Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop
- Thread starter oldironfarmer
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Andy
Due to the sub-zero temperatures and wind chill of -40 F or more, my heating gas bill this month is going to be through the roof! What is the first possible date I can switch my provider to Andy's Gas Co (AGC) for cheap gas? I know there is also the little detail of laying pipes from OK to MI but I believe the manufacturing and laying of the pipes will be done in house by AGC, so that should not be a big issue
Thank you so much!! You are my first out of state customer.
Please rest assured that my business partners and I will do our best to have your service up and running by the end of February. The only delay now is financing for the purchase of pipe. I have an old dear friend who has graciously agreed to finance the pipe and installation for just a 10% interest in the enterprise. The only holdup now is getting part of his inheritance transferred from Nigeria but I'm sure that will be very quick as he knows all the tricks and I'm helping him set that up. If fact it will be showing up in my personal account any day now.
You cannot argue with impeccable logic. My problem is what to do with the extra $180.
Andy-you are a great master!
You are too kind! You are the master craftsman!
Farmall450
Well-known member
Are you opening a bottling facility now, by chance?
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Andy: If we had more time we'd have stopped at this gal's studio where she also has a huge bronze foundry so I could maybe give you a few pointers/tips. that said here's her website in case she might have a few tips to lend you in your quest to melt other metals.
if you ever get tired of making tools some of her artwork looks pretty amazing and I love eagles and having a 55 foot one carved out of bronze would have been pretty cool to see.
http://heathersoderberg.com/
in case you might want to check out a few waves on the Oregon coast in the near future here's a few we just saw and my bride an i walked a few. see the face in the rock in the one picture? I guess that's why they call that area Face Rock?
cheers and hope the free gas doesn't change your plans too much cause you seem to be at a good pace at the moment.
if you ever get tired of making tools some of her artwork looks pretty amazing and I love eagles and having a 55 foot one carved out of bronze would have been pretty cool to see.
http://heathersoderberg.com/
in case you might want to check out a few waves on the Oregon coast in the near future here's a few we just saw and my bride an i walked a few. see the face in the rock in the one picture? I guess that's why they call that area Face Rock?
cheers and hope the free gas doesn't change your plans too much cause you seem to be at a good pace at the moment.
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sawduststeve
Well-known member
Howdy* Andy
Your work in all things is just fantastic but can I request that you stop talking about brass’s ******* , It makes I larf. TIA.
Santa brought me a lovely cap, from Harrods no less, it’s made Chip feel right at home.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=857221&stc=1&d=1548616601
* my first and only time to use this greeting, unless we meet in person.
Steve
edit, photo disappeared I'll add it again.
Your work in all things is just fantastic
but can I request that you stop talking about brass’s ******* , It makes I larf. TIA. Santa brought me a lovely cap, from Harrods no less, it’s made Chip feel right at home.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=857221&stc=1&d=1548616601
* my first and only time to use this greeting, unless we meet in person.
Steve
edit, photo disappeared I'll add it again.
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sawduststeve
Well-known member
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gman007
Well-known member
AndyOMG, it is such a small world we live in! Your friend and I are second cousins! I did not know that I had relatives in Africa until recently! Then my long lost Nigerian cousin managed to track me down and emailed me seeking help to release our Rich uncle who has been falsely imprisoned.
Apparently our uncle’s funds are frozen so I need to help him with bail money but the moment he is out of prison he will reward me handsomely. So I will have the means to join your partnership if that is acceptable to you (my cousin has already agreed to it).
One puzzling thing about this whole affair is that my mom swears that we have no African ancestry on either sides of the family (hers and my dad’s) but I believe she is wrong!!! Now that I have found one single rich person in the entire family, she wants to ruin it for me! But I thought she loves me, so why is she denying the facts and berating my good cousin as well?
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Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Gman, please ask your cousin to call me back. I sent the money two years ago and haven't heard from him since.
sawduststeve
Well-known member
No no no he was my cousin first.
Hands off my money you lot.
Gggrrrrr.
Hands off my money you lot.
Gggrrrrr.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Amazing artist! You should have stopped. They have a nice simplified (but not too much) description of lost wax casting. I haven't done that yet as it is mainly used for jewelry and sculptures and the ceramic slurry is somewhat perishable and needs to be maintained. Not good for occasional use.
I couldn't see the face but he sure has a big nose...
Howdy* Andy
Your work in all things is just fantastic
Santa brought me a lovely cap, from Harrods no less, it’s made Chip feel right at home.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=857221&stc=1&d=1548616601
* my first and only time to use this greeting, unless we meet in person.
Steve
edit, photo disappeared I'll add it again.
Howdy Steve!! How's it going down in your parts?
Nice! And I see your skull is already marked for the surgeon.
Andy
OMG, it is such a small world we live in! Your friend and I are second cousins! I did not know that I had relatives in Africa until recently! Then my long lost Nigerian cousin managed to track me down and emailed me seeking help to release our Rich uncle who has been falsely imprisoned.
Apparently our uncle’s funds are frozen so I need to help him with bail money but the moment he is out of prison he will reward me handsomely. So I will have the means to join your partnership if that is acceptable to you (my cousin has already agreed to it).
One puzzling thing about this whole affair is that my mom swears that we have no African ancestry on either sides of the family (hers and my dad’s) but I believe she is wrong!!! Now that I have found one single rich person in the entire family, she wants to ruin it for me! But I thought she loves me, so why is she denying the facts and berating my good cousin as well?
That is an amazing thing, all I can say is small world indeed. Have you had a DNA test? mine and my son's both came back 4% Nigerian. I'm proud and will do anything to help my relatives.
He probably got a new cell phone and lost your number, Bob. Don't be frantic. In fact my advice is to pay it forward, send him some more money, show him your true character. Then he is sure to contact you.
No no no he was my cousin first.
Hands off my money you lot.
Gggrrrrr.
Settle down everything's OK. I seriously doubt he was your cousin first, beings as you are just a youngster and this genetic thing kind of goes by age. I suspect Bob is our senior member here (he's so old) so he was related first. But no matter, I have been assured there is plenty of inheritance to go around. A princely sum, as it were. We just need to prime the pump to get the money to start flowing. I can hardly wait.
gman007
Well-known member
Bob
I contacted my cousin regarding your concern. Here is his response which I have verbatim cut and pasted from his email. I want to make it clear that I am neither responsible for its content nor the grammar and spelling:
“Dairy cosine schmock
Tell to the uncle **** reward send back 1.5 years go by wireless to bassinets partner name Handy, last name Andy who livin state of Oclahama, cuntry amarika! Uncle **** showed claim manay from Handy!
But I herd Handy develop serious matal substanse adict. It start adict light substanse, I think Alamanum but herd now more havy substanse matal bar-***. Sad, All reward manay now probably melted for adict
Ps
I also contact your older barader for help uncle Hassan but man your barader crazy in the head. He reply “I am glad that uncle Hassan is in jail, I always hated that side of the family! May the sob rot in jail”. Now only hop is you, plese help soon
Your loveliest dairyest cosine
Ali”
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OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Glad to know things are being handled honestly and uprightly. We should be building a pipeline any day now.
Ali has graciously allowed me to act as his special "Confidential Rookie Overseas Organizational Kingpin" to coordinate all distribution of the seemingly unlimited wealth. Forward your information and I'll make sure you get what's coming to you.
I actually have a shop update when I find time...
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Almost have Bobby's burner done. 0.049" wall thickness, it seemed maybe it could be threaded for no. 6 screw. But you can't waste a thread. I like to start a tap using a pointed tool in the dimple in the back guided by a drill press. My small taps have a pointed end and don't stick through a tapping handle so I made a tapered pin with a small hole in the end to contact the point on the tap. It worked well.
I've been wanting to make some small aluminum wheels, and when my grandson came over to work on an engineering project (he was supposed to take a simple machine apart, figure out how it works, and reassemble. We did a 3/4" drive ratchet) we made foam patterns for four wheels. We also disassembled a Lincoln cracker box welder to see why it wouldn't work.
The fan was stiff and just needed oiling from sitting many years.
Said foam patterns.
Then he made a sand mold for another burner manifold and a hammer head for him.
That was on Saturday. He had so much fun on Saturday he brought his roommate back Sunday to see the wheels cast.
Amazing how easy lost foam casting is. And no shrinkage that I can see.
I've been wanting to make some small aluminum wheels, and when my grandson came over to work on an engineering project (he was supposed to take a simple machine apart, figure out how it works, and reassemble. We did a 3/4" drive ratchet) we made foam patterns for four wheels. We also disassembled a Lincoln cracker box welder to see why it wouldn't work.
The fan was stiff and just needed oiling from sitting many years.
Said foam patterns.
Then he made a sand mold for another burner manifold and a hammer head for him.
That was on Saturday. He had so much fun on Saturday he brought his roommate back Sunday to see the wheels cast.
Amazing how easy lost foam casting is. And no shrinkage that I can see.
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OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
You are showing your age. WYSIWYG was a great thing in my life. To actually see what was going to print, and being able to adjust it was wonderful. My wife and I still joke about print, printer, print. From Excel 3.0 you had to select Print. Then select print to file or the printer, so print, then you had to actually tell it to print. .pdf is still just a bad, don't know why it can't just have a quick print command. Maybe there is and I don't know it.
Thanks, glad you enjoy the posts. I've been having trouble getting any shop time.
I did get the wheels turned.
First one I chucked up to face and bore.
It was a real job to get it lined up as the foam being cut with a wire and glued was not really straight. Then I turned it on a mandrel so the axle would be concentric with the wheel.
Tried something else on the rest, I cut short pieces of 7/16 key stock and used them to register on the cylinder. Much better.
They came out so
Good to be back in the shop.
Thanks for stopping by!
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gman007
Well-known member
Andy
It looks like you had quality time with your grandson and in the process he also acquired great hands on experience by taking apart and fixing the welder as well as casting various items.
He is a lucky kid to have a capable grandfather like you who can guide and teach him. By the same token you are lucky to have a smart, willing to learn and industrious grandson!
The Aluminum wheels turned out great and of highest caliber but then again one wouldn’t expect anything less from master Andy.
It looks like you had quality time with your grandson and in the process he also acquired great hands on experience by taking apart and fixing the welder as well as casting various items.
He is a lucky kid to have a capable grandfather like you who can guide and teach him. By the same token you are lucky to have a smart, willing to learn and industrious grandson!
The Aluminum wheels turned out great and of highest caliber but then again one wouldn’t expect anything less from master Andy.
Grizz1963
Well-known member
“They came out so”
Kind of an Andy Martin understatement.
Love all the pieces and thought that goes into it Andy.
Thanks for the update.
Kind of an Andy Martin understatement.
Love all the pieces and thought that goes into it Andy.
Thanks for the update.
jbmatth
Well-known member
Other than to experiment, what is the expected use for the aluminum wheels? Always cool to see what you have been up to even if I don't comment very often.
JB
JB
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
He is a big kid, 6'-5" or so, and heavy. He would have been a good football player but he is too kind to ever shove or hit anyone. I like those traits best.
He is not very mechanically inclined, or even interested in much except sports. His dream was always to work in the front office of a professional sports team, preferably basketball.
His dad and I are both engineers, and about the time he graduated high school he decided engineering might be good since he likes mathematics. He enrolled in industrial engineering and loves college. He is maturing nicely. His room mate is an architecture student and very serious about school, they are both doing well.
I was tickled beyond belief that he wanted to come to the shop to do his project (small as it was). Engineering education is more computer simulation and theory than it was in the 60's when I was in mechanical engineering. So I doubt he'll have many assignments we can do in the shop but he knows he is welcome to come and do anything he would like. His school is only a 45 minutes away so I'm looking forward to more visits. Says he has a classmate who loves old tractors and wants to bring him out.
Thank you, I believe we are both very lucky. His older brother is the mechanic in the family but he is too busy except when he needs something (usually to sell to his gullible grandpa).
The Aluminum wheels turned out great and of highest caliber but then again one wouldn’t expect anything less from master Andy.
Thank you! But I keep telling you guys this is easy stuff. Just try it.
You know I learned that phrase from Vladimir. Very elegant of him so I thought I'd climb on board. You know, the guy who keeps our moon days.
Kind words!
I don't really have a use, but since they're 1-1/4" wide I thought I'd send them to Bobby with his burner but don't let on, it's a surprise. I really want to make wheels with no flanges and a crown to make a 2" belt knife grinder. I'm thinking a hexagonal crown (shallow of course) may work fine to make a belt track. Otherwise I need to make a ball turner for 12" or so radius.
Thanks for stopping by, guys!
Guster
Well-known member
Andy is having some wheelie good fun as always! 
shortykorte
Well-known member
So access to a budding industrial engineer and an architect. Maybe they can use your shop as a project to design and automate the AWM industrial complex.
Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Andy: nice work with your grandson and he sounds like he'll have a good life if he can stay on the path he's chosen with the people skills he seems to have too. also not too bad that his Gramps knows about all there is to know in the field he's studying.
So let me think a bit here. young engineer, young architect, old guy with free gas and a lot of land and some extra cash to build something that sounds like something cool in the future to join the Caboose as a tourist attraction don't it?
hope you enjoyed your day!!
So let me think a bit here. young engineer, young architect, old guy with free gas and a lot of land and some extra cash to build something that sounds like something cool in the future to join the Caboose as a tourist attraction don't it?
hope you enjoyed your day!!
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Andy is having some wheelie good fun as always!
Lost foam is fast and easy.
What I have seen but not yet done is casting fixtures to hold odd shaped pieces in a machine tool. Instead of using shims to hold the wheels in the lathe I should have cast a couple of 170 degree half rings for shims. Easy to make then when you're done with the tooling it can go back in the crucible. Call them custom cast vise inserts. Aluminium is good for chucking up steel too.
Why not? I'm available that day...
He will stay on the path. He is solidly determined. I'm far from knowledgeable of his field of industrial engineering. but I will still surprise him some.
I would enjoy building anything they want to tackle. But no tourists, please. They want excitement and my stuff is far from that.
I had a great day, thank you!
Finally Bobby's burner is finished and in the mail. The last step was to make a sliding air damper to partially cover the air inlet holes. But it needs to be a firm slip fit so it will stay in place in a vertical orientation. I decided to split a piece of the tubing used for the burner tube and resize it. Tube is 1" OD so I found a piece of 1" sucker rod and turned a taper on the end to facilitate getting the sleeve over it.
Here's the mandrel, sleeve, and burner, all the same size.
Sleeve pressed on the mandrel, then tapped with a plastic hammer all over relaxed the sleeve and gave a good fit.
It wound up with a firm friction fit, we'll let Bobby judge. Added a handle made of welding wire. Just how easy is it to weld welding wire to tubing?
Managed to get it boxed up and in the mail.
Then started on a pan for the foundry. The muller dumps into the heap storage, which is good. But when I bust open a flask it is convenient to do it into the same storage. I need a sheet metal pan to set over the good sand to accumulate the burned and caked sand then shovel from there to the muller.
Started with a sheet, notched, and double broke each side.
Finished braking the box and will weld it tomorrow. God willing.
Thanks for stopping by!!
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Farmall450
Well-known member
Wow, 3 engineers in a row!
My brother and I are the first generation.
My brother and I are the first generation.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
I was first generation. Had no idea what an engineer was. My dad worked with them but didn't advertise it. I was trying to pick a major when I saw Mechanical Engineer. Big cop out. I thought "gears and pulleys, that's easy stuff". I had never heard of thermodynamics.
But it worked out. I managed to graduate. My son asked my advice on college and I suggested Electrical Engineering. I wasn't sure he was smart enough, but he was. He has done very well, was a Cisco Systems engineer and has all their certifications. Didn't know Ricky was going down the same sad trail. I told him to tell people he is a third generation engineer so they'll go easy on him. Obviously no people skills.Back to casting!! I get tired in the shop, I'm thinking about putting in a casting couch...
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
I just noticed your signature line. Did you find the handle you were looking for?
don long
Well-known member
There are a lot of very interesting stories on how an occupation was chosen.
jblnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Oh boy, best to be ready to delete your search history if you start scouring the internets for a casting couch
Also, best to have a bottle of penicillin ready as well, your PC may catch a virus
bolensboneyard
Well-known member
Andy looking good as usual. I was told to major in engineering also based on my A grades in mechanical drawing. The guidance councilor obviously did not know what he was doing as Algebra 1 was all the math I had taken in the college courses. I don't have to tell you the kind of wall I hit when I got to physics and was told to measure the number of vibrations of sound were made by a tuning fork, at a specific frequency, in a beaker of water ,containing a listed number of cc's. Even now, I have trouble explaining the original question. It was the first exam. The lesson was like listening to someone speak Mandarin Chinese.
shortykorte
Well-known member
Andy, you often you the term sucker rod. Is that a sacrificial piece used to make something else?
Question about foundries. Besides the size of the crucible you’re using is there any benefit to a smaller or larger crucible to foundry ratio? I’m trying to decide on a Freon cylinder, LP tank or standard beer keg.
Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
Question about foundries. Besides the size of the crucible you’re using is there any benefit to a smaller or larger crucible to foundry ratio? I’m trying to decide on a Freon cylinder, LP tank or standard beer keg.
Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
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OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Very true. Usually it seems there was not as much planning as would be presumed for a major decision like a career. It seems most are quite accidental.
Oh boy, best to be ready to delete your search history if you start scouring the internets for a casting couch
Also, best to have a bottle of penicillin ready as well, your PC may catch a virus
I figured I'd start on tourist fishing industry sites. Surely they have couches for people to sit on while casting.
I've been in those Chinese classes.
Sucker rod is the well shaft which goes from the pump jack on top to the bottom hole pump in an oil well with a mechanical pump. It "*****" the oil up even though most pumps discharge oil on the down stroke.
In oilfield country it is plentiful and cheap. What I have a lot of is new mill reject rod which has never been in a hole and suffered chloride attack from the brine that usually accompanies crude oil. But my big stack of 5/8" is used and nasty.
I hope you are considering building a foundry!
I know some guys who could help you...
In my opinion, you should select the crucible first so the furnace is big enough. You select a crucible by knowing how much molten metal you want to pour at one time. That is not very practical for a first foundry unless you know you want to cast 150# boat anchors.
For general messing around you should look at an A6 or A10 crucible. Then decide on your burner. I'll build you a burner if you tell me what you want to burn. Then design the furnace based on fitting the burner to the furnace with room for a crucible, two inches on every side (including a 2" plinth under the crucible) is a good starting point.
If you have the room for a 55 gallon drum I am very happy with my all brick furnace. It is cheap, fast to build, and components can be replaced. A cut down 30 gallon drum works as well. Mizzou refractory is readily available if you want to mix, cast, and dry out instead of cut and stack bricks.
We need to know more, and need pictures.
madison069
Well-known member
Born and raised in West Texas, I always thought everyone knew what was a sucker rod. Coming to PA I've learned that not everyone knows the term and so I have to ask for long rod with diameter size. Even though Pennsylvania is the oldest field of oil fields in the US, not a lot of people is aware that they are sitting in this kind of history in the area.
Oh and first generation Engineer here, my Dad told me I wasn't allowed to work on the rig floors when I grew up. So I picked Engineering since I like figuring out how things work and there was a lot of engineering jobs in the oilfiled. Somebody forgot to tell me that there was going to be a lot of data collecting and processing in this field.
Oh and first generation Engineer here, my Dad told me I wasn't allowed to work on the rig floors when I grew up. So I picked Engineering since I like figuring out how things work and there was a lot of engineering jobs in the oilfiled. Somebody forgot to tell me that there was going to be a lot of data collecting and processing in this field.
Farmall450
Well-known member
I was first generation. Had no idea what an engineer was. My dad worked with them but didn't advertise it. I was trying to pick a major when I saw Mechanical Engineer. Big cop out. I thought "gears and pulleys, that's easy stuff". I had never heard of thermodynamics.
Back to casting!! I get tired in the shop, I'm thinking about putting in a casting couch...
That seems to be the ticket...struggle til you graduate, and you're golden.
Farmall450
Well-known member
No, I have not!
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Andy, you nailed that one! After my accident, the first job they offered me was Technical Writer. After answering my question: "What's a Technical Writer?" I are one.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Born and raised in West Texas, I always thought everyone knew what was a sucker rod. Coming to PA I've learned that not everyone knows the term and so I have to ask for long rod with diameter size. Even though Pennsylvania is the oldest field of oil fields in the US, not a lot of people is aware that they are sitting in this kind of history in the area.
Oh and first generation Engineer here, my Dad told me I wasn't allowed to work on the rig floors when I grew up. So I picked Engineering since I like figuring out how things work and there was a lot of engineering jobs in the oilfiled. Somebody forgot to tell me that there was going to be a lot of data collecting and processing in this field.
If your dad had let you start out on rigs you would have been buying hot cars right out of high school and would have always been oil field trash. (I hope nobody takes that as a negative term, it's just what we're called, and, yes, we live in trailers too.)
If you knew what you had to do after you got out of school you would have run away and hired on as a roughneck, or settled in a comfortable life as a roustabout.
That seems to be the ticket...struggle til you graduate, and you're golden.
I sent you a PM. Why do we call messaging pre-menstrual?
I found it hard to be a smart *** when having to write serious technical prose. How did you do it?
For those who don't know, a finger brake, or box brake, has removable fingers so after you form two sides of a box you can form the other sides by removing fingers for clearance. Here's the pan coming out of of the brake.
The fingers are a Fibonacci series so you can get a good selection of width with the minimum number of pieces. As you can see, you can also space them a bit to get close to the corners.
Here's where it goes.
This should avoid dropping spent sand onto the fresh sand.
Thanks for stopping by!
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slimpickins
Well-known member
Andy,
Just stopping by to say Hello and wow about all the projects you manage to work on. It's an inspiration just seeing all you accomplish.
I tend to go in spurts when I get some free time from the office. That's after I manage to catch up on a few zz's.
Cheers!
Just stopping by to say Hello and wow about all the projects you manage to work on. It's an inspiration just seeing all you accomplish.
I tend to go in spurts when I get some free time from the office. That's after I manage to catch up on a few zz's.
Cheers!
wasfast
Well-known member
You just have to love a thread that contains "lives in a trailer" and Fibonacci series in the same post!
Any shop progress apart from casting?
Any shop progress apart from casting?