Above 1200 Sq/FT Ernie's Place

[StormcrowAz]

Justin and Mike – Much appreciated, thanks!





It was a weird and banner week for free tools. The wife’s aunt and uncle stopped by with some stuff they said they thought I might be able to use. I think the alternative was they were going to put it out with bulk trash. First was this torch, not sure what I would use it for…but sure looks like a cool antique.



Then there’s this vise, which they said was probably used by their father.



A little penetrating oil and it opens and closes smoothly. Looks like they never used it without the copper inserts in place. The original cross hatching on the jaws looks practically untouched.



Think I will replace this Columbian on my work bench. Almost feel bad for the Reed because I’m sure it will get some battle scars. But it would be an upgrade and what good would it be sitting on a shelf when I can use it?



Our company president asked if I was interest in a box full of tools he couldn’t use any more. Issues with his hands, I guess. So of course I said “sure”. Turns out the box was his old footlocker from when he joined the Marines. He said up to sometime in the 80’s they still used wood and then later switched to kind of a plastic Pelican-type case. Kinda neat in and of itself.



Looks like a lot of wrenches and other misc. stuff, still need to go through it.




Spent a little time on the Scout. Welded up some holes in the rear quarter panel. Looks like previous owner tried some slide hammer work. My buddy came over and did a little body work to take some of the wrinkles out.



While he hammered away, I welded the transfer case clearance bump-out in the passenger foot well.



Lengthened the transfer case stick-shift hole in the transmission tunnel cover to accommodate the new twin stick set-up.



Took the piece that I cut out, flipped it around, and used it to fill in the top gap.



I think I’ll tackle steering next, so pulled the nose piece out of storage so I can see what kind of room I have for the steering box. Nice to see it starting to look like a car again.



Put the dash in so I can measure for the steering column.



So much to do, so little time…

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Those old blow torches can be repurposed:

 

[StormcrowAz]

Jeff – I think you can pretty much turn anything into a lamp. I think I’ll let this torch hang out with some other old-timey collectables, in attempts to mimic Don Long on a very, very small scale. Thanks for stopping by!




My neighbor got the wood cut for the rolling gate and I added some handles and then a latch so he could throw a padlock on it if needed. Should be ready for powder coat. It was getting towards sunset, and the shadow on the gate is from his car.

 

[Finallygotit]

Great work on the gate Todd! I'm anxious to see it after powder coat. Any plans for the wood? Staining, etc?

 

[StormcrowAz]

Dan – Thank you! I think he’s planning on doing something…staining, sealing, combination of both, or…? Don’t think he’s fully made up his mind yet as he’s focusing on getting the wood panels for the smaller matching gate done. Gotta say I’m a bit a bit envious as all my gates are plain and generic. Maybe I’ll upgrade mine one of these days…“Him that makes shoes go barefoot himself.”



Taking the side by side out this weekend so want to fix the gas/water cans that took a hit (literally) at Sand Hollow. Cutting out the old mounts and welding in new ones. Did a good walk-around of the car, inspecting weld joints and such, to make sure no other structural damage is evident.



For S&G’s I plugged in the DRO that is attached to the Bridgeport. Pleasantly surprised that it actually seems functional, especially considering I’ve never seen it on or in use at work. Didn’t deep dive for accuracy, but using the x and y dials it looks pretty close. From what I’ve read Newall is a decent brand.



Encouraged by that success I figured I would try the x-axis power feed. Original Bridgeport equipment. Looks like I pushed my luck too far, as it didn’t turn on at all. Will have to do a little digging to see if it can be salvaged.


I also did a serial number search and it looks like this machine was made in 1976!

 

[Finallygotit]

Todd, I would bet that the fuse is blown on the power feed. It's in the unit mounted to the side of the machine base.

HTH

 

[StormcrowAz]

Dan – That sounds like a good place to start, thanks! The power cord goes into that unit and there’s a switch and what I’m guessing is a power-indicator light. Neither of which seem to do anything when plugged in and turned on.



My riding buddy got sick, so spent the weekend in the shop instead. Started with a bit of a clean-up (or more accurately: “re-arranging junk and a bit of sweeping”) in preparation for the Bridgeport installation.

Some of the stuff scored from work was this tote full of punches. Before this I had zero punches and I’m not really sure what I will do with them or that I really need any…but it’s hard to turn down free tools. Had to clear out space at ground level under the shelf wall, as full the tote is almost too heavy to lift.



Going to try shoe-horning the mill in this window cut-out of shelving. Plan is to raise it up, pull out the furniture dollies, and set it down on pipe so it can roll back the couple feet to its home. The neighbor has a John Deere with fork attachments, so going to use that to tilt the base up enough to remove the last pipe and maybe tweak it into final position.



Spent some time programming stuff for the plasma table. Starting with this patch for the Scout transmission tunnel cover. Didn’t actually weld it in place yet, though.



Instead, decided to tackle the work bench vise project. Cut out this vise plate and gussets out of 3/8” plate. Picked several pieces of plate from the steel yard scrap pile and they had some pre-existing holes in them, which is why this part has one hole in a random place.


Left the base plate just a tad oversized for the vise to sit on.



Going with the receiver-hitch concept at the end of the work bench. Hoping that I can also use it for the new tubing bender as well. Basically copied the design and dimensions from the hitch on my truck, figuring if it’s good enough for a 1-ton truck to tow heavy trailers around, it should be plenty fine for small tool attachments. Also went with the ole corner nut trick to take out any slop for whatever is inserted.



Welded it to the table



Test fit. Made sure to push it forward enough so any large pieces clamped in the jaws would clear the table edge.



Base plate and gussets welded to the square tubing



Done. Freed up a few square inches of table space and hopefully added some interchangeable functionality.

 

[SilverJimmy]

Cool torch! Now you need the rest of it….

I have a torch like your that was in my dad’s stuff and my wife gave me the old soldering iron to me for my birthday years ago. Had no idea that they actually worked together till I saw this collection in my buddy’s shop…

The torch is for a plumber or sheet metal worker to make soldered joints!

 

[zmotorsports]

Cool torch! Now you need the rest of it….

I have a torch like your that was in my dad’s stuff and my wife gave me the old soldering iron to me for my birthday years ago. Had no idea that they actually worked together till I saw this collection in my buddy’s shop…

The torch is for a plumber or sheet metal worker to make soldered joints!

We used to use one just like that for burning ditch back on the farm. I often wondered what the "official" intended use was.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Silver Jimmy - Wow! Thanks for sharing that! I was wondering what the little hook on the top was for. I got a little excited because I thought I actually had one of those irons kicking around. After a little digging I found it, and while similar it's not the same. Maybe it's the next gen iron using electricity.


I think I'm going to make one of those irons to match the torch. Again, thanks for posting that. Much appreciated!



On a completely unrelated note. Anyone else ever get up at 3:30am to measure their wheel off-set?

 

[j p smith]

Hey Todd. Looks like you have lots of good stuff going on. Amazing amount of letter & number stamps. You can move the mill very easily with pipes. I have moved mine 3 or 4 times just using pipes and a bar. You can move the table in or out to help with pry bar leverage. let me know if you need help, I can bring pipes and a couple of bars.

 

[Finallygotit]

On a completely unrelated note. Anyone else ever get up at 3:30am to measure their wheel off-set?

Couldn't shut the mind off? I usually stay in the house. May have to try meandering out to the shop next time.

 

[SilverJimmy]

Once I got my EX-CEL-O mill as close as I could with my forklift, I finished moving it with a couple 24” Snap-On prybars. It was very easy to move it exactly to where I wanted it, probably over 12” total move. I think I read somewhere that the pyramids were built without the wheel, all they had were levers!

 

[PugetDude]

Lever
Fulcrum
Incline plane.

It all comes back to that.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Jeff – Seems like too much going on, sometimes. I have pipes and a few leveraging devices, but what I lack is experience and probably technique. What’s your schedule like?



Dan – To be fair, I’m typically up by 4 regardless as I’m out the door by 5 for work. I am usually not out in the shop in my PJ’s taking wheels off cars right after I get up, though. I think I’ve settled on what wheels to get for the Scout and will see if I can pick up some cheap used tires to get the suspension set up.


Silver and Scott – “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”

 

[j p smith]

Jeff – Seems like too much going on, sometimes. I have pipes and a few leveraging devices, but what I lack is experience and probably technique. What’s your schedule like?



Dan – To be fair, I’m typically up by 4 regardless as I’m out the door by 5 for work. I am usually not out in the shop in my PJ’s taking wheels off cars right after I get up, though. I think I’ve settled on what wheels to get for the Scout and will see if I can pick up some cheap used tires to get the suspension set up.


Silver and Scott – “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”

Todd I will text you

 

[StormcrowAz]

Picked up some new seats for the Scout. These are the second row Stow-and-Go seats out of a Chrysler Pacifica. Found a guy here that buys them from another outfit that retro-fits the mini-vans and the seats are brand-new take-outs. Nice and narrow and not too tall. May take the arm-rests off. Temporarily placed in there for visuals.





The other neat thing is that they fold flat. Should come in handy for entrance and egress for passengers sitting in the back..


And speaking of rear passenger seats…instead of putting a mini bench seat in the back (factory-style), I bought an extra pair of buckets and think I’ll be able to squeeze them back there instead.



Got the Bridgeport situated. Thank you again Jeff for coming over and lending your expertise and doing all the hard work. J









Now that it’s home, time to start working on electrical and get it running again.

 

[Finallygotit]

Todd, those new seats look right at home in the Scout.

 

[SilverJimmy]

I put those same seats in my Samurai! They are very comfortable, and the folding feature is neat. I’ve been meaning to ask you, what are those shelf brackets, where did you get them? Nice job on moving the Bridgeport, can’t wait to start using my mill!

 

[rattle_snake]

Nice pick on the seats. Looks like they fit well.

Did you sit in them and make motor noises?

 

[StormcrowAz]

Dan – Yeah, not too bad. I was originally thinking racing type seats that hug you a little more, maybe ones I could run a 4 point harness in. But really, I don’t plan on doing any crazy stuff in it and a regular shoulder belt should be fine. Plus the cost… These seat backs are a little flatter but overall they do seem to look decent in there. Time will tell how comfy they are.


Silver Jimmy – Good to hear these seats get a thumbs-up. The shelving came with the house/shop, but according to a barcode sticker I found on one of them…


They appear to be a “Simpson Strong Tie RTC24 Rigid Tie Connector”.
https://www.amazon.com/Simpson-Strong-RTC24-Rigid-Connector/dp/B000VYGHF2/?tag=atomicindus08-20


Justin – Hah! Not yet! I just threw some stuff under them to get a rough ride height and probably not stable enough to sit on and enjoy making vroom vroom noises. Need to figure out adding some infrastructure under the seat to support bracketry and such. Still not sure if it’s worth putting sliders in or not.

 

[drivesitfar]

Sorry to hear about your job but I’m guessing with your skills and positive attitude you’ll find something to equal or better your old one.

Moving heavy items by yourself can be hard but with smart friends that are willing to lend a hand it’s sure easier. I can’t wait to see what you can make with your new equipment.

I get up early every day and haven’t set an alarm in maybe 30 years. honestly it’s the best time to think and do many things.

 

[StormcrowAz]

New wheels for the Scout. The ones I have on it now are 15’s and the rear calipers rub a little, so instead of grinding on brake parts figured I’d just get some 17’s. Probably not the best wheels, but these were relatively inexpensive and (hopefully) durable. Will have to look up the local llantera shop for a cheap set of rollers.




Worked on the Bridgeport a bit to getting it running again. Pulled the drum switch and dreamt up a bracket to house the VFD. Programmed and cut on the plasma table.



I read somewhere that the triangle shape was inherently strong and that adding holes in your parts reduces weight and Dramatically Improves Performance. If I get it polished and chromed maybe I’ll even gain an extra horsepower or so?



Drilled mounting holes and bent it on the brake press.







Not too bad. This VFD is a little big, but I like the simplicity and ease of wiring and operation. All knobs and switches. It’s a sealed case, too.



The cut outs may actually serve a purpose in a small way, allowing some airflow to the cooling fins on the back. Not sure how hot this unit actually gets, but hey…can’t hurt. Right?



The bracket flexed at the bend a bit too much for my liking, so slapped a few gussets on it.



That worked well enough and the gussets don’t really detract from the overall look because, well, you can’t really see any of the bracket once installed. But it’s neat and it let me play with cool toys so I’m happy.



Oh, and I did get it powered up and everything seems to work fine. Forward, reverse, and all that. Still need one liquid tight connection for the wiring at the box and it will be good to go. Plus need to wire in a new receptacle, been using the welding extension cord for testing.

 

[Finallygotit]

Nice work, Todd! Question, do you plan on leaving the speed on the J head in one position then use the VFD for the actual speed?

 

[StormcrowAz]

Dan – I was really only going to use the VFD for the phase conversion, main power shut-off, and then the forward/reverse switch. The vari-speed wheel on the mill has the RPM’s listed, whereas the VFD only has 1 thru 10 on the knob. I haven’t really looked into which would be “best” but using the Bridgeport to do Bridgeport things seemed like a good idea. What do you think?



Since I’m here…I keep forgetting to post this small project. While I had the plasma table fired up, I made me a receiver hitch cover for the truck.

 

[Finallygotit]

Todd, I agree with what you want to do. Having a somewhat accurate setting for speed on the Bridgeport is better than guessing with the VFD. I would just make sure to mark the dial on the VFD were the base setting should be. As I get older I sometimes have a tendency to bump things and forget where to put the dial back to.

I like the hitch cover!

 

[StormcrowAz]

Not much progress lately, busy with work and other non-garage related things not picture worthy.


Did manage to get the Bridgeport up and running. Added new receptacles and plug ends for the VFD and accessory stuff.



Put new outlets in this box. Was going to remove the old fuse/switch set-up, as it seems a bit pointless to have a 30A fuse on a 15A circuit, but left it as I like the nostalgic feel to it. Plus it still works.



Told myself I wasn’t going to spend the time/effort in painting the VFD bracket, as it was stainless and nobody is going to see it anyways. So I went ahead and painted it anyways. I already had a can of grey in the cabinet.





Up and running. High on the to-do list is going to be pulling the table off and giving the ways and knee a good cleaning as it really needs it. Will re-build the One-Shot lube system while I’m at it.





The neighbor got his gates back from powder coat, finished the wood inserts, and final-installed everything. He did a combination of staining and just oiling to get a nice differentiation in colors and contrasts. I think everything turned out really nice.

Small gate





Rolling gate

 

[drivesitfar]

Great work on the gate. Your welding and steel support work made his woodwork a lot easier. From my chair it looks pretty level too!!

As your skills and tools improve the quality of your projects are improving 10 fold so keep up the great progress.

 

[PugetDude]

Awesome job on the gate, Todd!
May have to plagiarize that one.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Another month gone and not much progress on projects. Work is steadily closing down as we finish up the last parts in the pipeline. As each department shuts down we’re cleaning and getting rid of everything. It’s hard to pass up free stuff.


Nobody wanted this fire cabinet



Got this table to cannibalize for the materials. Good casters and 1/8” sheet for the top and bottom shelf.



Some extra stuff from our inspection department



A sampling



Got this nice little rotary table, too



There’s tonnage of carts, racks, and cabinets that’s been shoved outside for our “parking lot sale”. Got a few For Sale signs up and will eventually put it out on Craigslist and such. What won’t sell will go to the scrap yard. Got to pick my battles as there just too much stuff to follow me home and I only have so much free space.







Did manage to get out and have a bit of fun in the desert, turning money into noise.









It was a perfect day out and we all had a great time. The next day one of my good friends of 25+ years (that was out there with us) passed away from a heart attack while shaving. That’s two of my close friends in as many years that has passed. The other was lost to a long battle with cancer. I know we all have an expiration date, but really thought I’d have another 10-15 years before I started to see those I cared about move on. Mid 50’s just seems like it’s too soon and it’s been a bit to process. He left behind a 15 year boy and a 7 year old boxer. One of our core group took the kid in (the rest of his blood relatives were more worried about material items and what kind of money they were going to get) and we adopted the dog into our pack.

 

[StormcrowAz]

And finally, looking for a little input and opinions. I should be picking this up from work in a couple weeks





After wandering around the shop with a tape measure for a long time, placement looks like it will be one of those “lesser of evils” scenarios. Only so many places it will fit and things I’m willing to sacrifice on and re-organize. I think I’ve settle for just in front of the lift next to the plasma cutter. I’m hesitant to clutter up the space in front of where I’ll be working on vehicles, but there should be almost be at least 3 feet of clearance between the lathe and a car. What do you think for placement and future projects? Everything else has wheels and I can move around, the lathe…not so much.









That new cart is roughly the same footprint of the lathe, so I rolled it over and put it in place to get a better real-life visual and feel for what it would be like.









Not a problem, terrible idea, or something in between?

 

[PugetDude]

Looks like a good spot for the lathe ,Todd.
Congratulations on all the industrial surplus, too bad about the job loss. What's the plan there?

 

[Finallygotit]

Todd, nice score on the inspection stuff! I'm sure the new (to you) pup scored on finding a new home. Really sorry about your friend. I know what it's like starting to lose people close to you. Really *****.........

As for the lathe, I think it should be fine there. I don't think you're going to have vehicles on the lift all the time so the small-ish walk space won't be an issue.

 

[SilverJimmy]

You also could back a vehicle onto your lift and then work at that end. I’ve done that for years on my lift in the current shop, pretty easy and then nothing in the way.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Scott - Well, I've been in manufacturing, repair, and overhaul of aerospace components since 1989. I thought maybe a change would be good, so I finished up schooling and the OTJ for becoming a home inspector. Just got fingerprinted last week and will send off the application packet as soon as I get the DPS card back. Maybe I've just been institutionalized by the 9-5, but I am worried about being able to make enough doing home inspections to cover mortgage and be able to eat something other than top ramen. Thinking I might need to get a regular aerospace job in the mean-time until the inspection gig gets going. I've committed to staying here until the place shuts down, so still have a few more months left before going anywhere.

Dan - Thanks for your input! And yes, I'd like to think the pup is in a good place now. From what I understand she's had a bit of a rough history, but hopefully that's all behind her now and it's nothing but treats and soft beds for the rest of her days.

 

[Finallygotit]

BTW, I'm a bit envious of your fun with those long guns. Must have been a lot of noise!

 

[Chrisb62]

Sorry about your buddy.

I am of the mind set that machining chips should be kind of together, so maybe in font of the mill, that also allows for running both machines if need be. Plus it also removes any chance of accidentally breaking a handle on the lathe, or worse a handle or two in the back. Either way do what is right for you, and we will sit back and watch.

 

[StormcrowAz]

SilverJimmy - That's a good point and not something I have done yet. Will certainly keep that in mind, thanks!

Dan - Yes, it was an especially epic shoot day. A friend of ours managed to free up some time and join us out there. His entire career post-military has been about machine guns. Manufacturing, repairing, and military/law enforcement education. Everything was 100% legitimate, no bad clones or copies or hacked together firearms. Everything full auto. M4 with 3 round burst option, belt-fed M249, MP5, mini-Uzi, etc. etc. Some of these he'd recently built and not had a chance to test fire. We were happy to help with that!


Chrisb62 - I hear ya about keeping like processes together. I looked hard at putting it just left of the mill, but the overhead shelving and then the mezzanine supports were getting in the way. Really didn't want to stick it in the middle of floor space as I want to keep as much clear and free to work on projects and such. Definitely appreciate the feedback, thanks!

 

[StormcrowAz]

The wife got me a new drone to help with roof inspections, and I’ve been putting some flight time in. Took it up over our roof for some practice and found this nice little surprise.



The edge tiles on the roof are pulling away from the house.





Cleaned out the debris and looks like the trim board that the tiles are anchored to was only held in place by a single nail every couple of feet. Guessing the weight of the dozen or so cement tiles just slowly pulled the board away from the house.



Pulled the edge tiles off and removed the few nails holding the trim board to the house. The board was still in good shape so just re-attached it using two deck screws every 12 inches or so. Overlapped new underlayment (after an obligatory trip to Home Depot) and put the tiles back. I learned that roof repairs are another fun way to spend your weekend. At least it doesn’t rain here much and there wasn’t any discernable water damage.





It was also a busy week for bringing more stuff home from work.

Scored this nice Lyon cabinet



Some more storage bins, still full of electrical supplies. The table behind the bins is 3’ x 4’ and the top is 1” steel plate. Thinking that might make for a nice fixture table if I can find a mag drill to put holes in it.



Brought home a ton (probably literally) of miscellaneous aluminum and steel pieces.



Also grabbed this piece of aluminum plate, roughly 4’ x 6’ x 1”. Thinking I might make this my new and improved workbench and welding table.

 

[PugetDude]

Scored this nice table behind the bins is 3’ x 4’ and the top is 1” steel plate. Thinking that might make for a nice fixture table if I can find a mag drill to put holes

Todd, just picked up a used Hougen Mag Drill on eBay. You are welcome to use it if you want.