Hi, I've been reading this forum for about three weeks, found it stimulating my desire to get back to some projects left undone, and decided to join. My name is John McClain, I'm a retired Marine, I worked in electronics repair for some twenty odd years, and have worked as a machinist in off duty time since I was a kid. I've been building and rebuilding engines and cars, motorcycles, and any sort of machinery someone would pay me to do, or for free if the beer was supplied, since I was a kid, and seeing some of the inovative ideas on this forum particularly coming from another Country, is great, I'm having my second childhood with it.
I've got a scale model radial engine I'm in the middle of, which I will start posting progress on, when and as I figure out how, and a few other projects laying around waiting for attention, including a good sized steam engine kit put out by "Tiny Power", it's their model they call "Ajax".
All the strange icons and smiley faces are a bit intimidating to one unfamiliar with computers and modern messaging, but I guess I'll learn to use them too. I've already gotten a great deal of pleasure out of seeing some of the engines that current members are working on, or have just gotten running, and look forward to more.
I've got a pretty full machine shop, a full setup for welding of most any sort, and a fair wood working shop with a bit of practice at that as well. I'm fifty two, a disabled veteran with Multiple Sclerosis, but I try not to let that interfere with my life. I live out in the country, about twenty five miles from a couple small cities, and four miles from a town of about a thousand people. I'm here to have fun and build engines. Mad Jack