Backyard Fab Shop Build in NE Ohio
- Thread starter Graham08
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Passed my final building inspection today! I started moving stuff in...getting ready to transition from working on the shop to working IN the shop.
That is an awesome feeling isn't it?
Mike.
Sure is!
It's been a busy couple days moving stuff. I'm down to a vertical mill, lathe, and vertical band saw in the attached garage. My wife is visualizing her car parked inside for the first time since we've lived here.
I've been using an engine hoist to sit stuff on my trailer at the attached garage, then backing into the new shop and unloading using the lift. Here's my brake hanging from the lift.
Once I've taken the stuff off the trailer with the lift, I've been using a pallet jack to move it around the new shop. The lift and the pallet jack have been awesome and made this move go so much better than it could have.
Here's a couple shots of my sheet metal equipment in place:
And pic of the welding tables. Eventually I want to get these to to be the same height.
I'm planning to get the last few pieces of equipment moved over this week.
milner351
Well-known member
That's a lot of heavy stuff to move! Not looking forward to that part of my move. Well done- the place is looking great!
Was all that equipment in your house garage ?
Everything but the lift and the larger of the two welding tables. It was jam packed to say the least...I had to step outside to change my mind.
Yes, I believe you needed the bigger garage.
The bigger of the two tables came out of the old Evernham Motorsports NASCAR shop. The top is 4' x 4', 1" thick steel that has been blanchard ground. It's drilled and tapped on a 5" x 5" grid. The frame is 4" x 4" tube, and the top is supported by leveling feet. I'm not really sure why that was done, because the feet aren't secured to the top in such a way that you could adjust the flatness.
It was an expensive piece to build, and I'm lucky to have it. It certainly makes layout and fabrication much easier.
One thing I want to do once I get everything set up is to substitute leveling feet for the casters on the big table, and add leveling feet and some sort of extension to the legs on the smaller table to make them the same height, so longer stuff (like sprint car frames) could span the two tables.
It was an expensive piece to build, and I'm lucky to have it. It certainly makes layout and fabrication much easier.
One thing I want to do once I get everything set up is to substitute leveling feet for the casters on the big table, and add leveling feet and some sort of extension to the legs on the smaller table to make them the same height, so longer stuff (like sprint car frames) could span the two tables.
My wife snapped this shot while I was moving the lathe out of the attached garage.
Amazing what you can do with an engine hoist! This thing weighs in at a little over 1400 lbs.
Everything big in the attached garage was moved with the engine hoist onto my trailer for the short trek across the driveway to the new shop. The lathe was the last thing to move. I got it set in place and leveled last night.
Amazing what you can do with an engine hoist! This thing weighs in at a little over 1400 lbs.
Everything big in the attached garage was moved with the engine hoist onto my trailer for the short trek across the driveway to the new shop. The lathe was the last thing to move. I got it set in place and leveled last night.
Still moving in...here's a shot of "machinery row".
The vertical mill and lathe were in my attached garage. The green horizontal mill was in storage at my mom & dad's place. It's not running yet...it's a bit of a project. I paid $30 for it at a school auction with the vision of using it as a super rigid tubing notcher.
I also managed to pick this up after I found it in a Craigslist ad:
It's a Niagara 196 stomp shear. I'm super excited to have this guy in my shop! I bought it from a sign company that had upgraded to a Wysong power shear.
Moving this guy was a little hair raising...I found specs online for similar Pexto shears that should have put it around 2500 lb. After moving it, I would say it's north of 3000. We kept it upright the whole time, but it is one top heavy SOB.
Here's the back of it:
It came with the back and front gauges. The back gauge had been converted to power operation at some point in it's life, but I'm putting the hand cranks back on it. Really, the only parts missing were one of the side gauges (pretty easily duplicated) and a couple taper pins that secure the hand crank handles.
I would estimate the shear is WW2 vintage. I've got a full day cleaning a lifetime of grime off it (and still have more to go!), but the blade is nice and sharp, and it cuts great.
My first fabrication project in the new shop has been a backstop for my lathe so I don't destroy the paint on the wall behind it. This is 20 ga steel, and the shear has been an awesome addition for making stuff like this.
I radiused the one corner to match the chip pan on the lathe, and made a tray in the top of it to store my tool holders. I ended up having to make the main part of it in two pieces because my brake is only a four footer. It's going to work out well, though, because the flange where the two pieces meet is going to give me a place to attach a support for the top tray.
The final assembly is going to be with #10 machine screws, and I'm going to drill a few holes in the lathe chip pan to attach it. More pics coming soon...
The vertical mill and lathe were in my attached garage. The green horizontal mill was in storage at my mom & dad's place. It's not running yet...it's a bit of a project. I paid $30 for it at a school auction with the vision of using it as a super rigid tubing notcher.
I also managed to pick this up after I found it in a Craigslist ad:
It's a Niagara 196 stomp shear. I'm super excited to have this guy in my shop! I bought it from a sign company that had upgraded to a Wysong power shear.
Moving this guy was a little hair raising...I found specs online for similar Pexto shears that should have put it around 2500 lb. After moving it, I would say it's north of 3000. We kept it upright the whole time, but it is one top heavy SOB.
Here's the back of it:
It came with the back and front gauges. The back gauge had been converted to power operation at some point in it's life, but I'm putting the hand cranks back on it. Really, the only parts missing were one of the side gauges (pretty easily duplicated) and a couple taper pins that secure the hand crank handles.
I would estimate the shear is WW2 vintage. I've got a full day cleaning a lifetime of grime off it (and still have more to go!), but the blade is nice and sharp, and it cuts great.
My first fabrication project in the new shop has been a backstop for my lathe so I don't destroy the paint on the wall behind it. This is 20 ga steel, and the shear has been an awesome addition for making stuff like this.
I radiused the one corner to match the chip pan on the lathe, and made a tray in the top of it to store my tool holders. I ended up having to make the main part of it in two pieces because my brake is only a four footer. It's going to work out well, though, because the flange where the two pieces meet is going to give me a place to attach a support for the top tray.
The final assembly is going to be with #10 machine screws, and I'm going to drill a few holes in the lathe chip pan to attach it. More pics coming soon...
dykstra
Well-known member
Way cool!!!!
JC23
Well-known member
I'd say you'll have no problem fabbing up ANYTHING!
Yes, I believe you needed the bigger garage.
Let me correct myself not that you have stuffed moved in, I believe you now need a bigger garage.
Read it all tonight. GREAT shop. I left NE Ohio (Wadsworth) in 1997 but still have family and friends there. Seeing the excavation to OH frostline depth is what got me hooked reading and I had to keep going because got better and better. I'm very jealous of the fab skills as well.
Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for sharing this.
Troopermilligan
New member
- Joined
- May 22, 2013
- Messages
- 3
Lots of ball endmills and a rotary table? How the hell did you pull off those profiles and bosses on manual equipment? I am impressed!
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Let me correct myself not that you have stuffed moved in, I believe you now need a bigger garage.
I don't know about that yet. It could always be bigger, but everything I have fits pretty well and I still have open space...for now...
Thanks! I drive through Wadsworth quite a bit going between home and my parents place.
Thanks! Yes, a bunch of time on the rotary table and a little bit with ball mills. Careful layout helped a bunch, too. Just a lot of time in general. I definitely need to get some different tooling if I'm going to do more of this type of machining.
Here's a link with some more discussion on the parts: http://www.offroadfabnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10420
banana cognac
Active member
What an awesome build, I love seeing a race shop come together. Here in NY we mess around with sportsman and big block northeast style dirt modifieds. Right now there are two sportsman in my buddies shop. There's nowhere near as much fabrication equipment, but a race shop still has a cool vibe to it.
I go to school in Syracuse so I try to go see the Supers at Oswego as often as possible. I'm definitely attempting to go see the Xtreme Sprint Series up there in the fall. My younger brother is a crew chief of one of the UNOH cars at Limaland and I got down to there and Waynesfield over Memorial Day weekend. I really wanted to catch a race at Sandusky but the weekend schedule wouldn't allow
Those sprinters on asphalt sure do look like fun, and I love that you're running a non-downtube car.
I go to school in Syracuse so I try to go see the Supers at Oswego as often as possible. I'm definitely attempting to go see the Xtreme Sprint Series up there in the fall. My younger brother is a crew chief of one of the UNOH cars at Limaland and I got down to there and Waynesfield over Memorial Day weekend. I really wanted to catch a race at Sandusky but the weekend schedule wouldn't allow
Those sprinters on asphalt sure do look like fun, and I love that you're running a non-downtube car.
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Radio Ron w4ron
Well-known member
That's GREAT shop, I really wish I had that much space for my radio collection.
I like the porch, but I'll bet in less than 5 years you'll be inclosing it because you need storage space. A good friend of mine build a big garage and it wasn't long before he was building an extension on the side like your porch and enclosing it for storage space.
Congrats on a great build.
I like the porch, but I'll bet in less than 5 years you'll be inclosing it because you need storage space. A good friend of mine build a big garage and it wasn't long before he was building an extension on the side like your porch and enclosing it for storage space.
Congrats on a great build.
Thank you for the nice comments. I need to update this thread with some new pictures.
@banana cognac: I really like the center steer modifieds and sportsman cars. Sharon Speedway is about an hour east of here, and they run the big blocks on a weekly basis.
It's cool that you got to go to Limaland and Waynesfield. I have never been to Lima, but Waynesfield is a super-cool little track. I help a buddy with a non-wing dirt sprint car, and he picked up his first feature win there a couple years ago after forty years as a car owner.
@banana cognac: I really like the center steer modifieds and sportsman cars. Sharon Speedway is about an hour east of here, and they run the big blocks on a weekly basis.
It's cool that you got to go to Limaland and Waynesfield. I have never been to Lima, but Waynesfield is a super-cool little track. I help a buddy with a non-wing dirt sprint car, and he picked up his first feature win there a couple years ago after forty years as a car owner.
banana cognac
Active member
Sharon is definitely a forgotten about track to dirt modified fans in New York. Growing up working on cars at Orange County Fair Speedway you would think I would lust over a big block, but I'm a sprint car enthusiast at heart.
Unfortunately when I went to Waynesfield it was a Memorial Cup race and they had the wings on. I would put that track in the top three I have ever been to. Such an awesome grass-roots atmosphere, and the racing was great.
And I would definitely recommend a trip to Lima as well. Heck, the Brad Doty Classic is in two days
Quick update. I am still trying to get to "a place for everything". Saturday morning, I made a little rack to hold my levels so I could stop moving them around the shop.
Here it is in the raw:
And hanging on the wall with my level collection:
I'm working on some stands and carts for some of my smaller equipment now...
Here it is in the raw:
And hanging on the wall with my level collection:
I'm working on some stands and carts for some of my smaller equipment now...
Diesel Dan
Well-known member
Nice looking shop.
You have some very cool old equipment as well.
Looks a little OCD, not that it's a bad thing.
You have some very cool old equipment as well.
Be glad you're not in Trumbull County!
Neat?!Electrical panel. I spent an extra few minutes with zip ties making everything nice & neat.
Looks a little OCD, not that it's a bad thing.
JC23
Well-known member
Good to see an update. Passed thru yer way yesterday hitting the swap meet at Randolph.
Motown 454
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,359
I just went through the whole thread. WOW ! Awesome job. You have a beautiful shop and some amazing equipment in it, and you do a great job with it.
I'll be watching tis thread.
I'll be watching tis thread.
Thanks! I think one of my neighbors is the one that puts that swap meet on.
Thanks Wayne! I started reading through your build thread on Lateral-G. Sounds like you had quite an adventure getting the car done...I haven't skipped to the end to see how it turns out.
Hopefully updates come a little more frequently...I got a new phone with a better camera so there's no excuse for not taking pictures.
rmckee
Well-known member
WOW!
Speechless. I love the build, and layout. It's been a thought of mine that (whenever I am able to build a garage/barn) I'll put a shed on one side for a lawn mower, snow blower, shovels, etc. Things that don't need to be inside, but that shouldn't be exposed to the elements.
Your attention to detail with trim, the router on the stairs, machined parts, and the fuse panel is something to be admired. Great build, with lots to learn from.
P.S. My Audi is green... I've never heard of the bad luck thing before - any historical info you'd be up for sharing?
Speechless. I love the build, and layout. It's been a thought of mine that (whenever I am able to build a garage/barn) I'll put a shed on one side for a lawn mower, snow blower, shovels, etc. Things that don't need to be inside, but that shouldn't be exposed to the elements.
Your attention to detail with trim, the router on the stairs, machined parts, and the fuse panel is something to be admired. Great build, with lots to learn from.
P.S. My Audi is green... I've never heard of the bad luck thing before - any historical info you'd be up for sharing?
Motown 454
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,359
Thanks Wayne! I started reading through your build thread on Lateral-G. Sounds like you had quite an adventure getting the car done...I haven't skipped to the end to see how it turns out.
Thanks
Yes it was a real ordeal but the cars home and now I dealing with some transmission challenges. At least moving, even though it slowly.
Thanks
Yes it was a real ordeal but the cars home and now I dealing with some transmission challenges. At least moving, even though it slowly.
Here's what Snopes has to say about it:
http://www.snopes.com/autos/cursed/green.asp
Anymore I think it's primarily a short track oval racing superstition. It used to be a big deal at Indy, but not so much now.
5mall5nail5
Well-known member
Beautiful beautiful shop super jealous
banana cognac
Active member
We make sure not to have green or peanuts anywhere around on race day
I wish I had a fraction of your fabrication skills. That piece to hold your levels looks great
We spent the weekend moving dirt to finish up drainage around the shop. Because our soil is mostly clay here, and I had some issues with the grade, I had a swamp on one side of the building, and a river on the other when it rained.
The fix consisted of connecting the downspouts to underground piping to reduce the amount of water draining onto the surrounding area, and digging a few French drains to collect water and send it to the ditch at the front of the property.
Fortunately, there was existing tile on both sides of my driveway that we were able to connect to, which made the project much simpler.
Here's a picture of the trench on the house side of the shop, before any pipe was put in the hole.
There is about 12" of fall from the back of the shop to where I'm standing to take the picture.
Here is the view with gravel in the trench and the grade finished:
We removed the dirt berm that was between the posts to divert runoff away from the building. Now there is a decent slope away from the shop into my French drain. All I need to finish this side is more stone to cover the bare dirt under the overhang, and to plant grass on the rest of it.
That was the end of day 1. Day 2 was an effort to drain the swamp on the other side of the shop. This ended up being two trenches, one parallel to the building, and a second that "Y'd" off into the deepest part of the swamp.
Here's a shot of the branch with the pipe in the ground:
This is after we "broke the dam" on the majority of the water that was sitting on the surface. We had several inches of rain last week, and it was amazing how much was sitting there. It was equally amazing how well it drains out of the new piping.
Here it is after filling the trenches with gravel and smoothing everything up:
My good friend George was operating the excavator. I asked him if he had ever iced a cake, because that's what smoothing out the muddy mess was like. Once things dry out a bit, I have some more work on this side to get it ready for grass.
The fix consisted of connecting the downspouts to underground piping to reduce the amount of water draining onto the surrounding area, and digging a few French drains to collect water and send it to the ditch at the front of the property.
Fortunately, there was existing tile on both sides of my driveway that we were able to connect to, which made the project much simpler.
Here's a picture of the trench on the house side of the shop, before any pipe was put in the hole.
There is about 12" of fall from the back of the shop to where I'm standing to take the picture.
Here is the view with gravel in the trench and the grade finished:
We removed the dirt berm that was between the posts to divert runoff away from the building. Now there is a decent slope away from the shop into my French drain. All I need to finish this side is more stone to cover the bare dirt under the overhang, and to plant grass on the rest of it.
That was the end of day 1. Day 2 was an effort to drain the swamp on the other side of the shop. This ended up being two trenches, one parallel to the building, and a second that "Y'd" off into the deepest part of the swamp.
Here's a shot of the branch with the pipe in the ground:
This is after we "broke the dam" on the majority of the water that was sitting on the surface. We had several inches of rain last week, and it was amazing how much was sitting there. It was equally amazing how well it drains out of the new piping.
Here it is after filling the trenches with gravel and smoothing everything up:
My good friend George was operating the excavator. I asked him if he had ever iced a cake, because that's what smoothing out the muddy mess was like.
Once things dry out a bit, I have some more work on this side to get it ready for grass.I just finished building a stand for my Kalamazoo belt grinder out of some 1.5" square tubing and some leftovers from other projects.
A weld picture:
Working on uncovering all the flat surfaces in the shop! I'm in the process of painting this stand, then on to a stand for my tube notcher.
A weld picture:
Working on uncovering all the flat surfaces in the shop! I'm in the process of painting this stand, then on to a stand for my tube notcher.
Those aluminum jaw faces in the vise ?