Model Engineering is the art of building functioning engines, machinery, or tools in miniature. This hobby can be quite simple, or…quite complex! These works of art can be big enough to be ridden, like a one-third scale Shay locomotive, or as small as a tiny sterling engine that can operate from the energy produced by a hot cup of coffee. They can be as simple as an oscillating steam engine or as complex as a fuel injected, turbo charged V-8 automobile engine the size of your hand.

Ted Carder's operable model steam tractor.

A degree in engineering is not necessary to be a successful model engineer. What is required is the desire to study the inner workings of machines and learn how to change chunks of metal or plastic into precision components for your project. The individuals who enjoy model engineering as a hobby are as different as the models themselves. Model engineers--it seems--have their own specialty or interest. Examples of models include: antique gas, radial aircraft, or steam engines, as well as mining equipment, or even electric power plants. Some people build exact, scale duplicates of a piece of equipment while others design and build miniature machinery that is based on their imagination. Magazines and books are devoted to this hobby which can provide plans and construction details on a variety of machines and engines--both real and imagined. Museums like WMMI are great places to see pieces of machinery that just beg to be duplicated in miniature.

Ted Carder's operable model stamp mill battery with five stamps, 2004.

Model engineering utilizes the same construction techniques and equipment that are used to build full size machines only on a smaller scale. Nearly every mechanical device ever built started in a machine shop or foundry. This applies to models as well. Many model engineers have invested in complete home based machine shops that contain lathes, milling machines, band saws, and welders. These tools typically require a great deal of practice to learn how to operate properly. With extreme precision, a lathe or milling machine can create any part imaginable. A lathe is used to make parts that are round like pistons, wheels, or shafts. Lathes are also used to drill and bore holes like a cylinder in an engine block. A milling machine is used to form parts with complex or square angles like spokes in a flywheel, the slide valve linkage of a steam engine, or a rotor for a turbine. Some modelers even learn how to build a mold and then cast their parts from molten metal. When the metal is cooled, a reproduction of the part is pulled from the mold and then machined, if necessary, to perfection. While fancy machine tools are a joy to operate, patience and persistence with hand tools and a drill press can achieve rewarding results.

Many different types of materials can be used in model construction. Aluminum is a favorite of many model engineers as it looks attractive and is easy to machine. Brass is used for parts like bearings and linkages that wear over time. Stainless steel is superior to normal carbon steel. It stays shiny, never rusts, and even though it is hard, it machines very well. Cast iron is best for pistons and piston rings. Wood can be used for lagging on a steam engine cylinder, the framework for a miniature stamp mill, or for a railroad car.	Chris Thompson's operable air-powered Lego® engine. Yes, those parts are Legos!®
Clear plastics work well for modelers who demonstrate the inner workings of their model. PVC, urethane, and even Lego® can have their place in model construction (inset). The possibilities are endless. Materials for constructing your creation can be found in scrap yards or parts taken from old, obsolete machines and retooled. The metal or plastic need not be new or expensive to build good parts, but of course, new materials are easy to find.

If mechanical things or the great machines of yesterday have always interested you, then perhaps model engineering is just the thing for you. It is a very rewarding hobby in which many practical skills are studied and learned. You may be surprised where these newfound talents take you. Join us at the Western Museum of Mining's Model Engineering and Historic Power Show to become inspired!