# Shop under renovation!!



## Divided He ad (Apr 27, 2008)

Well I finally decided to reorganise my little shop... Well I had to really since I just purchased a new bench for my lathe to sit on! 

A couple of photo's... bear in mind I have no where near finished yet.... For a start I am going to go next door and find out what is causing all that damp up the wall by my mill!!  

This is a bit through the days work. Mill on the floor (well heavy !!) and bench and lathe stacked with stuff to get it out of the way! 








Mill in it's new home. Not plugged in yet but won't be long.







New bench in and lathe moved on to it ;D







Still lots to do... as you can see!! But I will get it done soon, Can't carry on working otherwise! 



Ralph.


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## zeusrekning (Apr 27, 2008)

This is more typical of what I'm used to seeing. You can only improve on the orginization.  If your home is like mine, as soon as something is moved out something else comes in. We should start a new TLC show called Extreme Home Shop Makeover.


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## Divided He ad (Apr 28, 2008)

It'll look much better soon!! (then I'll start working in it again! ;D ) 
If someone wants to come to my house knock all this down and build a state of the art shop in it's place.... Who am I to stop them :big:  I'm in... Who do we talk to? ;D


Ralph.


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## CrewCab (Apr 28, 2008)

Ralph 

I thought I was a little "cramped" : .............. but I think you have me beat 

Good luck mate, I'm sure it will all come good 8)

Whilst I'm here ........... what sort of mill did you end up with 

Dave


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## Divided He ad (Apr 28, 2008)

Dave, 

My space is so small because it is shared with my dad...It's approx 2.1m2  still haven't finished building my house let alone my new shop! 

The mill is a Chester champion, purchased 2nd hand it's a little old but works, the DRO's were on it when I got it but are not standard... The link to the site... this ones a bit newer and there is a dc variable version now too ( looked a little bit smaller when I was at their store last!) 

http://www.chesteruk.net/store/champion_mill.htm


Ralph.


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## CrewCab (Apr 29, 2008)

Divided He ad  said:
			
		

> ...It's approx 2.1m2  still haven't finished building my house let alone my new shop!



Ralph, I'm not surprised your cramped, that's a floor area very slightly bigger than a mason's door opening  ............. helping build your house is not a problem, rediscovering my engineering skills from many years ago is another matter ;D .......... maybe we should swap notes 

Seriously though if you need to "bang heads" on a building related matter just shout up.

Dave


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## Divided He ad (Apr 29, 2008)

Cheers Dave, my house is near completion... only had it 5 years!!! 
just some electrics, plumbing, plasterboard, plastering, a bathroom and a kitchen and it's all done!! oh bar the paint and second fix electrics that is!! : 
I'm like the tortoise of the building world! 

I hadn't touched a lathe or mill for about 10 years till I had an idea of something I knew I could make. So I went and raided the savings and found a peatol (taig) lathe on ebay and have not looked back since! 

I have never been happier than when I'm creating something (with my music playing) in my own 'little' retreat ;D When you are enjoying something learning about it is not a chore, it's just something you are going to do so that you enjoy it more 
This forum is the best teaching aid I have ever known, You have to read more and more... you just can't help it ;D the good thing is that if you ask a question I could give you an answer... it may not be the best or most accurate answer but it might be a start!! ;D And I'm sure you would get many other offers of an answer, as you know 


Ralph.


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## Divided He ad (May 2, 2008)

Well I'm getting there!! : 

After another 8-9hrs in the shop it and looks a bit better... :- 

I've shifted the tooling to the new lathe bench... 
























A tidy up of the messy bench, also a new fixture for the tool cabinets that used to be for all the tooling I just rehoused.
They will now be used for all my electronics equipment! 






Finally for tonight the little chuck key tidy ( Ok it has some other stuff in it too... but it's mainly there for the chuck keys!  )






This is turning out to be a mammoth task... And the shop is tiny!! ??? 

I'll start again sunday...House tomorrow! 



Ralph.


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## Brass_Machine (May 2, 2008)

Looking good Ralph. I will have you know however, when I cleaned my shop... it was messy again that night. :big:

Eric


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## Divided He ad (May 3, 2008)

I have in no way got this place tidy yet... Another 4 hrs on it this afternoon! Still haven't uncovered my machines or plugged them in yet! But the bench has a new slidy desk thingy and my peatol (taig) will soon be useable once more! ;D ( I will now have the space to put and work on it  )

What is your new picture of Eric? ( speaking of pictures... Have you got your computers sorted yet? :-\ )




Ralph.


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## Brass_Machine (May 5, 2008)

Divided He ad  said:
			
		

> at is your new picture of Eric? ( speaking of pictures... Have you got your computers sorted yet? :-\ )
> 
> Ralph.



Not yet. Still haven't bought a new harddrive for the graphics machine... I am stuck with the laptop.

That is actually a Carbon Fiber & Billet kickstand that I make. Trying to get a business started in the sport bike after market.

Eric


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## Divided He ad (Jun 8, 2008)

Well I've just about finished my shop renovation!! (for now anyway) 

I have installed my new surface table donated by an anonymous benefactor (if you read a lot of posts you will be able to figure that one out!! ;D )
It is 18" square and heavy as hell!!!! It has been removed from it's stand (which is now in storage) and a hole cut through the bench, the spigot dropped through the hole and it's home  




and it has a cover too...





Then I have installed some work trays (this is an idea from a previous post I read but cannot find again... so thank you to the poster of this one ;D )





Work trays made(MDF) and ready to fit.





Fitted and showing my peatol(taig) on the bench.





Lathe in storage (it will be covered)





And finally the work tray pulled out so I can work with somewhere to fit my long [email protected]# legs ;D



Ralph.


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## ksouers (Jun 8, 2008)

Very nice, Ralph.

I like that tray idea. I might have to "borrow" it.


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## Bogstandard (Jun 8, 2008)

Ralph,

Surely you didn't maul that heavy thing in there by yourself?
It took two of us to get it in your chariot.

Now your shop getting into shape, the little engine should be born soon then!!

Kevin,

Don't put down your little B&D bandsaw, mine has been the most used machine in my shop for nearly the last twenty years. I never cut steel on it, but everything else goes thru it with no problems at all. From thin plastic to 3" bars of brass and 4" thick ali plate.
The only mod I ever did on it was make a set of roller bearing blade guides, and only ever use 3/8" or 1/2" wide blades.

John


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## Divided He ad (Jun 8, 2008)

Erm.... well your definitely not anonymous now John !! ;D 
Yes I did haul it the 40' from my parking bay to my workshop, then on and off the bench 4 times... my back wasn't happy!  : 

But it looks good now though, eh? 
(Oh and happy new avatar ;D )

Kevin, If you are talking the extending work tray then that's my idea and you can borrow it (like I could stop you !!! :big: ) If you are talking the multistory project storage trays then that is as I said someone else's idea... I just can't recall where I read it? Either way it was all posted here for all to see and copy if it helps 


Ralph.

Ha! Found it... Alan2525 posted it in the 'My little corner of the Universe - Phase 1'(page 1) post of Crewcabs... I knew I'd read it somewhere... 
Thank you ;D


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## ksouers (Jun 8, 2008)

Ralph,
Thanks for the blessing. Actually I was thinking of both. They look quite handy.

If I might offer a suggestion, rub some candle wax along the tray bottoms. They'll slide much easier.


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## Divided He ad (Jun 8, 2008)

Have you met my dad Kevin??  :big: :big: 
I hadn't finished 2 min's and he said exactly that ;D

You won't regret the time spent... makes miltitasking a lot easier.



Ralph.


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## ksouers (Jun 8, 2008)

Divided He ad  said:
			
		

> Have you met my dad Kevin??  :big: :big:
> I hadn't finished 2 min's and he said exactly that ;D
> 
> You won't regret the time spent... makes miltitasking a lot easier.
> ...



LOL

Obviously, great minds think alike!


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## mklotz (Jun 8, 2008)

Ralph,

Those pull-out shelves are great. You'll find them very handy.

My workbench design dosen't permit pull-out shelves so I did something similar. I built a 2 x 3' table with a single hinged box leg. Its other end sits on a 1 x 1" ledge screwed to the front of the bench when in use. Two drop through bolts ensure that it can't come dislodged.

My shop is in a garage in which we still park two cars. The great thing about this table is that it must be removed in order that my wife can park her car. This *ensures* that I'll always clear it and store it away before leaving the shop and that, in turn, ensures that it will be free and clear for use the next time I need to use it.

Like you, I have long legs and it's always difficult to sit at my bench when doing fine work because my legs interfere with the bench supports.

The collapsible table is higher and allows me to sit and hunch comfortably over a tiny job.


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## Divided He ad (Jun 8, 2008)

That'll be invention's mum up to her old tricks again then Marv :big: Mmmm, hunch comfortably.... sounds familiar :

I've already got 4 different ones on the go!!  

I was also happy to get my little lathe down off the wall (it used to hang up) is is now easier to access and thanks to the shelves the bench can be cleared in seconds if I want to use it   

My shop is going to be far better to work in now that I have it a little more organised ;D


Ralph.


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## mklotz (Jun 8, 2008)

In my tiny shop space it's inevitable that any horizontal surface will quickly fill with stuff. It used to be a real pain clearing a space when I needed to work on something large (which, fortunately, I do very seldom).

I solved the problem by identifying some key working areas and making flat plywood "serving trays" which sit on those surfaces. These trays have sturdy steel handles (the type one might see on a shed door) fixed to them so it's easy to lift the tray and whatever it's collected, set it on the floor, and, voila, a big clear patch of working space.

I did something similar on my lathe. Like many Chinese lathes, it has a flat, hinged top on the headstock that one must lift to change speeds. Being flat, it's a perfect place to lay chuck key, mike, screwdriver, etc.. Then, when a speed change is needed, all that must be picked up and a place found for it.

The local craft store sells a set of three small pine trays (really 1.5" high topless boxes) of varying sizes. These are meant , I believe, to be painted with craft paints until suitably hideous, then gifted to relatives one loathes.

One on top of the headstock and the others scattered in key "tool collection sites" have helped enormously. Instead of picking up a whole handful of tools (and probably dropping a couple) one simply sets the tray aside, performs the needed operation, and then replaces the tray.

Re lathes hanging on walls... I toured a WWII submarine here in CA (can't remember which harbor offhand) and the lathe was mounted to the bulkhead. Not that surprising given the cramped interior of a sub. But this one had the spindle axis vertical! I wonder how long it would take to adjust to working on such a tool.


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## CrewCab (Jun 8, 2008)

Divided He ad  said:
			
		

> Ha! Found it... Alan2525 posted it in the 'My little corner of the Universe - Phase 1'(page 1) post of Crewcabs...


Thanks for the reminder Ralph ;D .............. now on the "to do" list 

Thanks to Alan as well 

CC


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## Divided He ad (Jun 9, 2008)

Using a lathe on the wall  now that must have been odd!? ???
I do like the idea of little tool trays Marv, it is on the 'look out at the shops' list ;D

CC, it was fixed in my mind the moment I read it... I just couldn't remember where ??? :

Tis all good now though ;D... I just got to get some more shop time!! :-\


Ralph.


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## Divided He ad (Oct 26, 2008)

I've been warned....120days eh..? Well progress needs reporting on so here it is.... ;D 

I've been a little busy and it all fits into shop renovation IMO. 

Firstly I've added a new item... Well new to me (donated to a good cause ... me. also to save it from being made into little engine cylinders!!) the Toggle press.





It was alot of fun lifting it onto the bench... Shows I've still got my superhuman powers  8) :big: 

It has a lot of potential... That's a work in progress!


And the latest item is a new bench for my mill to call home, it is out of an old AA van... strong bit of kit (Sortimo...appear quite expensive!) 
Still when it's up for offer you don't say no do you ;D 




Sorry I can't get back far enough to get it all in frame!





Loads of tool storage too ;D 

Well that's the update... it'll soon be time to make something in there!!! 


Ralph.


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## Twinsquirrel (Oct 26, 2008)

Hey Ralph,

Those Sortimo units are awesome and VERY expensive, when the salesman was selling me mine for the vans he made great effort to show me pictures of their crash resistance even when loaded with heavy tools... 


If you find any more going spare give me a shout!!!!!


David


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## Propforward (Oct 26, 2008)

Nice setup! That drawer / bench set up is excellent - very practical and functional. Somehow gear like that becomes even more special when you "win" it in that way.

Goody goody!


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## Divided He ad (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi David, 
Your on the short list (so short it's only you on it!!!) I checked out their website  Your not wrong! I do like their fold away vise... Very cool!

PF, 
Glad you like it, I've just got to explore it's full potential as a workshop now. The winter months are here, that means more shop time on average.... Problem with being young, free and single is that you keep finding fun things to do all week  

The donated tooling is my most prized, as I would never have been able to get in any other way.... I just need to find ways of showing my appreciation.... I think it quite hard to do that when the master you got most of them off has pretty mush everything he will ever need!!


Anyway, I'm waffling... Now I'm going to work in the rain!!


Ralph.


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