Machinistblog.com

This tiny steam engine was designed by Elmer Verberg and it has a fly-wheel about the size of a dime, so finding the metal to make it shouldn't be hard or expensive. If you explore the rest of the web site you'll find out more about the web site owner's workshop, the old gasoline engines he restores and the small steam engines that he's made.

This project is just for fun. Also, check out the rest of Frank Ford's web site. It's one of our favorites.

Dave Goodfellow has ten or so nice steam engine designs with plans that are suitable for a beginner or intermediate machinist. They're located about half way down the page.

A collection of steam engine plans provided by the County College of Morris Engineering Tech Department.

No plans, but more than enough information to make an optical punch very inexpensively out of some metal and a 1/2" acrylic rod.

No plans, but enough pictures to help you figure out how to make your own

Frank Ford made a gage from an old machinist's square for setting the height of his lathe bits.

No plans, just a picture showing a simple easy to make tool for setting the height of a lathe bit

Very nicely designed ball and radius turner with plans available in .jpg or .dxf format. It can probably be made to fit most lathes by modifying the mounting plate.

A nice beginner's lathe project with step-by-step instructions.

This project requires a mill to square up and face a block of metal. The holes in the cube can then be bored in a lathe with a four-jaw chuck or bored on the mill. This is not a step-by-step tutorial, but the author does give some useful tips, such as how to square up a cube.

Ralph Patterson, who can be found on the Yahoo 7x12 mini-lathe group, has drawn up plans for more than 20 very useful mini-lathe modifications and accessories and graciously made them available to everyone. These plans are in .PDF files. They are very well drawn and in most cases Ralph has included pictures of the completed project and he often includes a material/parts list. Most of the plans are in the two large .zip files. You'll also find a .doc file here with descriptions of each project.

A simple way to ensure a tap gets started straight. The author's web site also has some good information and other projects for machinists.

A useful shop tool easily made out of 1/2-inch galvanized pipe for about $20.

This Dutch machinist has built some beautiful steam, internal combustion and Sterling engines. You'll find pictures, videos and explanations about how they operate. The author/author will also email you plans for most of them if you ask. The site is mostly in Dutch, but there are some English translations.