Model Engineer Exhibition 2011

Those requiring information about the Model Engineer Exhibition, including ticket sales and how to get there please visit the exhibition specific website.

This year we have five stands, you will find details on this page. The public lectures are on Friday and Saturday and you can find details on this page. Elsewhere in the exhibition Norman Lawrence will have his Napier Dagger on display. There is more information on this page. Once again Cherry Hill has an entry for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. An article by David Carpenter is on this page.

Traditionally, the Model Engineer Exhibition is an important event in our busy calendar. It's an occasion to celebrate the achievements of all those involved in our hobby today and remember those who, though sadly no longer with us, helped establish this wonderful community of enthusiasts who have always been willing to help others. For more than a hundred years they have also generously donated our prestigious and much cherished trophies for the world-class competition that we celebrate today. As always, SMEE members are looking forward to participating in this year's exhibition to celebrate achievements, catch up with old friends and make new ones, contributing five display and demonstration stands, a full programme of lectures and, weather permitting, some outside fun with road and field steam vehicles. Please note that The Road and Field Steam stand has moved this year to the Ground Floor restaurant area, used last year as a lecture room. This change allows straightforward access for the large models and wheelchair users who should be able to visit without difficulty this year. Unfortunately, there is only sufficient space for one lecture room this year which is newly located in the Royal Suite on the first floor. The demonstration workshop and grouping of the other three stands will remain in the same location in the Main Hall.

Stand 1- Workshop demonstrations

Derek Brown will be using a Myford lathe to demonstrate his metric screw cutting modifications, as recently described in MEW, together with a range of high speed turning techniques. We would like to thank the new owners of Myford who are continuing the tradition and supplying the lathe this year. Derek will also be showing his near completed 5 in Gauge LNER Gresley A4 locomotive "Capercaillie", and be promoting his very popular Injector book.

Mike Sayers will be demonstrating how a one-third scale model of early Bentley car engine radiators can be formed, as the full size, from thin copper sheet using purpose made press tools and special soldering jigs. Mike will also be showing the latest developments of his new supercharged one third scale Bentley engine on the nearby IC Engine Builders stand.

Martin Gearing will be joining us for the first time and will be demonstrating a range of gear making, from traditional straight cut spur gears on his VMC mill to more challenging spiral gears on his modified Myford lathe. Martin has developed his own approach to making spiral gears based on the work of Alan Suttie.

Kieran Wisely will also be joining us for the first time and will be using his small shaper to demonstrate internal gear cutting.

Giles Parkes and John Florentin will be demonstrating the processes of gear hobbing using a modified Jacobs machine able to form skew gears as well as standard spur gears.

To illustrate the function of the gears being made at the exhibition, and gears in general, there will be a number of finished gear sets displayed, including Martin's skew bevel gears for his logging loco and the transmission gears for a one third scale model of an early Ferguson tractor belonging to Ian Hughes. There will also be a selection of gear cutting tooling made in the home workshop, together with comprehensive information references for those who would like to have a go at making their own gears.

Stand 2

Mike Kapp and Alan Wragg will be demonstrating an improved version of their impressive Ghost Writer which can display a selection of messages from lights that appear in mid-air. Other attractions include a new version of Mike's pendulum clock which appears to have no mechanism but which keeps good time, together with an interesting selection of Alan's baffling novelty items and their very popular spark eroder that has led to a considerable number of model engineers using their successful design to enhance their own workshop capabilities.

Allen Berman will be demonstrating a range of Meccano models including his large computer controlled dockside crane which has been fitted this year with modified software to improve functionality, and demonstrating his newly completed tracked vehicle robot.

Alan Wenbourne will be joining us for the first time and will be demonstrating three ingenious working models of modern vehicle transmission gear boxes with computer controls. Brin Jones will also be joining us for the first time to demonstrate his latest innovative computer controlled robot mechanisms.

Stand 3

Alan Kiff will be organising the membership and training functions, assisted by Peter Haycock and Stephen Mitchell. As well as our usual display of Polly engines, we will be demonstrating one of Martin Gearing's latest working wooden demonstrator engines that runs off a domestic vacuum cleaner and is designed as a simply made model to explains the fundamentals of a steam engine. All is explained in Martin's book, soon to be published by Camden Miniature Steam Services.

Adrian Garner will be displaying a 16mm - 1ft scale model of Tothill Fields monorail which is one of many full size monorails described in detail in his well researched and newly published book entitled "Monorails of the 19th century".

Owen Bird and Mitch Barns will be organising a display of working stationary engine models, including Owen's impressive large scale Stuart beam engine. Owen has considerable experience building stationary steam engines in general and invaluable expertise in Stuart model engines. Ian Hall will be joining us for the first time and will be demonstrating his collection of small stationary steam engine models running on air.

John Dalton will be showing Don Ketley’s splendid model, in 7.25 inch gauge, of a LNER 25 Ton Steam Crane built around 1900. Unfortunately Don, who was a very fine model engineer, died earlier this year and this was his last project. Whilst the crane looks complete, being fully painted, it needs a boiler to be complete and John has this task in hand. However, the crane machinery runs well on air and its working capabilities will be demonstrated.

Bob Bramson will be operating his test boiler equipment again this year to provide working demonstrations, along with troubleshooting help and advice on steam boilers and associated fittings. Visitors are encouraged to bring along their problem steam equipment.

Mike Chrisp will be showing his 5 inch gauge Railmotor locomotive as an interesting study of work in progress, which includes some of the recently developed special tools and the CNC test profiles made during the early stages of the build.

Charles Warr will be showing his part completed 5 inch gauge LNWR wooden passenger coach circa 1860. This is presented as a six wheeler rolling chassis with radial axle arrangement and Mansel wheels.

Kim Fisher and Gordon Hatherill will be providing a working display of Gauge 1 electric locos and rolling stock, plus a static display of steam locos which will include the work of Peter Haycock and John Hocking.

Stand 4

The challenges of restoring important antique models will be illustrated by the display of a much neglected but now well preserved 5 inch gauge model of Jenny Lind built around 1870 by John Lellan - the last time it appeared at an exhibition was in 1945 in Johannesburg. The model, which now takes pride of place at this year's exhibition, was professionally cleaned and preserved for SMEE by a student led project team in West Dean College's Metals Conservation Department this year. Norman Billingham is co-ordinating the display which will be supported by experts from West Dean College, Jon Privett, Senior Lecturer and Natalie Mitchell, Project Member, who will be pleased to discuss their work. The display will include descriptions of the techniques and materials used to clean and preserve the old finish.

Jerry Burchill will be displaying his part built 5 inch gauge gas turbine electric locomotive along with supporting 3D CAD and examples of rapid prototyping and CNC machining.

Jake Sutton will be displaying his new 2.5 inch gauge King Arthur Class 4-6-0 loco ‘Elaine’, complete with his design corrections to the original Don Young design, modifications and special tooling.

Neil Read will be displaying his 1912 Campion motorcycle restoration project as a work in progress. The display will include a lot of the special tooling needed for the project and as there is some doubt over certain aspects of the original design, helpful advice would be appreciated.

Maurice Fagg will be demonstrating small scale turning on a watchmaker's lathe and promoting his popular hand turning video.

Joerg Hugel and Robert Grundler will be using a Quorn T&C grinder to demonstrate the art of tool sharpening - visitors are encouraged to bring along items that illustrate their difficulties in achieving a keen cutting edge.

Alan Martin has organised a display of useful general workshop tools made by members, which will include some of his own work as well as that of Ken Willson, Adrian Garner, Maurice Fagg, Stuart Walker, Jake Sutton, Norman Billingham, Joerg Hugle and Tony Phillips.

Tony Phillips will be using the small training lathe to demonstrate useful homemade tooling and simple working procedures suitable for beginners, and will be pleased to respond to visitor requests for advice and give supervised hands on sessions.

Stand 5 - Road and Field Steam

David Steel has organised the Road and Field Steam displays and demonstrations again this year which will include a number of traction engines working in steam outside, organised by Jon Poulter, and offering visitor rides - weather permitting.

Inside, David Steel will be displaying his one-third full size Burrell agricultural traction engine with matching wagon, as well as his charming collection of one-tenth scale working engines which includes a pair of ploughing engines, although one is still work in progress.

Taking pride of place amongst the inside display will be Harry Williams' wonderful award winning working model of a Kitson built ploughing engine complete with plough and all the tackle to go ploughing. Some additions have been added since he was with us last year and it has been entered into this year's Duke of Edinburgh Challenge Trophy.

Steve Baldock will be displaying his part completed full size Stanley steam car and a one-third full size Burrell Scenic Showman's engine and Cessil Rowan will be displaying his fully completed Showman's engine.

Mel Martin will be displaying his part complete Burrell agricultural traction engine in one-sixth scale and Chris Alderson will be showing his one-twelfth scale "Minnie" traction engine