My New Shop

[dcmus]

Sorry if this shows up twice. First time didn't seem to take so will try again. In 2011 I moved my business to a large downtown building and build this shop.

[/URL][/IMG] It's about 700 sq/ft and has worked well since I still work full time and I can slip back there for an hour or two time permitting. Last year I began seriously thinking about "retirement" and purchased a small acreage with this building

[/URL][/IMG] It's 30x50 and the front 20 ft has a loft for extra storage. It has 200 amp service and will primarily a machine shop although I do some wood working on occasion.

 

[dcmus]

Since the purchase I did away with a middle deck of inferior construction which left the larger space at 28x31. Have framed the two side walls 8ft high with OSB sheeting. It looked like this.

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Last weekend I finished priming and added two colors plus stripes. The second set of stripes came out considerably better than the first so painted over then and should have a picture this coming weekend. The front section of the building currently looks like this and will probably be finished out as an office, lounge, etc.

[/URL][/IMG] I can't even guess how many hours I've spent on this site but it's been time very well spent. My career path has kept me occupied on other things but finally have the time to indulge some of my other interests and look forward to trying to adapt some of the great ideas I've seen to my own purposes! Thanks so much, SteveM.

 

[dcmus]

Still don't have this image thing down pat but I'll work on it.

 

[HSpencer]

Wow what a great professional shop. Very nice place. I love those style buildings.
Your very well set up!

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[BuickFarmer]

Wow, lots of room in that!!!! Congrats on landing a nice spacious building with plenty of room to play.
Steve, I see you are using Photobucket. You may want to reduce the size that you upload to. In case you don't know how.....
For some reason PB seems to want to hide their settings page. Look to the right top of you bucket page and you will see a gear symbol about the size of a dog tick. Click it and go to the top of the new page and click "Albums" then on that page click "Customize Upload Options" There you can change the size of your uploads. I use 800 X 600. I don't think it will change the ones you already have posted here though. You may of course already know this but I just know I had a hell of a time figuring it out and would have loved to had someone told me.
Look forward to following your "build" it has LOTS of potential!!!!!

 

[BuickFarmer]

Very nice place. I love those style buildings.


Best Regards
Herb Spencer

You probably lived in a few similar eh Herb. I did.

 

[dcmus]

Thanks for the help. I'll try that.

 

[dcmus]

Guess I did something wrong so will try again. Finished painting two walls.

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One wall waiting for 10x10 overhead door to replace 7x8 roll up. Last wall waiting till I get materials moved.

I did paint two top opening lateral files

They'll serve as end pieces for a 12 foot bench. I'm also building storage cubes approx 12"square x30 " long to store shorter pieces of metal stock for my lathe.

I also have two, matching, card files.

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[/URL][/IMG] I'd like to cut them in half and re-purpose beneath a bench but still haven't decided whether my skill level justifies the risk Thanks for looking and all the great ideas!

 

[dcmus]

If these pictures are still to large please let me know. I certainly won't be offended. LOL.

 

[dcmus]

You can't tell from the picture but this space is under a stair well. I believe I can get two more in this space.

 

[dcmus]

Slowly making progress............A 10ft bench flanked by lateral files for storage

[/URL][/IMG] Small part storage in dead space under stairs
20x28 room already finished for office, etc. Fresh paint and blinds but still need to replace sagging ceiling tiles and insulate.

 

[dcmus]

Not much has happened in the shop lately but things will be picking up soon. I purchased this place with "retirement" in mind and I plan to complete the sale of my business next week. It's almost 4am and my head is spinning with everything that has to be done but by the end of August the new owner, who's worked there 3 years, should be up to speed and I can get serious about the important stuff. LOL.

 

[drivesitfar]

DC: did you mention what you are going to make or do in the new shop or did i miss that. i'm jealous because still living in the city and leasing space to have room for my stuff. the day will come hopefully sooner than later when i can move out to some land and either build a shop or find one like you did.

congrats on the move and good luck on the sale. were the file cabinets hard to paint and were the slides pretty easy to pull out? I've got some that i'm filling up now to get organized, but when i do finally get my own place i will want to paint them.

nice paint job and shop is looking good. just make a To Do list and check off an item as you get it done and if you need to add some then do. even if you can only work a couple hours a day at it i'm sure it WILL get done and looking like you envision. Also if you want a picture under your DC handle go in your GJ profile and click on Avitar and download one.

good luck

PS- i use the paperclip method just above where we post to download up to 7 pictures per post and if viewer wants to see full size it's only a couple clicks away for them. i used to use Photobucket all the time several years ago and all their changes and new BS made me stop using them.

 

[Bib Overalls]

I use Flickr as my photo host and I am very pleased.

Envy your mill and lathe. The ones I have are junk.

Keep the pictures coming. We like pictures.

 

[dcmus]

Thanks for the interest and support. About 4 years ago I bought a used,/junk lathe and HF round column mill. Three more lathes and a new 9x49 mill later I've learned a little bit and even done a little work for hire. I believe there's a need for this sort of service and since I'll be "retired" I won't be burdened by the need to make a living. That's my plan anyway so we'll see where it leads. I'm far too young to sit in a rocker

 

[dcmus]

Yesterday I finished the shop sound system. Since I was a Peavey dealer I used a Peavey dual powered mixer, 400 watts, and four 10 inch cabinets. It sounds good but it will sound better when the ceiling in the machine area is insulated which will cut down the reverb/echo a bunch. I also bought more 12/2 so I can run the extra 220 circuits for lathe, mill, air compressor and AC to the sub panel. Then we'l look at lights and the roll up door. Thanks for listening and have a good day!

 

[dcmus]

I did it again. Have been working on my shop following my plan. So.........today I added a 19X120 inch lathe to the mix and have to figure out how all this will fit together. It must be fun or I would' not continue to do this

 

[LXCam]

Looking good bud. What's the peak height?.

 

[dcmus]

About 16 feet.

 

[RogueFab]

That first level looks like it is at least 9 feet... so is the loft 7 feet or so at the peak? Nice place!

 

[dcmus]

Drove to Dalls yesterday and picked up new to me lathe. 19x120 inch Summit from a shop which replaced it with CNC machine. They were VERY helpful and can't say enough good things about them. I rented a 20 ft trailer which I pulled with my 2015 F-150/ 2.7 Ecoboost engine. I had some concerns as the lathe weighs 5-6kl(?) but I had them load with headstock over the tandems and had no issues. I knew there was a load but maintaineeed adequate speed, no over heating, so I was pretty impressed. It did take 3/4 tank for approx 200 mile round trip however. Machine is presently stored at a friends while I work on replacing the 7 ft tall over head door(junk) with 10x10 roll up door and hopefully get a jib crane as well.

 

[drivesitfar]

DC: do you have any pictures of the big lathe to post? sounds like an awesome machine.

good luck with moving it into your shop and setting it up.

 

[jbmatth]

I'm with Drives, we need pictures of the lathe, that has to be a monster for a "hobby" shop. Good luck with the space, I'll be keeping an eye on it from here. Also I have a similar shaped building and I do not like it. At least you have some flats on the side of your building you can use for walls, I'm not that lucky.
JB

 

[dcmus]

OK one more time.

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[dcmus]

It's been a while since I've posted as I had no pictures and thus I knew nothing had happened, it was all my imagination Hopefully the progress will continue.

 

[drivesitfar]

DC: amazing collection of quality and some very large tools. How hard was the crane and huge lathe to move into place?

Any moving pictures?

 

[56rpm]

Hell of a play shop! Nice equipment to boot.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Endorsed, well done.

 

[dcmus]

Drivesitfar.............The big lathe was a bear. Word of mouth weight estimated it at 5000-5500#. I finally found a manual(after it was in place) which said on the shipping pallet it weighs 8700# Can't believe i brought it back on a heavy trailer on my F-150 with 2.7 Ecoboost A good friend gave me a 15 hp three phase motor and I ordered a phase converter panel from WNY Phase Converter and Supply. Should see it next week and be under power soon. As for the crane...........it really wasn't that bad. I have a 6 inch floor and the base plate is .750 steel with 12 mounting holes. I brought it in with my compact tractor and once in place used twelve .750 wedge anchors and then plumbed the mast with a 4 ft level. While we had fork lift to push the big lathe around we also hung the boom. Haven't put a load on it yet, waiting on chain fall, but the boom is easy to move pushing on the base of the mast support with no obvious low spots so I'm hoping it's good to go. Not planning to lift more than 4-500# so I'm really happy and it covers the entire shop.

 

[dcmus]

jbmmath........Thanks for the view. The space in the picture was blank except there was a second loft-mezannine over the "middle" section. It wasn't that well built and I needed the head room so it had to go. Then I framed the side walls and secured them at the top with home made supports which I secured to the bolts holding the building together with 2 foot spacing. Then I covered with 5/8 inch OSB, painted and insulated. After installing the 10 x 10 roll up door I framed in the end to match. I lost about two feet total width as the slab was poured, building erected, and concrete poured inside and out where the side walls sit on the slab.

 

[drivesitfar]

DC: im hoping to have one lathe for metal one day and your little one probably is bigger than most guys own. What are you planning on building with the lathes?

Can you post more details and pictures of the 3 phase system you are installing?

Well done getting that huge lathe and crane set up.

 

[jbmatth]

That is just too cool, you have a big lathe, a giant lathe, nice size mill, and what looks to be nearly a 1 ton jib crane. You are doing something right that is for sure. I'm with Drives again on this one please give us lots of details on the phase converter. I've been looking at buying some 3 phase equipment and haven't been able to really grasp how the phase converters actually work and should be sized/installed.
JB

 

[dcmus]

Thanks for all the kind comments. I got side tracked yesterday and worked "in" the shop. Of course then Irealized if I'm not careful the shop will never be what I envisioned. So........waiting on the phase converter panel which should arrive EOW, air lines and drops in 1/2 inch black pipe, and a work station I build from recycled lateral files and solid core doors will be reconfigured as a wall unit rather than jutting out from the wall. Will lose one lateral file but pick up useable floor space I think. I started down this path 4 years ago and have acquired some basic skills. Have cut standard and metric threads, can cut a taper on the small lathe, can do simple layout work on the mill and have done a little work for hire. I'm semi-retired and hope this will turn into a small business but time will tell. I've enjoyed the journey so it's all good either way P.S. My new projected completion date is end of November.Of course things will always come up

 

[Vieux]

Great workshop and equipment!

 

[jbmatth]

Haha completion date, you may have it to the point where it feels complete for the time being, but down the road you will inevitably find something that can be done better or more efficiently. I don't even have a projected completion date on my shop, I just have a long task list that never seems to shrink but rather grow when new projects are added.
JB

 

[drivesitfar]

DC: any pictures or videos you can post of the lathe making something would be awesome if you have time. Are you stocking up on steel and how are you storing it. Im looking for some ideas and happy to post some i already use if you need any. Just ask.

 

[dcmus]

DC: any pictures or videos you can post of the lathe making something would be awesome if you have time. Are you stocking up on steel and how are you storing it. Im looking for some ideas and happy to post some i already use if you need any. Just ask.

I'm definitely interested drivesitfar. And I'm sure it will never e "finished" but mauybe I can get the broad outline before I start making new messes.

 

[drivesitfar]

Im looking more like a scrap yard currently but will try to post a few pics. If i havent in a week or so send me a pm to remind me and also ask here on your thread which i watch for your new posts. Probably a good time to buy with scrap prices so low and a lot of steel fab companies closing their doors or retiring.

how long have you owned the jet lathe or whatever brand the smaller one is? Easy to learn to use or how did you learn?

 

[vonhef]

Wow... nice equipment and shop! I really like the pedestal crane. I'm located not very far from you

I also see that you have had insulation sprayed since the photo posted in March, did you have the insulation painted? If not, I would recommend applying some latex paint to keep it from "yellowing" from UV exposure.

 

[chruler]

A frickin crane?! Yes! Hearts popping around my head! What a great set-up. I like the lathe right next to the door as well. Right where the material is delivered. Good plan. (A frickin crane!)