Dr_Clyde's Shop Projects

[zmotorsports]

Beautiful job on the tool/storage box. I'm sure he will be pleased and glad he loaned you the welder. People like you are rare and I hope he realizes that.

 

[thejimmy]

That bender looks good, makes me wish I had a need for one

 

[dr_clyde]

Sometimes, things just fall into your lap.

I have been needing a second welding table for a long time. Ever since I went out on my own, I've been a little hamstrung by only having one big table. It really limits how many projects I can have going at once, and if I have 2 people working at once, its a royal pain working on the same table.

Anyway, I was complaining about this to a friend of mine, and he commented how there was an Acorn platen table at an acquaintance's house. I asked how much, he said its was free for the taking. He just wanted it gone.

After I picked my jaw up off the floor and had him repeat himself, we made arrangements to go take a visit. Turns out the guy was getting too old to be doing much fab work anymore, and he just didn't have the room anymore. He was a longtime friend of my friend, and after we offered to give him some money, he again refused.

Unfortunately, it had been sitting outside for some time, and had lots of rust on it.

I inspected it fairly carefully and determined the damage was pretty superficial and could be reversed. There wasn't any pitting, cracks or anything alarming.

We loaded it up and took it home. Maxed out the bobcat loading it on the trailer. The Weldsale book (current owner of the Acorn name) puts the platen top at a shade over 3200 lbs. And they cost a whopping $6980 new!

Now I need to get it cleaned up, make a proper stand for it, and get some paint on it.

For now, I'll probably just give the surface a cleaning with a DA, and in the spring I'll look at sandblasting the platen and having it re-ground. I put some straight edges on it and it's still straight and flat. But, seeing as how I literally have no money into this, I can afford to spend a few bucks refurbishing it.

When/If I get around to giving it a paint job I'll be sure to take pictures.

Thanks for looking.

 

[56rpm]

Heck of a score, and good for you!

 

[Duker]

Wow I believe that is the winner of the “You ****” of the month right there! That will be an awesome addition to the shop.


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[ez-duzit]

Wow I believe that is the winner of the “You ****” of the month right there!...

Correction--you **** award of the century! I'm green with envy.

 

[Strouty]

Yup, that is defiant a top ten you **** item.

 

[fordkid88]

So you **** on an astronomical level!!!!

 

[PugetDude]

I'm sure the astronauts on the space station can feel the suckage..
Wow, just wow.
Nice score, I'd leave it as is- it's flat, why erase the history?

 

[thejimmy]

Sometimes, things just fall into your lap.

I know the feeling...is that a 5 x 8?

I have a customer that had two 5 x 5 tables, they use to have 3 welders many years ago, now 0. They needed room and offered me one of the tables, I just had to get the table moved, which I did.

 

[dr_clyde]

I know the feeling...is that a 5 x 8?

I have a customer that had two 5 x 5 tables, they use to have 3 welders many years ago, now 0. They needed room and offered me one of the tables, I just had to get the table moved, which I did.

Yes, it is a 5' x 8'. I was told this table was 4' x 6', apparently someone mis-measured.

A little tighter than I was planning on but the bigger top will be very nice.

 

[Bears Fan]

Just spent some time to go threw your thread and I'm subscribed! Awesome projects and shop, you have some mad skills

Love the third hand hold down clamp laying on the bench! You should manufacture them? I want one

One can never have too many clamps

That's was a really cool gesture!

Awesome job on these tanks

Awesome shop and some really cool toys, um I mean tools

Nice little table

Nice job on the little bender

Oh yeah you get a big ole' you **** on this table

 

[bonneyman]

I, too, love the third hand design of your holding tool. Makes me wish I had the need for one so I could have you make it up for me.

"I wish I had a need for one so I could buy it." Geez, am I sick or what?

 

[PugetDude]

"I wish I had a need for one so I could buy it." Geez, am I sick or what?

Welcome to the GJ.
We're all enablers here.

 

[dr_clyde]

Thanks for the kind words fellas. Its always nice to hear people enjoy seeing what goes on in my shop.

There seems to be some interest in my third hand. Nothing special, just a hand shape cut from some heavy plate, and a bent rod welded on. One day I needed a little more down pressure so I tacked a bolt on so I can thread on weights.

I made it about 8 years ago. A shop I worked at had a CNC plasma table and I was experimenting on some drops to get my settings right for some production cutting. I just thought it would be funny if the third hand was an actual hand.

I could sell them I suppose, but I'm not sure how much demand there would be for something this simple. Most guys who would want one of these will probably just make their own.

 

[matt_i]

Way cool!! I've wanted one of those Acorn platens forever but sorta gave up on it due to the lack of space in my shop and I went more towards machining...Great score there, but also kudos to your friend-of-a-friend, its my hope I can someday give away my shop tools to the right person who will really appreciate them and be the "next caretaker" when i get too old to continue using them.

 

[PugetDude]

Way cool!! I've wanted one of those Acorn platens forever but sorta gave up on it due to the lack of space in my shop and I went more towards machining...Great score there, but also kudos to your friend-of-a-friend, its my hope I can someday give away my shop tools to the right person who will really appreciate them and be the "next caretaker" when i get too old to continue using them.

Same here, but not sure who that's going to be. My SIL owns two screwdrivers, but only knows how to use one of them.

 

[lis2323]

Thanks for the kind words fellas. Its always nice to hear people enjoy seeing what goes on in my shop.



There seems to be some interest in my third hand. Nothing special, just a hand shape cut from some heavy plate, and a bent rod welded on. One day I needed a little more down pressure so I tacked a bolt on so I can thread on weights.

I made it about 8 years ago. A shop I worked at had a CNC plasma table and I was experimenting on some drops to get my settings right for some production cutting. I just thought it would be funny if the third hand was an actual hand.



I could sell them I suppose, but I'm not sure how much demand there would be for something this simple. Most guys who would want one of these will probably just make their own.

Nice work! And I love your thread. Here’s my third hand, dr clyde




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[bsg]

Sometimes, things just fall into your lap.

I have been needing a second welding table for a long time. Ever since I went out on my own, I've been a little hamstrung by only having one big table. It really limits how many projects I can have going at once, and if I have 2 people working at once, its a royal pain working on the same table.

Anyway, I was complaining about this to a friend of mine, and he commented how there was an Acorn platen table at an acquaintance's house. I asked how much, he said its was free for the taking. He just wanted it gone.

After I picked my jaw up off the floor and had him repeat himself, we made arrangements to go take a visit. Turns out the guy was getting too old to be doing much fab work anymore, and he just didn't have the room anymore. He was a longtime friend of my friend, and after we offered to give him some money, he again refused.

Unfortunately, it had been sitting outside for some time, and had lots of rust on it.

I inspected it fairly carefully and determined the damage was pretty superficial and could be reversed. There wasn't any pitting, cracks or anything alarming.

We loaded it up and took it home. Maxed out the bobcat loading it on the trailer. The Weldsale book (current owner of the Acorn name) puts the platen top at a shade over 3200 lbs. And they cost a whopping $6980 new!

Now I need to get it cleaned up, make a proper stand for it, and get some paint on it.

For now, I'll probably just give the surface a cleaning with a DA, and in the spring I'll look at sandblasting the platen and having it re-ground. I put some straight edges on it and it's still straight and flat. But, seeing as how I literally have no money into this, I can afford to spend a few bucks refurbishing it.

When/If I get around to giving it a paint job I'll be sure to take pictures.

Thanks for looking.

Nice score on the table!

I had a couple of these tables a few year ago, sold them to make room for other things I didn’t need!

I still have some clamps left over if your interested?
They are the same as these;

Kevin

 

[dr_clyde]

Kevin,

PM sent. Thanks.

 

[WoodsTruck]

Just glad the table ended up where it can get used.

Hate seeing something like that at the scrap pile broke up and rusted out.

 

[4 FN 27]

Bucket list item!!!

Very nice score!!!

 

[rattle_snake]

3rd hand idea stolen, thanks.

Free 5x8 Acorn.... yes, You ****.

 

[zmotorsports]

I'm a little green with envy over that table. Nice score.

 

[dr_clyde]

Got a reasonable quote on sandblasting the table, got my painter all lined up, now I just have to find a shop with a competitive quote to grind in the top. Turns out some places just won't deal with cast iron due to the mess it makes when you machine it.

The machine shop across the road will put it on one of their big HMCs and deck it off for me, but I'd really prefer to have it ground on a blanchard. Plus the cost of machining vs grinding can be a bit prohibitive. Plus side to machining is I wouldn't have to do any trucking, I could just drive it over on the fork truck.

I now have the question of sequence. I know I will sandblast first, but then I don't know if I want to have the machining done with the bare cast iron then paint, or if I should paint it and mask off the top after the grinding.

I'm leaning toward blast, paint, then machine. That way the top surface doesn't need to get masked off, I'd have minimal exposure for rust, and I can be a little more liberal with my paint application knowing I was going to grind off the top. The downside is my paint job could get messed up when handling and fixturing on the machine. Plus I'd have to wait a week or so for the paint to fully cure.

Hmm. Decisions.

 

[4 FN 27]

I'm leaning toward blast, paint, then machine.

If I could force my will on you...this would be the decision...

Pics must go in the Thread of Awesome!!!

 

[ez-duzit]

...Plus side to machining is I wouldn't have to do any trucking, I could just drive it over on the fork truck...

That's all I would do.

 

[Bellaireroad]

You lucky dog! Great table and you are going to love welding on it.
I had mine Blanchard ground, but my top had gouges, yours looks in good shape.
I then wire brushed ,and sprayed painted the sides. Didn’t do anything to the surface rust on the bottom.
Also, if you are going to build another frame, consider building a couple of slide out shallow shelves, makes it easy to clean up, and catches small parts that drop through

I had a post a while back about some clamps I made, they are working out well




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[dr_clyde]

Bellaireroad, I was intending to just make clamps like you did, but I just got off the phone with my welding supply salesman. Turns out Stronghand sells a complete clamp for the acorn table for like, $60. I can't really make them for that. I'll probably buy a dozen of those and call it good.

 

[Bellaireroad]

Bellaireroad, I was intending to just make clamps like you did, but I just got off the phone with my welding supply salesman. Turns out Stronghand sells a complete clamp for the acorn table for like, $60. I can't really make them for that. I'll probably buy a dozen of those and call it good.

That is a good deal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Strouty]

I wonder if you can make the build pro inserta clamps work, they are about half the price in amazon.

 

[dr_clyde]

I wonder if you can make the build pro inserta clamps work, they are about half the price in amazon.

I'd have to machine a bushing, as they are meant for 5/8" holes. At that point I'd rather just buy the clamp designed for the 1-3/4" holes and save the machining.

 

[Strouty]

I agree, had no idea on the dimensions, just wanted to mention it.

 

[dr_clyde]

Table update!

Just got the top back from the sandblaster.

So clean!

Hopefully I'll get some paint on it tonight.

Its in better shape than I had thought, I may skip grinding it for now. It only has a few nicks and spatter spots. I probably will just give it a quick sand with the 8" DA sander and call it good for now. I do still want to get it ground, but I really need it in the shop, and I'm getting tired of driving it all over the place.

Now I need to figure out what I'm going to do for the base. The current legs are too low; I want to match it up with my other table.

I have a plan, but I still haven't got a good solution for how to utilize my hitch receivers, primarily for a vise.

I've got enough 6" square tube for some legs, and a few lengths of 3" square for the bracing.

I need to spend a few hours in Solidworks and get a design nailed down.

Any crafty suggestions are welcome.

 

[ez-duzit]

...I need to spend a few hours in Solidworks and get a design nailed down...

Nah, just block it up.

 

[dontlifttoshift]

Make a receiver that just drops into one square hole with a leg that would pick up another hole with tapered wedge to drive in and out?

 

[4 FN 27]

Table update!

Just got the top back from the sandblaster.

So clean!

Envious!!!

That will be an awesome work surface!!!

 

[Strouty]

I am losing respect for you dr_clyde...........

You didn't sandblast the legs!!!!!!

 

[dr_clyde]

I am losing respect for you dr_clyde...........

You didn't sandblast the legs!!!!!!

They're going in the scrap!

 

[Strouty]

You are forgiven.