Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The Scooter Workshop

[Modern Jess]

Sorry for the extended silence. I've been a bit distracted by non-shop stuff. This is one of the main distractions, a Fiat 500e electric car.

It's a lease, actually, as I'm still a bit gun-shy about the lifespan of lithium-ion battery packs and the unknown resale value of a car that relies on them. I'm a relatively good candidate for an electric car, though -- my commute is only about 20 miles round trip, I have a pickup truck (that I'm definitely keeping) for longer trips or for larger loads, and my wife has her own car. I also get free charging at work, which makes the running costs damn close to zero. My company has a lot of other electric car drivers, though, so there's a bit of contention for the chargers.

It's actually a kick in the pants. Not anemic at all. It's no Tesla, but it's no Nissan Leaf, either. Really fun car to drive. And there's something really awesome about accelerating very rapidly in nearly complete silence.

Anywho, on to the shop progress. I've been focusing on the finishing details of the fourth wall, and have managed to get the rubber baseboard glued in place, the wiremold conduit installed, and a set of storage cabinets hung on the wall.

Astute observers will note that the cabinets seem slightly un-level with respect to the boxed in shelf above it. I assure you that the cabinets are in fact level, as is the wiremold conduit. The rafter tie that defines the envelope of the boxed-in shelf, however, is definitely not level. I've known this for some time -- I discovered it very, very early in this build. I ignored it as not worth trying to fix, and this is the fallout -- two edges that don't quite line up. I'll live with it.

Also, the gap between the cabinets and the shelf above it gives me a nice little place to store a 9-foot section of tracksaw track. I've got two shorter pieces that I join together when I need to rip a full sheet of plywood, but that's kind of an inferior solution. I've held off on getting the really long track because I didn't have any place to store it. Now I've got the perfect spot. Little victories.

 

[Strouty]

There's room for it right this minute, but eventually a 60 gallon compressor will go into that end of the closet. I only have rough dimensions for that (I haven't actually settled on one yet) so I'm kind of playing wait-and-see as to how much space I have left after that. I might be able to move the miter saw further to the right.

That makes sense, I figured you wouldn't have a large open space left over for no reason.

So far so good, they're holding up well, with one exception: I think I bent one (or both) of the lock / unlock levers, when it was locked with the wheels not poking out the front. I think it snagged on one of the bolts. I had some trouble unlocking one of them, and I haven't investigated the damage yet.

Hopefully it won't be too much damage. At least it isn't like you need to move them all the time.

I like the car, I would like to get myself a commuter car. A buddy had a TDI but he wanted too much for the car. I have about a 30 mile round trip commute.

 

[aggierailroad]

Do you wonder by now if you will ever get to build a scooter?

Great progress, keep it up!

 

[Modern Jess]

Do you wonder by now if you will ever get to build a scooter?

Well, yes, TBH. The amount of time that I've spent completely and utterly absorbed by the shop project has certainly had a profound impact on everything else in my life, including scooters. And in the intervening time, I've also become interested in other worthwhile things to do in my shop, to the point where I wonder if scooters are still a significant part of the equation.

What I should probably do is get some friends together for a multi-day scooter tour, which generally has a profound effect on me. If I come back from that excited to do something scooter-related in my shop (or not), I'll have an answer to the implied question.

 

[dubber]

Sorry for the extended silence. I've been a bit distracted by non-shop stuff. This is one of the main distractions, a Fiat 500e electric car.

It's a lease, actually, as I'm still a bit gun-shy about the lifespan of lithium-ion battery packs and the unknown resale value of a car that relies on them. I'm a relatively good candidate for an electric car, though -- my commute is only about 20 miles round trip, I have a pickup truck (that I'm definitely keeping) for longer trips or for larger loads, and my wife has her own car. I also get free charging at work, which makes the running costs damn close to zero. My company has a lot of other electric car drivers, though, so there's a bit of contention for the chargers.

It's actually a kick in the pants. Not anemic at all. It's no Tesla, but it's no Nissan Leaf, either. Really fun car to drive. And there's something really awesome about accelerating very rapidly in nearly complete silence.

Very cool! I didn't even know they were in that market at this point. I'm not a fan of a lot of the Electric vehicles but this car in your application seems perfect.

 

[Modern Jess]

Very cool! I didn't even know they were in that market at this point.

California has a thriving "compliance car" market. It's not just Fiat -- it's almost everyone. All the major automakers are required to sell zero-emission vehicles as a small percentage of their overall California sales. Alternately, they can buy ZEV credits from other automakers who sell more than the required percentage (like Tesla). I believe Fiat's ZEV sales are covering both Fiat and Chrysler. Mazda is notably absent from the electric landscape -- presumably they are buying ZEV credits.

California drivers -- especially those in urban areas -- have really started to take a liking to the cars. Nissan Leafs are everywhere. The Fiat 500e is starting to be fairly common. And here in the Bay Area, I see Teslas on the road every single day. Companies like Chargepoint are installing chargers in various parking garages / lots, so you can charge your car for a small fee while out shopping or running errands.

At this point, I do believe that electric cars are the future, or a really big chunk of it. The technological limitations mean that they're definitely not for everyone yet, but technology rarely stands still for very long.

 

[Denwood]

Jess, congrats on the car! We shot a promotional video launching a new product using the Nissan Leaf as our "model". It was shot in an older coliseum, at night so we could light the Leaf ****...and involved some pretty cool car shots. I was very, very close to signing a lease for one as I absolutely loved the mechanical simplicity and concept. No oil changes, virtually no brake pad changes, no transmission to worry about.. blah blah. The Leaf aesthetic...not so good.

https://vimeo.com/96495769

CBC radio had an excellent report regarding the use of electric cars and actual green house gas reduction. Turns out where you drive it (which I guess should be obvious) has everything to do with how well they compare with gas/hybrid.

An excellent article here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/e...ost-co2-emissions-in-some-provinces-1.3007409

"In some Canadian provinces, that reduction in emissions (using an electric car) can be quite dramatic – B.C., Quebec, Manitoba, and Newfoundland all produce less than 20 tonnes of CO2 per gigawatt hour of electricity, so driving an electric car can reduce emissions to close to zero."

These provinces have a lot of hydro electric power, so emissions are below 50 tonnes/gigawatt hour. Conversely, if you live in Alberta, Saskatchewan or Nova Scotia, (where coal and natural gas is still used) you're greenhouse impact is reduced by just driving something like a hybrid Prius. In other words, in these provinces, driving an electric car actually increases your carbon footprint.

Taking a look at this: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/docu...9th_edition_V1-0_year_2010_Summary_Tables.pdf
it looks like California would fall around 300 tons of C02/Gigawatt hr. ...so apparently driving an electric car there is good for the planet. Ha.

I'd love to take that Fiat for a spin.

 

[Modern Jess]

Jess, congrats on the car! We shot a promotional video launching a new product using the Nissan Leaf as our "model". It was shot in an older coliseum, at night so we could light the Leaf ****...and involved some pretty cool car shots. I was very, very close to signing a lease for one as I absolutely loved the mechanical simplicity and concept. No oil changes, virtually no brake pad changes, no transmission to worry about.. blah blah. The Leaf aesthetic...not so good.

The leaf is kind of blah. I don't hate it, but it doesn't exactly get me excited, either. And from what I've heard, it's a bit anemic.

The regular gas Fiat is a funny looking little car, vaguely derivative of the original Fiat 500 from years ago. The electric version adds a functional spoiler to the back (which lowers the drag coefficient) and that completely changes the aesthetics of the car, IMHO. I like it quite a bit. Of course, it didn't hurt that I was already somewhat smitten with Italian (or Italian-designed) vehicles. It's a subcompact, and really quite small. Still, I was surprised to find that it's quite comfortable inside. Just don't try to cram anyone in the vestigial back seat.

Nice video, BTW!

CBC radio had an excellent report regarding the use of electric cars and actual green house gas reduction. Turns out where you drive it (which I guess should be obvious) has everything to do with how well they compare with gas/hybrid.

Yep. Electric cars are not a slam dunk everywhere in the US (or Canada). But in California, it seems like they're a net win. And hey, my neighbors have solar on their roof. Our power lines come off the same pole. I figure when I'm charging at home in the daytime, I'm using up whatever they're putting back into the grid before I'm pulling anything else from the grid. And solar is in our medium-term plans anyway, so that'll be even better.

 

[Flyboy101]

Okay, on to the fourth wall!

I took today off to give myself a three-day weekend, with the intent on making some progress on the fourth wall of the shop. I surprised myself by actually finishing it. Part of that was due to starting with the mudding on Friday night (worked until 11:30pm or so) and part of that was due to the general approach of "F-it! Nobody can see this detail!". There are defects in this wall, to be sure. But in the grand scheme of things, I'm pretty happy with it.

There are still a million little details to address, but the key word in that phrase is "little". There are very few "big" things left to do on the shop, and I can't tell you what a relief that is.

Some obligatory pictures:

Outside of closet was included in this weekend's work:

Also managed to reconnect the speaker over the closet door, so I have music again. I am so stoked!

Lest you think I'm done, though, I still have to finish the vertical soffit on the first wall:

And the back wall of the storage loft:

And if you were wondering where everything in the shop went, it's over here, in the (eventual) mill corner.

Great thread. Love you work. What did you use to attach cabinets to the channel?

 

[Modern Jess]

Great thread. Love you work. What did you use to attach cabinets to the channel?

Thanks!

I'm guessing that you're referring to the cabinets in the closet? I first screwed and glued a cleat (nothing fancy -- just a long piece of scrap plywood) to the back of the cabinet, so that most of the weight would rest on the cleat. As the cleat is screwed to the back as well as the sides, that should evenly distribute the weight of the cabinet (and everything in it). The cleat is positioned so that it rests directly on the strut channel. The cabinet is then held tight against the strut channel with 1/4" bolts (with washers on the front) through the back of the cabinet. Those are held into the channel on the other side with standard 1/4" strut channel nuts (the kind that rotate into place) at intervals along the channel.

If you were referring to another cabinet, let me know -- not sure whether than answers your question or not.

And thanks for stopping by!

 

[Flyboy101]

Thanks!

I'm guessing that you're referring to the cabinets in the closet? I first screwed and glued a cleat (nothing fancy -- just a long piece of scrap plywood) to the back of the cabinet, so that most of the weight would rest on the cleat. As the cleat is screwed to the back as well as the sides, that should evenly distribute the weight of the cabinet (and everything in it). The cabinet is then held tight against the strut channel with 1/4" bolts (with washers on the front) through the back of the cabinet. Those are held into the channel on the other side with standard 1/4" strut channel nuts (the kind that rotate into place) at intervals along the channel.

If you were referring to another cabinet, let me know -- not sure whether than answers your question or not.

And thanks for stopping by!

Perfect thanks. Like the cleat idea and wondered about what was in the channel Thanks

 

[Modern Jess]

After re-reading my response, I've just edited it to add one more item:

The cleat is positioned so that it rests directly on the strut channel.

Hopefully, that makes it clear that I'm not using a french cleat or anything like that.

 

[Denwood]

.... And solar is in our medium-term plans anyway, so that'll be even better.

I'd love to see this the norm, rather than the exception. The next 10-15 yrs should be very interesting!

The Leaf outside aesthetic is something I couldn't quite get past...like you, I'm not a fan. It sure felt faster than the numbers with the typical "instant" torque of an EV. The Fiat, at 8.8s to 60, must feel very quick indeed.

 

[Modern Jess]

I'd love to see this the norm, rather than the exception. The next 10-15 yrs should be very interesting!

Me too. And here in sunny California, it's not exactly uncommon. I can count quite a few solar installations within a few blocks of my house. Down here in the Southern end of the SF Bay Area, we have nothing but sunshine most of the year.

Now if only we had some water...

The Fiat, at 8.8s to 60, must feel very quick indeed.

Indeed, though it has issues keeping the small tires planted and staying in a straight line while stomping on the gas. This isn't a typical use, though, so I will excuse it for not possessing the finer points of a supercar.

In day to day driving, though, it's a hoot.

 

[Modern Jess]

Today, I got dangerously close to finishing one of the little shop detail projects. Fortunately, I ran out of cover plates, so didn't quite finish. I'm kidding, but only a little bit. Stockholm syndrome again.

The project at hand was one of those chain-of-dependency kind of things. I set out to wire up the electrical conduit on the rear wall, and that actually went fairly well. Slow and tedious, but I got it all done and tested without any issues.

Then I decided it was time to put covers on the conduit.

I did myself a favor early on and set a standard spacing between outlets in the conduit, so that all the covers would be interchangeable. But I used up all the ones I had previously cut and needed more. My machinist friend has the perfect tool for this -- a Roll-In Bandsaw, which cuts nice and clean and square. But I wanted to see if I could manage this on my own with my new metal-cutting circular saw. The obvious problem with a circular saw is that cutting square -- especially repetitively -- takes either a steady hand or a nice purpose-built fence.

I had neither.

No problem! I'll just make a fence. I dug around and found some scrap plastic, which of course had to be ripped to make the two pieces I need. I knew I'd need the table saw, but of course the shop was in a bit of disarray.

An hour or so of cleanup later, and it was time to get out the table saw:

Much measuring, scribing, drilling, and tapping later, I had a suitable fence. The right-most protrusion is sacrificial, and will be cut to length on the first use.

And finally, I got to the part where I actually started cutting covers:

Voila! Not quite done. As I said, I still need some more outlet covers, which are currently on order. Not too shabby, though. I'm starting to get a taste of what it's like to actually work in the shop, instead of on it. Just a little bit.

 

[JustinS]

This is looking great!

 

[Denwood]

Tireless! I know exactly how it feels. The cabinets you snuck in there..made them or purchased?

You keep teasing with corners, ceilings... It's very clear this will be an amazing shop!

I watched one of the best technical "net zero" building summaries (from Alaska) seen to date:

With all the sensors and data, this is one of the best (and longest) vids I've seen yet. Thought you might enjoy it.

 

[Modern Jess]

Tireless! I know exactly how it feels. The cabinets you snuck in there..made them or purchased?

Purchased. Ikea Besta cabinets, which I've used quite a bit around the house. They've become my go-to cabinets, because they're deep-ish (16" or so) and they can be configured in a million different ways with a bunch of different door styles.

You keep teasing with corners, ceilings... It's very clear this will be an amazing shop!

I'm not so much teasing as carefully choosing my camera angles so as to avoid the mess. :

I watched one of the best technical "net zero" building summaries (from Alaska) seen to date:

With all the sensors and data, this is one of the best (and longest) vids I've seen yet. Thought you might enjoy it.

Oh, that's cool. I'll sit down and watch that later today.

 

[Modern Jess]

This is looking great!

Thanks very much!

 

[sakurama]

I'm starting to get a taste of what it's like to actually work in the shop, instead of on it. Just a little bit.

It's a strange yet good feeling - like a long road trip where it's hard to get your head around the old "normal" when you get home.

You snuck in those new photos at the beginning of the thread - I almost missed them. Nice work.

Gregor

 

[Modern Jess]

It's a strange yet good feeling - like a long road trip where it's hard to get your head around the old "normal" when you get home.

I know that feeling well, and I'll offer up a different version of that in the same vein: both times I've done Scooter Cannonball (in 2008 and 2012), I noticed (along with everyone else in the race) that as we slowly arrived at the daily motel-stop -- exhausted and spent -- none of us could stand to go inside our rooms. The urge to stay outside -- where we had been all day, usually in every kind of weather imaginable -- was completely and utterly overpowering. We would often drag the various motel chairs out into the parking lot so we could stay among the bikes and our fellow riders, drinking beer and wrenching on our bikes as the sun went down. It's a feeling I'll never, ever forget, even as I'm utterly unable to explain why we all felt that way, every single day of the race.

You snuck in those new photos at the beginning of the thread - I almost missed them. Nice work.

Thanks! I would say something about being in the home stretch, but that'd just jinx it.

Oh, wait...

 

[Strouty]

I'm not so much teasing as carefully choosing my camera angles so as to avoid the mess. :

I can hear it all ready, does this cabinet make my shop look organized?

 

[Modern Jess]

I can hear it all ready, does this cabinet make my shop look organized?

Exactly.

 

[Modern Jess]

The machinery starts to accumulate. Here is a very, very dirty Roll-In Bandsaw that I picked up at a local auction, the result of a machine shop going out of business.

More about it here in General Tools Discussion.

 

[Modern Jess]

As mentioned in my thread in General Tools, the Roll-In bandsaw was caked with aluminum shavings in a binder of dried cutting fluid. Every conceivable corner where swarf could accumulate had become caked with the stuff. I knew it was dirty, but once I got into the interior with a putty knife and a small, stiff brush, it became apparent that this saw had probably never been cleaned since it was first put into service.

A few hours later, this is what had accumulated on the floor:

Once I got the bulk of the swarf cleaned out and most of the flat surfaces scraped and brushed free of built-up debris, I started trying to get the oily grime off. I had some success in some places with Simple Green, and in others with WD-40. Maybe different kinds of cutting fluids / oils were used at different times? Not sure.

The paint underneath is in good shape, in the sense that it has some of the original pearl and good color. Sharp corners tend to show bare metal, though. I had briefly harbored the ridiculous fantasy of repainting this thing to bring it back to its original glory, but that moment passed when I realized that this machine is not the destination, merely a tool to be used to get to my eventual goal.

So the plan, then:
- Get all the visible grime cleaned up
- Make another deswarfing pass through the interior areas
- Install casters
- Install fresh tires on the wheels
- Realign the motor

Longer term:
- Install a permanent stop to keep the blade from cutting any farther into the table
- Install a stop shutoff switch for unattended operation

Fantasy term:
- Install a single-phase VFD for easier speed control


Here are some of the cleaned-up pictures (still a work in progress):

 

[dittle fart around]

I had some success in some places with Simple Green, and in others with WD-40. Maybe different kinds of cutting fluids / oils were used at different times? Not sure.

We're about to move from Napa back to Washington. Found a couple bottles of Trichloroethylene from the 40's in my father-in-law's watch makers bench. Best cleaner I've ever used. Here's what the NIOSH guide to chemical hazards says. Had a hard time getting rid of the stuff, could of just brought it to you. Only problem is you need a full hazmat suite, respirator and negative ventilation to use the stuff. :

 

[Modern Jess]

We're about to move from Napa back to Washington. Found a couple bottles of Trichloroethylene from the 40's in my father-in-law's watch makers bench. Best cleaner I've ever used. Here's what the NIOSH guide to chemical hazards says. Had a hard time getting rid of the stuff, could of just brought it to you. Only problem is you need a full hazmat suite, respirator and negative ventilation to use the stuff. :

Yikes! That sounds like some noxious stuff! Perhaps it's best that you got rid of it.

 

[E12-535iTurbo]

It's a nice saw. I'm wondering what the European equivalent is or if it's available on our market as well. I've never heard of it.

 

[OopsClunkThud]

Yikes! That sounds like some noxious stuff! Perhaps it's best that you got rid of it.

I didn't need to see that, use to go through cases of the stuff. Best cleaner ever! Think MPS-100 only better and non-flamible.

 

[growler63]

....I've most always had very good results cleaning nasty like that saw with either CRC Brake Clean, or Gunk Carb Cleaner...and they both clean up very easily afterward....(my .02 cents worth...lol). I dig what you've been doing with your space....might start my own thread (maybe) to show my 'chaos in a box' garage before, then 'wow...I can actually get some stuff done in here'....lol

 

[Modern Jess]

....I've most always had very good results cleaning nasty like that saw with either CRC Brake Clean, or Gunk Carb Cleaner...and they both clean up very easily afterward....(my .02 cents worth...lol).

I've got both hanging around here somewhere. I'll try it out on an inconspicuous spot. Thanks for the tip!

I dig what you've been doing with your space....might start my own thread (maybe) to show my 'chaos in a box' garage before, then 'wow...I can actually get some stuff done in here'....lol

Thanks very much! I think I speak for most when I say that we're always interested in pics of new builds.

 

[Modern Jess]

First mod to the saw: a metal thumb screw on the fence, instead of the plain hex bolt that it came with:

And then Gary (machinist) took it upon himself to make me a replacement counterweight for the one that was missing. He modeled it after the one on his Roll-In saw, but honestly, I think this one is nicer than the original. And considering that Roll-In wants $191 for a replacement, this one was a bargain, as I reimbursed him in whisky.

 

[Getho]

Looking nice! Can't wait to see it finished

 

[Modern Jess]

Looking nice! Can't wait to see it finished

Thanks! Errr, you mean the saw, or the shop? The saw will probably be clean and put back together in a couple days. The shop, well... that might be a few more years.

 

[Getho]

Haha both!

But I was talking about the saw in this instance Nothing like freshly machined custom parts

 

[Modern Jess]

But I was talking about the saw in this instance Nothing like freshly machined custom parts

Then you're in luck! I'm on vacation this week, and the saw is my top priority at the moment. I've got the two blade wheels off and cleaned up, I've got some fresh rubber tires, and I've got the table off. About 90% of it is clean at this point, I still have a bit of interior cleaning to do and the back panel. Then I can start re-assembling.

Pictures tomorrow.

 

[Modern Jess]

The saw is clean. Not spotless, not pristine, but clean. And it took some doing. I used an obscene number of Wypalls, an entire bottle of Simple Green, a whole bunch of scotch-brite pads, and various and assorted brushes for getting into the nicks and crannies.

Here's what it looked like when I brought it home:

And here's what it looks like today:

 

[Getho]

Much better! I bet it's also a lot lighter now!

Does that lever hanging off the front get in the way at all? I could see my knee smashing into it everytime I walked past it

 

[Modern Jess]

More Details:

The whole motor and drive system was a bit shoddy. Which is a bit surprising, considering this saw came out of a machine shop. The motor was mounted crooked, and both pulleys were facing the same direction. This essentially meant that no matter where the belt was, the saw would always run at the same speed. Nifty!

I flipped the pulley on the motor around so that it was facing the right direction. I also mounted the motor straight. Both of those were pretty easy. Then I noticed the pulleys didn't line up, so I started trying to get the upper pulley off, only to notice the allen socket in the set screw holding it on was stripped. Once I drilled it out, I found that the shaft key was missing as well. My friendly neighborhood machinist made me a new key from some key stock he had around (he has everything, it's amazing) and that got the upper pulley properly mounted and aligned.

More details to come...

 

[Modern Jess]

Does that lever hanging off the front get in the way at all? I could see my knee smashing into it everytime I walked past it

It hasn't yet, but it's only been in its final position for about an hour. Give it time, it may take out my knee yet.

That said, if I move the mechanism to the forward position, the lever goes up and comes to just under the table, which would get it out of the way. So I'm thinking (thanks for the prod!) that I should probably leave it in the forward position when I'm not using it.