Thread: My machine shop

I dont know if anyone was paying attention to the weather channel or national news, but over the weekend Pensacola had its worst rainfall since 1934. Some areas got nearly 2' of rain between Saterday and Sunday. There was flash flooding all over town and many roads closed. Today on the local news they finally showed alot of the pictures and footage from over the weekend. Theres were many neiborhoods, shopping centers, and apartments that were completely flooded. It was amazing. I woke up Saterday morning about 6am to heavy downporing, and it just never seemed to let up all day. Bill had quite an adventure trying to find the shop with all the flooded roadways and closures.

This is a pic of my brother standing in the middle of Fairfiled Dr Saterday morning. This location is about a quarter mile from my shop.



This is a video he took standing at the doorway of the pawn shop his wife works at looking out on Fairfield.



This is a Burger King a couple miles up the road on Brent Ln. The whole parking lot of that shopping center was under water.

Really sad to see the flooding - hope at least all of the people are OK.

Per NOIAA, Pensacola broke the 1912 record to take heaviest rainfall EVER for Pensacola.

They also took second-place for the heaviest one-day rainfall since record-keeping began - for the entire US.

Bill

Originally Posted by Abom79

Heres some shots of when we took the mill apart. Bill decided to do it this way for a few reasons. One is because my forklift is only rated for 3000 lbs, and since he was using a box truck it would help keep the load center down on the pallets.

..another 'coz it fits INSIDE my own shop - but can't clear the overhead door height. Decided to fab the pallets 4' x 5', so Home Depot's free cuts turned 8 2"x6' x10' into the 5' sills and decks, and 12 2"x4"x8' into the doubled 4' stringers. Several hours and 300 deck screws and a passel of lag bolts later, we had two uber-stout pallets..and Adam and I had to make just 3 saw cuts - for blocking the mill's base whilst on the forks, and the upper section so we could lay it safely on its side.

A bad wiring harness on that nearly-new International truck has left me at roadside twice so far. Penske's 24x7 road service has been worked hard!

More on the unloading when I get it home.

Bill

Thanks for posting great pictures. Does BK sell fish sammiches ?---Trevor

Originally Posted by t.jones

Thanks for posting great pictures. Does BK sell fish sammiches ?---Trevor

'Spect it more likely fish were selling BK Whoppers.. IF fish could have navigated in that deluge of fresh water.

One had to have been there.

NB: Adam was gracious enough to give up a huge chunk of his Sunday to get me safely on my way with the Quartet after Saturday went pear-shaped. Just as skilled at clever 'make-do' rigging as he is at machining.

We both had our hands 'too full' to get a photo of the ~3500 lb plus base of the Quartet going up to 24' box truck bed-height on a weary 3,000 lb Clark electric forklift ... assisted from above by his boom crane. I removed it in a New York Minute at this end - but on a dry day and with a nearly brand-new Doosan 5,000 lb LPG forklift.

Side note - 'Big Adam'.. is.

He handled the adapted K&T all-angle and slotter heads with not much more apparent effort than hefting a cinder block.

Once back home, I cheated. Took a hand-truck up into the vehicle, 'walked' 'em onto it, wheeled 'em to a deck placed over the lift forks.
Those puppies will each rate a small dedicated 4-caster dolly .. and powered winch on or near the Quartet with a spreader rig to clear the ram to make installation/removal at all sane.

Bill

Ive been working the past few weekends in my home shop trying to get it cleaned out and organized in preperation of the move. Today I finally got it ready to start bringing machined inside and set in place. Its been alot of hard work, and i still have even more hard work ahead. Its amazing how much stuff you can collect over a decade+. I had to clean out my wooden storage shed to make room for all of my auto parts, tools, and lawn equipment. But its much more organized and usefull now that I have that done.
I moved my long wooden workbench that I built when I was 18 over to the right side of the shop and pulled it as forward as far as I could. My plan is to have most of the machines in the back half of the shop. The mill and shaper on the right side, blast cabinet in the back right corner, the lathes on the left side towards the rear corner, and the welders and welding table near the center of the shop on the left side.
I took a couple pictures of the progress. My old work table on the left side will be getting moved out and the welding table will go about in the same spot. Hopefully I will have some room on the left side also for my pedistal grinders. We'll just see as I get more machines moved in.

good to see another guy out there that actually loves what they do!

Abom79 your thread is soemthing, I can set her and read this stuff everyday. I just wish I was still in shape to be able to do it myself. ANyway there is a thread in the forsale section I think you would be interested in, no connection with it but it seem you would sure be able to make use of the tools the guy has.

FS Mitutoyo mics 18"-24, and 24"-30" sets


I hope this link works.


BTW keep the post coming, I think I learn everytime I read in your thread.


Jess

Originally Posted by BC21OSH

I don't want to intrude here, but I've been reading this thread along the way and really enjoy the photos and video of the shop. I know how much you all appreciate old iron and thought you might like to see this one. Note it's new on the original factory skids. This would be a kick to see up close and even better to make chips.

Harris Machine Tools - Equipment Details: USED 45" X 288" MONARCH MODEL 2516-35 ENGINE LATHE, SERIES 81 MFD. 1982



Bernard

Wonder if it is out of that John Hollingsworth auction held a couple of years ago.. There were some brand new Monarch's of that size of that vintage in the auction..

Originally Posted by Lucky13

Abom79 your thread is soemthing, I can set her and read this stuff everyday. I just wish I was still in shape to be able to do it myself. ANyway there is a thread in the forsale section I think you would be interested in, no connection with it but it seem you would sure be able to make use of the tools the guy has.

FS Mitutoyo mics 18"-24, and 24"-30" sets




I hope this link works.


BTW keep the post coming, I think I learn everytime I read in your thread.


Jess

Jess, thanks man. My personal work has slowed to nothing more than a crawl since I have began my move, but I will keep the thread alive when I have something intersting to share. BTW, I did the post with the large mics for sale. Although I would love to have them in my tool crib, the largest Ive ever needed(and own) is my 12-18" Mitutoyo. Anything bigger than that was usually something I could measure with my big vernier calipers, like a register or shoulder length. Honestly, I almost hate having to use those big mics because it gets they are soo cumbersome to hold while measuring an inside mic. But, ya have to do it sometimes.


BTW guys, Ive really enjoyed reading other member's thread about some of the machine tool restorations. That is something that I want to get into once I have my "new" shop set up. I own a few things myself that I want to restore. One is a very old automatic parts washer that has served as the cooler stand at my grandads old fish cleaning table for my whole life. Ive always wanted to see that thing work, and I think it will be a cool project to bring back to life.
Anyways, Happy 4'th of July everyone!

Originally Posted by Abom79

Jess, thanks man. My personal work has slowed to nothing more than a crawl since I have began my move, but I will keep the thread alive when I have something intersting to share. BTW, I did the post with the large mics for sale. Although I would love to have them in my tool crib, the largest Ive ever needed(and own) is my 12-18" Mitutoyo. Anything bigger than that was usually something I could measure with my big vernier calipers, like a register or shoulder length. Honestly, I almost hate having to use those big mics because it gets they are soo cumbersome to hold while measuring an inside mic. But, ya have to do it sometimes.

Anything wider than the set of your own shoulders wants a second person - and one who is savvy - to help, for best results.

BTW guys, Ive really enjoyed reading other member's thread about some of the machine tool restorations. That is something that I want to get into once I have my "new" shop set up. I own a few things myself that I want to restore. One is a very old automatic parts washer that has served as the cooler stand at my grandads old fish cleaning table for my whole life. Ive always wanted to see that thing work, and I think it will be a cool project to bring back to life.
Anyways, Happy 4'th of July everyone!

Lookin' forward to seeing three generations of 'in house' Booth-family experience applied to your new shop to make it better in all respects to the old one. I will, or course, be watching for good ideas to steal for my own space - and surely won't be alone in that!

Bill

Anything wider than the set of your own shoulders wants a second person - and one who is savvy - to help, for best results.

And who am I going to rely on? My co-workers?? You know if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. My fellow hydraulic mechanic has unwantedly become like the unliked redheaded stepchild of the bunch at work, but he brings the pain on himself with all the dumb stupidity.

Lookin' forward to seeing three generations of 'in house' Booth-family experience applied to your new shop to make it better in all respects to the old one. I will, or course, be watching for good ideas to steal for my own space - and surely won't be alone in that!

Bill, its going to be a challenge making my new shop any better than what we once had. Everything from the shop space to the machines are smaller in size now. Im sure going to miss the big Monach, but I will will use what I have left for me. Everything I said I was keeping and bringing to my shop is my inheritance from my dad, with the exceptence of the shaper and Bickford drill press, and I will enjoy and charish every bit of it. I plan on continuing my machine work from some of my die hard customers, but I also want to focus on my own interests. I hope to enoy plenty of time doing refurbishing and restoration projects, using my knowledge in the shop to drive me ambition.
My dad and grandad didnt have the same interests in the machines as I do. They used them to make a living, and be able to go fishing. Not that there was anything wrong with that, But I guess it just shows where what I picked up from my family has driven me to love even more the history of what I do. I love tools, and metal working machines, and Im proud and gratefull for the oportunity that was given to me. I cant think of another trade I would rather be in.

Originally Posted by Abom79

And who am I going to rely on? My co-workers?? You know if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. My fellow hydraulic mechanic has unwantedly become like the unliked redheaded stepchild of the bunch at work, but he brings the pain on himself with all the dumb stupidity.

LOL! Yeah ... well.... some folk CAN find a way to damage a cast-steel wrecking-ball .... with a rubber-hammer...

Bill, its going to be a challenge making my new shop any better than what we once had. Everything from the shop space to the machines are smaller in size now. Im sure going to miss the big Monach, but I will will use what I have left for me. Everything I said I was keeping and bringing to my shop is my inheritance from my dad, with the exceptence of the shaper and Bickford drill press, and I will enjoy and charish every bit of it. I plan on continuing my machine work from some of my die hard customers, but I also want to focus on my own interests. I hope to enoy plenty of time doing refurbishing and restoration projects, using my knowledge in the shop to drive me ambition.
My dad and grandad didnt have the same interests in the machines as I do. They used them to make a living, and be able to go fishing. Not that there was anything wrong with that, But I guess it just shows where what I picked up from my family has driven me to love even more the history of what I do. I love tools, and metal working machines, and Im proud and gratefull for the oportunity that was given to me. I cant think of another trade I would rather be in.

Well - teaching exotic demolitions techniques, land-mine warfare, clever 'anti-tamper' devices and such was about the most fun I recall having with my clothes on, but yeah... Uncle Sugar was paying for the materials as well as the time, so..

On the shop .. I look to careful planning of power and controls, task lighting, tool and fixture 'handiness', and taking fair advantage of the wide scope of available plastics and elastomeric materials to craft swarf-collection and protection covers, shields, and guards.

Mebbe even a stout wall-mounted central vac system with snorkel hoses, and shop-air 'booster' at the nozzle to get heavier metallic waste started up the chute. That's akin to the method used to vacuum up artifacts from ancient shipwrecks, and quite the reverse of using shop-air to blast swarf INTO and UNDER everything.

In any shop, clean-up is always the PITA that gets left further and further behind under time-pressure. Much nicer place to work in when and where it can be better coralled at time of creation. Mine is attached directly to the residence, so I had BEST find ways to the keep sharp stuff out of the kitchen and the boudoir if I don't want to find the Lady Wife selling 'em off to be made into Woks and such.

Adding; She never understood the 6"x18" @las, so the 10EE is going to be a bit strange to her. Can't even imagine what she'll think of the Quartet mill. The 12" Sheldon Shaper, OTOH, by the nature of its very movement, probably already has a rude name waiting for it in Cantonese - arguably the most Earthy and 'colourful' of China's many dialects!

Bill

Originally Posted by Abom79

. . . I own a few things myself that I want to restore. One is a very old automatic parts washer that has served as the cooler stand at my grandads old fish cleaning table for my whole life.

Adam:

How about snapping a pic of the parts washer aka "Cooler Stan(d)"

Happy 4th !

Jon

Originally Posted by psient

Adam:

How about snapping a pic of the parts washer aka "Cooler Stan(d)"

Happy 4th !

Jon

I was there today loading up more stuff and forgot to take a pic. I will this weekend though.

Originally Posted by Abom79

I was there today loading up more stuff and forgot to take a pic. I will this weekend though.

I have a suspicion.

Never met your G'Dad, but I can't see you or your Dad NOT using a useful device that saved time, improved results, or made a job easier to do well.

My 'suspicion' is that parts washer became a cooler-stand not because a pump or sumthin' broke --- but 'coz it didn't work worth squat even when new....

;-)

Not to say you couldn't improve on that with a bit of shade-tree engineerin', though...

Bill

I believe it was one of those deals where it quit working for some reason, and instead of it getting fixed, it got pulled over nextt to the fish cleaning table to set a cooler on and thats where it stayed. I know that it works by hooking an air line to it and a pheumatic cylinder operates a basket up and down in the fluid. For me its not soo much needing it, Its just old and cool, and I want to restore it.

I managed to build a heavy duty skid today for the Monarch, and got it set down on it. Its just about time to move it to the new shop!

Originally Posted by Abom79

I managed to build a heavy duty skid today for the Monarch, and got it set down on it. Its just about time to move it to the new shop!

Looks familair.. guess I was a bad influence, building those two for the Quartet....

;-)

A 'caveat' ... stout as it may look, the one my much shorter 10EE arrived on was stouter yet. Neither is actually very stiff, so the only thing it really gains is better suitability to getting forks under. The Quartet mill, with a short, and very nearly 'square' footprint, was a different animal altogether.

OTOH, it is going just from Johhnie's old shop to your new one, right? Almost could have laid sheet steel and rolled it the whole way.. or put two 6"x8" skids under it and just dragged it behind your monster Dodge/Cummins duallie..

;-)

Bill