Dukers Garage Projects

[cbacres]

That’s a lathe now! Glad it finally went in chuck up!

 

[casmurbax]

Duker, what's going on?

 

[Duker]

Duker, what's going on?

Hey John, I have been busy but I don’t think I have much in the way of pics... let me see what I can show....


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[Duker]

Per John’s request...... here is short update on what has been happening around the shop....

I moved my welding table against the wall to create a spot for primarily Tig welding. I can’t find my Tig pedal holder as I must have stuck in a box but it’s nice to have it dedicated for just that process. You also might notice there is some more Blue that has made its way into the shop....



I recently picked up a Miller Dynasty 700. I wasn’t looking to buy a new tig welder as I already have a Lincoln Precision 225 but one on my neighbors knew I liked to weld and had a family member who lost his job due to what is happening in the energy space as well as COVID.

I wasn’t looking to squeeze someone who was suffering from circumstances beyond their control so I paid a little more that what he was asking as it was more than fair. However, I now have to sell my other machine as I wasn’t budgeting for that and I don’t really have the space for two.

I did get a chance to hang some wall art I got from Amazon WD’s as well as an oscillating fan that used to be in my old shop...



The last thing I actually have a pic of wasn’t in the shop but between the shops was a new to me BBQ smoker.



It pivots so I can adjust it to catch any breezes if I need to accelerate the burn.

Most of what I have been doing lately is shop organization so I will snap some shots of that to post later.


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[Finallygotit]

Ooooooowwww...... a smoker! I'm getting hungry.

 

[rmack898]

Duke, you're going to love that big Dynasty.

 

[shortykorte]

Nice welding table and BBQ. Thanks Mack, I’ll have to “check out” the Dynasty.


Shorty
Always remember QST
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[rmack898]

Better check Shorty, I think your library card may have expired.

 

[casmurbax]

Duker, thanks for the update. Nice BBQ.

How is your son doing with forging?

The lathe working yet?

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks for the updates on the shop Duke. You should have it completed and work ready in no time. Nice addition of the Dynasty.

 

[Bears Fan]

Cool idea on the smoker! That is the first time I have ever seen one on a swivel

 

[Duker]

Ooooooowwww...... a smoker! I'm getting hungry.

I am looking for any excuse to use it some come on by....

Duke, you're going to love that big Dynasty.

Thanks Mack, I have just used it once so far but I like it! The extra power will come in handy some day.

Nice welding table and BBQ. Thanks Mack, I’ll have to “check out” the Dynasty.


Shorty
Always remember QST
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Thanks Shorty! I hope you get a chance to stop by on your road trip. I will have some meat smoking when you get here!

Better check Shorty, I think your library card may have expired.

Duker, thanks for the update. Nice BBQ.

How is your son doing with forging?

The lathe working yet?

Thanks John. My son has had fun with the forge. Most of what he has been doing is stuff to learn techniques but I am going to have him work up a knife/cleaver for me for chopping up veggies and such. I am trying to talk him into a Damascus style...

As for the lathe, if all goes well it should be powered up by next week. I had to get a transformer to step up the power and I have an electrician coming to wire it all up. I don't have the confidence I would get the wiring correct on the Transformer and I didn't want to see it go up in flames!

Thanks for the updates on the shop Duke. You should have it completed and work ready in no time. Nice addition of the Dynasty.

Thanks Mike. I am slowly becoming a Blue convert.... I also think 3 phase power into a welder has spoiled me... it may be all in my head but it seems to be a much smoother arc wether Mig or Tig.

Cool idea on the smoker! That is the first time I have ever seen one on a swivel

Thanks BF, it keeps me from smelling like the smoke! How are you doing, are you back in the shop?

 

[86turbodsl]

I recently picked up a Miller Dynasty 700. I wasn’t looking to buy a new tig welder as I already have a Lincoln Precision 225 but one on my neighbors knew I liked to weld and had a family member who lost his job due to what is happening in the energy space as well as COVID.

Nice pick on that Dynasty. No secret i'm a Miller *****.. Tell us how you like it! And i need to hear about the pacemaker too!

 

[Duker]

Nice pick on that Dynasty. No secret i'm a Miller *****.. Tell us how you like it! And i need to hear about the pacemaker too!

Thanks! I have some upcoming projects that will give me some more time on the machine.

I did get my Pacemaker wired up and it runs great on the step up transformer. I will begin to slowly repaint parts as I go along. How are you coming on your restoration?


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[86turbodsl]

It's shoved over into the corner while i get a couple lifts installed before winter. I don't need the big door open for hours on end moving stuff in and out so trying to make that happen before snow flies. then with all the additional floor space, it can come back out to play. I haven't painted anything yet, but have made good progress getting everything unstuck, derusted, and functional.

 

[Duker]

Between my day job creeping into my shop time and building a fence for my wife's garden, i have only had a few hours over the last couple of weeks to focus on the projects. Since time was limited I took advantage of what few hours I had to assemble a new toy, almost complete another toy and do a fix that was long overdue...

The first was I got the Langmuir Plasma table completed (except for my fluid control mods I am doing) and ran the break-in routine and it worked!

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UPS dropped off some boxes late Friday and I got this put together after taking a break on the fence.

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Protools Bender. I need to calculate my future projects to see if I can figure out what the most common die sizes will be as they are not cheap. I was torn between this one and the Roque Fab bender but I visited a shop that had both and while the Roque fab has some distinct advantages over the horizontal benders most of the applications I was looking to build this will do all of those plus more.

UPS dropped (and I use that word literally) it off at street versus bringing them up to the house as they usually do as they must be way behind.

In doing so the motor cover had been knocked off and they bent the lip of the mounting plate. Easy fixes but aggravating as well.

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The only other issue I had was in mounting the motor...

Notice how many holes?
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Notice something about the hardware? Its a small thing but for some reason its is one of my pet peeves... Missing hardware. I understand things can happen but this is one of the easiest things to fix for companies so that it doesn't happen and yet its also one of most common complaints. This wasn't UPS's fault as the hardware came in a sealed bag and it was intact.

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There is only one "tool" left for the metal shop that I have been trying to decide whether I should build or buy. I ended up buying. My project list that I have slated for this next year is too long and I know I wont have the time to build what I want. The other issue is that I need this item to complete many of those same projects. I decided to call it my Christmas/birthday (for the next couple of years) gift to myself... What is it? you will have to stay tuned... it should be here in a couple of weeks.

*

 

[Duker]

The last thing on the list was fixing my trailer lift. When I brought home the Pacemaker lathe the trailer was at its max and I bent the lift when going through one of my culverts heading up my drive way. It had always been a pain to rotate up and down but now it was almost impossible.

I went a little overboard with the cutting disk but I had to maneuver the grinder in between the support pipe and the lift and it was hard to control. I finally got the mounting plate cut loose.

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Prepped the new Bulldog lift for welding..,

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Welded back into the trailer.

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I need to fill in some of those grind marks and shoot a little paint.

*

 

[casmurbax]

Darn Duke, you got some really nice toys. Nice trailer jack fix. I always hate the jack being that far forward on the tongue, I always get worried of dropping the tail gate on it

 

[larry4406]

Duker - I took a stroll thru this thread and all I can say is wow!

Looks like a fun place to hang out and build whatever

-larry

 

[shortykorte]

Good to hear the plasma cutter is coming along. That should assist in making parts for a really nice garden fence. Happy wife...

Can I send you my roll bar drawing? Lol. Y’all definitely have a nice metal shop coming together.


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[Posi]

....I got the Langmuir Plasma table completed (except for my fluid control mods I am doing) and ran the break-in routine and it worked!

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I'll be watching for your input on the Langmuir plasma table. I've been considering one myself.

 

[Duker]

Darn Duke, you got some really nice toys. Nice trailer jack fix. I always hate the jack being that far forward on the tongue, I always get worried of dropping the tail gate on it

Thanks John. Due to the Covid stuff my wife and I put off some trips we were going to take this year and so we decided to use those funds to get some things we both wanted. Other than a long weekend in February and another long weekend to to celebrate some friends anniversary we stayed home. We both enjoy being out at the barn so I don't think either of us missed the trips and I was able to front run getting some tools I wanted.

You are right about the tailgate and the jack... I have to constantly remind myself. Fortunately this jack hits right about where the tailgate step cover is so it hasn't done any damage when I forget!

Duker - I took a stroll thru this thread and all I can say is wow!

Looks like a fun place to hang out and build whatever

-larry

Good to hear the plasma cutter is coming along. That should assist in making parts for a really nice garden fence. Happy wife...

Can I send you my roll bar drawing? Lol. Y’all definitely have a nice metal shop coming together.

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Thanks Shorty! I have spent waaaay more time in the metal shop than I ever thought I would but my son likes to hang out in there more than the wood shop so I try and find ways to keep both of us engaged in some projects.

In regards to the roll bar drawing... You can come out anytime and bend to your hearts content... that process is beyond my current skill set!

I'll be watching for your input on the Langmuir plasma table. I've been considering one myself.

Thanks Posi... I am a total rookie when it comes to CNC. I have been impressed with the Langmuir system and especially their support. The only thing that has made some sense to me actually is G Code as I write some code in R and Python for work. I hope to fire it up for the first time between Christmas and New Year.

*

 

[Duker]

Well Christmas came early.... I wasn’t expecting this until after the first of the year. I got a call today that it was sitting at the freight terminal. Called it a day for work picked up the trailer and off I went...



Tomorrow’s plans just changed to putting this together.


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[shortykorte]

This? I like This. [emoji12]


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[Duker]

This? I like This. [emoji12]


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I like it too Shorty and this is it.... I was able to get it off the trailer and into the shop before the rain came pouring down!







I was very thankful to have the gantry as I have no idea how I was going to get the legs on otherwise.


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[LXCam]

DoOd, that’s gonna make a ****** craps table.

 

[larry4406]

DoOd, that’s gonna make a ****** craps table.

Agreed! I'll be by to pick it up shortly...

 

[Duker]

DoOd, that’s gonna make a ****** craps table.

Agreed! I'll be by to pick it up shortly...

I was hoping your chips would fall right through and I would clean up both figuratively and literally!


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[rmack898]

Nice table Duke.

 

[Duker]

Thanks Mack! I am picking up some steel tomorrow to use as the first project on the table.

*

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice looking fixturing table Duke.

 

[casmurbax]

Duker uhm your table is full of holes....

Can't wait to see what your building me for Christmas next year.... I mean it's going to be epic! The new lathe, the plasma table and now this.

How much dies that thing way?

 

[Duker]

Duker uhm your table is full of holes....

Can't wait to see what your building me for Christmas next year.... I mean it's going to be epic! The new lathe, the plasma table and now this.

How much dies that thing way?

John , like a giant piece of Swiss cheese! The table is listed as 2190lbs for the imperial version which is 48” x 96”

Nice looking fixturing table Duke.

Thanks Mike! I just need to keep it from getting flat surface disease!



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[Duker]

Had one last item to check off the list before I headed to my parents for Christmas which was to pick up some items I bought at an auction last week. I was only intending to bid on some L1 chucks and back plates but there was this pallet of steel that didn’t have any bids so I took a shot as I could see some solid bar round stock which would come in handy for turning on the lathe.

Here is the pallet after I had moved some pieces over to the steel rack.



Here is the stuff I already moved to the rack. Alll of the round stock is from the auction.



I got a nice surprise as there was this piece of flat bar sticking out of a cardboard box which seemed strange why someone would pack up a piece of flat bar...



Well I pull it out of the box and it happens to be a Starrett 380-72 straight edge



I set it up on my fab table to see how level I had the table set and was glad to see I had managed to get it pretty close with a 6 foot aluminum level I have.







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[Duker]

While at the auction site I noticed a couple 22J collets sitting on a table. I asked site manager if they were in the auction as I would have bid on them. He mentioned that they found them behind one of the lathes that had already been loaded and gone. I said I would buy them and he said just tip the loading guys which I did so two more collets to add to the small collection I have for the Pacemaker and my Sjogren Chuck.

Here is the chuck with one of the collets ..



Here is one next to an R8 collet for scale...



Cost of the steel including the Starrett Straight edge and the collets and tip... 137 bucks with auction fees. The face plates and 15.75 inch 3 and 4 jaw chucks were just under 300 with fees. Not a steal but I thought not a bad way to end a crappy year!



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[shortykorte]

Nice score!!!


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[86turbodsl]

WOW. You ****! That straightedge alone was worth the whole auction haul cost. And you got a 22J chuck? Man, you are really coming up aces!

 

[casmurbax]

That is a nice haul Duker. You and your family have a safe and Merry Christmas.

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice score Duke. You'll love using that collet chuck and just collets in general.

 

[racer-john]

Merry Xmas all, and a prosperous New Year.