So if you have a lathe that is driven with thyratrons or another complex
motor speed control, I maybe of help. I'm going to try to figure out an
ignition system for the Merry- it has two spark plugs and naturally the
kit is without a design or concept. I'll have to design a compact version
instead Physics, Mathematics, Electronics is my formal background.
- Martin |
JOHN
John Taylor - co-founder of SCMC : What interests me most is how
things work and what they are made of. My parents seemed to realize this
when I was young and bought me an electric train, a steam engine, an erector
set and a chemistry set. At high school age I became so interested in chemistry
I read every book I could get on the subject.
Later I found that math gave me so much trouble I had to give up
my plans for that career.
After high school I attended St. Paul Technical vocational College
in St. Paul Minn., studying tool & diemaking. I worked at that trade
for many years but wanted to do things in my spare time. I built a shop
and started out working on my own car and soon others wanted theirs' fixed.
People wanted welding done but my shop wasn't wired for heavy enough power
for a welder so I built one using a 4 cylinder engine and an aircraft generator.
This machine served me for many years. I equipped my shop so I could do
engine reboring, crankshaft grinding, and valve grinding. Since I worked
on a lot of engines it was necessary to have a way to haul them. I built
a battery powered swinging arm type hoist for my pickup truck, using a
Ford starter motor. It had a capacity of 1200 #.
I have built several shop tools too. One is an Aloris-type toolholder
for the lathe. It has a caliper style knurling tool. For the mill-drill
I made a precision boring head. My lathe and mill-drill have been
equipped with electronic speed controls, including a power feed motor that
I adapted for the mill-drill. Later I got into rental property
management and had to learn to service well pumps, oil burners, refrigerators
and air conditioners.
Nine years ago I moved to California and bought a laundromat. Behind
the mobilhome park I live in I rent a little building for my shop. Often
I try to rebuild washer parts rather than buying new ones. - John
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John
