Monitor Steam Engine

[zeeprogrammer]

Glad you were never a winner of the Darwin Award!

As kids we are all eligible.
No one wants to win but it sure seems some do try.

[zeeprogrammer]

This thread is currently on hold for renovation.

So here's the story. Retirement is around the corner. Could be tomorrow...if they let me go or I get tired enough...or within 1 year, 10 months, and 20 days (or so) if the next project is interesting.

Do we (T and I) stay or move?

We're going the route of staying. Which means renovating the house so we can stay here until they bag me up and carry me away.

So we're adding onto the house. We're modifying the existing garage into a bedroom (so we won't have to deal with stairs as we decay) and adding a new garage. And behind the new garage? A workshop with windows!!! 

That means a whole lot of cleaning out and rearranging. It doesn't help that it's summer time which means sitting outside on the porch enjoying some wine and conversation with T instead of running machines and staying warm by the motor.

I don't expect any machine time for some time. But I hope to do some drawing and I certainly expect to keep in touch on the forum so we can all become decrepit together.

Nothing in stone yet. But that's the current plan.

Ah...that brings up a question that came up with the builder.
Please help.
What kind of floor to put in the workshop?
The builder suggests tile. I was thinking vinyl. Could be concrete.
I'm looking for pros and cons.

Thanks.

[sshire]

Retire now!

What will be under the floor? Tell the builder that you may want to put a 2100 pound Bridgeport on it.
Being serious here.
The "other" forum, a few years ago, had a thread when Vascon was building a new shop and planned some heavy machinery.

[crueby]

Best of luck with the new plans!

For shop floor, concrete is tough and solid, but hell on dropped tools. Some sort of wood or vinyl sheet floor, I would least an overlay,  is much more friendly on parts and for standing on, also warmewound up bolting my workbenches to wall and or floor to keep them from walking from vibration and sawing forces. Don't forget lots of outlets, enough amperage, and provision for lots of lighting.

[crueby]

Retire now!

What will be under the floor? Tell the builder that you may want to put a 2100 pound Bridgeport on it.
Being serious here.
The "other" forum, a few years ago, had a thread when Vascon was building a new shop and planned some heavy machinery.

If going big, will need a large door too!! And a loading dock!

[10KPete]

Zee, the most important part of a shop as you get older (I'm 68 now) is heating. I put hydronic heating coils in the floor
of my shop. 1/2" PEX cost me $400 for the insulation, tube and fittings for the floor. Another $300 for a standard water
heater, pump and manifold parts. The heat is even and my feet aren't cold. And the cost is tiny. The shop space is really
well insulated by the way, with double glaze windows.

I'm here to tell 'ya that after decades of cold shops and floors I'm now in heaven, and a side benefit is that the shop stays
cool in the summer also.

We bought this place with the same plan you have; From here to the Home.

Good luck, give the details of how you want to live a lot of thought, and do what you can to make it good for you and T.

Pete

[b.lindsey]

Vinyl will be subject to metal chips/swarf. I say concrete, then put anti fatigue mats in front of each machine.

Bill

[10KPete]

What Bill said. Low cost, low maint. and flexible layout.

Pete

[Flyboy Jim]

This thread is currently on hold for renovation.

So here's the story. Retirement is around the corner. Could be tomorrow...if they let me go or I get tired enough...or within 1 year, 10 months, and 20 days (or so) if the next project is interesting.

Do we (T and I) stay or move?

We're going the route of staying. Which means renovating the house so we can stay here until they bag me up and carry me away.

So we're adding onto the house. We're modifying the existing garage into a bedroom (so we won't have to deal with stairs as we decay) and adding a new garage. And behind the new garage? A workshop with windows!!! 

That means a whole lot of cleaning out and rearranging. It doesn't help that it's summer time which means sitting outside on the porch enjoying some wine and conversation with T instead of running machines and staying warm by the motor.

I don't expect any machine time for some time. But I hope to do some drawing and I certainly expect to keep in touch on the forum so we can all become decrepit together.

Nothing in stone yet. But that's the current plan.

Ah...that brings up a question that came up with the builder.
Please help.
What kind of floor to put in the workshop?
The builder suggests tile. I was thinking vinyl. Could be concrete.
I'm looking for pros and cons.

Thanks.

Oh Boy.............I just love spending someone else's money! 

If you move to a new place are you going to stay in the same area?
Are you really attached to this house?
Have you looked around to see what's out there? Single story, easy care yard, machine shop in the backyard, etc?
My hanger and machine/woodshop has a concrete floor with lots of pads to stand on (and hopefully catch dropped tools). I've thought about installing a laminate floor with built in pad in the shop part of the hanger.

This will be fun to follow along on. 

Jim

[Captain Jerry]

Concrete is fine but it must be covered by something resilient, both for leg comfort and for tool comfort.  Dropping things has become a more common event and they survive contact with something more resilient than concrete.  I covered my concrete with a 10 mm laminated locking laminated plank, floating on a foam rubber backing, without glue.  It is very comfortable and already has a few dents from tool impact.  This is Florida so 6" concrete, wire mesh reinforced, on compacted sand over crushed limestone is fine.  I don't anticipate any heavy machinery but if i did, I would plan well and locate it on an independent concrete pad. Planning is worth while.  Don't go too big, You have to heat and cool it if you want to use it.

One problem has occurred with the resilient floor.  I have a very heavy steel workbench.  On it, I have a very heavy anvil.  When I hit something really hard, the non-resilient steel workbench, sitting on the resilient floor vibrates so badly that thing fall off but of course they survive the landing on the resilient floor.   There is a difference between resilient and absorbent.

Jerry

[Flyboy Jim]

I think that, just as important as pads to stand on, is having good footwear!

This could probably be a thread all it's own. Anyway, a couple of years ago I bought a pair of these soft soled work boots: http://www.georgiaboot.com/farm_boots/georgia-boot-barracuda-gold-wedge-work-boot/G8152.html?dwvar_G8152_color=24#sz=12&start=13

These beat the heck out of tennis shoes! I think that, not only is the sole important, but having the 8" height really helps support ones calf. I can work all day in these.

My 2 cents.

Jim

[Maryak]

A Blacksmiths anvil is usually mounted on a wooden block which sits on a solid floor. The wood absorbs the shock of the heavy blows without vibration.

High class machine tools are mounted on concrete plinths and with resilient mounts between them and the plinth. These mounts are resilient in that they react to shocks around 10 - 30 x G

OK this is a home shop so just think about your dead blow and vibration points and give them half a chance. Then think about Zee and keep him in an environment with a humidity around 55% and a temperature 18-22 C. Wood underfoot is good when standing for long periods e.g. duckboards. Safety boots are just as important as safety glasses especially as oopsy and dropsy are more frequent visitors in our latter years.

Yes, I too am very good at spending the hard earned coin of others. 

Regards
Bob

[10KPete]

What everyone has said about footwear is important. I didn't need anything special 'til I hit around 50, then shoes became
very important!!

Wow, shop planning.....

Pete

[Pete49]

To add my 2 bobs worth re the floor. My workshop is concrete floor (termites rule in our area) and so no problems on where to put machines as they increase in number. No floor heating but then it doesn't snow here or get below 12C during the day but I have a wood burning stove for our winter and AC for our summers (40C +). After the machines where put in place I laid interlocking rubber (?) matting down on the floor for comfort and tool protection and the bonus is it keeps the cold away from my feet. Due to injuries from various youthful excesses and the workplace I need to sit so my tools are set to that height but also a good idea as we get older I know I enjoyed the 60's more the first time around . Anyway you now have plenty to think about so get to it 
Pete

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks very much for the help. Lots to think about.

Regarding the floor...if I understood the builder correctly, the shop will be on the same level as the garage. That should mean concrete. At least as the base. I'll need to verify that. If true then that gives me some flexibility.

The heaviest equipment I'll have is the mill and lathe. My top choices, for now, is the Grizzly mill G0759 (a G0704 with DRO) and the Grizzly lathe G0752.
Sorry Stan, no Bridgeport for me.

We talked electrical last night. I need to make a drawing to give him an idea of what and where. He was also asking about 220. There's an outlet out there now but I don't expect to use it.

Jim...you asked about whether we would move or not. That's been the question for years. But we could never find a house with the right orientation (we like southern light in the kitchen) along with the combination of rooms needed (office for T, workshop for me, master bedroom on 1st floor for elderly visitors). By adding on we get everything we want. Keep in mind too, in a move you drop $40K or more just for real estate agents and taxes. Just wasted.

Good point about resilient floor. It wouldn't have occurred to me to consider vibration.

Heating and cooling was discussed with builder.

As for shoes...good point and I'll have to think on it. I would like easy on/off so I can change shoes as I enter/exit the shop to minimize tracking swarf.

Loads of planning!

Lots can go wrong. Happens when you have to deal with other people. 
Let's hope this doesn't turn into a failed dream.

Thanks again. I'll keep you all posted.