Ralph & Sue's Meccano

Welcome to our Meccano website…

Ralph!

This website is dedicated to promoting the hobby to all. It is non-commercial and is not funded by anyone other than us. Although we buy Meccano to increase our stocks and will occasionally sell off any surplus, we are not traders.

Interest in Meccano can be split into two main areas, building and collecting. Although it is true that you can combine both – and many people do, we are first and foremost builders. Having said that, as you will see reading our news items, Sue has an empathy with the collectors. Although I will not deliberately destroy a collectable item it has no appeal to me and I would rather pass it on to a collector in return for parts I feel happy using.

We enjoy building all sorts of models large or small, from plans or created by us. All models can be challenging and for me that is the fun. As soon as the model is finished it loses its appeal and I am itching to dismantle it. The usual plan is to build the model, photograph it, take it to a few meetings/shows and then dismantle it. The only models we keep assembled are our factory-built display models. Just keeping these assembled causes enough problems of storage! Display models are usually bought in poor condition and then refurbished using the original parts wherever possible.

We try to stay true to Frank Hornby’s original concept of using universal standard parts that can be assemble to build all sorts of different models. That means we do not modify parts to fit, preferring to find a Meccano solution to the problem. Having said that we will use replica and developed parts made by the present day manufactures. We will also have parts made where no such part exists so long as it falls into the ‘universal’ category.
One area that has changed dramatically over the years is motor technology and although Meccano motors are used in some of our models we do make use of the small efficient motor/gearboxes that are readily available today. You will find several references to different motors as you read on. We tell it, as it is, good or bad and share our experiences with these motors. For example, our modern French display crane models are fitted with motors that have plastic gears. Find out what happens when they get jammed HERE!

We are members of several clubs and societies both locally and far-flung and try to support as many shows and meetings as we can. You can follow our adventures on our NEWS pages.

The website is split into various sections. The NEWS pages are a chronological record of what we are doing in our Meccano world both at home and away. You will find accounts of our adventures visiting shows and meetings as well as what we are currently working on. The HELLO! page is about my own personal journey to where we are today. A selection of longer, more detailed descriptions of our model building and techniques can be found on the ARTICLE pages. The LINKS page is always going to be a work in progress so if you have any suggestions of LINKS or anything else you would like to say contact us via our CONTACT page.

I hope you enjoy our website

Ralph.

Trunnion bender
As featured in the ISM magazine No.61 September 2010 - Click on the picture Below to go to the article

Trunnion Bender

Spanners

A selection of useful spanners Sue and I use all the time for building. simple and easy to make and a good way to use up all those spanners we all collect. Click on the picture below for details.

Spanners

How to build strip and plate benders

Plate bender

Contact:
Ralph or Sue

More content to be added soon!

Keep coming back to to see what we have been up to and what's new in world of Meccano...

3rd January 2012

We’re back!

Sue's Flyers

We have not been around for a bit due to other family commitments but things have settled down now and we can start looking to the future and get back to reporting on our Meccano adventures. We lost my dad at the end of June 2011, after a long illness. He was 88 and even a few weeks before his death was still quizzing us on Meccano part numbers. Although he was not an active Meccanoman he took a keen interest in what we were building and where we were going. More often than not, his first question would be to enquire what we were building. Dad died peacefully on the 27th June. That was the Monday before we were due to go to Skegness. Our first thought was to cancel the visit. Over the next 48 hours my mum and brother convinced us that we should go to Skegness, as there was nothing we could do until the following week.

Motors
Just prior to all this happening Sue and I were talking about importing a range of small motors to the UK Motors with the intention of filling a gap in the market left by the demise of the Mecparts motor/gearboxes. This we have now decided not to follow through although the range of motors can still be purchased through Stan Baker in New Zealand you can contact Stan HERE.

Current Models
Over the past six months we have not done much Meccano building although we did manage to finish off our fairground models and purchase (and build) the Tintin models released (in the UK) at the beginning of October 2011. We will post write-ups of these models soon.

Currently I have a model of the Skylon almost finished and my first attempt at a push of war machine for the SELMEC exhibition Challenge, more on this shortly. Our big model that we are building jointly is our version of Eric Taylor’s Level luffing Crane. Sue has been collecting together the bits to build a clock based around the No.2 clockwork motor she bought at Skegness. Neither of us had time to enter the Spanner Christmas challenge this (last?) year but we did watch its progress and have come to the conclusion that Chris Shute is wired differently to the rest of us – a 19 part clock! All the models entered in the challenge can be seen HERE.

Ralph and Sue

What's happening?
in our Meccano world

RMG Meeting 11th February 2012
2.00pm - 5.00pm

Hall

I did not make it to any of the Runnymede Meccano Guild (RMG) meetings last year for one reason or another but this year I am aiming to attend all three! The first of which will be held in February so weather permitting, I will be there with my latest creation or a work-in-progress. The meetings are usually well attended and it is worth the effort for the splendid afternoon tea provided for all. That is not to mention the vast selection of models on show. Space is at a premium and I will usually attempt to arrive early. This is the plan but my arrival time is at the whim of the traffic flow of the South-eastern section of the M25! With luck I will see you there…

RMC meet at:

Brook Hall,
Ottershaw,
Chertsey,
Surrey KT16 0HG

Just tap KT16 0HG into GOOGLE MAPS or your SatNav to get directions and I will see you there!

NELMEC Meeting 18th February 2012
2.00pm - 5.00pm

The North East London Meccano Club (NELMEC) is a friendly little club based a few hundred yards from Hainault Underground station, making it easily accessible from most parts of London and beyond. W.I.P That is unless you live in South East London where at the moment 'ongoing engineering works' usually mean the car is the simpler option. A trip through 'The Pipe' and a sedate drive along a three-lane dual carriageway taking in the sights; Gatzo speed cameras set at an alternating 40 and50 miles an hour, just to catch you out…

Once you arrive you will find a bunch of like minded Meccano people all discussing there latest models in a nice cosy little hall with stacks of atmosphere – come along and join in the fun!

NELMEC meet at:

Hainault Baptist Church Hall
Franklyn Gardens
Hainault
Essex IG6 2UT

Just tap IG6 2UT into GOOGLE MAPS or your SatNav to get directions and I will see you there!

A full nationwide list of Meccano events can be found HERE

See what we have been up to lately...

12 June 2011
Ball lifters

Spanner Lifter