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We’re building a new custom home, and the roofing was just placed. It appears there’s a different lot of roofing that was mixed in. Two different shades of the Owens Corning Duration Onyx Black. Luckily it’s mainly on the garage gable. It’s on the side of the house that you see driving down...

I installed lights in the stairway of my shop that leads to the attic area. I already had a 14-3 wire running between the upper switch and lower switch. (All the wiring is hidden behind wall sheathing and insulation already). I have a 14-2 circuit feeding the upper 3-way switch, with the hot...

Needed to get my metal off the ground of the shop, so I built this storage rack. Unfortunately I didn’t take as many pictures as I should have during the building process. Measures a little over 10’ tall. I used 3x7.5# I-beams for both the uprights and the arms. 2” square tubing lagged to...

I'm getting ready to purchase a Hougen HMD904 magnetic drill (hoping they're part of Black Friday sales). Is the swivel base a must have or really that important? Appears it doesn't have as much clamping force as the non-swivel model.

Westinghouse (or Darex) drill bit sharpener? Anybody know anything about Westinghouse drill bit sharpeners? I googled and can’t find anything, so I’m assuming it’s fairly old. These are the pictures in his ad. Wants $400.

Finally got around to building a welding table. I’m slowly outfitting my shop with metal working tools, and figured it’d be good welding practice to make a few tables. Learned how to weld many years ago on the farm when I was a kid, but haven’t had a shop or welder until now. If it looks...

I have some 1” plate (Grade 50) that I’m trying to tap with a 5/8”-11NC tap. I’m doing them by hand, using a quality Greenfield tap, with tapping fluid. Going in a little bit, reversing to break up cuttings, forward, repeat. Snapped the tap off about half way in. What’s the trick to tapping...

Please use (and know the correct placement of) quality jackstands under any vehicle you decide to work under. Don't be afraid to keep the jack under for additional security, and I would even go so far as to place additional wood cribbing for redundancy. Set the parking brake, and block the...

What causes an oxygen regulator on an oxy/acetylene set to make a popping noise, and the pressure fluctuates with the popping. It’s a Radnor G350-150-540 regulator.

I’m not the best at remembering to take progress pics, but here’s the finished product. I needed a way to organize and store my fishing rods in my shop, so I built this. Each rack rotates, making it easier to access the rods in the back. 2” angle iron (1/4”) lagged into the sill plate, 1-3/4”...

Any idea what this Johnson gas forge would be worth? Are they a good forge? It’s run with natural gas, but I assume I could switch it over to run off of propane?

I’ve finished building my shop, outfitted it with metal working tools, and have gotten back into some welding and fabricating. I purchased a new Lincoln 3350 auto dimming helmet to use with my Miller 252 welder. I have the shade set at 13 (highest it’ll dim, sensitivity right in middle of high...

Time has come to replace the original blade on my Ellis 1800 bandsaw. Trying to find the exact Ellis replacement blade locally has been in vain. Local shops carry Sandvick, Lennox, and some other name I’m forgetting. I don’t have a lot of experience with, or know that much about the different...

I’ve been looking for a used Ellis drill press for awhile to replace my variable speed Powermatic that spins faster than I like for drilling steel. Wasn’t too keen on dropping almost $3800 (with chuck) on a new one though. I just bought a large plate of 1” steel from a guy on Craigslist, and...

Looking at installing a rotary phase converter in my shop so I can power the three phase ironworker I just purchased. This opens up my options for future equipment purchases as well. I received a recommendation from a member on here about a Phase Craft rotary converter, but found that the...

I like quality tools but have only had cheap Stanley or equivalent hex wrenches in the past. I finally became fed up with the ends twisting and rounding off on stuck fasteners and did some research on them. PB Swiss seemed to consistently have good reviews and quite a following, so I purchased...

I have an opportunity to pick up a Scotchman FI-51 ironworker at a decent price. Only issue is it's 230 volt 3-phase, with a 5 hp motor. I only have single phase power in my shop, and am not very knowledgeable about rotary phase converters, VFD, etc. Was thinking about just purchasing a...

Head of a bit broke off inside my Makita impact driver, and for the life of me, I can’t get it out. Tried everything I can think of with no luck. Figure it must be bound up pretty good. Too deep in to weld to it. Anybody have a solution you’ve found to work other than sending it in to Makita?

I purchased some 1” thick rough cut fir from a small local mill, stickered it, and let it dry for the last several months. I’m using it interior to case and trim my shop windows. I sanded it with 240 grit and an orbital sander to remove the loose fibers but still retain the rough cut look. I...

Came across a near new (purchased new March 2019) Ellis 1800 bandsaw. They closed down their shop, and then left the bandsaw sitting outside for about 2 weeks without being covered, so any exposed metal was rusted. I got it for a steal. Figured I’d need to replace bearings and apply some elbow...