My garage machine shop

[Medwards]

I'm new here and I figured I would show my garage. It's a 23'x26 attached two car garage. Half the garage is full of machinery and tools, the other half is for parking cars, machines or whatever fits through the door.

Some of the pics are blury from my old camera. I recently added 3 8' t12 fixtures over the machine tools. You can never have too much light. I added an extra 20amp circiut for the lights and ran the wire in emt for ease of installation. I also added some 220 single phase outlets for the machinery.

The mill is a 1986 Sharp LMV with all the usual goodies, variable speed,power draw bar, kurt vise, mitutoyo DRO.

The lathe is a 1967 Clausing Colchester 13x36. I rebuilt most of the mechanicals a few months ago. It's a stout old lathe and is more capable than I am.

The shelf holds a chinese carbide grinder and a kalamazoo belt sander. A harbor freight bandsaw and torch set sit in the corner behind the mill. The craftman and kennedy tool boxes hold my machinist tools, a few hand tools, and tooling for the machines.

My workbench. I wish I had room to move the compressor elsewhere because it's very loud. It's a craftsman oiless compressor that I bought 12 years ago.

Snap on KRL762 box full of snap on hand tools. I also have a nice R&D parts washer just outside the picture. I also keep my 18x32 granite surface plate on top of the snap on box.

A small shelf just above the tool box for a laptop and to keep my height gage out of the way.

My Miller Diversion tig welder now sits next to the workbench.

I don't have many picutures of the other side, but there isn't much other than a few shelves and the washer and dryer.

 

[Kona Cruisers]

Sweet set up...
that clausing is a stout machine.

 

[35mastr]

Nice shop.

 

[Fins/413]

I believe you can handle any situation that comes along. I especially like the lathe.

 

[metal1313]

i want your welder...bad

how do you like the harbor freight band saw? i've heard that they are pretty good with a better blade and some other mods

 

[Medwards]

The welder is great. I've only welded steel with it so far. I've heard it welds alum great, I just haven't had an occasion to try it yet. I'm used to using miller syncrowaves and I really like the low amperage control this welder has.

The bandsaw is decent for the price. The original blade is not very good. After swapping the blade and setting the saw up to cut straight, it cuts fairly well. I actually use the bandsaw in the vertical position more than horizonatal. I bought mine from a scratch and dent guy that buys busted HF tools in bulk. I only gave $100 for it and it was missing the running gear.

 

[Possum]

Nice setup!

 

[A_Pmech]

Looks good, but where are the projects cluttering every available space?

I was wondering about the lathe... I couldn't place it from the headstock cover in your other post.

Judging by the GT badge on one of your toolboxes and the wall clock, I take it the Mustang got evicted so the machines could move in?

Fun place to spend time.

 

[Medwards]

I don't have any big projects yet. I just bought the lathe in january and spent 3 months going through it. I bought the mill a couple months ago and I'm putting the finishing touches on it tonight.

Your very observent. I've had a few late model mustangs over the years, but I sold the last one 3 years ago. Garages aren't meant for parking cars anyways.

I've been following your thread on PM about rebuilding that Do-all saw. Very nice work. Hopefully a nice vertical bandsaw will be my next purchase.

 

[A_Pmech]

Agreed. I can just fit my motorcycles inside the back door.

Glad you're enjoying the thread. I've also posted it here on GJ.

They're out there! I passed up at least two-dozen before I bought that one.

 

[russlaferrera]

Medwards, that is one fine set up. Keep posting and show some of your fab work.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Enviable set up you have there, very nice.

 

[Falcon67]

Very nice shop. I like the heavy machine layout - that is a very good idea. That Clausing would eat my HF 9x20 for a snack LOL. I like the bench design with the drawers under - have to remember that when I build my extension. I like your surface plate inspection station too. I did something close - my 22" box sits on a 40 roll-around and I put a surface plate in the open space. Handy and the right height. I'm going to get a mill in the next year or so, but no room for a knee monster. I wish.

 

[A_Pmech]

Is your belt grinder shop-brew, or a production model? I've been thinking about building one. Though, it is Project #916981A Rev. C, so it may be a while before it makes it through the stack.

 

[Medwards]

Medwards, that is one fine set up. Keep posting and show some of your fab work.

Here is a buick 455 intake that I converted to efi

A rearend cover for my 4x4. It's a kit that I welded up.

Is your belt grinder shop-brew, or a production model? I've been thinking about building one. Though, it is Project #916981A Rev. C, so it may be a while before it makes it through the stack.

It's this one. http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=953354&PMAKA=505-1370

I bought it at an auction a while ago. It could easily be a home built job. with a 1/2hp motor, it can really eat some metal if needed.

 

[g.corey74]

Nice shop to have fun in. Do you know the manufacturer of the "Sharp" mill? It has to have been made by Bridgeport. I have an older model Bridgeport (with round ram) and the castings are identical to yours from the turret down. You can still get original parts for Bridgeport. They actually buy used mills to rebuild or for parts. For replacement gears, if they are out, they will have new gears made.

Are you a tool maker? Do you cover the surface plate when not in use?

 

[Medwards]

The manufacturer is Sharp Industries. They have been around since the mid 80's. It's a taiwanese copy of a bridgeport, but it has a lot of nice upgrades over a bridgeport. The motor shaft is supported at the end by a bearing instead of being cantilevered like a bridgeport motor. The whole variable speed drive has extra cooling capacity and more lube to the pulleys. And the x-axis leadscrew has thrust bearings at the ends. Otherwise it's identical to a bridgeport. Some parts interchange with a bridgeport, but Sharp has pretty good prices on their spare parts.

http://www.sharp-industries.com/mills/lmv-lmv50.html

I'm a mechanical engineer at my day job. I travel around upgrading, rebuilding or fixing machinery all of the US and mexico. I do the machine shop for a hobby and side money. I do cover the surface plate. In the pic above, if you look closely, I have it covered with a textured piece of rubber mat.

 

[fulltrack]

love your machine shop, very nice !

 

[Medwards]

I updated some of the pictures in the first post.

I finished putting the mill back together and added a power draw bar that I won on ebay. Once you've used a power draw bar on a bridgeport, you can't really go back to using a wrench.

I also added some insulation to the garage doors. I searched here and saw that some people were using insulation from a company called insulfoam. My local lowes didn't have it in the store, but I ordered it off of there website for $45 per door. I was hoping it would help with the heat some, but I can't tell a whole lot of difference without AC in the garage. It's been in the mid 90's here in TN for a couple weeks and working in the garage in the middle of the day is a bit miserable without AC.

 

[OldCarGuy]

You have the makings of a real nicely equipped shop. Good choice of equipment, Clausing lathe, Sharp mill. With digital's & a power draw bar, Nice! Keep a floor model drill press in addition to a mill. And a tool grinder.. Got to like that husky Kurt machine vise and adequately sized angle plate resting on your granite surface plate. Along side of the digital height gage. I didn't notice a rotary table...

I can only wonder what your next acquisition may be? A surface grinder by chance?

You mentioned that you added 220 Volt single phase outlets for the machine. Do your machines have single phase motors? Or does each have a three-phase converter?

 

[Medwards]

OldCarGuy- Thanks for the compliments. I've taken some ideas from your garage thread (like the shelving for grinders and laptop). I hope when later in life I can have a shop as well equiped as yours.

I'm running the mill and lathe from a 5hp rotary phase converter. I added a single phase 220 outlet to run the RPC and another for the welder.

No rotary table yet. I'm not real sure what I want right now. I would like to have both an 8" horzontal/vertical table and a smaller dividing head setup. I'm just waiting for a good deal on either one right now.

As for the next aquisition. Either a vertical bandsaw or a surface grinder. Right now a vertical bandsaw would be more useful for the work I like to do. But if a good deal on a manual surface grinder comes along, I'll grab it up. Although I'm quickly running out of room for more machinery.

 

[Medwards]

Update...

I picked up a Wilton 8201K bandsaw from a local scratch and dent dealer. I wanted a full size vertical bandsaw, but the price on this one was too good to pass up.

I also added a Mitutoyo DRO to my lathe. I also replaced the reader on my mill with a new KA counter so using them is pretty seamless between machines. I had to hang the cross slide scale off the back of the carriage, but I still have full use of my tail stock.

This is hopefully the end of my eqiupment purchases and upgrades for quite a while. I'm out of room for more equipment until I move to a bigger shop.

 

[A_Pmech]

Looking good, I don't see the scratch or the dent!

I love having a DRO on a lathe. It makes turning to shoulders and other features so much more enjoyable!

 

[Medwards]

Looking good, I don't see the scratch or the dent!

WMH tool group (jet, wilton, powermatic) is right outside of Nashville. Apparently they sell all their scratch and dent and returns to General Industrial Supply in Nashville. They had 4 of these saws and this one appeared to be in the best condition. I actually couldn't find anything wrong with it. It's definitely no do-all, but with some tweaking and adjustment, it's been really nice so far.

I've never had or even used a lathe with a DRO on it. I was debating on getting a DRO or just a z-axis trav-a-dial. I pieced the DRO together from different ebay auctions for about $500. I just finished installing the cross slide scale this morning. I had to try it out. I took a light cut on a piece of 3/4" alum, measured and set the diameter on the readout. I then dialed it in to .5000" and let it rip. The finished cut measured .5002". I'm very pleased so far.

 

[A_Pmech]

Good to know on the scratch/dent stuff. I might have to take a trip down there sometime. Most of my woodworking equipment is Delta / Powermatic / Rockwell.

If it does the job, that's all that matters! Nearly all my woodworking equipment is Delta / Powermatic / Rockwell. They're no Oliver, Yates, or Northfield, but they work well all the same. Your saw does look a little easier to move around and I can see where a small table can come in handy. On the V-36 the table puts me about 18" from the blade, with my chest up against the edge! I might have to get a magnifying work lamp...

hehe! I did the same thing the first day I had my American up and running. I had a smile about like this:

It sounds like you got some pretty good deals on the DRO parts. I'm casually shopping for a DRO for the Bridgeport. Any Ebay stores you can suggest?

 

[Medwards]

I got one KA counter and 36" scale from Industrial recyclers on ebay. http://stores.shop.ebay.com/industryrecycles-store__W0QQ_armrsZ1

I also replace the counter on my mill with a newer mitutoyo KA counter that I got from this guy. http://cgi.ebay.com/MITUTOYO-KA-COU...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4ceb5a954c Retail value on these counters is about $450.

I had to buy the 6" cross slide scale new from Can-do machinery. He cut me a pretty good deal. Mitutoyo magnetic scales run about $175 each for new. http://www.candomachinery.com/

 

[12valve]

I have a DRO from Shooting Star Technologies on my Van Norman. It's a 3 axis. I'm no pro machinist and I don't know how the ShootingStar compares but I really like it. Especialy the feature to figure out bolt hole circles. I made a set of wheel spacers, and it was easy.