Ideal knifemaking shop and tools?

Q

QuietBearr

Joined
Mar 12, 2009
Messages
51
Just a question to pose.

If you had the chance to spend a lot of money on a new shop (building) and tools, what would you like to see?

By that I mean, in the actual building, what sort of things would you design into it to make it perfect? Ventilation, organization, shelf space, tables, drains, ect??? How large would you like it? Concrete, steel or wood?

As for tools, what sort of tools would you like to make your dream knifemaking studio? What belt grinder? Which drill press? A lathe? Liquid nitrogen dewars, ovens, grinders, buffers, bandsaws, air compressors, media blasters (bead), computers, waterjet, lazyboys, ect...

Would you want two belt sanders and 4 buffing wheels, ect..?

Which brands would you go with? That is also not keeping in mind money to a reasonable extent.

What list would you make for your ideal shop, and what do you think the price tag would be for it?
 
I would like a shop with at least 220v, good dust collection, small utility sink, a tw90 grinder, a kmg grinder, a decent 16 speed industrial floor drill press, paragon/evenheat kiln, good disk sander, metal cutting band saw, tons of lighting, lots of plugs, lots of counter space. Too much to list really.

What ever you do be sure to get the best you can from the start so you don't have breakdowns and have to upgrade.
 
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Forget 220, I'd go for 440 3-phase if I'm spending a lot of money! :) Other critical things on the "money no object" list include:
  • A collection of forges ranging from small to industrial ovens
  • A collection of HT setups including multiple kilns, multiple salt pots, etc.
  • Good welders (MIG, TIG, and gas)
  • 3 or 4 hydraulic presses of sizes ranging from 35 ton to 150 ton
  • A Nazel 4B or 5B
  • An Iron Kiss 100# hammer
  • A big, old rolling mill
  • A small army of KMGs (one for each grit/tooling setup since we're dreaming...)
  • A good lathe
  • A good large mill
  • A good small mill (Bridgeport sized)
  • A Blanchard style grinder
  • A "standard" surface grinder
  • A pantograph
  • CNC waterjet/laser
  • CNC Mill
  • A complete engraving setup
  • A complete set of woodworking tools (table saw, lathe, jointer, planer, etc)
  • A complete set of casting machinery (vacumm casting setup, burnout kilns, etc)
  • A decent set of jeweler's tools (jeweler's torch, etc, etc)
  • A couple million bucks in the bank to live off of for 15 years or so while I learn how to use it all :)

-d
 
I've been mulling this for a couple of hours and then Deker posts most of what I would have. Power is probably the most difficult for the majority of us. Getting 3-phase of any kind is a huge plus, not required but a plus. The biggest thing I am fighting is shop size. I went from 1/2 of a 1 and a half car garage plus a tarp building for my forging area, to 2 bays of a 3-bay garage. I increased my space by at least 30% but don't have any room. I would want a huge building I could partition the way I need. I really wanted a 60x100 metal building that I saw on one of the properties we looked at when we moved. It was just too far from the main source of income, my wife's work. That building would have probably been enough room for a couple of years anyway.
 
A C Richards said:
I've been mulling this for a couple of hours and then Deker posts most of what I would have. Power is probably the most difficult for the majority of us. Getting 3-phase of any kind is a huge plus, not required but a plus. The biggest thing I am fighting is shop size. I went from 1/2 of a 1 and a half car garage plus a tarp building for my forging area, to 2 bays of a 3-bay garage. I increased my space by at least 30% but don't have any room. I would want a huge building I could partition the way I need. I really wanted a 60x100 metal building that I saw on one of the properties we looked at when we moved. It was just too far from the main source of income, my wife's work. That building would have probably been enough room for a couple of years anyway.
Click to expand...

Amen to that Chuck! I'd like to have enough space in a building so that operations that make a mess can be completely separated from operations that abhor a mess. Part of my personal aesthetic would want a big, old warehouse to work in though... That reminds me, I left off a whole building cyclonic dust collection system. :D

-d
 
Shop size is mine also,I work in a 16 X16 building and it's like a mine field,stepping over and around things:D
Stan
 
No matter, what size you build today, will not be big enough in at least two yrs. At least that is how it has been with me.
 
36'x48' metal building, concrete floor, insulated, wood heat, AC.
3 power hammers.
3 variable speed belt grinders.
3 forges.
3 anvils.
3 band saws.
2 welders.
1 chop saw.
2 drill presses.
1 milling machine.
1 surface grinder.
1 old lathe.
1 big pile of W2.

:D:D:D
 
Don Hanson III said:
36'x48' metal building, concrete floor, insulated, wood heat, AC.
3 power hammers.
3 variable speed belt grinders.
3 forges.
3 anvils.
3 band saws.
2 welders.
1 chop saw.
2 drill presses.
1 milling machine.
1 surface grinder.
1 old lathe.
1 big pile of W2.

:D:D:D
Click to expand...

Don, don't you already have pretty much all of that list? :D

And you forgot to mention the fishing gear. :)
 
WilsonKnives said:
No matter, what size you build today, will not be big enough in at least two yrs. At least that is how it has been with me.
Click to expand...

I have outgrown 3 shops in the past 25 years. I have decided that the shop space that you need is whatever you currently have * 4.
 
Don Hanson III said:
36'x48' metal building, concrete floor, insulated, wood heat, AC.
3 power hammers.
3 variable speed belt grinders.
3 forges.
3 anvils.
3 band saws.
2 welders.
1 chop saw.
2 drill presses.
1 milling machine.
1 surface grinder.
1 old lathe.
1 big pile of W2.

:D:D:D
Click to expand...

My father's shop is 36 x 48 x 16ft walls insulated metal building with wood heat. He has a large lathe, mill, huge old forge, various and sundry other equipment. Took him about ten years to fill it to the point you almost can't walk in it.
 
bigbcustom said:
My father's shop is 36 x 48 x 16ft walls insulated metal building with wood heat. He has a large lathe, mill, huge old forge, various and sundry other equipment. Took him about ten years to fill it to the point you almost can't walk in it.
Click to expand...

And I thought I only had one son ;)
 
To Don's list I'd add...

Two HT ovens....

and a good supply of Stag, Walnut and ivory...
 
bigbcustom said:
lol! My dad is 72yrs old. My mom forced him to move into town from the woods after I left home in '86. The large shop in the back yard was his price for giving in to her desires.
Click to expand...

My dad is 72 also, but he still lives out in the woods. When he first laid eyes on
my new shop (10 years ago), he said; "Damn, are you going to make bigger knives now".:eek::D
 
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