Above 1200 Sq/FT LilScorpion’s Fab Space

[lilscorpion]

Here’s a couple of better pics of the rivnuts and how I install them. Notice I’m clamping it to one of the wall organizers. this is the backside.



And the front.



I spent the afternoon installing the panels. Got them all up but ran out of both rivnuts and screws which sucked. These panels will straddle the surface mounted conduit so I have to French the conduit into the sides of the panels. I started by leaning the panel up against the wall and marked above and below the conduit. Then I found a washer that’s just a hair bigger than the conduit and traced it with a sharpie.



Cut to the left and the right with a cutoff wheel in a grinder then just kiss the middle of the circle so I can break it off.



From there I make a bunch of little cuts into the circle stopping at the line. After I touched it up a bit with a carbide burr.



This will look so much cleaner and I get my wall back.





…and got my knuckles with the cut off wheel cutting up the scrap of a sheet on the plasma table. Would have been lots worse if I wasn’t wearing gloves.

 

[bugnut]

Beautiful work, scrambles my ocd, now to powder coat it all, WOW!!

 

[rattle_snake]

powder coat your knuckles for improved abrasion resistance?

 

[KwikFab]

powder coat your knuckles for improved abrasion resistance?

Agree with this suggestion, maybe even chrome dip

Freshly plasma cut edge burned through my glove last week and seared the top of my finger



That's some awesome work on those metal boards!

Why do you feel you need to dial in the table more? Normally you can knock out each thickness within a few cuts.

That and I'd say everything already looks good.

 

[lilscorpion]

Agree with this suggestion, maybe even chrome dip

Freshly plasma cut edge burned through my glove last week and seared the top of my finger



That's some awesome work on those metal boards!

Why do you feel you need to dial in the table more? Normally you can knock out each thickness within a few cuts.

That and I'd say everything already looks good.

It’s not the table really, it’s dialing in the cut settings in Fusion and tightening up the back gauge on the press brake. They’re very close tho

 

[KwikFab]

It’s not the table really, it’s dialing in the cut settings in Fusion and tightening up the back gauge on the press brake. They’re very close tho

You mean your CAM settings?

Does Shopsabre not have its own CAM programming? Asking because I'm not familiar with your Shopsabre but do have a lot of experience in CAM with using a Langmuir.

Since switching tables, I use that manufacturer's own software for my CAM and just use Fusion for my DXF.

 

[lilscorpion]

taking more and more things to a higher level concurrently. Quite impressive. Probably a clinical name for it.

Oh there absolutely is…

 

[lilscorpion]

You mean your CAM settings?

Does Shopsabre not have its own CAM programming? Asking because I'm not familiar with your Shopsabre but do have a lot of experience in CAM with using a Langmuir.

Since switching tables, I use that manufacturer's own software for my CAM and just use Fusion for my DXF.

Yes, CAM. The setup in Fusion is fairly intuitive with a little practice and ShopSabre has a post for its plasma. There are things I’ve not figured out yet in CAM like how to nest a small slot - e.g. .100 wide x 1/2” long slot for tab and slot piece together models.

To be honest, I dont know. I intentionally decided to standardize to a single software and use it on all my machines (3d printers, CNC Knee Mill, ShopSabre router & Plasma, Titan).

 

[lilscorpion]

One of the financial justifications for getting a press brake was baked into the new shop build plan, specifically drawer pulls for shop and garage cabinets. In my last refresh of my old garage I built the cabinets to look and function like a big toolbox and sourced some aluminum pulls that fit the part. Here’s a little time warp back…



These pulls weren’t cheap. i think I paid nearly $100 for an 8’ long piece which I was able to cut down and use on 3-6 drawers depending on drawer width. All in I do recall spending about $1000 or so. Yes, it was pricy but my budget was at or less than one very large mechanics toolbox at the time which I spent way less than overall. One of the down sides to sourcing 8’ lengths is that I had a bunch of stubby unusable pieces that just went in the trash. Now Imagine how much it would cost to buy the same ones for all of my new cabinets….

With the press brake and plasma table my plan is to make my own, and a **** ton of them, at a fraction of the price and to my specs reducing, maybe nearly eliminating, waste. Here’s what I came up with.



Very similar in form and function but with a few tweaks unique to my cabinets. I wanted the drawer pulls and drawer fronts ti overlap the face frame to prevent **** from getting into the drawers and specifically the slides so I overlapped each side by .200.



I used functions in fusion 360 to design them and all I have to do is measure and enter the width of the drawer itself and I get a perfect part every time with appropriate overlap, length, and internal self-locating mount with screw holes pre-drilled.



I have a punch designed for the thicker material that has a fairly large radius nose which I used to give the outer edge a nice round edge.



And the look isn’t too dissimilar to the old shops except their steel instead of aluminum (more heavy duty and easier to fix the finish on). Keep in mind they stick out a bit because I haven’t made the drawer fronts yet, that remains to be figured out on the CNC router but is coming soon. I cut, formed, and installed pulls on one entire side of the shop in a single day. I was able to cut enough slides for two 28” wide cabinets, each with 6 drawers, out of one 4x4 piece if 14ga cold finish ant about $120.

Yes, of course they’ll be powder coated to match the tools panels on the walls behind the benches.

 

[KwikFab]

Yes, CAM. The setup in Fusion is fairly intuitive with a little practice and ShopSabre has a post for its plasma. There are things I’ve not figured out yet in CAM like how to nest a small slot - e.g. .100 wide x 1/2” long slot for tab and slot piece together models.

To be honest, I dont know. I intentionally decided to standardize to a single software and use it on all my machines (3d printers, CNC Knee Mill, ShopSabre router & Plasma, Titan).

Ahh see there goes the rub, but I get it now.

I ask because while Fusion does offer quite a few CAM features (used it for over 2 years myself on plasma), it isn't as good as a dedicated CAM software like Sheetcam.

Now I'm also no Sheetcam user, but it does offer a lot of things Fusion doesn't.

The use of user-defined rules (all saved by you the same way a tool library is) is easy to deploy on any given program versus having to individually make multiple profiles for the best possible cut quality on anything. Then there's also the manufacturer's provided Post Processor as I've personally found that not every Fusion CAM feature carries over to one's G-code.

You have a hell of a CNC table, one I looked at getting myself. Normally with such tables, the built-in software is way better than any of the freebies out there like Fusion.

I say this because ever since I went the STV route, I gave up doing my CAM on Fusion altogether and my work-flow is not only faster, my cut quality is just the same without all the extra work.

 

[LXCam]

Yes, CAM.

WHAT?!

I didn’t say nothing and please don’t yell at me so early in the morning.

Gezzz, you sound like my wife.



Dang LS, your ability to take this to a whole nother level is insanely impressive

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

Those tool drawer pulls look fantastic.

I love the wall system you are building. Looks so much more functional than slat wall to me.

 

[lilscorpion]

Ahh see there goes the rub, but I get it now.

I ask because while Fusion does offer quite a few CAM features (used it for over 2 years myself on plasma), it isn't as good as a dedicated CAM software like Sheetcam.

Now I'm also no Sheetcam user, but it does offer a lot of things Fusion doesn't.

The use of user-defined rules (all saved by you the same way a tool library is) is easy to deploy on any given program versus having to individually make multiple profiles for the best possible cut quality on anything. Then there's also the manufacturer's provided Post Processor as I've personally found that not every Fusion CAM feature carries over to one's G-code.

You have a hell of a CNC table, one I looked at getting myself. Normally with such tables, the built-in software is way better than any of the freebies out there like Fusion.

I say this because ever since I went the STV route, I gave up doing my CAM on Fusion altogether and my work-flow is not only faster, my cut quality is just the same without all the extra work.

Ok, did a little reading. SheetCAM is…CAM, duh. It’s probably what I need if I’m going to nest which is either a very expensive add on for Fusion or a necessity otherwise. For now I’ve been using Patterns in Fusion and they work very well for repeating the same part but they don’t appear to work for dropping in a bunch if different parts (or I’ve not figured it out yet). I probably do need something like SheetCAM eventually if not soon. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[ptt49er]

Ok, did a little reading. SheetCAM is…CAM, duh. It’s probably what I need if I’m going to nest which is either a very expensive add on for Fusion or a necessity otherwise. For now I’ve been using Patterns in Fusion and they work very well for repeating the same part but they don’t appear to work for dropping in a bunch if different parts (or I’ve not figured it out yet). I probably do need something like SheetCAM eventually if not soon. Thanks for the recommendation.

I think you'll find that Fusion does an okay job programming, but the software packages that are dedicated to CAM (whether plasma, laser, router, water jet, etc) will provide much more options and the ability to refine the process.

 

[Jgaz]

Sir, That is next, next level!

. No ”Holy ****” emoji so I’ll make my own

 

[lilscorpion]

It’s been a while since I’ve had a new hammer. Low and behold - TrustyCook to the rescue



My two favorite hammers maybe ever are the Model 0 deadblow (the little ones) and the soft face/steel face dead blow (green one). I keep a model 0 at every machine. After pulling the new dual face out of the box I knew I needed a way to hang it (and its brothers).on the tool wall so I modeled something up. Wasn’t too bad tho the faces on either side are different diameters.



I made 3 - on for over in the garage (speed shop), one will stay in the metal fab area, and the last in the wood working area.



Ready now once the panels are finalized.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Man I’m loving those wall panels. Makes me want to pay someone to make a bunch (no room to get a brake or plasma table) for me when I start building out the new shop!

 

[lilscorpion]

Another organizer, this time for the Dewalt Cordless router. Similar concept to the hammer bracket, it has two prongs each with different elevations to allow the router to securely sit level. Making these on the manual machine we had back in the day would have been extremely time consuming and difficult. The CNC makes it effortless.



Tho the organization of the panels themselves are no where near finalized, this temporary setup does nicely demonstrate why I’m doing this in the first place. On the wood working side, especially when making cabinets, I bounce back and forth between router bits constantly. As a result, I’ve found it far more efficient to have multiple routers and commit them to a bit which speeds up the exchange. Before the tool wall I’d set them on any surface between uses which would results in me occasionally unable to quickly find the one I need or inadvertently knock it off the surface to the floor. With the panel I’ll use them and then put them right back between uses/cuts.

 

[Horror Business]

The under cabinet lighting is a nice touch.

 

[slodat]

Matt - question on your design decision.. Why do you have the long vertical flange on your wall panel tool mounts? From the photos it looks like that flange could be 2" shorter, giving you more usable vertical space remaining.

Also, I have the Astro Tools Pneumatic Rivnut Setter. I am very happy with it.

 

[lilscorpion]

Matt - question on your design decision.. Why do you have the long vertical flange on your wall panel tool mounts? From the photos it looks like that flange could be 2" shorter, giving you more usable vertical space remaining.

Also, I have the Astro Tools Pneumatic Rivnut Setter. I am very happy with it.

Funny you should ask. Originally I was thinking I needed some space so that the router bits could protrude but I noticed yesterday after using the routers that I should remove about 2”. Good eye. If I do I can stack them. If I don’t I won’t be able to use the space below for much else. So I will be remaking them and a few of the other holders like the dead blow one. Also excessive.

 

[slodat]

Funny you should ask. Originally I was thinking I needed some space so that the router bits could protrude but I noticed yesterday after using the routers that I should remove about 2”. Good eye. If I do I can stack them. If I don’t I won’t be able to use the space below for much else. So I will be remaking them and a few of the other holders like the dead blow one. Also excessive.

I know we both share that trait where you want every possible inch of space

 

[lilscorpion]

I know we both share that trait where you want every possible inch of space

Yup, I do. They work so it’s not urgent but it’ll bug me until I remake them

 

[lilscorpion]

I’m a big fan of the DualCo mini grease guns and use them all the time. Decided that a drawer is no place for them and made a wall organizer.



Made a little lip on the back side to help they stay straight.



And a few of them



Boom!

 

[bugnut]

Wow, mad skills, just freaking wow, BUT can't we get a better arrangement of colors!!! WOW!!

 

[lilscorpion]

Wow, mad skills, just freaking wow, BUT can't we get a better arrangement of colors!!! WOW!!

You don’t like the arrangement?!? Red, White, Blue…then color wheel orange -> yellow -> green…then hammered silver, silver, black.

Makes my brain happy.

 

[Prometheus]

Ok, dumb question, but what 9 different greases do you have perpetually loaded?

 

[zanyad]

Ok, dumb question, but what 9 different greases do you have perpetually loaded?

Red, white, blue, orange, yellow, green, two silver, and a black

 

[lilscorpion]

Ok, dumb question, but what 9 different greases do you have perpetually loaded?

Many of them I could probably eliminate and use another one…but I had a box full of them which I acquired over time. I think most don’t know the difference between grease and know when to use which. The little grease guns are awesome for little tasks especially like installing o-rings, suspension joints, hinges, when using on machines or assemblies. Here’s the list -

Grease Type	Key Properties	Typical Use Cases
Lucas Oil Red & Tacky	Lithium complex, sticky/tacky, water-resistant, handles heavy loads	Wheel bearings, chassis fittings, farm equipment, automotive suspension, general machinery where grease needs to stay put
Dielectric Grease	Silicone-based, non-conductive, water-resistant, prevents corrosion	Electrical connectors, spark plug boots, battery terminals – protects against moisture and arcing, not for lubrication of moving parts
Silicone with PTFE	Silicone carrier with PTFE (Teflon) particles, slippery, wide temp range, water-resistant	Sliding surfaces, plastics, rubber parts, light mechanisms, window tracks, door hinges, seals where petroleum products might cause damage
Assembly Grease	Light, tacky grease designed to protect and lubricate during initial startup	Engine building, camshaft/lifter installation, gears/bearings during assembly, prevents dry start-up wear
O-Ring Grease	Typically silicone-based, safe on rubber/elastomers, seals and conditions	O-rings in plumbing, hydraulic systems, pool equipment, scuba gear – prevents drying, cracking, or sticking
Super White Lithium	Lithium-based, white color (clean), low-to-medium load capability, smooth application	Household hinges, garage doors, tools, automotive locks, light machinery – good where clean appearance matters
Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty	Lithium complex, extreme pressure (EP) additives, very tacky, long-lasting	Heavy-duty trucks, trailers, construction equipment, high-load bearings, high-temp chassis points
Marine Grease	Calcium sulfonate or lithium-based with marine additives, highly water-resistant, rust/corrosion inhibitors	Boat trailers, prop shafts, winches, exposed equipment in wet/salt environments
Moly-Fortified Synthetic	Synthetic base oil with molybdenum disulfide (solid lubricant), extreme pressure and anti-wear protection	CV joints, U-joints, high-shock load bearings, heavy sliding metal contact, off-road or industrial equipment

 

[HogDude]

Many of them I could probably eliminate and use another one…but I had a box full of them which I acquired over time. I think most don’t know the difference between grease and know when to use which. The little grease guns are awesome for little tasks especially like installing o-rings, suspension joints, hinges, when using on machines or assemblies. Here’s the list -

Grease Type	Key Properties	Typical Use Cases
Lucas Oil Red & Tacky	Lithium complex, sticky/tacky, water-resistant, handles heavy loads	Wheel bearings, chassis fittings, farm equipment, automotive suspension, general machinery where grease needs to stay put
Dielectric Grease	Silicone-based, non-conductive, water-resistant, prevents corrosion	Electrical connectors, spark plug boots, battery terminals – protects against moisture and arcing, not for lubrication of moving parts
Silicone with PTFE	Silicone carrier with PTFE (Teflon) particles, slippery, wide temp range, water-resistant	Sliding surfaces, plastics, rubber parts, light mechanisms, window tracks, door hinges, seals where petroleum products might cause damage
Assembly Grease	Light, tacky grease designed to protect and lubricate during initial startup	Engine building, camshaft/lifter installation, gears/bearings during assembly, prevents dry start-up wear
O-Ring Grease	Typically silicone-based, safe on rubber/elastomers, seals and conditions	O-rings in plumbing, hydraulic systems, pool equipment, scuba gear – prevents drying, cracking, or sticking
Super White Lithium	Lithium-based, white color (clean), low-to-medium load capability, smooth application	Household hinges, garage doors, tools, automotive locks, light machinery – good where clean appearance matters
Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty	Lithium complex, extreme pressure (EP) additives, very tacky, long-lasting	Heavy-duty trucks, trailers, construction equipment, high-load bearings, high-temp chassis points
Marine Grease	Calcium sulfonate or lithium-based with marine additives, highly water-resistant, rust/corrosion inhibitors	Boat trailers, prop shafts, winches, exposed equipment in wet/salt environments
Moly-Fortified Synthetic	Synthetic base oil with molybdenum disulfide (solid lubricant), extreme pressure and anti-wear protection	CV joints, U-joints, high-shock load bearings, heavy sliding metal contact, off-road or industrial equipment

Outstanding! From the colors to the contents. It would definitely make my brain happy. But since the grease guns came before the custom rivnut panels and holders......that's taking the brain to a whole new (and dangerous) level of happy. Well Done Young Man, Well Done!

 

[lilscorpion]

Good



Mo betta

 

[loganb]

Good



Mo betta

This is making me feel much better about my desire to get two more Makita cordless ones so I can always have a round over, chamfer and a flush trim bit easily accessible

 

[Bessy]

This is making me feel much better about my desire to get two more Makita cordless ones so I can always have a round over, chamfer and a flush trim bit easily accessible

Just got my first DeWalt cordless last weekend, now I very clearly need three more just to keep up, right?
Flush trim
1/8" round over
Chamfer
And a spare for those odd moments I need a completely different bit.

I'm going to need to be able to churn out this pantry project inside of a weekend to justify those purchases (I do not work fast at all).

@lilscorpion how much additional clearance do the new brackets offer? Looks like you could possibly get at least a few more of those squeeze bottles (in various colors obviously) underneath now?

 

[lilscorpion]

This is making me feel much better about my desire to get two more Makita cordless ones so I can always have a round over, chamfer and a flush trim bit easily accessible

The efficiency gain, especially if you are busing multiples of something, is worth the expense. I don’t use round overs much but do like to have a chamfer, two different flush cuts, and a fourth for the specifics bit for the project.

Just got my first DeWalt cordless last weekend, now I very clearly need three more just to keep up, right?
Flush trim
1/8" round over
Chamfer
And a spare for those odd moments I need a completely different bit.

I'm going to need to be able to churn out this pantry project inside of a weekend to justify those purchases (I do not work fast at all).

@lilscorpion how much additional clearance do the new brackets offer? Looks like you could possibly get at least a few more of those squeeze bottles (in various colors obviously) underneath now?

Do it! If you shoot me your address I’ll send you the four final revision of the first gen brackets if you’d like them. The left 4 in the stack are all identical.

 

[lilscorpion]

Started working on figuring out how to make doors on the CNC. They’ll benthenfiret parts which I machine both sides. Front side is easy, the vacuum table holds the part in place and cuts the profile. The flip side however requires precise registration (if you want accurate parts). So I need to make a fixture table.

On the other side of the lathe I saved counter space for a tapping table. I’ll need this to make the fixture for the mill so now’s the time to finish that space. First I need to make the counter tops which I fab out of 3/4” Baltic birch. I prefer birch because I can screw them down and stuff into them much more securely.



Laminate in the same lighter grey as the rest of the counters. Every time I stick laminate I remember the first few times I did it vividly. I was so worried I was going to do it wrong. Reality is you almost can’t mess it up. I oversize the tops then use a track saw to cut them to length.



I made two tops that will go on either side of a 3/16” thick top at the work station. I use some steel tube as a spacer of sorts to overcome the top thickness difference.



It’s screed to the cabinet keeping it solidly in place and level. You can kinda see in the pic the inner bracing of the top of the cabinet which was designed specifically for this.



The top is then cut to size and holes machined on the plasma table.



With the top in place, I drill into the steel frame one at a time inserting clecos as I go. Clecos inside that all the holes remain aligned.



Once they’re all drilled I removed the top and installed rivnuts into the frame and then re-installed the top with counter sunk fasteners. Tapping station finished.



Now I’m able to use it to insert EZ~Lok inserts every 6” into a MDF spoil board I machined on the Router.



The tapping head keeps the inserts aligned and square to the surface much better than I can with a hand drill and very quickly once I got into the rhythm.



I cut and formed some stops to help keep the parts locked into place. Ready to machine some doors.

 

[slodat]

Matt - that is an excellent work holding solution for the router. I have several gludgy things I've come up with over the years. I really like this one! Nice work!

Do you have probing on the router?

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

Just got my first DeWalt cordless last weekend, now I very clearly need three more just to keep up, right?
Flush trim
1/8" round over
Chamfer
And a spare for those odd moments I need a completely different bit.

I'm going to need to be able to churn out this pantry project inside of a weekend to justify those purchases (I do not work fast at all).

@lilscorpion how much additional clearance do the new brackets offer? Looks like you could possibly get at least a few more of those squeeze bottles (in various colors obviously) underneath now?

I only just got my first last month as well and also feel like I am slacking with these pictures.

 

[lilscorpion]

Matt - that is an excellent work holding solution for the router. I have several gludgy things I've come up with over the years. I really like this one! Nice work!

Do you have probing on the router?

No, I didn’t buy it when I bought my machine. Based on what they told me, it is unable to find the center of a bore, and it’s only designed to reverse engineer parts. To me finding the center of a hole to locate things is the most value you get out of a digitizing probe. Seems like a pretty significant mess, but maybe that’s just because I think it’s important.

 

[lilscorpion]

I only just got my first last month as well and also feel like I am slacking with these pictures.

I’ve always had a couple of handheld routers so I didn’t have to switch bits. Getting my first cordless was a game changer. In my case, I need multiple set up because I don’t through cut any parts on the CNC router ever. So I have a 3/16 flush cut, a 1/4” up-cut flush cut, and a 45 chamfer just to finish parts off the table. I can’t even imagine having to switch bits…

The 4th was so I don’t need to mess with the first three ever. So I don’t think anyone is slacking. My situation is nuanced maybe a bit.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

Definitely makes sense in your instance. I can see the benefits of it for sure. It will be interesting to see if I end up with more once I get the wood shop up and running.