- Joined
- Mar 28, 2012
- Messages
- 29
Great workshop. Good equipment!
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Wheeler shop update...
- Thread starter NickWheeler
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2004
- Messages
- 3,423
Hi folks
Generally speaking, this post is probably more interesting to other knife makers. However, it's very relevant to my order scheduling and might be interesting to a few others around here as well.
We've been working in the new shop for over a year now, but were only able to move the bigger/heavier machines (cool toys!) this last weekend.... thanks to a very cool trailer we were able to rent. And a lot of help from my Dad (Jim) and the Boss (Angi).
Just thought I'd share for kicks
I didn't have the camera for the first load, which included my 9X42 milling machine and the 50# Little Giant power hammer. We had a little SNAFU with the hammer and it kind'a, sort'a tipped over.But nobody got hurt, so all is well.
Ready to load the lathe...
Loaded up and ready to roll...
A very excited knife maker! Piece #3 in the new shop...
Dad helped me load the 100# LG, but he had poker night... so I took it down and unloaded it with the dogs.As you can see, it's broken down because I had started a rebuild. That sure made it easier to move!
The fiasco with the 50# hammer forced me to rethink the unloading process... so I used a sling and a chain fall to use as a breaking system for the 100# hammer.
I drove back up and loaded the Cincinnati mill by myself--- with lots of 1" diam W1 and W2 rods, a pinch bar, and a chain fall. Got it home by 12:30 a.m. and let it wait till Sunday morning to be off loaded.
This is how the trailer works. So slick!!!
[video=youtube;uMg1X6t3qUY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMg1X6t3qUY&list=UUM3ezocAUFI1HtIi4V7SLmw[/video]
Got the deck lowered right down onto the edge of the shop floor.
The 2ton engine hoist won't lift the whole machine, but it worked awesome for lifting the ass end to get more rollers under it as it came off the trailer...
No project goes down here without Shop Dog approval. Oliver was fond of the trailer...
Bentley gave his o.k. as well...
A ~5,000# machine moves on rollers, but it still wore me out!
Having a beautiful shop helper makes the heavy work a lot easier to handle!
Well, they're not set-up in their final spots, let alone ready to cut chips or hammer hot steel yet, but they are inside the new shop, and that is enough to put a big, fat smile on my face!
Dude, I am jealous.
How big is your lot?
What is the cost of living like? Property Values, etc
I really want to move away from the hurricane Zone down here in Texas.
Respect.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2009
- Messages
- 741
Great shop looks like you have lot of room to work with. I know it lots of fun moving all that heavy stuff around.
Steve
Steve
- Joined
- Dec 3, 1999
- Messages
- 9,437
Thanks guys 
Mike- I think you'd love the trees, rivers, and mountains...but a Texan would have a hard time with the rain here.
But then again... we do NOT have rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widows, chiggers, tornadoes, hurricanes, snapping turtles, water moccasins, 3 months of 100+F in the summer...well, you get the idea. LOL But then again, Angi and I sure liked the 75F weather they had in SanAnton in January. 
Cost of living is kind of in the middle of the country I'd say. I know that's kind of open ended, but as you well know, cost of living is highly dependent on life style. There are folks here that live in 25 year old camp trailers on next to nothing, and there are folks that live in 15,000sq ft homes and spend more hosting one party than what Angi and I spend living for a year.
We have 1 acre, all our neighbors have at least 1, many have 5-10, some have 40+ We live in a very small town (~2300 people I think) but it's bigger than the town I grew up in (~1200 people). If you want to live in the city, like up in Seattle, then a house will cost you 5 times what ours cost.
I wanted 5+acres, but since we're not rich, we had to compromise somewhere, and that was on the parcel size. The big selling point for us was the shop. It's stick-built 36'X48'--- 2X6 construction that matches the house (siding, 40 year composition roof etc.) has its own 200amp service panel, full bathroom, fully insulated, finished out machining/grinding/hand work area and OSB finished hot work area.
If you like being outdoors... whether hiking, fishing, hunting, or just taking the kids for a Sunday drive... (IMHO) we've got some crazy awesome scenery here in the Northwest.
Some random grabs from my computer pics...
Mike- I think you'd love the trees, rivers, and mountains...but a Texan would have a hard time with the rain here.
But then again... we do NOT have rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widows, chiggers, tornadoes, hurricanes, snapping turtles, water moccasins, 3 months of 100+F in the summer...well, you get the idea.
LOL But then again, Angi and I sure liked the 75F weather they had in SanAnton in January. Cost of living is kind of in the middle of the country I'd say. I know that's kind of open ended, but as you well know, cost of living is highly dependent on life style. There are folks here that live in 25 year old camp trailers on next to nothing, and there are folks that live in 15,000sq ft homes and spend more hosting one party than what Angi and I spend living for a year.
We have 1 acre, all our neighbors have at least 1, many have 5-10, some have 40+ We live in a very small town (~2300 people I think) but it's bigger than the town I grew up in (~1200 people). If you want to live in the city, like up in Seattle, then a house will cost you 5 times what ours cost.
I wanted 5+acres, but since we're not rich, we had to compromise somewhere, and that was on the parcel size. The big selling point for us was the shop. It's stick-built 36'X48'--- 2X6 construction that matches the house (siding, 40 year composition roof etc.) has its own 200amp service panel, full bathroom, fully insulated, finished out machining/grinding/hand work area and OSB finished hot work area.
If you like being outdoors... whether hiking, fishing, hunting, or just taking the kids for a Sunday drive... (IMHO) we've got some crazy awesome scenery here in the Northwest.
Some random grabs from my computer pics...
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2011
- Messages
- 351
Thanks guys
Mike- I think you'd love the trees, rivers, and mountains...but a Texan would have a hard time with the rain here.
But then again... we do NOT have rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widows, chiggers, tornadoes, hurricanes, snapping turtles, water moccasins, 3 months of 100+F in the summer...well, you get the idea.
Cost of living is kind of in the middle of the country I'd say. I know that's kind of open ended, but as you well know, cost of living is highly dependent on life style. There are folks here that live in 25 year old camp trailers on next to nothing, and there are folks that live in 15,000sq ft homes and spend more hosting one party than what Angi and I spend living for a year.
We have 1 acre, all our neighbors have at least 1, many have 5-10, some have 40+ We live in a very small town (~2300 people I think) but it's bigger than the town I grew up in (~1200 people). If you want to live in the city, like up in Seattle, then a house will cost you 5 times what ours cost.
I wanted 5+acres, but since we're not rich, we had to compromise somewhere, and that was on the parcel size. The big selling point for us was the shop. It's stick-built 36'X48'--- 2X6 construction that matches the house (siding, 40 year composition roof etc.) has its own 200amp service panel, full bathroom, fully insulated, finished out machining/grinding/hand work area and OSB finished hot work area.
If you like being outdoors... whether hiking, fishing, hunting, or just taking the kids for a Sunday drive... (IMHO) we've got some crazy awesome scenery here in the Northwest.
Some random grabs from my computer pics...
View attachment 338853 View attachment 338854 View attachment 338855 View attachment 338856 View attachment 338857
Nick,
It´s sort of a given that I´m a fan your work (big time) but the countryside images you are posting are amazing man.
I´ve got to visit your corner of the world at some point.
Thanks for sharing, and congrats to the shop (that made me jealous too
).Brian
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2002
- Messages
- 1,382
Man Nick,this was a right on time thread for me.....that Sunbelt trailer is exactly what I am looking for...never knew anything like them existed. Just bought a house on 16 acres...next is to build a shop, most of my equipment is in my new house garage but my mill is still at the old place.
Thanks
Bigjohn
Thanks
Bigjohn
