Mcgyver shop tour
So here’s the result of 25 years of being a toolaholic. I’ve two shops, a two car garage and the basement. The basement started when the eldest son seemed pretty firmly entrenched with a career in Calgary. On hearing he got a permanent position with a big law firm, I acted. With strike force shock and awe I moved tools into his vacated basement bedroom before anyone knew what happened. The key to domestic shop sprawl is this: remember, it’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.
I’ve put a bunch in the furnace room as well, hey, what else are you going to do with it?
Last year I re-plumbed and wired for the laundry room to move from the basement to the 2nd floor when I redid the kitchen (all by yours truly)….it creates new basement ground to conquer. There is already a lathe in storage there, and when the better half hasn’t been looking, I’ve opened the windows and mig welded (true confessions, I counting on a near zero chance of her reading this)
I’m almost embarrassed (and pleased) and how much stuff I’ve accumulated. The truth is I don’t have a dollar into it. Patience and buying and selling has been how I’ve afforded it.
This is just the basement; the big stuff is all in the garage and to follow
Furnace room, bead blaster, oven, vacuum caster, hardware store drill press (just to save running to the garage), vulcanizer and scroll saw. No shown is lots of storage and a large Hermes motorized engraver
Entering the main shop, there’s this alley with three alleyway offshoots to the right
At the end of the lane is a bench and some storage. On the rack is a Unimat 3 with homemade drive, a Schaublin I haven’t decided what to do with, a jeweler’s steamer, polisher and misc. stuff.
I like microscopes so there’s a few. This is a favorite; it’s a Nikon Labphot EPI style which means the light comes through the objective vs from the bottom of a biological scope. It’s designed for looking at opaque items – perfect for the shop. It’s also trinocular so I can put a camera on it.
In the other direction is electronics. I'm closer to electronics beginner than wiz, but if I'm to mess about with it, its more fun with all the gear. I’ve got this nice Meiji stereo zoom scope that swings to where keyboard would normally be. This is the sliver removal station. Tongue in check, yes, but there is no better way to get at a sliver
I also like the old wood tool boxes so have picked up a few up over the years
This is a nice little Schaublin 70. I was making 7 BA countersink screws with it last week. Took some time getting the tooling set, but when it is, what a blast. Under bench drive is two stage and of my design. Next to it is a Hardinge bench mill that did the slotting (seen a few photos above)
Another side alley – a lot of watch stuff. A good part of the “library” is under bench is full on both sides
Here’s a ultrasonic cleaner, L&R watch cleaner, magnetic polisher and wild stereo zoom. Its not as fancy as the other zoom scope, but its right opposite the watch bench so is very handy.
Here’s one you don’t see everyday, at least at home - its a microtome. It’s for cutting specimens into extremely thin slices for slide preparation. For $25 including the B&L stereo zoom, I couldn’t say no!
Here’s the watch bench. The watchmakers tool collection is very complete, a lot the larger items like staking tools, jeweling tools and presses etc on the shelf over the watch cleaning stuff.
Electronic parts. These shelves on casters are great, small parts bins are both sides, and they spin around easily for access
On the other side of the cleaners are some nice pieces – at Mitutoyo tool makers microscope and a servo drill press. The microscope has large barrels graduated in tenths and the eyepiece has a graticule making it easy to measure accurately, really handy for watch parts
Next to the Schuablin, I’ve got this project – a Holbrook B8 I’m reconditioning. Bed is scraped, about to start on the headstock and tail stock. I’ve decided to hard chrome and grind the quill to fit a freshly honed tailstock bore….but there is a slight delay as I have to make stand for the hone before that can done. It is a truly remarkable lathe, I can’t wait to get it running!
Here’s a another beast of a scope, a research grade Nikon Apophote trinocular with all the bells and whistles. It needed a bunch of work, most of which is done. I still have to finish the variable power supply for the 10A 10V lamp….(no home guy imo should be running mercury vapor lamps, too dangerous and too expensive so I replaced it) but its a thing of beauty (imo)
The last little section….BCA, Pultra, watchmakers lathes balances and Levin radius lathe (on the floor)
The BCA is seeing lots of work. A new DC motor and the spindle has been replaced with this T slot block that a new ER spindle will bolt to I’ve already milled oil slots in the ways and added zerk fittings.
I use the Pultra a lot, it’s an amazing lathe and I’m fortunate enough to have a fairly complete set of accessories. Next to the Pultra is a multifix motor. When I want to use a watchmakers lathe, I just park it in front of the multifix. There's a stereo zoom over top, but I confess it sees little use -
On the top shelf are two watchmakers lathes, a Rivett and Boley Leinen. Both have complete sets of collets, bezel checks, slide rests etc, and I also have the Hardinge pivot polisher which is set up on the nearer of them. Oh, there is a Hermes diamond point engraver as well.
Last but not least is a Rivett 608. This is from late 19th century, actually stamped #1. I guess technically it’s a Faneuil Watch company lathe (before the name change). Its as I bought it and subsequent got the B8. They are so similar in size and function I don’t really need it, but its such thing of beauty I haven’t got around to selling it.
That’s the basement….the bigger stuff is in the garage....to be continued when I get to photographing it