From a previous post about garage doors where I suggested people show us where they get their kicks.
My workshop has been very little used for the last few years, and is only now being brought back into full use, so it is very untidy, and very little has been moved about in here for a while, just as I left it, except for the surface grinder sitting in the middle of the shop, which is being worked on. I cannot stand for long, so I use high receptionist chairs and sit on them while working with my machines.
So here goes.
It started off as a 20ft x 9ft concrete sectional garage that I put up myself and insulated it for the first 16ft, then built a small partition wall to make a small 4ft deep room at the very back. The main shop is kept warm in the winter months with just a small oil filled radiator which keeps the shop and the machines at about 60 degs F during the winter months, it soon warms up to well over 70 degs once the machines get running.
There are double power points every four feet around the walls, a total of 11, so giving 22 plug sockets, so there is always somewhere to plug things into. The whole lot is supplied by a 35amp 240 volt consumer unit with dedicated breakers to keep things to the correct amperage and SAFE.
So here we go, coming in through the main metal security door.
Right hand side
Left hand side
And the view looking back
Moving forwards into my little metal prep area back room
Chop saw and linisher.
If you notice, behind the small bandsaw is another metal security door that is my escape route if fire breaks out in my main shop. I do have fire extinguishers about the place, but it is always better to have another escape route if anything nasty breaks out.
The other end of the room, grit blaster, 3 in 1 forming machine (load of crap) and my little Black and Decker 25+ year old bandsaw, converted to 1/2" bi-metal blades and has kept me going all that time.
There is a 3HP twin cylinder compressor hidden under the bench, and I try to use nothing but pneumatic powered hand tools in my shop and around the outside of my house and garden, it is much safer than trailing live wires about the place, especially if I am working outside in the wet.
So about my shop.
Because of so little floor space, I use the walls for storage. There must be at least a few cwt of tooling hanging up, but the walls are showing no sign of collapse, yet!!.
I tend to put the tooling where it is used the most, using commercial and home made racks and shelves to hold everything.
Lathe head with all the bits required, the chucks are all stored on a very heavy duty home made shelf between the lathe stand legs.
The bits for tailstock use are stored, you guessed it, above the tailstock.
The mill gets the same treatment, collets, cutters etc are down there with it.
You may notice hanging from the ceiling, roller blinds. These were made specifically for my shop by a friend of mine and are from a heavy duty material. They are dropped down to the floor to stop swarf and grinding dust getting into places I don't want it to be. It just hits the blind and falls to the floor, where it can be left until I have an occasional sweep up.
So onto a few more shots about the place. Shelves full of tooling, consumables (most now out of date) and anything else that hasn't got a proper home.
My die filing machine will eventually be moved into the back room and be replaced with a small CNC mill that I have yet to assemble (stored outside under a covered way, with most of my metal stocks on racks and in secure storage bins.)
So where do you get your kicks?
John
My workshop has been very little used for the last few years, and is only now being brought back into full use, so it is very untidy, and very little has been moved about in here for a while, just as I left it, except for the surface grinder sitting in the middle of the shop, which is being worked on. I cannot stand for long, so I use high receptionist chairs and sit on them while working with my machines.
So here goes.
It started off as a 20ft x 9ft concrete sectional garage that I put up myself and insulated it for the first 16ft, then built a small partition wall to make a small 4ft deep room at the very back. The main shop is kept warm in the winter months with just a small oil filled radiator which keeps the shop and the machines at about 60 degs F during the winter months, it soon warms up to well over 70 degs once the machines get running.
There are double power points every four feet around the walls, a total of 11, so giving 22 plug sockets, so there is always somewhere to plug things into. The whole lot is supplied by a 35amp 240 volt consumer unit with dedicated breakers to keep things to the correct amperage and SAFE.
So here we go, coming in through the main metal security door.
Right hand side
Left hand side
And the view looking back
Moving forwards into my little metal prep area back room
Chop saw and linisher.
If you notice, behind the small bandsaw is another metal security door that is my escape route if fire breaks out in my main shop. I do have fire extinguishers about the place, but it is always better to have another escape route if anything nasty breaks out.
The other end of the room, grit blaster, 3 in 1 forming machine (load of crap) and my little Black and Decker 25+ year old bandsaw, converted to 1/2" bi-metal blades and has kept me going all that time.
There is a 3HP twin cylinder compressor hidden under the bench, and I try to use nothing but pneumatic powered hand tools in my shop and around the outside of my house and garden, it is much safer than trailing live wires about the place, especially if I am working outside in the wet.
So about my shop.
Because of so little floor space, I use the walls for storage. There must be at least a few cwt of tooling hanging up, but the walls are showing no sign of collapse, yet!!.
I tend to put the tooling where it is used the most, using commercial and home made racks and shelves to hold everything.
Lathe head with all the bits required, the chucks are all stored on a very heavy duty home made shelf between the lathe stand legs.
The bits for tailstock use are stored, you guessed it, above the tailstock.
The mill gets the same treatment, collets, cutters etc are down there with it.
You may notice hanging from the ceiling, roller blinds. These were made specifically for my shop by a friend of mine and are from a heavy duty material. They are dropped down to the floor to stop swarf and grinding dust getting into places I don't want it to be. It just hits the blind and falls to the floor, where it can be left until I have an occasional sweep up.
So onto a few more shots about the place. Shelves full of tooling, consumables (most now out of date) and anything else that hasn't got a proper home.
My die filing machine will eventually be moved into the back room and be replaced with a small CNC mill that I have yet to assemble (stored outside under a covered way, with most of my metal stocks on racks and in secure storage bins.)
So where do you get your kicks?
John
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