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PM Research Unmachined Casting Kits

phaxtris

(Ryan)
Premium Member
Premium Member
How did you guys get shipping prices ? It always just says TBD when I put my address in, I've never pulled the trigger because I've been worried about having some rediclious shipping charge show up on my credit card with no way to cancle
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
How did you guys get shipping prices ? It always just says TBD when I put my address in, I've never pulled the trigger because I've been worried about having some rediclious shipping charge show up on my credit card with no way to cancle
They run the shipping past you via email and then ask what you want to do. We actually back and forthed a couple of times, and then I added to my order 3/4 through the process. No worries about surprises.
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Quinn Dunkey (Blondyhacks) & Joe Pieczynski have built several and published them in You Tube videos. I highly recommend Joe Pi's for the education that he provides.
I"m going through Jo Pie's with a fine toothed comb. Excellent set up and order of operations. I have seen a few of Quinn's, and plant o watch of of those as well. On the other end I have seen a couple of videos of Stuart builds where they mark and machine to the line. They seem to work in the end also.

I have a feeling this will be. a. long. process.

But I am looking forward to the learning curve.
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
If you buy enough stuff on sale, you can save enough to pay the rent
I like your way of thinking!

PS: I hope to be in the UK in the summer of 2023 and pick up some Stuart kits. I don't even know what year it is anymore.
 

phaxtris

(Ryan)
Premium Member
Premium Member
They run the shipping past you via email and then ask what you want to do. We actually back and forthed a couple of times, and then I added to my order 3/4 through the process. No worries about surprises.

Well that's a relief, if you don't mind me asking what kind of shipping prices did they quote you ?
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Will do

I should add, you can find many steam engine designs and plans in late 1800s books available on open library. Now admittedly you have to look at many books to find designs with enough of the design to copy and scale down. Sadly in many cases the idiots that scanned books often failed to scan every image fully. They frequently skipped fold out pages. that is how i managed to derive my plans
Thanks John! I have looked at some books, but you are right - there are missing pieces, or copies so poor you can't make heads or tails of them. I don't have enough hands on experience to fill in the blanks. Maybe after a few builds.
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Well that's a relief, if you don't mind me asking what kind of shipping prices did they quote you ?
Sure! I'm on Vancouver Island, so international and across the continent. They would send USPS International priority or something like that.

One kit $50 USD, two kits, $55 USD. Or maybe one kit was $50 CAD. Don't remember for sure, but shipping for the second was basically free. Sucks when shipping almost equals the value of the item being shipped. Thus the two kit order. I can sleep with $25 for shipping.
 

phaxtris

(Ryan)
Premium Member
Premium Member
Sure! I'm on Vancouver Island, so international and across the continent. They would send USPS International priority or something like that.

One kit $50 USD, two kits, $55 USD. Or maybe one kit was $50 CAD. Don't remember for sure, but shipping for the second was basically free. Sucks when shipping almost equals the value of the item being shipped. Thus the two kit order. I can sleep with $25 for shipping.

Yea i agree it sucks when the shipping doubles the price of something.

That's being said 50$ isn't to bad from the us from a small company, you just have to make it worth while...I see you know that trick ;) haha
 

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
USPS is $10US min to Canada. That's what I got dinged for three tiny screws...

I so, what to make one of these kits, but I know it will just morph into a boiler and who knows what else:rolleyes:
 

deleted_user

Super User
I"m going through Jo Pie's with a fine toothed comb. Excellent set up and order of operations. I have seen a few of Quinn's, and plant o watch of of those as well. On the other end I have seen a couple of videos of Stuart builds where they mark and machine to the line. They seem to work in the end also.

I have a feeling this will be. a. long. process.

But I am looking forward to the learning curve.
Check out Keith Appleton... he is in midst of lengthy series on building a stuart engine. He'll his channel is basically loaded with live steam content and he has series on machining model engineer for beginners
 
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deleted_user

Super User
I watch Keith pretty much daily he’s the last video before bed.
I have watched him since his early days. I found him years ago while looking for Hammond organ information. When looking at his videos lists to see what else he might have on hammonds I saw he'd just been starting model machining videos so I thought cool, that's a subscribe.

Keith is one of the most prolific tubers I follow and I am never disappointed in his content. As Quinn says he has earned his place in the holy trinity of youtube Keiths
 

Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member

I have watched him since his early days. I found him years ago while looking for Hammond organ information. When looking at his videos lists to see what else he might have on hammonds I saw he'd just been starting model machining videos so I thought cool, that's a subscribe.

Keith is one of the most prolific tubers I follow and I am never disappointed in his content. As Quinn says he has earned his place in the holy trinity of youtube Keiths

I'm just not a fan of YouTube. Fundamentally, I don't like it when someone makes money because I watch them. I prefer to learn from someone who just wants to pass on their knowledge for the pure joy of doing so. Someone who takes the time to see if I am picking up what they are putting down. Someone who rewinds to explain something I missed. Someone who isn't trying to "entertain me".

But maybe I should give youtube and Keith Appleton in particular another chance. There are enough of you guys who seem to like it.
 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I'm just not a fan of YouTube. Fundamentally, I don't like it when someone makes money because I watch them. I prefer to learn from someone who just wants to pass on their knowledge for the pure joy of doing so. Someone who takes the time to see if I am picking up what they are putting down. Someone who rewinds to explain something I missed. Someone who isn't trying to "entertain me".

But maybe I should give youtube and Keith Appleton in particular another chance. There are enough of you guys who seem to like it.
From what I understand you have to have quite a large number of subscribers before you actually make much money. I also think alot of the YouTubers I watch, started youtubing as a means to share and educate, not as a means to riches.
 

boilerhouse

Ultra Member
I am also a youtube fan and have been watching for 10+ years. The creators put in a lot of work for little reward. The videos I watch are meant to educate firstly, then entertain. Unless they have 100's of thousands of viewers, the money is not great. There is a lot of work to make a quality video - camera, angles, lighting and a ton of other factors, then the real work is the editing. Hours of "behind the scenes" effort to be able to upload a 30 minute video. And here is the kicker - once it is all done, the sheer volume of incredibly negative comments from viewers who have not paid a cent for this content. I admire all the creators - I figure the least i can do is "like" their videos.
 

deleted_user

Super User
I'm just not a fan of YouTube. Fundamentally, I don't like it when someone makes money because I watch them. I prefer to learn from someone who just wants to pass on their knowledge for the pure joy of doing so. Someone who takes the time to see if I am picking up what they are putting down. Someone who rewinds to explain something I missed. Someone who isn't trying to "entertain me".

But maybe I should give youtube and Keith Appleton in particular another chance. There are enough of you guys who seem to like it.

When it comes to first learning model engineering and how to machine castings, you have far fewer choices than other hobbies. You can gain a lot from hobby magazines but sometimes you need to see video to get points across.

I dont gripe if a person makes money on youtube. My gripes are normally about how they do it. Keith does it right....
 

kevin.decelles

Jack of all trades -- Master of none
Premium Member
I dont gripe if a person makes money on youtube.
I try to just worry about myself and what is in my domain..... 11pm desperation youtube watches have saved my bacon so many times over the years, I applaud anyone who can document a technique/tool/method to do something I haven't thought about.

I was changing out the transfer case on a Ford Ranger, and I watched everything I could find. Most of the professional videos were of shops with 100K worth of tools/hoists..... I found a video of some 'good-ol-boys' from Kentucky that went out with a shovel and dug a hole (a pit) in the ground in the heart of what looked like Hazard County... kept expecting Bo and Luke Duke to show up...... Then when reassembling it, the guy said "I've done a lot of these, the easiest way is to lay on your back, put the case on your chest (80 lbs) and slide it one this-way........ damned if that didn't work like a charm!

My feeling is that anything you do for money will lose its shine over time...... told my kids, do something you like for a living, do something you love for a hobby.
 

Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
I didn't expect my view on YouTube would be popular. If it was, there would be no tubers out there....

I don't watch sports either but that doesn't mean I think others should be like me. I'm happy to see others happy watching sports.

Life is great!
 

deleted_user

Super User
I didn't expect my view on YouTube would be popular. If it was, there would be no tubers out there....

I don't watch sports either but that doesn't mean I think others should be like me. I'm happy to see others happy watching sports.

Life is great!
just watch this one video....

 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I didn't expect my view on YouTube would be popular. If it was, there would be no tubers out there....

I don't watch sports either but that doesn't mean I think others should be like me. I'm happy to see others happy watching sports.

Life is great!
Ha ha I don't watch sports either which is not particularly a common thing either.
 
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