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Home Base => Introductions => Topic started by: geoff_p on June 04, 2012, 11:13:12 AM

Title: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: geoff_p on June 04, 2012, 11:13:12 AM

Hi All,
I'm a retired Brit living in the East of Thailand, where the climate is warm-enough to not incur heating bills and much of my modelling can be done on the front-porch.  My primary interest is steam though I'm currently swearing at my first Flame-licker engine, while I try to save some pennies for copper to make a boiler.

I have a tiny little MJ-189A lathe, which has seen a lot of work in the five-years I've had it, and I have a crappy Chinese bench-drill rigged as a pseudo milling-machine by using an X-Y table.

Most of my projects go through the route of Hair-brained idea->scribbles on paper->coffee-stains over the scribbles->butchering wood into patterns->aluminium casting->try to machine my castings->try to get the blighter to 'go' or whatever.

I get a lot of pleasure from making castings; the learning curve is still quite enjoyable - why did that 'pour' fail? how can I re-design to need less machining? - and of course, the failures simply go back into the melting-pot to become another attempt, sometime, maybe.  Also, I'm seldom short of a bit of material because the runners and risers are quite adequate for odd-jobs.

The main problem living out here is that the nearest tool shops are in Bangkok - two-hundred kilometres away, and that's the near end of the city.  Locals here haven't heard of most of the hand-tools I need, even after using translate.google to get the Thai for it. 

Luckily most locals just think I'm crazy, whereas, I know I am.

Geoff

Title: Re: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: spuddevans on June 04, 2012, 11:26:06 AM

Hi there Geoff :wave: Welcome to the club  :borg:


Tim

Title: Re: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: Brass_Machine on June 04, 2012, 11:28:08 AM

Hi Geoff  :wave:

Welcome to the collective :borg:

Yup. You are mad. Welcome home!!

Eric

Title: Re: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: DaveH on June 04, 2012, 08:04:52 PM

Hi Geoff,  :wave:

Hello and welcome to MadModder :clap:

 :beer:
DaveH

Title: Re: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: Jonfb64 on June 05, 2012, 03:20:25 AM

Welcome to the asylum :D

Jon

Title: Re: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: Fredbare on June 05, 2012, 08:48:09 AM

Welcome Geoff

John

Title: Re: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: krv3000 on June 05, 2012, 10:14:15 AM

hi jump in and have fun

Title: Re: Sawasdi Krab from Thailand
Post by: allanchrister on June 07, 2012, 11:35:58 AM

Hi Geoff,

It'll be nice to have a machining buddy in Thailand.  I expect to move there about August, but I'll be based in BKK.  I don't know any machinery or supply places there so any advice would be appreciated, as I'm bringing my mini lathe and mini mill there.  Perhaps I can be your BKK liaison and send you stuff from the city?

Cheers,  Allan.