My Aussie workshop.

joeblow · Jul 31, 2009

Well, its been about 10 years in the making, but as of last year i finally have a 'shed' (in Australia we call them sheds, as calling them workshops would mean some 'work' actually gets done!).

I'm into the 4x4 seen, so some decent space was required for the toys and buildups.

The hole being dug for the shed. We live in Healseville Vic, so finding flat ground is very difficult!

Most of the shed up. Lovely view from the front doors.........

Ahhhh......concrete.............

The ol East German 'Union Werk' lathe....too big to bring to my place from my old workshop....so it was donated to a friend.

In its place came an old Colchester Master, seen here with the small Mill/Drill.

We then had the fires of Black Saturday threaten our town. While the towns to the east and west of us were wiped from the map, we were saved by a cool change and the fact that we could see it comming. Footage was taken from the roof of my house.

joeblow · Jul 31, 2009

Anyway........a plasma was added soon.......

A trolley was made............

The Colchester after a quick refurbish............

..Soon enough. I was made an offer on a KRV3000 i could not refuse.....so it followed me home...

After a quick clean.

And some of the goodies built in the shed.........

LexD · Aug 1, 2009

Nice shed Joe.

Ox · Aug 1, 2009

Kinda close to the house eh? But NICE none the less!

Yours is by far the tightest shed I have seen posted from down there to date. But none have looked as tho insulation was of eny concern at all?

All alum it looks like? Doesn't look to have much snow load rating?

Is there eny part of that continent that is cool - at least some part of the yr?

We just finished our coldest July on record in MANY areas all acrost our midwest to east of the Great Lakes. Next coldest was 1992. (Not pre-industrial age.) And last winter things stayed frozen for three full months. This dang Global Warming has got to stop! :rolleyes5:

Is lifting the mill clear up there like that best for dramatic footage or what?

Your pics look like a fairly inhabital area. I like GREEN! (Maybe it's the John Deere hat getting to me?) But then you have that fire? Must simply be b/c you have the thickest brush compared to the drier climate parts?

------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

pistonskirt · Aug 1, 2009

Ox said:
Is lifting the mill clear up there like that best for dramatic footage or what?

Perhaps he is just very long sighted & was looking for the coolant tank drain plug whilst it was off the ground

Nice shed Joe, nice toys too.

regards

Brian

joeblow · Aug 1, 2009

Thanks guys.

The shed is actually galvanised and or coated steel. Some of us might use insulation, but that is mostly to keep the heat out! Some days we might see -1° celcius, but not often. As for the fires due to government inaction, and green groups fuel reduction burns were not carried out like they were many years ago, and becuase of conditions on that day about 200 people died. As 4 wheelers we get to see parts of the bush that have unbelievable amounts of fuel lying around, something the general public have no idea of.

the mill was lifted that way so as not to 'crush' the children next door.

Here is a pic of the 'bar'.....lots of time spent there with the boys. The uprights are two GM EMD locomotive cam shafts.

andyj47 · Aug 4, 2009

Nice

Cool SHED, very cool toys.

joeblow · Aug 27, 2009

andyj47 said:
Cool SHED, very cool toys.

Thanks.

A few more things to show.......................

Finaly made the new base for the band saw so i can run coolant.........

The King Rich all cleaned up......(what a pain!)

The bits ready for an RPC.

And the home made heater waiting to be plumed up..........

also good to see alot more shops being featured.

Ox · Aug 27, 2009

Finaly made the new base for the band saw so i can run coolant.........

Well that's a good start. But to run coolant you should have a drip pan at least 11-1/2' in each direction of the blade.

(Or just short of whatever length Y'all use down yonder?)

--------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Robert Campbell Jr. · Sep 17, 2009

Very nice Joe!

We in SoCal can surely commiserate with the fire problems, very disheartening.

Especially like your large overhang with concrete slab in front. Keep that cutting and welding where it belongs, outside

The plasma "trolley" and band saw base are exceptional. Were the plasma, (I assume) cuts done free hand or....? Very professional.

Great rolling stock. When we lived in Hawaii, I got my wife a tricked out Suzuki Samurai, she hated to leave it. In fact, the day I proposed to her, I was washing up, after putting a new radiator in it.

She has been wandering around your neck of the woods for the last couple of weeks. On a walk-about just now, exploring just into Western Australia. She's visiting with relatives, staying just out of Ballarat in Invermay. Has a niece, her husband and baby just out of Melbourne. Coming home to me on the 29th, yea!

I should have gone with..... maybe next time.

Bob

joeblow · Sep 17, 2009

Hi Bob, and thanks for the kind words.

I can't take credit for cutting the trolley and stand out. I'm a design egineer in the vehicle aftermarket scene and have access to those lovely things called laser cutters and folders

I think you should come out with you're wife on her next trip and come and enjoy the lovely Yarra Valley, and hitch a ride with myself and the boys for some good 4 wheeling, and a nice BBQ. :cheers:

The carport area was going to be so the wife could park her car there.........but as things would have it i have decided to park some of my future projects in that space. I think she will get over it.

Robert Campbell Jr. · Sep 21, 2009

Thank's for the generous invite Joe, sounds great but unlikely, at least for a while.

My wife called me last night from Melbourne, with her niece, husband and baby.

Sending me pictures she took of her brother riding in trials competition, Saturday last. Seniors class nowadays. He lives in Ballarat.

He was visiting years ago and I took him to a Speedway race, where a young guy broke down the heavy wall, right in front of us, ambulance hauled his limp body away, he did survive. I turned to Larry and asked, "so, when you get back home, going to trade in your Trials bike on a Speedway Bike?" he responded with horror, "not bloody likely!"

Bob

joeblow · Sep 24, 2009

i've been doing some more work on the colchester this week. i'm not a big fan of the 'lever' brake, so i desided to hot-rod it for a foot brake system which works much better. i also have the sparkies comming in next week to hook up an emergency stop switch on the lathe.....just in case. over the next six months or so i will be doing some serious conversions to the colchester, but nothing to take away its 'looks'. also, the lovely new stereo system goes in this weekend........well.....ebay new atleast

joeblow · Oct 19, 2009

I'm so......sooo close to having the RPC working. Two capacitors and a wire up and its done!

joeblow · Nov 9, 2009

I'd better hurry. The Colchester replacement turned up today. A 70's Aussie Macson.

Perry Harrington · Nov 10, 2009

That's a nice replacement.

Your plasma trolley and bandsaw base are some of the cleanest work I've seen, VERY nice!

rug6868 · Nov 19, 2009

Nice!

Looks like you aussies know how to do things.Thats one of the nicer behind the house shops I have seen.

RC99 · Nov 19, 2009

It has one of those rare as hens teeth chucks on it as well....

I am not sure that lathe is a 70's model... It would be a V bed not a flat bed if it was, and also probably have a camlock spindle... My 1966 McPherson's catalogue has a picture of the 16" lathe and it shows the V ways..

joeblow · Nov 20, 2009

.RC. said:
It has one of those rare as hens teeth chucks on it as well....

I am not sure that lathe is a 70's model... It would be a V bed not a flat bed if it was, and also probably have a camlock spindle... My 1966 McPherson's catalogue has a picture of the 16" lathe and it shows the V ways..

This one is the 14" swing model. From the info I have been able to gather it seems to have many of the very late model features. Two speed motor with 16 speeds all up and a top speed of 1100 rpm. Info on this model is hard to obtain, and I might be wrong. And yes, it has the rare Taylor chuck that seems in great nick, even complete with reverse jaws.

RC99 · Nov 20, 2009

Ahh OK, the 14" model is shown in the 1955 catalogue, but not the 1966 one.. The only 14" lathe in the 1966 one is the one Hercus made for a short period..

My Aussie workshop.

Aluminum

Aluminum

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Aluminum

Plastic

Aluminum

Diamond

Diamond

Aluminum

Diamond

Aluminum

Aluminum

Aluminum

Titanium

Plastic

Diamond

Aluminum

Diamond

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