The Horror of a Complete Shop

R

rashid11

Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
707
Visited a local Sears the other day, one in Hackensack, with prolly
the best tool dept in the area. Didn't buy a darn thing ! Just kind of
wandered around :cool: ...

The MSC, Enco & HF catalogs, same thing ... just flippin the pages :yawn: .

I think it is all due to me finally having a complete shop :D . With every
tool I could think of. It all culminated with X3 mill I got about a month
ago. Topped it off with BesTest dial indicator (bought @ PennToolCo here
in NJ just a few days ago, they have a nice walk-in store and matched the Enco's sale price) and a 5" Kurt-type vice from Enco (at something like $70 price, with free shipping). I have 2 smaller vises but this one is just right. 4" is rather small, 6" is too massive, 5" is just right , @ 42LB

At this point I need to sell the X2 (belt converted, DRO scales mounted) and 7x14 mini-lathe. Will prolly craiglist them.

Home-made 2x72 bader-type grinder with VFD-controlled 2HP motor is my grinder. Got 12", 8", 5", 4", 2", 1", 3/4", .5" contact wheels, platen and disk (! - do consider it !) attachements (the whole thing was documented in some of my earlier posts). Belts galore :) .

The buffer is $69 HF "grinder-buffer". @ 3600 RPM some consider it to be a bit too fast, but it works fine.

The lathe is heavily modded 9x20 ($500 steal from local HF): I added tumbler reverse, converted to DC motor (LOVE it !, can get it down to south of 30 RPM with simply insane torque), beefed up topslide mount, made a ball turning attachement, replaced the cross slide leadscrew with home made 7/16x20, added power longitudal feeed, added AXA type QCTP ($80 from Enco)

The mill is X3. Insanely accurate. I added DYI 3-axis DRO, quill stop, Sieg power feed

The HT oven is home made type, PID-controlled, dirt cheap. I documented it here about 1Y ago.

The metal BS is Da Golden Standard HF 4x6. I added a larger table to it, that's about it.

The wood BS is Sears http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...ical=TOOL&subcat=Band+Saws&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes
Paid about $280. Replaced the POC stock motor with HF's 1HP "agricultural" beast. The cast iron table alone is prolly 60LB. The thing is solid. I welded 2 casters to the botton of the stand so I can wheel it around the shop (attached 1 car garage)

The welder is HF's dual-MIG. Had to fix the wire feed, solid ever after. I also have HF TIG ($199 unit). Works flawlessly, but scratch start can test one's patience :)

I also have 4" planer ,4x6 belt sander, shop vac, a tabe saw, router, miter saw ... all small cheap units of Sears/HD variety. When not in use, they are stowed away under the benches or hang on the walls.

Somehow, the smallish garage I have, even with all these tools and benches I built, is still not crowded at all and I can move around freely.

The measuring dept consists of Da Golden Standard in Dirt Cheap Digital Calipers: HF's 6" @ $15. For when it matters, I have M-yo IP55 grade, accurate to 50mil mike, BesTest .0005 dial indicator (as per Long Island Indicator repair shop, the best all around indicator ... Interapid being close second).

The mill and lathe tooling is also extensive: boring head ($50 variety), indexable face mills ($40 Grizz), variety of chucks, 4" rotary table, R8 collets, lathe collets, indexable tooling for lathe, nice assortement of endmills, QCTP for lathe, mandrels, reamers etc etc.

Hand tools are too many to mention. Mostly Sears and HF. I have 2 home-made hammers, with mahogany handles no less , for when it
matters :) .

Bottom line ... me don't think I need anything else @ this point . Just
wait for the warmer weather and get on with it. Having fun making knifes
that is :)
 
You do realize of course that this thread is worthless without shop pics....don't you? :)

-d
 
Never! Ever! can you have too many tools.

Fred
 
I didn't see a 14" wood band saw with a riser post.
I didn't see a surface grinder.
I didn't see an entire engraving station which is a whole nuther level of madness and tools...

You're not done soldier. Get back to it.
 
tmickley said:
I didn't see a 14" wood band saw with a riser post.
I didn't see a surface grinder.
I didn't see an entire engraving station which is a whole nuther level of madness and tools...

You're not done soldier. Get back to it.
Click to expand...

Since we're suggesting....

Forge
Anvil
Hydraulic press
Power hammer
Tong, tongs, tongs!
Hammers!!!!
Swedges, fullers, and hardies, oh my!

:D

-d

P.S. I'm with Butch. Don't dump that lathe without posting here first! :)
 
1) There is no such thing as a complete shop.

2) Even if you have every machine tool ever made, you will be buying jewelry for them forever.

:)

Dave
 
Unfortunately, I will have to stick with removal method, forging is outta question
in my conditions :(

Surface grinder is an overkill for what I do ... no folders so far.

About engraving station - got that , complete with Ebay scope, GRS vise, turntable, home made 2 angle harpening fixture and horizontal diamond wheel sharpener. I was able to practice some before the winter settled in. Will get back to it soon, PA groundhog sez spring just awound the corner :)

Gotta learn that scroll ! BTW, @ ECCKMS today I spoke to GRS folx, tried their smallest engraver. Will order a $190 kit: 2 engraving books plus something like 20 pre-lasered engraving practice plates . Nicest people.
That's as far as I am willing to go in light in the Latest Engraving Feud.
They kept it civilized for years, but something must've happened recently.
It is an all-out war now :eek:

I will only be selling the mini mill (aka X2) and 7x14 lathe, not the whole shop :) . If one is interested, you can look at my earlier posts - I had the oven, 2x72 disected and other tools photographed. When it gets warm nuff for me to open the garage door, I will snap some more.

I spoke to Bader's owner (?) just 30 mins ago, at the show. She's very nice and helpful. Got some belts, including white felt belt I didn't even know existed. After seeing Bader grinder in person, I realized that I overbuilt my grinder by 2x margin :)


About wood BS: I thought long and hard about going with the chinese 14", due to ability to add riser block etc. But after seeing it and Sears' in person,
Sear won hands down for what I need (I don't resaw at all). The guide, the table - there's no comparacing to Grizz/HF's 14". Fit nicely into my truck. Instant gratification and I saw what I was getting.
 
Abrasive said:
1) There is no such thing as a complete shop.

2) Even if you have every machine tool ever made, you will be buying jewelry for them forever.

:)

Dave
Click to expand...

I knew this guy (jeweler by trade) that used to make little pieces of 'jewerly' for his motorcycle. These pieces (usually cast sterling, sometimes inlayed with gold and stones) would replace some of the little chrome/plastic covers you find on the frame, triple-clamps, etc.
They were neat little pieces of art, but it was sort of a strange thing to see them on the motorcycle. :rolleyes:

So yes, bejeweling an anvil, for instance, or maybe a set of solid damascus hammers with carved handles, is not impossible fantasy given the right circumstances/excentric smith.

That would be a funny thread: The ultimate pimped-out shop!
 
Hehe, funny that you're talking about damascus hammers, i've wanted to make one for a while, a damascus angle pien
 
IMHO, no shop is complete without cable TV (so you don't miss any important sports events) and a great CD player/Radio!!
 
Heh, i've considered running a KVM and a wireless audio router out to my shop so i can set up some monitors in the corner, and be able to use my stero and stuff from the shop still. Not sure if my wireless headset broadcaster is strong enough to go the 50 feet from my living room to my garage though, it 'claims' it is, but i've yet to try it
 
I've made 8 damascus hammers. They now all have owners.
I know its time to make some more. HeHeHe!!!!!
What do ya think?
Del
 
OK, well you're not a TRUE eccentric tool-o-phile until you have a solid mosaic Damascus Anvil (at least 150 pound):thumbup: :thumbup: ---that actually would be kind of cool, come to think of it ...:D
 
butcher_block said:
deker had talked about a damascus hamer the other day when i was out :D
Click to expand...

I saw some that Tom Clark brought to a hammerin in January. Got me thinking. I'm going to start working on hammer making sometime in the near future. Once I can crank out a decent hammer, then I'm going to make a damascus hammer or two for myself :)

-d
 
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