The Brazen Brazilian Adventure(garage)

Long time reader, finally got myself a shop space after going 5 years without.

Before anything else I would like to just take a second to say Thank You to all the posters here who have inspired me over the years, I have been following this site off and on for more than 10 years and it has changed the trajectory of my life and what I think I am capable of. You guys are awesome!!!

I’m a Canadian who is currently living in Brazil, I’ve been buying and selling cars as well as doing other mechanical projects down here for the last few years, but now I finally have a workshop- and what a shop it is!! Much bigger than my old two car that I used to have in Canada.

This thread will document the adventures and struggles of finding and fixing vehicles/machine tools/antiques or whatever I stumble across down here. I am not a master fabricator by any means, but I hope to show some gradual improvement over time.

Quick Backstory:
I initially started out looking for a workshop space when I lived in Sao Paulo- however the problem was that it was either in a safe part of town but too expensive OR affordable but too far away/in an area that was too rough. Last year we moved to a smaller city, and now Ive got a great place in a safe and cheap area.

If you are interested in knowing more about what kind of shop space you can get for your dollar in a country like Brazil, I made a video about it.

The steel building that I am renting was formerly a woodworking shop, here’s how it looked when I initially went to check it out


After it was emptied out, I did a lot of pressure washing..



And now its clean and ready to start moving stuff in-



Unfortunately there isn’t really a good way to get vehicles in here- First job is solving this issue!!

The First project that needed to be tackled was opening up the brick wall for a big access door, I found a sliding door used online and managed to get it home safely



I had to move a roof support and do bunch of other fabrication-I hired a proper welder to do any of the structural work and handled the rest myself. My favourite part was taking down the wall- I enjoy a bit of manual labor now and then.


The door runs on a metal track(angle iron) that is bolted to the floor, it has a couple guide wheels above that keep it in place.

Here’s how it looked in the end, I made a little box for the pad lock for some added security- actually the whole shop could use a bit more security but we will address that as we go.


If steel door installation is your kind of thing I did a video about this as well.

Next up lets talk tools
Thanks for reading!

Subscribed. Nice start to your building. Good luck on the rest!

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

Looks like an awesome project!

Alright, two posts in and I'm already side-tracked, here is the deal:
I have been fixing this 12V power wheels toy car for my buddy's kid


The charger wasn't working on it, and once I replaced that, I found that the two 6volt lead acid batteries are both shot.


I'm going to add some distilled water to the batteries and give them a good charge and they should be good to go.

However- my buddy bought two other batteries(which are also both dead) and so I have 4 total.

My question is this: If I was to install both sets of batteries in this car(2 and 2) in series(so that I still get 12V total), would there be any downside? I am thinking that the car should run twice as long but also take twice as long to charge.
Is there any potential downside to installing all 4?(other than the weight gain)

I set my Granddaughter's powerwheel jeep up on lawn mower 12v batteries. Could buy 2 for what powerwheels wanted for 1. Put both batteries in with an A/B switch. She could give rides all day and never run both batteries down.

Sifan said:

I set my Granddaughter's powerwheel jeep up on lawn mower 12v batteries. Could buy 2 for what powerwheels wanted for 1. Put both batteries in with an A/B switch. She could give rides all day and never run both batteries down.

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Great!! love the A/B switch idea. Thanks Sifan.

Ok, now lets get back on track-

Scrounging together a Dry Cut saw

I have multiple projects in mind that will require the cutting of various sizes of square and round tubing. I don’t want to be stuck cutting everything with a grinder, it's time consuming and tedious to cut nice straight lines. I also don’t want an abrasive wheel chop saw because they just aren’t very accurate.

I could buy a bandsaw, but I can’t find anything decent down here for less than $1000 USD, and even for that price I am buying used junk at auction that will need to be rebuilt.

I would REALLY like a dry cut saw but because of Brazil’s crazy import taxes and regulations, stuff like the Evolution metal cutting saw(and other similar saws) are quite simply not available or completely out of my budget.

However I did find a national Brazilian company that makes metal cutting disks, and they are somewhat reasonably priced at $100USD.


So really, all I need is the rest of the saw…


I found an old cast iron saw carcass for sale online for 50 bucks, it came with the spindle but the threads were stripped and it had no blade retaining nut.


I managed to find a drawing of the saw and sourced the bearings, snap rings, and retaining nut. Then I sat down with a file and fixed the threads on the spindle.


I found a good condition used single phase 2HP motor for about $80USD, lastly I picked up the remaining items- two pulleys, a belt, an on/off switch, a plug and some wire.


I put it all together and it worked!! I was very worried that the saw had been scrapped because of a bent spindle, but the spindle ran true!!


Now it was time for the big investment- the metal cutting blade. Check out the packaging, its just like opening up an old LP:


I did a test cut on wood:



Of course next I made a clamp- and now it cuts beautifully! I can’t believe the quality of cuts I am getting with this thing.


















I have done about 30 cuts with the saw over the last week and one thing is clear: it works great, but it certainly isn't wining any awards for Safety
It needs:
A better blade guard
Properly mounted on/off switch with an E-stop
A Belt Guard
Bolt it down to the table, or maybe I will make a stand for it
Re-make or improve the work holding clamp
Would be nice to have some sort of digital angle finder for mitre cuts
Maybe mount a little laser pointer pointing down from the blade to help line up cuts easier

One thing at a time.

Thanks for reading.


Oh ya, one other thing- anyone have any idea if it would be worth it to install a coolant system on this thing to improve blade life??

Love seeing this type of stuff, just making it all work.

Subscribed, I like your videos.

Definitely subscribing! I'm looking forward to follow your adventures.

Wreckster23 said:

Love seeing this type of stuff, just making it all work.

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Yes, just get it working and make it look pretty after(if there's time)

MacTexas said:

Subscribed, I like your videos.

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Thanks Mac!!

redlinedbuckeye said:

Definitely subscribing! I'm looking forward to follow your adventures.

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Thanks, I've got some adventures coming up soon!!



but first-

Let me introduce my shop truck,




This is a 2011 Ford Ranger, 2.3L Gas, 5 speed model. Its a bit smaller than the big Alberta F250s that I am used to, but it gets me around, and I flat-towed a VW Bus for about 20kms the other day, so isn't too bad overall.



I have a buddy who I hire to help me move things now and then, he's got what I believe is called an F1000. If I remember right it has a 6 cyl. diesel, I'm not sure which engine exactly- but I loves me some Old Ferds!!





There's tons of old iron in Brazil, and most of it has minimal rust. They also have many unheard of classic cars that are unique to their market because of import restrictions during the dictatorship years. We'll talk about this in a future post!!

Next post I will properly introduce you to the shop, its finally organised, just have to remember to take some pictures of it next time I'm there...

Subscribed and following along all giddy and childishly. I love the gifs and may have robbed the giphy idea for my gallery thread. Thank you for that

That old Ford sure does look clean. It's amazing how long things last when they do not see sand/salt in the winters !!

Let me introduce the workshop, its just out back..
Down this old country road


Squeeze under the old railway bridge


A little more dirt road..


And soon after you will arrive at a little town which, heading down one of the 4 roads you will find my place.

Here is how it looks from the outside, there is a little house, a car port, and of course the workshop


I haven’t really got anything inside the little house, the roof leaks in various places, even after I replaced a bunch of roof tiles, cleaned out the gutters, repaired a collapsed section of the roof and re-aligned all the roof tiles.So its pretty much empty for now, of course I have fridge in there for emergency cold snacks.


The back of the Carport has this amazing 3D Mural, it was all covered in mold, but I gave it a pressure washing and it came up nice, check out the 3D iguana, someone really put some time into this thing.




Beside the shop there is a lemon tree, and the neighbours Guava tree hangs way over the wall so I get a bunch of those as well.


Here is how the inside of the shop is looking today, not a whole lot to look at, at the moment, but we are getting there..


Just about time to start hunting down some old cars, I have few smaller projects to share first though…

Thanks for Reading!

Quick post today- did a quick little clean up on this #4 shear, its made by a national Brazilian company called Somar.


I just typed Somar in google to do a little research and it turns out the’ve been around since 1929, and happen to be the first Brazilian company to produce a bench vice. Anyways I took it apart..


Gave it a cleaning, painted it


Added a little grease here and there, dialled in the blades(could use a bit of tweaking still to be honest).
And here she is:




I suppose I better get some pics of this thing in action as well, that will have to be in the next one..

Super excited about this thread! Please tell us there is a Joinville lathe on a list of future projects.

ilya said:

Super excited about this thread! Please tell us there is a Joinville lathe on a list of future projects.

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Man I hope so, I have seen a few for sale but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. A lot of these machines are very worn out.

Great space! Love that saw!

TimTaylor75 said:

Great space! Love that saw!

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Thanks Tim!!


And here’s some pretty unimpressive action from the shear- I bought some hold down bolts for it after this was filmed...



And now for something completely different:

The Saga of the Giant Bead Roller

Early on(before I even rented the workshop) I made a bit of a mistake- I saw a bead roller that was up for sale for a really great price and just a couple hours away, so I jumped on it- I sent the seller a cash transfer without even seeing it and arranged to pick it up the next week

When I got there it was HUGE and super heavy duty- which sort of makes it an even better deal, but also means its a less than ideal tool for my use. It also runs on three phase power, but swapping the motor out wouldn’t be a huge deal.

The previous owner arrived with a boom truck and lowered in the back of my buddies Ranger.


It was nice drive back



Of course I wasn’t going to be dragging this thing to my house, so I got my buddy to keep it under his tree for a few weeks while I was negotiating the rental contract for the shop.

To get it into my truck we used the strongest tree branch and wrapped it with the best ratchet strap of the bunch(NEVER use a ratchet strap to lift something[unless it was a good deal])


And here it sits today.





To get this thing going I would need to buy a motor or a phase convertor, and so the question is: Is there any reason I should hang on to this thing? Should I tear it apart and restore it? Would you even call this a Bead Roller??

Today I put it up for sale and if someone interested shows up I am ready to let it go. I probably shouldn't have bought this thing in the first place. We all make mistakes.

What's the weather like at your shop, temp wise? An uninsulated steel building in anything but a very temperate climate would seem unbearable for half of the year. You've come across some great tools! May I suggest slowing down the metal cutting saw blade to around 3-400 RPM, as you are throwing hot sparks around the blade while cutting. There's a reason they call these "cold" saws, plus the blade will last much longer. Cool stuff; subscribed!

Haha the videos are cool Getter

rixtrix1 said:

What's the weather like at your shop, temp wise? An uninsulated steel building in anything but a very temperate climate would seem unbearable for half of the year. You've come across some great tools! May I suggest slowing down the metal cutting saw blade to around 3-400 RPM, as you are throwing hot sparks around the blade while cutting. There's a reason they call these "cold" saws, plus the blade will last much longer. Cool stuff; subscribed!

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Weather wise we've got 6 month between 15 and 25 degrees Celcius(not sure exactly what that is in inches) and the rest of the year is Hot with January and February being Hell(35-38 degrees daily). Inside the shop really isn't too bad for the most part, I think the concrete brickwork makes a big difference, however in Jan/Feb I was going in the morning(when possible) the afternoon was just too hot in there.

Thanks for the suggestion on the saw- the manufacturer recommends 1300RPM which is what I've got it spinning at. I do agree with you that it shouldn't be throwing sparks, I'm going to shoot the company a quick email with that clip and see what they say. I am pretty much at the limit with the two pulleys so slowing it down would mean purchasing a low speed motor.

TomcoPDR said:

Haha the videos are cool Getter

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Thanks Tom!!

Time for another update- Did a quick little project a couple weeks ago, taking an old filing cabinet and turning it into a toolbox.

Made a video about it, just me joking around (pretty sure I spent longer editing the video than making the box…)
Sure would like a little feedback if you've got a minute



In case video isn’t your thing, here are the details:
I bought this old filing cabinet from a barber that had recently closed, its a little grungy but it has potential, and the drawers are very well made!!


First up I made a base for it


Added some wheels




Of course it needed a handle



And finally a quick paint job-

Now let me stop here and give you guys a quick paint “tech tip”
I have noticed that alot of you are still wasting time painting stuff with brushes or rollers, or even spray cans.

What if I told you that a quality finish could be achieved with just the flick of your wrist!?
Let me introduce you to The Paint Stick

What you're gonna need is a small length of rebar- I recommend taking a flap disc to it just to take off the high edges


Next up you need a little- Just a little of the color that you want your project(toolbox/car/boat/house) to be painted
Apply it sparingly to the rebar- here you see me apply the black(main color)


Then the silver(accent color)


Finally its just a matter of deep concentration, divine connection, and a well placed tap:


Next I added some rubber matting inside the drawers,
And here’s how it looked in the end:


Thanks for Reading!!

I tried your paint trick but the colors were switched. Does that mean I was holding the stick backwards?

I am always curious about Brazil as they say we are heading in the same direction as far as our economy and freedoms.
Watched your video and understand your current situation and why you are there. Pretty cool you are going to be your own boss and supplying VW's to rich Canadians.
Hope to hear more about living there compared to living in Canada. What food stuff you miss, what you like, what is expensive, what is not...comparative to Canada.
I am guessing your are never going home and have become a citizen. Man, you got a lot of work ahead of you....subscribed! Thanks for sharing a cool thread....very interesting, for sure.

coffee01 said:

I tried your paint trick but the colors were switched. Does that mean I was holding the stick backwards?

Click to expand...

Definitely must have been backwards!!

ambenz said:

I am always curious about Brazil as they say we are heading in the same direction as far as our economy and freedoms.
Watched your video and understand your current situation and why you are there. Pretty cool you are going to be your own boss and supplying VW's to rich Canadians.
Hope to hear more about living there compared to living in Canada. What food stuff you miss, what you like, what is expensive, what is not...comparative to Canada.
I am guessing your are never going home and have become a citizen. Man, you got a lot of work ahead of you....subscribed! Thanks for sharing a cool thread....very interesting, for sure.

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I really like Brazil, but the "brazilification" of first world countries is no joke- there's nothing nice about Severe income inequality. It creates a lot of problems.
On the other hand Moderate income inequality creates competition, and competition solves problems(in my opinion )

As for the VWs, they are more of a hobby at this point, but if this goes good I would like to build a few more!!

About going back to Canada- up until last year I was going back two or three times a year. Now I haven't been for a over a year
Eventually we will move back but for now me and my wife have got ourselves in a good financial position, and my kids go to a beautiful private school, so unless things go south drastically we will be staying here.

Gonna try to keep this thread mostly garage oriented but I'll throw in some food/culture stuff here and there for anyone who might be interested.




For now though, its time for... A trip to the Scrapyard!!

I need a few bits and pieces- pulleys, pillow blocks, an axle, and a few random lengths of steel for a project I’m cooking up. Figured I would check out a few scrapyards and see what they have to offer.

Often these places are not exactly in the nicest areas of town- just thought I would throw that in there- here we go:


This is the first place I checked out, they’ve got everything from industrial production equipment to furniture.





Lots of steel, but its was mostly in very rough shape




Here’s a couple more little vids, not a whole lot of what I was looking for unfortunately








Picked up a couple things anyways just to see how they would be to bargain


This says “danger stay away" already have it hung up








On to the next place!

This place was absolutely huge, they had 6 giant warehouses packed with used steel, they also had an enormous yard that was full of all kinds of huge heavy industrial production equipment.
The quality of the used steel and parts at this place was much better





I didn’t take too many pictures, but you get the idea



They also had this machine for cutting steel, I believe its called an eccentric press or eccentric shear??



By the time I had walked the whole place it was already closing, I'll have to go back another day and actually buy what I need!!

Used steel price: R$6,00 per kilo (to buy) or ~$0.45USD per Pound
Scrap steel price: R$1,40 per kilo(to sell) or ~$0.11USD per Pound


Thanks for Reading.

Picked up this old Starrett bandsaw just after I had bought all the stuff for my cold cut saw, it wasn’t working and its missing some pieces, but I figured it would be a good back-up plan if my cold cut saw idea didn’t pan out.



I finally got around to having a look at it, at first I thought it needed a capacitor because when I plugged it in and turned it on it would just make a buzzing sound, no spinning.


But it turns out the governor that switches on and off the starter capacitor was simply missing a screw causing the circuit to short out. Here it is with the two screws installed. If you don’t know- the governor switch in an electric motor starts in the closed position allowing the starter capacitor to get the motor spinning and then disengages after it is up to speed.(I’m no motor expert but I learned a lot from a guy called Jeremy Fielding on YouTube)


The on/off switch housing was so dried out that it cracked up when I took it apart, so I re-made with a bit of cutting board and super glue… (no fancy 3d printed switch housings in this thread..)







I hung onto it for a week, but the cold cut saw is working fine, so I gave it a cleaning and put it up for sale, it still needs a blade, blade guide, and a work holding clamp and I’ve got other projects on the go.


The guy who bought it got a fair price, and I learned some stuff about electric motors + doubled my money


On to the next thing….


Oh ya- I gave this other cabinet a tap with the paint stick on the way out



Thanks for Reading

Time for another update, I’ve been spending more time at the shop lately and things are finally starting to progress. I am still working on catching this thread up though so lets get on with it.

First up, I bought a shaper a few months ago. I always wanted a shaper and it was going so cheap that I couldn’t resist even though I have no use for it what so ever at the moment.

Its a “Joba” and I don’t know a whole lot other than that. Haven’t even fired it up yet. I’ll take some better pics of it soon enough. You can see the vice sitting in the lower right of the picture


I also picked up this compressor, its three phase so I will be swapping out the motor on it. Maybe I should have bought a new one, but this one just has that vintage charm- it’ll look great with a little paint and polish. However right now I just need to get it up and running.


The guy I bought the compressor from also had an old oxy-acetylene set for sale so I grabbed that as well.

Not sure if his bottle storage method would meet OHSA guidelines.


The compressor came with a bunch of extras, I will be giving these paint guns a clean up and testing asap, they are Devilbiss JGA-502 models if that means anything to ya.




Got the giant bead roller sold, a guy drove down from Brasilia to pick up- 13 hours on the road to get here. He had this lifted diesel swapped Jeep Cherokee, pretty cool.





In non-shop related stuff- me and my wife took our kids for a little trip up to the mountains in the state of Rio de Janiero, stayed with my buddy, him and his wife have bought this giant old house that they are fixing up.


they've got quite the view, living the simple life out in the middle of nowhere.



Lastly, I knocked off this little project- converting these old table legs to a couple bench grinder stands, made a very brief video about it, take a look.



Thanks for reading.