Something just clicked…..
- Thread starter Strouty
- Start date
macgyver37
Well-known member
Strouty, I have been following along on your journey because there are some similarities to my situation. I think you are doing well and making good progress.
Some days I am overwhelmed with the hole I dug myself into with all of my projects and it seemed to happen overnight, but I know it was a long time building up. I was doing ok and actually progressing on my projects until app 4 yrs ago when I met my wife and it started going downhill after that. Not purely because of spending alot of time with her, I also lost my well paying job 6 months after we got married and we decided to start a business.
Doing that changed everything, we bought a building that needed remodeling, bought literally 25 tons of machinery, moved it all in and set it up from scratch, moved all my toys out of my old rented shop, and on and on. I got rid of app half my cars, trucks, bikes, but I still have too many and I am feeling like I don't know what to do. I don't want to get rid of the ones left, I want to finish them, have fun with them, etc. But at this point I am unsure of when that will happen. I will figure that out in time.
What I have done that has helped is that I have somehow changed my attitude towards CL and other places I would always go to see what I could find to add to the collection. I still check them out regularly, but I have lost the desire to follow through and go get it. I have picked up a couple things that I needed for a specific job, but I haven't brought home anything else in awhile and it has been nice.
I think that you would do well to slow down on the looking, don't quit cold turkey, because that won't work out well, but don't look or drive by every day or once a week etc just to see what is new.
Yes, there will be 'deals' missed, but if you don't have a system in place so that you can handle the new item you found to flip, it is making life hard on you it would be better to pass on it until you get your place setup. Then pick these things up to resell when you can bring it in and process it properly and in a timely manner.
If you can handle the stuff easily and quickly, that is a big part of making the transaction a good deal. If it just makes more work for you and you have to move the thing multiple times, loose it in among all the other stuff, find it again and then pitch it out, it wasn't truly a good deal.
I guess I ramble too much,
Keep it up, you will get there. Especially with these guys poking and prodding.
Jason
Some days I am overwhelmed with the hole I dug myself into with all of my projects and it seemed to happen overnight, but I know it was a long time building up. I was doing ok and actually progressing on my projects until app 4 yrs ago when I met my wife and it started going downhill after that. Not purely because of spending alot of time with her, I also lost my well paying job 6 months after we got married and we decided to start a business.
Doing that changed everything, we bought a building that needed remodeling, bought literally 25 tons of machinery, moved it all in and set it up from scratch, moved all my toys out of my old rented shop, and on and on. I got rid of app half my cars, trucks, bikes, but I still have too many and I am feeling like I don't know what to do. I don't want to get rid of the ones left, I want to finish them, have fun with them, etc. But at this point I am unsure of when that will happen. I will figure that out in time.
What I have done that has helped is that I have somehow changed my attitude towards CL and other places I would always go to see what I could find to add to the collection. I still check them out regularly, but I have lost the desire to follow through and go get it. I have picked up a couple things that I needed for a specific job, but I haven't brought home anything else in awhile and it has been nice.
I think that you would do well to slow down on the looking, don't quit cold turkey, because that won't work out well, but don't look or drive by every day or once a week etc just to see what is new.
Yes, there will be 'deals' missed, but if you don't have a system in place so that you can handle the new item you found to flip, it is making life hard on you it would be better to pass on it until you get your place setup. Then pick these things up to resell when you can bring it in and process it properly and in a timely manner.
If you can handle the stuff easily and quickly, that is a big part of making the transaction a good deal. If it just makes more work for you and you have to move the thing multiple times, loose it in among all the other stuff, find it again and then pitch it out, it wasn't truly a good deal.
I guess I ramble too much,
Keep it up, you will get there. Especially with these guys poking and prodding.
Jason
mdbeck1
Well-known member
I don't really see all of these things listed as "goals". I see them as "projects". A goal would be to have a well organized shop that you can find everything in when you need it.
From the other posts I'm reading it sounds like you have already selected the compressor and/or the lathe to work on this weekend. It sounds like neither one needs anything major and is something that you complete. Pick one and work on it until it is as complete as possible. If you hit something that keeps you from finishing write yourself a note saying what you need. Then either go to town and get that one thing or work on something else until you have four or five things that you need and make one trip.
If you start getting frustrated take one piece of the stock room to work on. Maybe one drawer that you can "finish". You'll be surprised how good you will feel just getting one or two minor things done.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
You might also state in the ad that "seller arranges for shipping". Will load with forklift from my location. That puts the monkey on their back and not yours.
Jason,
I appreciate the support, it is nice to know that others have similar situations. You were not rambling too much, what you wrote makes sense to me, sometimes if I hear it from a normal guy, instead of reading it in some book, it helps more. I have way too many projects for sure, not sure what ones should get dumped. I am going to try and finish a lot of them. "The Cost of Storage" thread has helped me assess some of my projects, but a lot of what needs to be gone through is time consuming small stuff and I am kind of dreading it.
I am going to set a public goal and it is:
I am going to make the Salvage Garage functional and organized by November 2014.
This weekend/next weeks goal is: Salvage the good parts from the broken lathe so that it can be scrapped.
Sub goals are:
1) Install good parts on new lathe.
2) Decide what lathe parts I am keeping and what will be sold.
3) Research the Aloris tool post so I know what attachments to buy.
Then we have the ever present goal of organize anything and everything. I need to work on this, I tend to put stuff away, but not give it a home. That makes it difficult for me to find it since I don't always put it away in the same place. I also have a bad habit of containerizing versus organizing. I also don't like to label things, but I need to start.
GarageWarrior has some great labeling skills, maybe I could get him over here for a weekend and he could help me label everything!
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
^^ Good Idea
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
I think we did, I know that's what I thought he meant.
bczygan
Well-known member
Passing on good deals.
I'm doing that now.
If I don't have a place to put the item right away, it just creates immense hardship.
And I've got more important things to do with my time.
I still like looking at them on CL, and passing them on to others.
But perhaps I shouldn't even do that. It's too tempting.
Besides, there will ALWAYS be another deal.
Bill
I'm doing that now.
If I don't have a place to put the item right away, it just creates immense hardship.
And I've got more important things to do with my time.
I still like looking at them on CL, and passing them on to others.
But perhaps I shouldn't even do that. It's too tempting.
Besides, there will ALWAYS be another deal.
Bill
There is a TV show called Down East Dickering, and that kind of sparked my search for good deals again. I am not on that show, yet. I love finding the deals, if you get a deal that is too good, sometimes it can make other deals not seem so good.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
Yeah, I was a little bit tired when I posted that. Make the buyer arrange the shipping. There are several cheap ways to do that. iHaul.com is big on that. I also hear that over on OWWM (Old Wood Working Machinery) they have a list of people in different areas that will pick up items for other members and transport for a fee.
Let the buyer figure it out.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
An hour can make a lot of difference. However you said you were going to concentrate on the lathe(s).
In my garage the working lathe would be the one that stayed. Unless the non-working one had some kind of sentimental value.
...and about containerizing. There's nothing wrong with that as long you use small containers and can find it later (I label most of my stuff). Take the parts you need off of the old lathe, use what you need, and put the rest in a cabinet (or bucket) near where the lathe will eventually live. I applauded your efforts when you put the woodworking tools in the same place. That makes sense. Now you need to do the same thing with the metal working stuff. I would set the lathe, milling machine, drill press, and other large fabrication tools close to each other. Designate that as your "machining" area. Put a couple of cabinets/toolboxes close by to hold all the tooling and spares.
...and on labeling. I use a sharpie and masking tape (or duct tape) for temporary labeling on large things. I have a inexpensive P-Touch that I use for my toolboxes and small boxes (more permanent things). That way when my wife or son go get something for me it's easier for them to find. ...but it's also easier for me to find.
I hate being a safety Nazi but may I suggest that you put a cover on your breaker panel. Moving stuff around like you are just begs for something to contact the live lugs in there. keep up the good work and you are inspiring me to do the same with some of the stuff I have 'stocked' around the place.
lg
no neat sig line
lg
no neat sig line
Lassen Forge
Well-known member
I see a way to make some instant space - set up an outside shed (with power), move your compressor set-up out there and plumb air back into the shop. I've worked in 2 shops set up like that and it just made too much sense (plus kept the sound level down in the shop). One was even a cheapy Lowes shed insulated up and it worked fine. The other was a "lean-to" overhang with a caged area for the compressor and tank built onto the side of the building.
I could not get to the lathes without moving all of that stuff, of course I got sidetracked, but it was a pile I had been tripping over for a few days, so I got it picked up. After lunch I may need to get some of my outside stuff moved around since it has a look like it might rain.
Labeling for me is tuff, I tend to setup some hair brained super detailed organizational labeling thingy. I have all the supplies to label, I have really nice equipment as well as basic supplies. I am trying to use blue painters tape and a sharpie so it is temporary. This makes me feel better since I know the stuff I am containerizing will not stay in the box for to long.
Very good point, I will do it before I eat lunch. Thanks for looking out for me.
I am not sure if this would work for me year round or not. I may actually have to have some heat for the winter. My ultimate plan is to have the compressor mounted up on a heavy-duty platform.
Getting closer to moving the parts lathe outside. I have to decide where to store everything I removed from it as well. Of course it is all heavy stuff and I can't get the forklift out back without sinking in the sand. I guess I will be taking some trips with the hand truck!
mdbeck1
Well-known member
Are they parts that you should be using for the other lathe? Do you have a cabinet (I know that you have several) that you can put next to the lathe's final resting place? Then put the lathe parts in it. Of course then it makes sense to put ALL of the lathe tooling in there as well. Maybe even a small rolling tool cart (or a full lower section toolbox). These are just ideas. If it makes more sense to put the parts somewhere else then by all means do so.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
I've worked in shops with the compressor outside. Nobody ever seemed to bother with the maintenance side of the compressor then and they always seemed to have leaks. When I put mine in I made it a closet (insulated) and made sure that it had mufflers on the intake side. I can hear that it's on and since I have to open the closet door to turn it on I'm forced to look at it and don't forget the maintenance.
Sometimes you run into those things that get into the way. Keep containerizing (organizing) and eventually it will happen less. As I stated earlier... you need to store lathe stuff near the lathe and milling machine stuff near the milling machine. That way you don't waste time looking for it when you need it. It might make more sense to put the lathe and milling machine next to each other and put a cabinet in between to store stuff for both.
Start with the large containers. Right now you need some boxes that will hold truckloads of stuff. Get the stuff that needs to be used together in the same spot (with temporary labels). Later you can break down the larger boxes to something much smaller and use your super detailed system for the later renditions.
Now that you have the lathe basically done what are you going to do tomorrow?
I find that rainy days are good for inside projects and you have a HUGE list of those. Maybe work on the compressor? ...or if you don't feel like that work on the supply room?
I am keeping them until I know I don't need them. I would hate to sell them then find out I need a gear or something like that. I figure I will use the lathe for a few months and by then I should know if I can sell them.
I put the parts out back in one of my storage containers, they are out of the way and out of the weather. I still have the headstock and the turret that I need to figure get out of the shop. The turret is pretty heavy, so I am not sure if I can get it out by myself. The headstock has a piece of sheet metal that needs to come off before I move it out back. I should have that stuff figured out tomorrow.
As for the cabinet, I will be using one of my rolling carts as the basis for tooling. I am going to keep the bulk of it in the stockroom. Right now the stockroom is on the other end of the shop, but the long term plan is to move it to the opposite end of the shop, then the fab shop will be right next to it. I figure if I organize everything into the cabinets I have, then when I move the stockroom, everything will make sense.
This will be the basic tooling cart:
I ended up putting the rotary tables and other milling tools in this cabinet:
I need to finish the lathe, at least to the best of my abilities. I need to get the big vidmar cabinet to its new home in the stockroom. In order to do that, I have to remove some shelving and that means I need to take everything off the shelves, then move it, then figure out where it goes afterwards. I will be honest, I am a little stressed out about this, but it has to be done.
Standard parts washers don't work very well for large parts because they're a ***** to lift in and out of the washer tub. I'd buy the largest tank I could fit under that machine base, install a submersible pump and use the thing as a parts washer. You could install removable splash guards around all four sides that were maybe 10" tall if necessary. The washing fluid would drain back though the drain hole in the center of the pan.
On the left side, I'd cut some wedges from 1/8" plate and build a slanted drain rack, just like most people use on the side of their sink.
The base looks a little low, so I'd add 12" or so legs in the corners with 1/2" carriage bolts as feet.
Last edited:
mdbeck1
Well-known member
I couldn't agree more... ...finish the lathe.
As far as the shelving is concerned... sometimes you have to make a mess while organizing. As long as it's organized in the end.
That is the plan, I actually have to cut some of my shelving down to fit on top of the vidmar cabinet. It will definitely take some time to figure it all out. I think I can consolidate a lot of stuff as I fill the empty cabinets. I also have a few extra cabinets that need to be emptied because I sold them.
I am not sure if I should dismantle the 8020 or leave it together. I would like to put it outside, but the hardware will all rust. I will probably spend an hour and break it down. It is some seriously rugged ****. I can see making a nice table out of it.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
Good on you. Make a place for everything and keep it organized.
...and selling the cabinets brings in money to work on the re-organization.
You need to dismantle the 8020, put it in a box, and ship it to me.
I can rebuild part of my plywood saw and make it work a LOT better. We use it at work to build jigs and it is some seriously useful stuff. However it's a little expensive for my personal projects.You need to dismantle the 8020, put it in a box, and ship it to me.
I will get right on it!
I am getting a late start, thanks to an unnamed someone.
I am going to demo the 8020, then work on moving some of the shelving around. I will probably not do anything on the lathe today, I really need to get my center bay cleaned up and the only way this will happen is to get the stockroom rearranged. As I said before, I am not looking forward to this, but I am going at it one bite at a time.
I am going to demo the 8020, then work on moving some of the shelving around. I will probably not do anything on the lathe today, I really need to get my center bay cleaned up and the only way this will happen is to get the stockroom rearranged. As I said before, I am not looking forward to this, but I am going at it one bite at a time.
Rex_A_Lott
Well-known member
Just a few random thoughts:
I'd make the air compressor my number one priority. I like the "put it outside" suggestion, but our winters arent as severe as yours. Either way, make up your mind and get this up and running. I use mine almost every time I'm in the shop, and I bet you will too....Blowing dust off things, running air tools, etc.
Those pallet racks out in the rain arent doing you any good. Sandblast them (air compressor) paint them and get them up, anchored to the wall, of course. Use that forklift and put stuff up as high as you can, with the least used stuff at the top.
I'd try to situate the machining tools cabinet and the mill where I could get to them with the forklift. You'll be glad you did when it comes time to put that big rotary table on and off.
The used lathe is one thing I'd hold onto. You may never need it, but if you do, can you just run out and replace those parts quickly for what you have in them?
It doesnt have to stay in the shop, just oil it all down good and get it out of the weather.
Stop straining yourself shoving those big cabinets around. Use the forklift. Work smarter, not harder.
Put " reinstall the stairs" on your list to do. It will make it much more likely that you will use that overhead storage, and as you get older you will learn to hate a ladder, especially if you ever start wearing bi-focals.
Keep digging! Good Luck!
I'd make the air compressor my number one priority. I like the "put it outside" suggestion, but our winters arent as severe as yours. Either way, make up your mind and get this up and running. I use mine almost every time I'm in the shop, and I bet you will too....Blowing dust off things, running air tools, etc.
Those pallet racks out in the rain arent doing you any good. Sandblast them (air compressor) paint them and get them up, anchored to the wall, of course. Use that forklift and put stuff up as high as you can, with the least used stuff at the top.
I'd try to situate the machining tools cabinet and the mill where I could get to them with the forklift. You'll be glad you did when it comes time to put that big rotary table on and off.
The used lathe is one thing I'd hold onto. You may never need it, but if you do, can you just run out and replace those parts quickly for what you have in them?
It doesnt have to stay in the shop, just oil it all down good and get it out of the weather.
Stop straining yourself shoving those big cabinets around. Use the forklift. Work smarter, not harder.
Put " reinstall the stairs" on your list to do. It will make it much more likely that you will use that overhead storage, and as you get older you will learn to hate a ladder, especially if you ever start wearing bi-focals.
Keep digging! Good Luck!
I do have a working air compressor, so it is not a priority. I am going to be selling the current compressor, so I may be forced to use it if the current one sells quickly.
The pallet racking is slated for installation soon, it just has to be modified to fit my decking.
The machining tools will end up close together and I will have the cabinet close by. That 21" rotary table is freaking heavy.
I have kept all the parts of the old lathe, the bed/cabinet can go outside now and I don't even need to cover it. Basically, I don't care about it.
I wish I could move the cabinets into the stockroom with the forklift, but there is not enough room to get it in there. I would be able to use the pallet jack, but the cabinets are not tall enough to get the pallet jack under them.
The stairs are never coming back, ever!
The pallet racking is slated for installation soon, it just has to be modified to fit my decking.
The machining tools will end up close together and I will have the cabinet close by. That 21" rotary table is freaking heavy.
I have kept all the parts of the old lathe, the bed/cabinet can go outside now and I don't even need to cover it. Basically, I don't care about it.
I wish I could move the cabinets into the stockroom with the forklift, but there is not enough room to get it in there. I would be able to use the pallet jack, but the cabinets are not tall enough to get the pallet jack under them.
The stairs are never coming back, ever!