# My Home Work Shop



## George_Race (Aug 10, 2011)

I have been a member here for some time and never got around to putting up pictures of my home built work shop. First some quick background. Preparing for retirement I built a 40 X 30 Pole Barn. Sectioned off the back 16 X 30 for a workshop, and planned on using the front portion for an Airplane Hangar.  Before I retired I purchased a Zenith CH701 Airplane Kit. I spent the next three years building the Airplane in the shop and assembling it in the hangar portion of the building. I did the initial flight testing in the airplane and a few months later sold it to another Pilot. Having learned a lot about things needed for building experimental aircraft, I decided to put together a small Router/CNC so that I could cut up to 1/4 inch aluminum for airplane parts. Over the past several years I have developed quite a lot of airplane parts an have been supplying them to airplane builders all over the world. My web site has all the details on my airplane and airplane parts building. http://www.mykitairplane.com

I got interested in building model engines a couple of years ago. Have built a couple of runners, both very small and out of brass. Also have an unsuccessful Stirling build that I still cannot get to run, but have not given up as of yet. I have had to learn everything about machining from the ground up. I now start with AutoCAD drawings and go from there to CNC milling of parts. It has been a steep learning curve and I continue to learn with each new part I try to make. Needless to say this web site has be an invaluable source of information and help these past couple of years.

So that is the story, here come the pictures of the workshop.

First some general shots of the shop area.























Here are some closer pictures of the work bench area.










The aluminum you see setting on the bench above, is for my next build, a governor controlled air powered Hit and Miss that I will be starting on very soon.






Along the way I have collected and learned how to use a lot of very neat tools, shown in the pictures below.










And last, my misc tool table, boy what a mess that always is!






For my airplane parts building I keep a lot of sheet material in stock, all different sizes and thickness.






Here is the CNC machine that I built up from a lot of different parts and pieces. I started with the K2CNC frame, built the Hobby CNC controller kit, and wired it all together.






I wrote my own screen for Mach3 that does everything that I need to do in my simple machining.






Getting ready for the build of my Hit and Miss, the first thing I wanted to do was find the center of the blocks of aluminum I purchased for the two flywheels. So I needed to build a bit larger center finder then the one I had built up earlier for the small engines I built.






Above, I route out an area more than half the thickness of the material.






Above and below, I start cutting out the complete piece.










Above, all I need to do now is break out the holding tabs and it is finished.






Above, I scribe the first set of lines on the first flywheel blank. Now I will set it up in the mill and start looking for the flywheel that I know is inside of the chunk of aluminum. Once I get down to the center hub, I will be able to hold it in the chuck of my little lathe and finish the outer surface of the wheel. The max my little Harbor Freight chuck will take is about 2.5 inches. 

So there you go, the shop, the tools, and the start of my next project with step 1!

I am going to do a complete documentation, with pictures, of the Hit and Mill build so will be posting it in the appropriate area as I move along on the project.

All comments and questions are welcomed,
George


----------



## 1Kenny (Aug 10, 2011)

Thanks for showing your shop, George. I have taken a ride in a 701, it had good take-off and landing performance.

Kenny


----------



## 90LX_Notch (Aug 10, 2011)

George,

Nice shop. For safety sake, please don't leave the chuck key in the lathe. That is a very bad habit to get into that can result in a very serious accident.

Bob


----------



## student_Machinist (Aug 11, 2011)

90LX_Notch  said:
			
		

> George,
> 
> Nice shop. For safety sake, please don't leave the chuck key in the lathe. That is a very bad habit to get into that can result in a very serious accident.
> 
> Bob



I Second that. A couple of years ago when I was at school a kid turned on the lathe with the chuck key in it and consequently shot himself in the face :-\ Broke his safety glasses clean off


----------



## lazylathe (Aug 11, 2011)

Nice shop you have there!!! ;D
Lots of space, i like it!!!

I should also have some drywall put up to get the basement looking more reasonable!
I am tired of looking at the pink insulation....

Andrew


----------



## George_Race (Aug 11, 2011)

Thanks for the concern about the lathe chuck key being stored in the chuck. I do have rules, I never turn on the power switch without the plastic chuck guard being in place. That does operate a small switch that enables the motor to be turn on. As long as that guard is not over the chuck, the chuck cannot start turning.  But, having said that, I also realize that the switch could fail in the closed position somehow, allowing the chuck to start turning. 
Starting today, I will find a new place to store the chuck key when the lathe is not in use! Safety features can fail, and I don't need a chuck key flying across the room!

Thanks for the concern,
George


----------



## DICKEYBIRD (Aug 11, 2011)

90LX_Notch  said:
			
		

> For safety sake, please don't leave the chuck key in the lathe. That is a very bad habit to get into that can result in a very serious accident.


True, but he gets enough extra karma points to more than make up for it by having an organ in the shop. :big:

Nice shop! I used to make airplane parts with a home-made CNC router too but mine cut balsa and the wings had chords less than 8" and had Cox .049's up front. ;D


----------



## George_Race (Aug 11, 2011)

Had to comment back!
The organ is to take out my frustration when things are not going right, or I just need a break. I play by ear, can read cords from music, but no formal training. I play to just entertain myself and no one else!

I have thought about routing model airplane parts and have been wondering if anyone actually made and flew models out of very thin aluminum, may something in the order of .005 to .010 thickness. I think it would be fun to actually machine parts for an all metal model airplane.

George


----------



## Mosey (Aug 11, 2011)

I recall seeing several years ago an article about a Japanese gentleman who built a scale model of a real airplane out of thousands of tiny scale metal parts. It's detail was beyond your wildest imagination. I will look for that article, but it may be very hard to find.


----------



## Anko (Aug 11, 2011)

Great shop!!

I can not not notice the organ in the middle of the shop! great to know another model engine machinist-musician!



> I recall seeing several years ago an article about a Japanese gentleman who built a scale model of a real airplane out of thousands of tiny scale metal parts. It's detail was beyond your wildest imagination. I will look for that article, but it may be very hard to find.



do you mean this one??






The japanese gentleman responsible of this tremendous work is Young C. Park, you can se the articler here: http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Park.htm

saludos


----------



## Maryak (Aug 12, 2011)

George_Race  said:
			
		

> I play by ear, can read cords from music!
> George



I thought most organists used their fingers,  which leads me to ask where do you put the music so you can see it. ???

George,

Sorry, I just lost control for a second or two. :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


----------



## Mosey (Aug 12, 2011)

Anko  said:
			
		

> Great shop!!
> 
> I can not not notice the organ in the middle of the shop! great to know another model engine machinist-musician!
> 
> ...



That's the guy!


----------



## G_N_R (Aug 12, 2011)

Thats a terrific workshop you have George, and built your own CNC machine. :bow: 
(Now very envious).


----------



## dreeves (Aug 12, 2011)

Ref to the chuck key. My shop teacher would smack us in the back of the head if we left a chuck key in the chuck. He always said its better if I hit you than if the key hit me. I must have learned my lesson after so many smacks I never do it know.

P/S great looking shop.

Dave


----------



## George_Race (Aug 12, 2011)

You guys are really something else! And that is a good comment!
When I play the organ by ear, I hold the music in my left hand so I can see it more easily, but sometimes my nose gets in the way!

Really appreciate the links to the Corsair and P-51 metal airplanes. Wow, that is one beautiful construction project. We have a flying Corsair in our area that comes to some of out EAA functions. Boy, is that model ever realistic, he must have had a full set of detailed plans at this disposal. Much of the internal stuff is exactly how it looks when you look in the inspection openings of the real airplane. I spend a lot of time reading all about his build and background, quite a story.

Thanks for all the kind comments about the shop, I should have cleaned house a bit before the pictures the other day, but, that is how it looks, always a work in progress.

George


----------

