Finally moving a few things in!

[OccupantRJ]

As you may have read from me before, I was flooded out of my previous shop. After 10 years, I have finally gotten to a point where I now have another starter facility, although there is much more work to be done.

I have been able to move a few pieces of equipment from my storage trailer 20 minutes away, to my present shop. I keep a forklift at the storage site, and move each piece by trailer, unloading with either a pallet jack or by skidding.

I was able to move my welding table and set it into place recently, so I took a few pics to share. I had welded casters onto it's legs, so this was an easy move. I have set the welding corner up almost exactly like it was in my other shop, and man, does it make a guy feel better to have his shop back!

Please bear in mind that the items I am moving don't look so pretty, but they were also under water 10 years ago. They will all be refurbished as time allows. I bought a new paint gun yesterday for the job(s).

Never take for granted what you have. I have gained a deep appreciation by saving what I worked all those years acquiring.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Next was the large welder and a pallet of parts for one of the compressors, and a second vise. The upright compressor was taken apart to prevent tipping in transport and storage. Welder was purchased post flood for $90 at auction. The machining vises, chuck, and bases on the table were recent freebies. (I know, I ****!) The welding table has already done 2 jobs since being placed. A Powermatic sander was also acquired last week.


RJ

 

[mesquiteforge]

Nice looking shop! I like to see metal working shops on here....as that is what I do for a hobby, most of the shops I see on here are woodshops or mechanic shops. Thanks for the posts and I look forward to seeing more-and congrats on the new "cave".

 

[TheGrooveking]

Cool dog, I've always dug those cabover models.

TheGrooveking

 

[OccupantRJ]

Went back to the mother lode again and drug home a 20 inch Delta bandsaw, a 30 inch Niagra stomp shear, Manual pipe bender, and a 24 inch Di-Acro brake. The shop is filling up fast. I will never run out of projects!

 

[John in OH]

It's looking good! Most of my stuff is currently in storage also, so I can appreciate how nice it must be to get it back into working mode!

Just wondering ... in the background of one of the photos you have your side grinders hanging on the wall in some sort of a blue rack. Can you post another photo or two of how this rack is made?

 

[OccupantRJ]

Take a look at this, and I'll try to post close ups later. I am making a couple more now.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54643

 

[OccupantRJ]

It was really nice outside here today, so I went back to the mother lode (my storage trailer) and retrieved one of my media blast cabinets. I'm trying to set up the shop so things are in their planned position, so I needed it to fit into a corner. It will also be the key player in the restoration of my equipment from the flood. Took the utility trailer, went to the location and loaded out. I had previously made the blast cabinet and filter baghouse into a modular system with casters, so it was pretty easy to tilt the trailer to unload into the shop at home. Three more pieces of shop equipment left to haul!

 

[OccupantRJ]

Took a half day off work yesterday, as the weather is absolutely beautiful here right now. I figured to get a head start on my Spring activities, so I went back to my storage trailer to get the last 2 major pieces of equipment moved to my shop.

They were a Clausing metal lathe and a Monarch 20 inch woodcutting band saw. Loaded the bandsaw first, as it was on a pallet, and this would allow me to get it out easier. The lathe had been bolted to some cribbed 4 X 4 pieces acquired from a friend who replaces broken sign posts for the state.

I had to load the lathe the long way in the trailer with my forklift as it is wider than the trailer. When I got home, I parked it for the night and tackled the unloading this morning.

It took a bit of creativity and help from my four legged shop helper, but it came off fairly easily. Notice how my helper is checking out our setup, before his approval. Luckily there was enough overhang on the long wood runners to just be able to get a bite with the pallet jack on one end, and on the other, I had to cantelever a piece of 2 X 6 to be able to get a floor jack under it.

I have all the components for the lathe, but had previously started disassembly for restoration. I bought it from a local salvage yard for $100, as the company that owned it had broken the jackshaft support with a forklift. The support has already been repaired and tested, awaiting an overall restoration. The scab plates can be seen bolted to the jackshaft casting.

Now that all my equipment is in the shop, looks like I will have plenty of projects to work on for a looong time. Who needs to build anything in the shop, the shop IS the project.

 

[ddawg16]

RJ.....looks great.....finally got the walls done did ya? Have you done the ceiling yet?

Does the crapper work now?

And what did you do with the blue welding table?

And where did you put the Bridgeport? New room as you talked about?

 

[OccupantRJ]

John, all the walls are done and painted, no progress on the restroom or the ceiling yet. I have ductwork and a hoist rail to run overhead before closing it up. Just did tool hanger projects during the cold weather. I moved the Bridgeport into the side room you helped on, last weekend. The lathe will also be going in there.

I'm trying to get the major players into position so I can see what fits where. It will be tight, but I think I can swing it. The welding table is painted blue and still covered with any loose items I can find, it seems. I'm going to be building a couple of wide, narrow drawers under it, one to house my large set of taps and dies, and the other to hold the die grinders and all their cutters.

It's still somewhat of a mess in there, but now I can see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I may end up buying another portable high cfm compressor to blast the equipment, as I have a lot to do. I had one when I was building street rods, but sold it later, should have kept it. I had it set up so I could power up my whole shop air system with it. There was no lack of air with that sucker.

 

[A_Pmech]

Who needs to build anything in the shop, the shop IS the project.

I know ALL about that.



Good to see you're starting to get things set up again. Enjoying the unseasonable temperatures too?

 

[OccupantRJ]

I know ALL about that.



Good to see you're starting to get things set up again. Enjoying the unseasonable temperatures too?

You bet. I was unloading this stuff, and had a guy hired to clear 200 feet of a very large ditchbank along my property line, by hand, that a sideboy mower couldn't get to, due to power pole, trees and such. He works like the energizer bunny, and he sure earned what it cost me. If I keep this kind of progress up, I may be able to relax with a cool one before Spring even gets here.

 

[NUTTSGT]

With all that serious equipment to move, how does your back feel ?

 

[OccupantRJ]

Eric, in a former life I was a millwright, so moving and setting machinery was my profession, and still do a lot of it at work. In my personal collection, I have everything needed to do the job with, from pry bars and machinery skates to a forklift, so it's usually not too bad to deal with. The pallet jack was a later acquisition, and it saves a lot of hassle inside the shop moving things around. Found it on CL for $85, when a janitorial warehouse went under. I am constantly physically active both at work and at home, so I do pretty well most of the time. I think that's the key for us upper middle age guys.

 

[poppop]

Where is your pugs tail?

 

[OccupantRJ]

Where is your pugs tail?

He's not a pug. He's a French Bulldog. I do also have a pug, but she's usually running around the yard chasing things. The bulldog is rarely more than a few feet from me around the house and shop.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Eric, in a former life I was a millwright, so moving and setting machinery was my profession, and still do a lot of it at work. In my personal collection, I have everything needed to do the job with, from pry bars and machinery skates to a forklift, so it's usually not too bad to deal with. The pallet jack was a later acquisition, and it saves a lot of hassle inside the shop moving things around. Found it on CL for $85, when a janitorial warehouse went under. I am constantly physically active both at work and at home, so I do pretty well most of the time. I think that's they key for us upper middle age guys.

Having the proper tools truly makes life easier and the job more enjoyable.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Since I only had one more heavy piece to move from my storage trailer, I chose today to finish up that chapter in my moving all this stuff. I stopped by a transmission shop about a half mile from the storage site, and arranged with the owner to move my forklift for me.

He went to lunch, then showed up just as I was finishing changing out the hydraulic fluid in my 35 hp diesel tractor, which will be delivered to my shop Sunday for me by a friend. He's borrowing it and my son, to do some ground work at his house. He's also kicking in a spare 5 gallon bucket of hydraulic oil in the deal.

The forklift was loaded onto a rollback and hauled about 20 miles to my place. The guy moved the unit for $60 cash. Not a bad deal in my book. The forklift has been both under a shelter and sometimes outside for the last six years, so a little refreshing will be in order. I'll be painting it and re-installing the overhead guard, along with some lighting for night work. The guard will be shortened an inch or so, as this was the reason it had to be removed. It would not go through my original 7 foot garage door.

 

[onewaydave]

The lathe for $100 and

The machining vises, chuck, and bases on the table were recent freebies. (I know, I ****!)

Yup!

French Bulldog, huh. He looks always pi$$ed off. Or is that just his supervisor role?

Nice shop and lots of work for it.

Dave.

 

[A_Pmech]

Nice looking forklift, I like the design!

 

[OccupantRJ]

The lathe for $100 and


Yup!

French Bulldog, huh. He looks always pi$$ed off. Or is that just his supervisor role?

Nice shop and lots of work for it.

Dave.

Thanks. Now you know how I got the theme for my avatar. The flood kicked my ****, but I had just got to the point of accumulating all this stuff when it hit. I was bound and determined not to let it control my destiny. The Frenchie is actually one of the frendliest dogs you will ever see. They were once the chic dog of the French and British prostitutes. He doesn't stray far from me when I'm around the house, and you will see him in several of my pics, because he's always near me. It's actually hard to get him out of the shot to take a pic. He's a shop dog for sure, and could care less when I'm making a lot of noise. Have to lock him out when I'm welding.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Nice looking forklift, I like the design!

Thanks. The design is pretty cool, as the seat and steering are offset to the left of the unit. This makes it easier to see at least the left fork upon entering a load. Only thing is, I drive a 3 stick controlled unit daily at work, and mine is a joystick model. This allows it to make simultaneous moves. Every time I get on it, I have to think about it for a second. It was purchased in rough condition and completely rebuilt in 2004 for the move, but the weather has gotten to it, so it needs refreshing. I have somewhere to keep it out of the weather now. Just gotta pour an entry ramp for it. My storage trailer will remain at my son's house so we can both use it for general storage of "project materials".

 

[ddawg16]

French Bulldog, huh. He looks always pi$$ed off. Or is that just his supervisor role?
Dave.

That 'not so little...well fed' bulldog is the friendlest guy you will meet.....he and I get along just fine.....if I sit down, he comes up to me so I can give him a good scratch....makes this neat little grunting sound as if saying "Oh yea, thats it...right there....little more to the right.....oooo yea....you got it....just a little harder.....ooooooo yea....now your talking.....keep it up......I'm in dog heaven now.....ooooo baby.....oooo yea....."

 

[OccupantRJ]

John, you sure got the dog pegged with that description!

 

[Ryan]

Man... you got some neat old stuff.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Finally! The last major piece! My BIL had borrowed my smaller blast cabinet for a year or so while I was reworking my shop. How could I refuse? He's one of my best friends, both ready to jump if the other needs something. He's also my resident brickmason and pilot. Unusual combo, huh?

Anyway, I had to go to the next town today to get some bearings to go in my bandsaw motor that was flooded, so I dropped by his shop on the way back and picked up the blast cabinet. The cyclone dust separator on the back of the cabinet is one I made about 15 years ago from an old well water tank I had around at the time. My mother sewed the filter bag for me from some permeable material she had in her sewing stock.

The cyclone pulls dust from the cabinet, slings out the heavy particles which slide down the outer wall to the suction tube, where they are recirculated in the cabinet for use. The nuisance dust is blown into the dust bag which inflates in use, then falls into the bucket at the bottom, to be disposed of. The cabinet, like everything else that was flooded, will be refurbished along the way, as I get the chance.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Blast cabinet has been refurbished and ready for use. See the thread below.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124933

 

[OccupantRJ]

The lathe in this thread has been restored and moved into final position as of today.

 

[OccupantRJ]

The Di-Acro brake in this thread was restored last week and is ready to move into it’s position in the shop

 

[OccupantRJ]

The Delta 20” woodcutting bandsaw got a restore a few months ago and is in place.

 

[dfiler2]

It all looks really nice, I just read the thread, thanks for sharing it all with us.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I just finished the refurbish of my Rotex turret punch yesterday.

 

[Toolfool]

Your refurbs look great. Way to bounce back from the flood. Merry Christmas !

 

[tarmy]

I just finished the refurbish of my Rotex turret punch yesterday.

What is that tool used for?

 

[OccupantRJ]

What is that tool used for?

Punching holes fron 1/8” to 2” in sheet metal.
Check this link from when I acquired it for more in depth info.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99288

 

[Notgrownup]

See I’m not the only one who didn’t know....I’m glad...

 

[Firstram]

It was way before my time but i'm curious about the flood.

Hurricane Florence put 4' of water in my shop. The majority of my metalworking/welding tools were safe in Atlanta but, 2 planers, a jointer and my table saw went for a swim. I was able to save lots of smalls but didn't get the large items out in time.

I'm glad to see you've been able to referb your stuff, it gives me some hope for the future.

 

[OccupantRJ]

If you will spray the moving parts with penetrant and turn them to keep them free, you should have a good shot at it. The trick is to constantly turn things. Spray motor oil on most things until you can get to it. A lot of my tools were useable as is after drying out, just not so pretty. I am still running electric motors that were under water for days. It all depends on what was in the water that would create an acidic condition. Blow out motors and try them. An orbital sander will do pretty work on machined surfaces. Just pick an item and go at it. Wd40 and maroon scotchbrite will be your friend. If you need any more specific tips, just PM me.

 

[1/2 Cup]

OccupantRJ nice work on the punch..