I was asked the other day in the Midget thread about my workshop so now that the top secret new products have been hidden away I was able to take a few snaps, did I mention that one of the perks of testing and doing reviews is the items seldom have to go back to the supplier
I have an 8 x 16 shed, insulated with 50mm PU insulation in the walls and ceiling then lined with faced OSB. I made a new door to replace the flimsy pair that were on the end and changed the basic windows to double glazzed UPVC. Sorry the large Bonsai are not looking their best this time of year.
As you enter to the right is a bench that does not get used that much, meant for grinding and welding and other similar dirty tasks, since getting the Femi bandsaw that tends to live at one end and the fish food at the other. The Parrot vice is quite handy being able to swivel and it can also be mounted on it's side. Few odd draws below but not much engineering related stuff in those.
Moving around the next section of bench has a Tormek Grinder, bench Grinder, small belt sander and bench drill which does not do a lot of actual drilling these days being used more for honing, wire brush or polishing etc. Not Much in the way of model engineering items in the draws above but a few larger M6 and over fixings, springs etc.
Further along this wall was a nice bit of clear bench where a model being worked on could be kept or drawing laid out but lately it has been occupied by the Sieg SX2.7 from ARC that I have been using for some magazine articles that they sponsor. Smaller draws below have steel stock in but most of the larger are again not filled with ME stuff.
This half of the shed is where most of the action takes place, starting with the Warco WM280VF which I have had for about 10 years now (yes they will last that long
) few frequently used tools behind and sets of metric and imperial drill boxes with some common size stubb length ones to the right.
I replaced the flat metal panel between the cabinets two cupboards with some draws on full extension runners to keep lathe tooling in.
To the left of the lathe across the end wall is the bench with my vice and saws & files stored above. To the right is the modern version of the wooden engineers chest and beyond that lathe chucks in the corner. The opposite corner is taken up by the mill.
Draws under this bench which are again on FE slides have non ferrous metals to the right and odds and ends to the left.
The Sieg X3 mill sits quite nicely across the corner with a few bits related to it up on the wall and tooling like collets, cutters and spindle tooling easily to hand in the draws below. I've had this since 2007 and apart from a couple of belts, one set of brushes and an LED light it has performed well. I have added a DRO and there is also a X-axis powerfeed left from testing and also a spindle speed readout.
The front wall with the view is taken up with a final run of bench where i can sit and fiddle with engines, mark out, etc and the left hand end is where most of the engine stand when being run, few odd screwdrivers in a rack behind.
Marking out and measuring tools in the draws below and the metal ones have things like taps & dies, reamers, drills and so on. You may have gathered by now that I tend to keep most of my things in draws, I like it that way as you can keep the swarf and fine cast iron dust off them so you don't get black hands when you pick up a tool that has not been used for a while.
I have also recently got a CNC mill in the form of a Sieg KX-3 but had to put that in the garage, it may get moved back into the shed when the SX2.7 goes back but more than likely it will stay where it is.
So that's about it, sorry there are not vast amounts of tooling or multiple ex industrial machines to see but I find that is all I need to keep up a regular flow of completed and running engines and that the far eastern equipment is upto the job but as they say the most important Knob in the workshop is the one doing the actual work
J
PS. Before you ask, yes my workshop is usually that tidy.
