Model Engine Maker
Supporting => My Workshop => Topic started by: Kim on March 23, 2013, 05:21:01 PM
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I enjoy seeing pictures of other people's shops so I thought I'd contribute a few pictures of my own. This won't be anyone's dream shop, but its my spot, and I'm happy with it!
My shop consists of a single bay of our garage. And no, I don't have to share the space with a car. I do have to share it with lots of other junk that other members of the family leave around. It gets cleaned up from time to time, but entropy is king, and it all comes back again!
This is my 'open area' with a bandsaw on one side and table saw on the other. My general wood working tools here.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_5265.jpg)
Turning around, here's the table saw again, with my HF 4x6 horizontal bandsaw next to it.
The shelves full of boxes behind the saws make the divider between my shop and the rest of the garage.
The multicolored thing in the lower left of the picture (right in front of the toolchest) is my youngest daughters painting project. Its one of the projects she does when she's having some shop time with Daddy :D.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_5266.jpg)
Turning a bit more, you see my tool chest, buffing wheel, scroll saw, and dust collection system (behind the plastic there). And in front of the dust collector is a compressor. Behind this row of tools is a 'U' shaped set of benches, and we're about to step back there for a peek.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_5267.jpg)
Starting to walk back to those benches, we go by my tool chest again. In front of us is a pile of model rockets that I've built and flown with my kids (past hobbies!).
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_5270.jpg)
Then turning to the left, you're looking at my bench space.
The plastic you may have noticed draping down from the ceiling in several of the pictures is for a little 'sanding booth' that I made for one project. I was doing a lot of sanding with some rather toxic wood and didn't want to distribute the dust all over the garage. So I made the plastic booth. I may take that down soon since I haven't used it in years and it just gets in the way now. Never the less, there it hangs... :)
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_5271.jpg)
On one side of the 'U' is the Taig lathe, and in the back is the Taig Mill (the newest addition to my shop).
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_4953.jpg)
On the other side is a bench grinder and a drill press. The hose dropping down is a 'mobile' connection to the dust collection system and can be hooked up to some smaller tools, or just used to clean up the bench tops if needed.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_4954.jpg)
This pic shows the tool chest rolled around for easy access; I do this a lot when I'm mainly focused on metal working, since most of the tools are right here in my bench space. You can also see the disk/belt sander which sits next to the lathe.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_4951.jpg)
Here's some closer shots of some of the tools, just for fun!
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_4958.jpg)
This shot is right after I setup the Mill when I got it for Christmas (that's why its so clean!) :)
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_4957.jpg)
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_4959.jpg)
About a year ago, when I started doing more metal work, I debated over getting this HF saw. But it came on sale for $169 and i decided to get it. Boy, am I glad I did! It has worked wonderfully for me and I love not having to use a hack saw to cut bar stock! Its wonderful!
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2012-DSC_5269.jpg)
Thanks for taking a look around my place!
Kim
3-24-13: Fixed spelling mistakes :-\
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Looks like a well stocked and very packed shop Kim.
Thanks for the tour.
Looks like a fairly diverse set of hobbies!
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Nice Kim, wish i had even half that amount of room...someday maybe.
Bill
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A well organised work space you have there Kim.
Vince
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Thank you for the personal tour Kim. From the looks of things, you are pretty much prepared for anything. That Saturn V rocket model I bet was a real gas to light off. And your sanding booth is a good idea as well. Something I probably should think about as I sometimes have a bit of sanding to do and the furnace filter pays dearly for it even though it is not inside the shop.
BC1
Jim
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Nice shop Kim!
Thanks for sharing.
Dave
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Nice shop!
Dave
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Very nice shop Kim thanks for taking the time to show it to us. You have quiet a collection of tools and makes some of us tool envy.
Don
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nice shop you got there kim :ThumbsUp:
i wish i had that much space to work in. the rockets look interesting.
chuck
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Thanks for stopping by my shop!
The rockets were lots of fun! They were a real kick to launch and see it all work right, watch the parachute eject and see it come back to earth (or see it smash into the ground when it didn't work right :-\) But constructing them was the most fun for me. Many of those rockets were scratch built, but the Saturn V was a kit. It was a fun project in itself. Its seen better days, and couldn't actually fly right now because of some damage it sustained... not from a flight, but from getting knocked over in my overcrowded shop! :facepalm: But it was really fun to watch it fly!
Some people think I have a lot of different hobbies, but I find that all my hobbies really boil down to the same thing - building and learning. I love to learn and I love to make stuff! All the things I do are just offshoots of that one overriding hobby :D.
Vince, as for 'well organized' - that's really just an PR campaign. I tried to take pictures on some of the better days, when things were too disheveled. And I also cropped the pictures to remove some of the larger piles of junk. I do try to keep it 'tidy' but only tidy enough for me to be able to find stuff (most of the time:)). My shop's not for looks, its to being used!
Don, tool envy? that's what I get when I see all your guys big mills and lathes! Someday I'm going to have to get a lathe were I can turn a substantial fly wheel (bigger than 4") and single point threads! That's one thing I just can't do on the Taig. I've thought about ways I can add this (there are several people who've posted their modifications for a Taig to do threading) but I'm not sure its worth the effort, especially when I've got 'big tool envy'. Not too long ago when I first joined MEM, someone told me that Taigs were 'gateway machines' to the bigger stuff... Boy, were they right! And now the quandary, do I get a DRO for my bench top mill? Or do I wait till I can afford the big toy that I really want? Or do I just do both? :LickLips: So many questions!
Thanks for the kind comments everyone!
Kim
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Very impressive - good use of space!
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Thanks Tel! You've got to make it all fit in the space you've got :)
Its about time for me to do a big cleaning so that I can make some room for more tools! I've just about run out of spots and my list of tools I want keeps getting longer!
Kim
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I got a new addition to my shop today. Not exactly the 'big iron' most people brag about, but hopefully, a foreshadowing of things to come... :)
Harbor Freight currently has a 2 Ton Shop Crane on sale for $179. That's $120 off the regular price which I thought was a pretty good deal! And with what I hope Santa will be bringing my way soon, I thought this would be a good time to pick one up.
I'd read mixed reviews about the HF cranes, mostly relating to the holes not lining up for assembly, or the wrong hardware being included, etc. But my experience was very good. All the correct parts were there, and it went together fairly easily. Only took me an hour or two tonight to assemble. Now all I need is something to move with it!
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/ShopCrane-1-DSC_6895.jpg)
And here it is all folded up, to wait patiently in the corner for its time to shine :)
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/ShopCrane-2-DSC_6899.jpg)
Kim
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That really folds up nicely Kim for storage, not a large footprint at all!! So what is it you hope Santa will be bringing to try it out on ?? ;D
Bill
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Kim I like that it's folds out of the way, very nice. :ThumbsUp:
Don
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Yeah, it tucks out of the way nicely! Better even than I'd hoped. This is important when space is at a premium.
So, Bill, I hate to try and second guess Santa, but I've got one of these on my wish list:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-X-40-Gunsmith-s-Gearhead-Lathe/G0709 (http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-X-40-Gunsmith-s-Gearhead-Lathe/G0709)
I had a thread in Twenty Questions asking about lathe selection a while back (guess that board is called "Machines, Tools and Fixtures" now) and got really great input from everyone. :) And I'm still open for input... Santa hasn't committed yet! :) Here's my latest thinking: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,2244.0.html (http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,2244.0.html)
Kim
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Thanks for the tour. My small bandsaw is like yours. I love it. I use it exclusively as a vertical saw. A square of 1/4" plate clamped to the tiny table makes a nice sit down saw.
Also, I lifted my 12x36 Grizzly lathe onto the stand with a similar HF engine hoist. Worked fine. Good luck with Santa.
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Thanks Nevadablue, its nice to hear the HF shop crane worked for you! Makes me somewhat optimistic :)
Since I'm going to get a nice shiny new lathe :) I'm going to need a way to power it. So, I got a couple of bids, and now I've got a date with the electrician for next Friday to drop a 220v. single phase circuit into my shop. I'm getting two receptacles put in, just in case I get a Mill someday. Its nearly free to do now, so might as well!
And now that I've got that going, it's starting to seem real. So, last week I decided I better get serious about clearing a spot for this beastie.
I've been playing with that shop planning tool that Grizzly has on their site. It's far from perfect, but its easy to use, and they've got a lot of equipment templates you can use (for their equipment, of course :)).
Just so you know what I'm starting from, here's a picture of how my garage's been for the last 13 years:
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-A-Shop_OldLayout.jpg)
The Grizzly app doesn't let you label things, so I imported the picture into MS Powerpoint and added labels. You can see that in my 3 car garage, there has been no room for cars for years. A smidge more than one bay has been my shop, and the rest has been storage for bikes, freezers, garden stuff, and any manner of junk that was/is too precious to throw away.
Over the last several months, I've been dreaming up schemes to decrease the amount of junk we keep; finding ways to store it better, sell it, give it away, or toss it. Using these techniques, I've been able to greatly reduce pile of stuff on the storage side of the garage.
My goal was to reduce the stuff side of the garage enough that I could pick up 4 more feet on the shop side. Unfortunately, when I went to move the shelves earlier this week, things didn't line up right. So eventually, I measured my garage and found that it was actually a foot shorter and a foot narrower than I'd been using in my planning. :( The numbers I'd been using were based on an appraisal that we'd had at some point in time. Guess they used external measurements instead of inside measurements for the garage. Bummer :(.
So I had to refigure. And as much as I tried to take that foot from the 'stuff' side, I just couldn't make it work. Because, in the end, for this venture to be successful, I can't make it too painful for the rest of the family to use the 'stuff' side of the garage. Over reaching there would be counterproductive in the long run I'm afraid. So I lost the space on the shop side... Such is life... Getting 23% more space is still nothing to sneeze at!
Based on my NEW smaller garage, here's what I'm going for:
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-A-Shop_NewLayout.jpg)
My 'New Shop' includes quite a few pieces of equipment that I don't own yet (and may never own). But I figure if I'm doing a redesign, I'd like to make sure I can fit all the stuff I'd like to have in the hopefully not TOO distant future. You can see I've got a spot for a knee mill, a floor-standing drill press, a 2nd buffer, and a couple of new tool chests to store all of the cool tooling I'm sure to acquire in my new dream shop! :)
This may be the 10 year plan. But you've got to have aspirations, right? :)
Careful readers may note some of the equipment missing in the NEW version. It's not really missing, it's just hidden. For example, the Air Compressor is going to be on the lower shelf of the bench with the buffing wheels. And the surface plate will be on that bench too (or that's the current plan at least). I also picture putting my new little Arbor Press there too.
To implement this, I've had to rip out my whole dust collection system that I put in about 13 years ago. It was nice, but there was no way to leave it there and redesign the shop. For the moment, I'm not planning to rebuild it. I found I really didn't need it much for anything but the sander and the table saw. I'll work on plans to get that setup over time, but for now, it's being decommissioned.
I'm also going to put in more lighting. I've always meant to, but now's my opportuinty!
Here's a few pictures to show you the ugly state of affairs now. That way you can really appreciate how beautiful it will be when I get it done :)
Here's looking out over the shop from the front of the shelves that divide the garage (in front of the furnace/waterheater area):
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-A-1-DSC_6935.jpg)
And here's from the new location of the Table Saw, looking back toward the furnace:
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-A-3-DSC_6942.jpg)
And HERE's the spot where the new lathe will be going, marked out with the blue tape.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-A-2-DSC_6939.jpg)
I'm hoping to have it significantly cleaned up for my Friday date with my electrician! After that, its time to get the lathe in! :)
Thanks for looking,
Kim
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I can see that 14-40 sitting there already Kim :ThumbsUp:
Pete
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Looks like plenty of room Kim!....watch out for the dog and the metal chips.....gets in their fur and pads.....
Dave
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Kim, I don't see your compressor in your new shop, I was going to suggest that you might put it in a bit of a box out side the workshop, against the wall, and run a pipe round the shop, with a few outlets in convenient places. Ian S C
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Nice choice on the lathe, am thinking Santa may have to add a couple more reindeer though to deliver that beasty!!
Bill
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Hey this all looks great Kim!
You need a nice shed out in the yard to keep all the garden tools lawn mower etc. in. My wife and I both enjoy parking inside; but we probably get more snow and frost than you do.
I like how you have left room to walk all the way around the mill and lathe. I know space limitations usually dictate machine positions but I really dislike having machine tools shoved up against a wall or stuffed into a corner. Also having the bench right behind the lathe will be handy and when the time comes you may also want to do the same for the mill. It is nice to be able to just turn around and have a work surface. My mill and lathe sit 90 degrees to each other and my small bench services both machines and also holds most of the commonly used tooling for them.
Would it be possible to just wheel the dust collector over to the sander or saw when needed? It may also be handy to have if you ever decide to do and wood work on the lathe or mill (pattern Making) maybe; or metal polishing on the buffer which can be quite dusty.
Thanks for sharing the shop remodel with us.
Dave
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I can see that 14-40 sitting there already Kim :ThumbsUp:
Pete
Thanks Pete! It does start to make it seem real, that's for sure! :)
Looks like plenty of room Kim!....watch out for the dog and the metal chips.....gets in their fur and pads.....
Dave
Thanks for the warning Dave. I'm hoping if I can find a nice spot for a dogie bed, my dog will be able to be out in the shop with me. She hasn't been allowed out in the garage yet. I'm kind-a hoping that house rule will change. But not if its safe for the pup, then I'll probably drop that line of questioning. :-\
Kim, I don't see your compressor in your new shop, I was going to suggest that you might put it in a bit of a box out side the workshop, against the wall, and run a pipe round the shop, with a few outlets in convenient places. Ian S C
Hi Ian, thanks for the suggestion! In the New layout, my compressor is under the bench in front of the lathe. It fits on the lower shelf pretty well and doesn't take up additional floor space that way. But it would be really nice to get it it's own space. That thing's really loud when you run it. I have to wear hearing protection! It would be really nice to get it out of the shop! Maybe a future upgrade? :LittleDevil:
Nice choice on the lathe, am thinking Santa may have to add a couple more reindeer though to deliver that beasty!!
Bill
Yeah, I'm thinking he'll make a special early delivery for this one so that he doesn't have to fit it in with everything else. And it'd be pretty tight getting it down the chimney! :Jester:
You need a nice shed out in the yard to keep all the garden tools lawn mower etc. in. My wife and I both enjoy parking inside; but we probably get more snow and frost than you do.
Hi Dave, Thanks for the comments. Yes, you definitely get a lot more snow & frost than we do! We may get snow once or twice a season, if that (last year I don't think we got any). I do have to scrape a few days, but its the price I pay to have my shop in my garage. Which is completely worth it to me!
I like how you have left room to walk all the way around the mill and lathe. I know space limitations usually dictate machine positions but I really dislike having machine tools shoved up against a wall or stuffed into a corner. Also having the bench right behind the lathe will be handy and when the time comes you may also want to do the same for the mill. It is nice to be able to just turn around and have a work surface. My mill and lathe sit 90 degrees to each other and my small bench services both machines and also holds most of the commonly used tooling for them.
This is a great point Dave! I'll have to think about how I can get a bench in there behind the mill too. It may end up having to be a mobile flat surface/cart kind of thing. Maybe arrange it so one of the rolling tool chests is there with a bench surface, or something like that.
Would it be possible to just wheel the dust collector over to the sander or saw when needed? It may also be handy to have if you ever decide to do and wood work on the lathe or mill (pattern Making) maybe; or metal polishing on the buffer which can be quite dusty.
That's what I'm considering. I'll have to devise a way to make it fairly easy to hook up to the various pieces of equipment I want to use it for, but this is a likely scenario.
Thanks everyone for the support and the great suggestions!
Kim
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Looks like plenty of room Kim!....watch out for the dog and the metal chips.....gets in their fur and pads.....
Dave
Thanks for the warning Dave. I'm hoping if I can find a nice spot for a dogie bed, my dog will be able to be out in the shop with me. She hasn't been allowed out in the garage yet. I'm kind-a hoping that house rule will change. But not if its safe for the pup, then I'll probably drop that line of questioning. :-\
......
Thanks everyone for the support and the great suggestions!
Kim
My spaniel Jack used to have a bed under my assembly bench. He knew he was allowed to lay in there and gaze lovingly at me whilst I was working but not wander around. He was also very good at keeping my feet warm in winter.. even if I did not appreciate as much having my legs/feet licked in the summer :Jester:.
Jo
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Well, my remodel is pretty much done. I installed all the new lights - and BOY! Does it make aBIG difference! So nice! I can't believe I've waited so long to do this! :)
Another big step is that today, the electrician came by and put in my 240v circuit! Now I'm dangerous and ready...
Once the electrician got his thing done, I spent the evening rearranging my existing tools and making a nice comfy spot for the new addition.
Here's a few shots of the newly configured, newly lighted, and newly wired space.
This first one is as you enter the "Shop Zone". Here we're looking directly at my bench corner with the drill press and the Taig mill (its kind-of camouflaged by the tools on the pegboard, but its there!).
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-B-2-DSC_6952.jpg)
Then, standing right in front of the mill, looking down the bench toward the table saw.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-B-3-DSC_6953.jpg)
Now we're in front of the table saw, looking back at the benches and the shop entry-way.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-B-4-DSC_6954.jpg)
Then the last corner, standing right where the new Grizzly lathe will be going, looking back toward the benches. The big open space between the support column and the rocket is being reserved for a knee mill, assuming I can save up enough for one of those someday.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-B-5-DSC_6955.jpg)
And last, but not least, standing back where we started (the shop entry-way) I took a picture toward the far corner. This shows the two new 240V outlets they put in for me (on the support column) and the spot for the new lathe.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/Shop2013Remodel-B-1-DSC_6951.jpg)
Now I wait for the arrival of the newest member of my tool family :) Listening for those early sleigh bells!
Kim
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Looks great Kim,
Lots of nice useable space; when will the new addition be arriving?
Dave
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Nice looking shop Kim. I guess we can all use more room but its not alway seasy to come byso organizations as y0ou have done is the next best thing. Now that your ready for the new addition...I am sure the minutes will seem like hours and the hours like days. Hope it arrives soon and safely though!!
Bill
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Thanks Dave and Bill!
I don't have a due date for my new arrival yet, but it's been ordered. So sometime in the next few weeks I should have my new little bundle of joy :) You all will be some of the first to know! I'll be handing out the cigars!
My wife says it looks like I've got a chalk outline for a casket on the shop floor - either that, or an Iron Lung :) She's being a good sport about it, but it baffles her.
The lathe is her gift to me for Christmas. My gift to her is that I had an electrician do the wiring for the new circuit, and that I'm hiring some equipment movers to help me move the lathe into the garage down my sloping driveway! Works out pretty well, doesn't it? :LittleDevil: (Seriously, I am getting her something else for Christmas, but that's all she says she wants!)
Thanks,
Kim
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Sounds like she's a :LittleAngel: Kim !! Or maybe she just doesn't trust your electrical skills :zap:
Bill
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Or maybe she just wanted the shop and garage tidied :LittleDevil:. That gender works in mysterious ways :old:. Seriously Kim, great job on the remodel and waiting on me seeeegar.
Whiskey
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Yes Bill, she is an :LittleAngel:! She has to be to put up with a joker like me :Jester:.
Won't be long now Whisky! :)
Kim
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Hi Kim, just catching up on your thread and the shop looks a treat buddy. And isn't to great to have a wife appreciate you enough to get you a new lathe. Your very lucky.
Don
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:cartwheel: OH BOY! OH BOY! OH BOY! OH BOY! :pinkelephant:
I was just sitting there minding my own business when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my chair to see what was that matter! I heard the jingling of silver bells and the prancing and pawing of a big FedEx truck, helping Santa do his work!
:pinkelephant: OH BOY! OH BOY! OH BOY! OH BOY! :cartwheel:
I meant to have pictures of the 'transport' from the truck to the garage, but my wife had just left to pick up one of the kids, and there was nobody to run a camera. So you'll have to settle for 'after the fact' pictures. :)
Getting it off the truck was the biggest challenge - at the local FedEx warehouse they'd set it on a pallet, which was smart, but the pallet was broken, which made it hard to get the pallet jack under. For a while, I thought he was going to have to take it back to the warehouse and let them use the forklift to get a better pallet under it. But we struggled with that for a bit and got it on the pallet jack just fine. I was worried about its ride down on the lift gate, but that went OK. And then as quick as you please, it was in my shop. The driver helped me pry the crate open and take a look. All seemed well, so I signed off :)
Here was my first sight:
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-A-1-DSC_7017.jpg)
That FedEx driver was great! He brought it all the way into the shop for me, no problems. Even navigated my mildly sloping driveway without a hitch. Yes, I helped out a bit, but he knew what he was doing. And it went ever so smoothly!
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-A-2-DSC_7018.jpg)
It's just sitting inside the garage door. I'm going to have to get my shop crane hooked up to it to get it off the pallet and turned around. But it's inside and I can do that over time. The leveling feet aren't scheduled to arrive till next Tuesday anyway :(
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-A-3-DSC_7020.jpg)
Here's a better shot after I pulled up the plastic. Isn't she cute?! :)
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-A-4-DSC_7024.jpg)
And here's her name plate. You can see all the cool extra stuff I get to unpack too!
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-A-5-DSC_7034.jpg)
Christmas at Thanksgiving! What could be better!
You know what I'll be doing for my days off here! :)
Kim
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Congrats Kim! Your neighbors are going to be jealous,
Take your time getting off the skid and into position; we want you and it to remain in one piece.
Looks like you are going to have a very nice holiday weekend.
Dave
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Don't know about his neighbors but I sure am!
Looks great :ThumbsUp:
Pete
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Wow! Your ready for business now Kim. 14" swing over bed your ready for the big stuff. Full of tool envy here.
:cheers:
Don
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That's great news Kim!! I am happy for you and glad it all arrived safely!
Bill
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Thanks Dave, Pete, Don and Bill!
I'm handing out the cigars to everybody who comes on by to see my new arrival! : :smokin2:
Whisky, I've got one for you here too!
I've got the crate walls off and need to clean it up now. Then I'll unbolt it from the skids and lift it off.
Simple to say, but it'll take me a bit I'm sure. I'll just go slow and think about each step before I do it. That's the key to success here! I've got all weekend! :cartwheel:
Thanks,
kim
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Holy guacamole, that is a nice lathe.
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Kim....are you going to float it on resilient mounts or shim & bolt it securely to the concrete? :shrug:........Derek
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Nice one Kim 8),
So what little extras did Santa think to send along with her?
Jo
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Hi Derek,
I've got a set of large floating Machine Mounts from Grizzly. Other people on line have reported that they worked well for them. Hopefully they will for me too.
Jo,
I believe Santa has some additional goodies on the way; a DRO, a 5C collet chuck with a set of collets, a few extra Tool holders for quick change tool post, and a bunch of oil for the gear box and ways. :). Now, it came with 3 & 4 jaw chucks, a face plate, a steady rest, some dead and live centers, and several such sundries.
I think santa's got me set up pretty well... :)
Kim
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Jo,
I believe Santa has some additional goodies on the way; a DRO, a 5C collet chuck with a set of collets, a few extra Tool holders for quick change tool post, and a bunch of oil for the gear box and ways. :). Now, it came with 3 & 4 jaw chucks, a face plate, a steady rest, some dead and live centers, and several such sundries.
I think santa's got me set up pretty well... :)
Kim
:whoohoo: :whoohoo:
Sounds like you must have been on Santa's list of very good boys this year 8)
Jo
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Thanks Jo, I'd like to think so :)
OK, I've now got a question for any of you who've done this before. I've run into a problem. I can't get the shop crane close enough to the lathe to do any good. The pallet that it's resting on prevents me from getting the crane near it. I've got to get that pallet out from under the lathe before I can use the crane. :wallbang:
I'm thinking I'm going to have to jack up each corner of the lathe using the lifting bars, find a way to prop them up, then remove the pallet from under the lathe. Then I'll be able to get in there with the crane.
What have other people done here. I ,can't be unique in this situation can I?
Thanks,
Kim
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Kim, I'd be nervous about jacking up the corners. That warning sticker is absolutely correct, these lathes are extremely top heavy. Have you tried to come in from the ends of the lathe with the lift. If you pick straight up from the tailstock end just far enough to slide the pallet pieces out that might help. My manual showed the lifting points and rigging layout and that really helped me pick mine up. Just be super careful, I wouldn't want to see you damage your new sweetie and I darn sure wouldn't want you to get hurt. She is a beauty and can't wait to see the first chips. Just remember that she is more top heavy than Dolly Parton :LittleDevil:
Whiskey
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I had a similar problem with my new air compressor, but I don't have a lift.
I very precariously leaned the compressor over like the tower of Pisa using a chain hoist tied to the basketball pole that is imbedded in the ground, cut the pallet off of one side, leaned it back the other way, removed the rest of the pallet, and it was on the floor. A dangerous thing to do with a 450 lb vertical compressor with the motor and compressor on top.
But I lived to tell about it.
I walked it into the shop, sort of using the Egyptian method, leaning, rotating, prying.
I would do as Don mentioned, lift one end, remove the pallet from that end, then lift the other end and do the same, but very carefully.
Not sure if that would give your crane a hernia or not.
I have been known to lift things from the ceiling also.
I added some beams above the ceiling joists in my shop, and put two heavy-duty eyes in the ceiling, and have lifted large items with that using a chain hoist.
I move my lathe across the floor with a prybar, a 1/2" at a time, and then level it with a precision level once I get it where I want it.
You don't want the ways twisted, and my garage floor is not flat.
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Hi Kim
What Eric said.
It appears that the sub pallet is smaller that the one the machine is mounted to; so could you pick each end and install blocks 4x4s crosswise at end, then slid the sub pallet out of the way? You could crib it up enough so that when the sub pallet is removed you would have enough room to roll the shop crane into position.
Just some thoughts.
Dave
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Good food for thought! Thanks Eric, Pat, and Dave for the input.
I agree that lifting from the corners doesn't sound so good. But I'm only talking about raising it 1/4" so I can get the pallet out. When we were unloading it I saw the thing tilt much more than 1/4" on one side and still stayed upright! But I realize its nothing to play with! I certainly don't want to move the center of gravity very much. If it went a little too far, over it would go, and nothing would stop it! I am very wary of that!
I'll ponder it more. If anyone has any other ideas, don't hesitate!
I do like the idea of just trying to get the sub-pallet out. That would really help. but unfortunately, its not tall enough for legs of the shop crane to fit under the skids that the lathe is bolted to, and its too wide for the legs to go around it - even on the ends. I may have to do something destructive to the skids and pallet. But I'll have to do it carefully, since that's what the 1400lbs behemoth is currently resting on!
Thanks for all your help,
Kim
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How about a jack centered on the short ends or with enough leverage you could lift it up with a long pry bar. Work on one end at a time until you have enough cribbing under each end to slide the sub pallet out of the way. I have a handy man jack that lift each end with out even breaking a sweat.
Dave
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Just thinking out loud here (i.e., ignore if idiotic)...
Would it be a good safety measure to secure the lathe to an overhead joist with a short choker arranged so the lathe could not get more than, say, ten degrees from vertical whilst removing the pallet?
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It's amazing what a day of turkey with your family will do for you!
At some point in the day the same basic idea came to me that you outlined Dave! I think that'll get me there. And I do have a nice short jack that should do the trick.
I was also pondering the concept your suggesting Marv. I'd have to get some tackle to do that though. And I'm trying to envision a method of using the shop crane as a back-up safety. It might not be perfect, but if it would keep it from falling over on to the floor (or on me!) that would be a positive.
I'm feeling good about it! I've got a lot of good options! :)
Thanks,
Kim
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OK, a few pics now. Here's where I'd left things Wednesday evening. I wasn't sure how to get the legs of the crane under the lathe so I could lift it up.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-B-1-DSC_7042.jpg)
But, based on comments, feedback and contemplation, I came up with this. Seems so completely obvious now of course!
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-B-2-DSC_7044.jpg)
This let me get the shipping pallet out from under the lathe, which was great! Unfortunately, It needed to be an inch or two higher to get the crane underneath the skid/pallet that the lathe is bolted to. So I did a couple more back and forths, lifting one end up a bit then the other a bit more till I could get the crane under.
With that big step accomplished, I proceeded to get the crane setup and a strap/harness configured that would allow me to raise the lathe. During this process I took off the backsplash. I suppose that seems obvious to everyone, but I thought it was a pretty inspired move! I'm kind-a surprised that it doesn't say anything about that in the manual! :)
Anyway, after lots of tries and moving things back and forth by little bits here and there, I think I've got it fairly well balanced.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-B-3-DSC_7045.jpg)
And that's where I left it for last night.
My plan for today is to shorten the crane boom to bring the lathe in closer to the center of crane (hopefully that will make it easier to move around safely). Once I get it turned around in the right position, I'll unbolt it from the transport skids and lift it off of that. I want to leave the additional width, provided by the skids, attached to the lathe as long as possible. A wider base makes it more stable!
Once I get the skids off, then I'll set the lathe on blocks and move the crane around to the head end of the lathe to lift it off the blocks and set it in its final resting place. I can't just set it down with the crane attached in front as it is because the foot break isn't high enough to clear the legs of the crane. But it looks quite doable from the headstock end.
Thanks for all the help and encouragement in thinking through this delicate operation!
Kim
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Good progress - the rest should be a doddle! :ThumbsUp:
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Looking good. Slow and steady is the way to go.
Just a reminder...
Ensure that you have someone watching (emphasis on NOT participating) when you start lifting. Zeus forbid anything should go wrong but, were it to do so, you want someone standing by to call the appropriate help.
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Hi Kim
Great progress! Glad to see the nice nylon lifting straps; you would hate to scratch up your new baby with chains.
After you remove the pallet you could use the long timers (disassemble the pallet) to span to left and right across the legs of your crane; then lower the lathe onto the timbers while keeping most of the load on the straps. This would keep the lathe from swing around while you are rolling it into place.
Dave
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Thanks for the encouragement Tel, Marv, and Dave. It was pretty straight forward from there on. Actually, the whole thing was quite straight forward. Just had to come up with a workable plan!
I did pretty much exactly as I described above. And Dave, while I didn't take apart their pallet,I just used it as a way to distribute the weight on the crane legs so things didn't go spinning around while I was rotating it into position. It worked well! it was quite stable! Here it is part way through the rotation/repositioning process.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-C-1-DSC_7047.jpg)
I did try using a come-along to help move the crane, but that wasn't as big a help as I thought it would be. It may be the cheap caster on my Harbor Freight crane, but the casters didn't want to swivel and would just skid sideways across the shop floor. The biggest help I found was to rotate the casters individually so they were pointing the way I wanted to go. Then I could relatively easily move the crane in that direction.
So here we are, mostly in position, ready to unbolt the shipping pallet.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-C-2-DSC_7048.jpg)
And here it is, AFTER the shipping pallet was removed (you can see it leaning up against the shelves right behind the lathe) and being set down gently on some blocks so I could back the crane out.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-C-3-DSC_7050.jpg)
Finally, having repositioned the crane over the headstock end, and re-finding a tolerable balance point, it was lifted off the blocks, and was set gently on the ground - well, mostly - I put a chunk of 1x where the feet will be.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-C-4-DSC_7051.jpg)
Yeah, the nylon straps seemed like a good idea. That yellow one is rated at 2 Tons. The red ones are only a few hundred pounds, but they aren't supposed to be carrying the weight. I just added those as a way to help ensure the load didn't shift left or right. The Yellow strap is one long (20') strap looped around. I wanted to protect against the possibility that if the lathe were slightly unbalanced it could start to slide to one side and become even MORE unbalanced! The red straps only connected to one end to prevent that shifting from happening.
I also put some wood blocks against the ways to protect the gearbox knobs. They might have been OK, but that is a LOT of force, and I'd hate to have one of them get bent or broken!
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-C-5-DSC_7052.jpg)
I'm leaving the crane setup there for now. I'll have to raise it up again in a few days when the rest of my shipment from Grizzly gets in. Funny how the big freight item arrived almost a week ahead of all the regular shipped items! I'd assumed it would be the other way around! Ah well, makes Christmas last longer :)
Thanks,
Kim
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Well executed! Ain't it grand when a plan comes together!
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Nice work Kim!
Time to kick back have a cold one and admire your new toy :DrinkPint:
:cheers:
Dave
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Congratulations on a dangerous job completed safely. Once again you've confirmed the wisdom of taking one's time and thinking through each step.
I guess I can discard my alternate suggestion which involved wrapping the lathe in a fire blanket and then setting fire to the pallet to remove it. Impractical but spectacular!
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I guess I can discard my alternate suggestion which involved wrapping the lathe in a fire blanket and then setting fire to the pallet to remove it. Impractical but spectacular!
Are you sure you're not from Tennessee Marv?
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I guess I can discard my alternate suggestion which involved wrapping the lathe in a fire blanket and then setting fire to the pallet to remove it. Impractical but spectacular!
Are you sure you're not from Tennessee Marv?
No, worse than that - Pennsylvania - where crudity was invented - just ask Zee.
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Well done Kim. That's got to be a load off your mind :)
Bill
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Thanks everyone.
Marv, I laughed out loud when I read your final suggestion there! Then my wife asked what was so funny, so I read it to her. My youngest daughter overheard and asked "Did he really do that!?!" I assured her you hadn't. Am I right? :ROFL:
Kim
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Well done Kim, and that's a nice looking lathe you have.
Don
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Nicely done Kim :ThumbsUp:.
Now is Father Xmas going to let you play with your new machine before the big day :naughty:
Jo
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That is awesome Kim!......I love lathes!..... 8)
Congrats bud!
Dave
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Marv, I laughed out loud when I read your final suggestion there! Then my wife asked what was so funny, so I read it to her. My youngest daughter overheard and asked "Did he really do that!?!" I assured her you hadn't. Am I right? :ROFL:
No, I've never done that. However, the approach employing the proton beam accelerator left over from my work on the thermonuclear hand grenade...well, let's just say there are better ways.
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Marv, I laughed out loud when I read your final suggestion there! Then my wife asked what was so funny, so I read it to her. My youngest daughter overheard and asked "Did he really do that!?!" I assured her you hadn't. Am I right? :ROFL:
No, I've never done that. However, the approach employing the proton beam accelerator left over from my work on the thermonuclear hand grenade...well, let's just say there are better ways.
Hell I'd pay to see that one Marv!.....though I bet you can only do it once.....
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Its been a busy week at work, so not much play time till today.
Early in the week I did manage to get it leveled up and the oil added, then went through the power on testing sequence, which went quite well! Everything worked as expected! :cartwheel:
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-D-3-DSC_7067.jpg)
But there it sat for most of the week. My poor, neglected, Christmas lathe. :(
Today though, I got some shop time and spent several hours breaking in the lathe as instructed in the Grizzly manual. Then I dutifully changed the oil as it told me to. In spite of my skepticism about changing the oil so soon, the stuff that came out was really black and dirty! Guess they knew what they were talking about, eh?
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-D-1-DSC_7068.jpg)
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/GrizzlyLathe-D-2-DSC_7072.jpg)
Boy, that was a messy process! Hope I don't have to do THAT very often!
But now its done and I've got things mostly cleaned up. Next step will be to get the DRO installed! :LickLips:
Thanks,
Kim
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Sounds like you are having fun Kim, when time permits at least. I think you are wise to follow the break in instructions, oil change, etc. A PITA I am sure, but the long term dividends will make up for it. Now if I could just figure out why JET, Grizzly and others paint these things that off white color...it sure shows up every little smudge. Even so its a nice looking machine that should serve you well for years!!
Bill
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Kim that lathe is just begging to be used. Have fun my friend and enjoy your new toy. It sure look good though I have to say. And like Bill said following the instructions will pay off later. Look good! :ThumbsUp:
Don
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Not a lot of time to work out in the shop, what with the festivities of summer and all (sometimes, I could do with a little lest festivity!) but I found sometime over the last few evenings to make a holder for all my quick change tools for my lathe. Something I've been meaning to do for some time.
I copied Stan (and several others I'm sure) and used a piece of that hole-filled angle piece for the base, and a length of 1 1/2" x 1/8" angle aluminum for the holders. Then mounted it to the back of the splash guard.
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/LatheToolHolder-1-DSC_8867Sm.jpg)
(http://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10008/LatheToolHolder-2-DSC_8870Sm.jpg)
I know, for safety, you're not supposed to keep things behind the spindle on the lathe, but it was the best spot for them. I never change tools while the lathe is running, so I think this is very low risk. And frankly, I think the risk of keeping them on the headstock, which is where they aways ended up, was more dangerous since they could fall down while working. This provides a positive, secure location for all my lathe tools (plus a few more that I don't have yet) and now I'll know where they all are!
Thanks,
Kim
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Kim I like it and I see nothing wrong with mounting it behind the lathe. Like you said I never change a tool while the lathe is running either. :ThumbsUp:
Don
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Hi Kim
Looks good!
I completely understand about not having much project time. :wallbang:
Dave
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Thanks for looking in Don and Dave. I've got a little more shop clean-up to do, and another Lathe Improvement project that I'd like to get done before I start my next project. But who knows how long it will be till I get there? :)
Ah, the fun of life! :insane:
Kim
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Hi Kim
Some workshop.. cry My man cave is a converted single garage (here in the UK you can just about get a compact car in)... so much for space. but then you can get the UK into Texas 3 times.. :headscratch: super lay out though & your lathe ... well :'( :'(
Cheers
George
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Hi George,
Thanks for stopping by my shop! :)
Yeah, I do have more space than many, and am quite thankful that my wife is willing to let me take over a large percentage of our garage with my strange obsessions. But you know, you can cram a lot in a little space when you need to. People on this forum do amazing work with far less space, and far fewer tools than I have. So I have no excuse!
Have you posted pictures of your workshop? I don't remember seeing it, but I do miss posts from time to time.
Thanks for stopping by to see my place!
Kim