# Here's my shop.



## DICKEYBIRD (Nov 1, 2008)

Geez, talk about baring your soul! Kinda like walking up on a stage and giving a speech to a big crowd. I've been meaning to add my shop to this thread for a long time.

Anyway, here's my garage workshop. It's 20 x 20 and has been a work in progress since 1990. SWMBO and I agreed before we picked this house that I would have an attached garage which would become my workshop and she would have a fireplace (and everything else.) My loyal autos have to live out in the cold. :'( I do pat them on the dashboard and talk nice to 'em though.

1st pics are from the southwest corner panning east to north. #1, mechanics tool box, spray can & liquids + storage shelving on the far wall; homemade CNC router in the foreground. Used the heck out of that one during my model aircraft designing/building days. Just to the left of the toolbox but hidden by the CNC is a 28 x 48 workbench with a Littlestown 5" vise and a chop saw.







#2, looking towards northeast corner; 30 x 84 central workbench with bulk storage underneath, fastener storage, X-3 mill & stand, mill tooling at north end of bench, 26 x 48 x 72 storage cabinet in far corner, 30 x 78 workbench with bulk storage underneath, 12 x 30 x 62 cabinet along north wall. TV/video/DVD dubbing gear on central workbench is temporary until family video archiving project is done.






#3, looking straight north, on the left side, 38 x 37 x 122 workbench with PC/printer, (where I'm typing this) 12 x 30 x 40 wall cabinet above PC, file cabinet at far end, magazine shelf over entrance door, TV on left end of north workbench.






#4, from northwest corner looking south along the workbench mentioned above, it has a surplus laminate countertop I got for cheap. On the far end is a 1980's era Taiwan 32" drill press, my 1st machine tool, it just works & works without a whimper. There's the rocking chair I snatched from the curb at a neighbor's house. A few dowels, a lathe turned oak bushing for one arm, some Gorilla Glue and some oak strips to fix the rotted rocker bottoms and I have a great place to relax, sip a coffee in the morning or a beverage at night & contemplate the next project. Behind the rocker is a 38 x 48 mobile cart on casters which is home for the old 1950's Craftsman tablesaw I inherited from my father. Also hidden by the rocker is the old Sioux valve grinder I'm modifying.






#5, Middle 80's Taiwanese 8 x 16 lathe my machining buddy sold me in 2004 that completely changed my life. The pegboard and storage cabinets hold a good selection of tooling. The cheaper and shop-made varieties are out in plain view, the more expensive stuff out of sight in the drawers. "Oh, that old thing....I've had that for YEARS; it's not new honey!"






#6, One of the ubiquitous HF 4 x 6 bandsaws sitting on a modified HF cart. Metal storage underneath, round stuff in the upper level, flats in the lower. I added 2 beams on the bottom for stability and wheels on the other end that allow it to be lifted from 1 end and rolled around like a wheelbarrow. I love that thing! The roll-around cabinet with the grinders and homemade disc sander can be seen just to the right of the saw.

I added 1/2" plywood flooring in the attic above the garage and installed a folding stairway in the ceiling. The locations of the central table and the bandsaw were carefully chosen to allow the stairway to be pulled down and the attic accessed without moving anything.






I guess that about does it! Who's next?


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## Brass_Machine (Nov 3, 2008)

Nice shop. I have that exact lamp you have above your lathe except mine is by my mill. Very cool!

Eric


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## CrewCab (Nov 3, 2008)

That looks nicely laid out and pretty well organised DB 8) .............. gives me something to aim at 

Love the rocking chair ............ class ;D

CC


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## DICKEYBIRD (Nov 3, 2008)

Thanks guys, I'm not so sure about the nicely organized bit but it works OK for me most of the time.

I did a quick cleanup earlier last week before a buddy came over for a visit. I figured I'd better snap some pics and post them before it slid back into it's normal chaotic look. Unfortunately, a job came up on the lathe and I forgot to straighten out that area before posting the pic.

Eric I really lucked out on the lamps. I told my resident yard sale expert (SWMBO) to be on the lookout for a workbench lamp and she came back with the (brand new) one on the lathe for $2 and the flourescent ring lamp with the magnifying lense (like new) on the grinder cabinet for $4!

CC, I'm liking that rocker more every day. It takes up a lot of space but man, is it relaxing! I must be getting old.


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## ksouers (Nov 3, 2008)

Nice shop, DB. Wish I had that much room!

Now I'm going to have to replace my simple rolling stool with a rocker ;D


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## Tin Falcon (Nov 4, 2008)

If you read the tips and advice pages of the Elmers engines Book. A _Rocking Chair_ is a recommended piece of shop furniture!!!
Tin


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## John S (Nov 4, 2008)

If you have the room for a rocking chair you have the room for a new machine - nuff said..

.


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## Propforward (Nov 4, 2008)

Nice shop! It looks well organized to me!


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## DICKEYBIRD (Nov 4, 2008)

OK now that I've "outed" myself and admitted to having a rocking chair in my shop, I have to reveal another decadent habit. ;D

I've been known to settle into that rocker with my ol' wireless equipped laptop and a refreshing beverage after a long day at work and surf the machining websites for hours at a time. Absolutely no productive work being done but boy does the Future Projects list get longer!


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## wareagle (Nov 4, 2008)

Well, we can't be having any of that unprodutive time in the shop... Consider yourself suspended for three days while you think about it.  ;D

Actually, that is great. I do have a computer with internet access in the shop, but the machine is so stinkin slow that I hardly ever use it. I will fire it up and have drawings up on it for dimensioning as I am working on something, or the occasional research need, but the vast majority of my online time is spend in my office which is on the opposite end of the house. It would be nice to have the ability to sit out there for long periods of time, but SWMBO has a different idea! 

And besides all of that you are in Tennessee, so aren't you supposed to have a rocker in the shop?? :big:


BTW You do have a very nice setup. It is just a bit clean... Maybe because of the rocker.


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## Brass_Machine (Nov 12, 2008)

I would love to have a rocking chair in my shop! I might even be able to get SWMBO to spend some time in it with me!

Eric


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## itowbig (Nov 13, 2008)

whats the PINK clip board there. a little girly dont ya think ;D :big: :big:

nice shop there. im jealous cause i dont have all that room


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## DICKEYBIRD (Nov 15, 2008)

itowbig  said:
			
		

> whats the PINK clip board there. a little girly dont ya think


 Dangit Sid, you weren't supposed to "out" me like that! ;D

Actually, that's a sign of an affliction that many of us here share. I rarely throw _anything_ away. Inherited that trait from my father who grew up during the depression and later had 5 kids to support on a very meager income. Man I wish he were still alive so he could spend some time in my shop. He would be absolutely ecstatic to have the shop space and machines I've been fortunate enough to acquire.

My (now 19 yr. old) daughter put that pink clipboard in the trash a long time ago. She said the pink color and gaudy flowers was "kid stuff." I happily picked it out of the trash can, peeled the flowers off and hung it up where you see it. That's where I keep up with widgets I'd like to procure and new projects to start on.


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## wareagle (Nov 15, 2008)

Milton, just tell everyone you're color blind when they ask you about it.  ;D It's gray, not pink!!!


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## rake60 (Nov 15, 2008)

Machinist's NEVER throw anything away! 

My wife will pick something up and ask me what it is.
*
"It's a broken ****" 

"Why are you keeping it?"

"I might be able to use it someday."

"For what?

"I won't know that until I need."*

It makes perfect sense to ME anyway! 

Rick


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## Cedge (Nov 15, 2008)

DB....


> Geez, talk about baring your soul! Kinda like walking up on a stage and giving a speech to a big crowd. I've been meaning to add my shop to this thread for a long time.



Wait till you try a build thread....LOL. Add standing there nekid and you got a feeling for it.

I like the shop and envy your CNC router table. Looks like your pretty well set up there.

Steve


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## itowbig (Nov 16, 2008)

rake60  said:
			
		

> Machinist's NEVER throw anything away!
> 
> My wife will pick something up and ask me what it is.
> *
> ...



that is the truth there buddy. everything has a use somewhere , sometime.
don't know when but when the time comes we will have it.


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## Brass_Machine (Nov 16, 2008)

itowbig  said:
			
		

> that is the truth there buddy. everything has a use somewhere , sometime.
> don't know when but when the time comes we will have it.



I just replaced our DVD player... The old one is heading down to the shop for parting!

Eric


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## dsquire (Nov 16, 2008)

DICKEYBIRD  said:
			
		

> Dangit Sid, you weren't supposed to "out" me like that! ;D
> 
> Actually, that's a sign of an affliction that many of us here share. I rarely throw _anything_ away. Inherited that trait from my father who grew up during the depression and later had 5 kids to support on a very meager income. Man I wish he were still alive so he could spend some time in my shop. He would be absolutely ecstatic to have the shop space and machines I've been fortunate enough to acquire.
> 
> My (now 19 yr. old) daughter put that pink clipboard in the trash a long time ago. She said the pink color and gaudy flowers was "kid stuff." I happily picked it out of the trash can, peeled the flowers off and hung it up where you see it. That's where I keep up with widgets I'd like to procure and new projects to start on.



DickeyBird :bow:

This just goes to show that when you post a picture people do look at them and pay attention to the details (even the ones you wish they wouldn't) that the picture reveals. I have a few things around that my grandaughters no longer thought were cool or the right colour but they work for me and thats what counts.

Cheers

Don


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## carbide_burner (Nov 16, 2008)

First thing I noticed was the little airplanes hanging from the ceiling. I have 2 models hanging from the ceiling in the "spare room" in the house. The "spare room" was converted to a "study" a few years ago. All part of carefull planning to turn the room into an extension of workshop! All my my model airplane and R/C nitro car building is done in there now! My model flying is completely dormant now, except for my Lama V4 indoor heli. Are you still active in the sport? Great fun! -- wish I had more time on hand to fly the fixed wings  

Nice workshop by the way. Mine is a complete mess at the moment, but things should improve soon as I'm busy with a revamp.


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## DICKEYBIRD (Nov 16, 2008)

Designing/building/flying model aircraft has been a lifelong hobby-obsession of mine. I wrote up articles that were published in Flying Models magazine a few years ago on several of the ones hanging from the ceiling. I did an article on CNC for the same magazine as well.

The aircraft "need" has been dormant ever since I got into this machining thing but I have an ever-expanding list of must-do aircraft projects stored away mentally and rough sketched in CAD for when I retire...if that day ever comes.

South Africa, eh? It's a small world. The company I work for just re-hired a fellow that moved here from Zimbabwe almost 10 yrs. ago. He's a great fellow and bought a mini-lathe not long ago.

Eric, you sound like me. When a printer finally dies at work or home, it's time for a celebration!

Steve, I hope to have a build thread started on an engine project after the first of the year so my nervous time's a-comin'.

Ahhh, coffee's done...time to head out to the rocking chair. ;D


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