cbrxxquad Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 I have been doing some major changes in my shop lately, and thought it would be a good thread here. When I built it I had big plans, and little money. But, I had a lot of faith, and experience enough to know what I wanted. I had a path I wanted to go down, and a purpose, so it was just one step at a time and over time I would get there. It is funny, to me that I make the biggest strides in a time of need. When things are the worst I seam to progress the most. Knowing that helps to weather the storm. When I pored the foundation, I pored it over my existing shop floor. This made it 8 inch thick and weathered, packed due to time and my thought was that it would make a great foundation for the machines I knew that someday I would have. That was 1997. One of the things I got from the sale of our old house in town was the shop. We had been renting it 10 years because of the market problems, the same ones that helped us to get the country home and land for a song. It had a great 20 x 40 shop in the back. But the country home had a barn and two out buildings. One was a chicken coop, or one car shop, and the other a two car shop, made of shipping crates, I guess. But both had pretty good floors. I made do. I made a lot of do. With tough times, I made a living redoing cars, trucks, tractors, washing machines, what ever. But, selling the house for a profit payed everything off and gave me the 40 x 65 building built over the two car shack that was my paint booth for a dozen vehicles, tied into the barn that was my office and engine room. I also found an unused Miller sincrowave 250 tig welder for half new. Thats one on the list of must haves. But, life and promises got in the way, and you know what they say about promises. Made to be broken right. Last five years awaiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it did, the big plans were dashed. Oh well. Back to little steps. This place has done a lot for me keeping me together through it all. Good friends, more like family. Hell better than my family. Yall know I did some frames for some members, and in payment for that, I was given a mill, a Bridgeport mill. That's two on the list of must have. Now during the building of my invention last year of it I was working with an old time friend in his backyard shop, after the crash of 86 where he retreated to. He got payed in barter of a mill and lathe from Harbor freight. I worked out a deal for the lathe, and that has been used for a while. Good enough for aluminum use to about 6 inch but lame for anything else. As times are tough here I have been liquidating some things I don't really need. One was my 26 foot enclosed trailer. Put on ebay after trying here without success. No go. Wait till after Christmas and try again. Started out low and got some bids, cool going to help. In the last hour takes off between two bidders. Bam get about what I payed for it in 06. Go to talking to the buyer and he in the machine auction business and races Buells. Ask if he has some lathes and has one from a friend small enough for me and a great price and will bring it when he comes to pick up the trailer. That's the big three. Well the shop is going to have to be redone. The area that has the thick floor is covered in shit, storage, I gotta organize!! Was a killer week. Last Sunday I finally figured what I wanted to do. No help. One 20 foot, by 4 foot bench has got to be turned 90 degrees. All that rolls has got to go out. One 20 x 4 bench has got to be moved away from the breaker box. Both are more than a ton each. Pallet racks modified as benches and loaded. Two other benches have got to be moved. Re do some of the levels of the benches to make 7 more levels to them so a lot of wood work. Monday I work so hard that I am sick Tuesday, just as well it snows 5 inches, and Vic can't get to work. But I had figured out how to rotate the bench with three hoist and just roll it around, by my self. Move the mill and lathe too. Not counting 4 quads two scales, dragster, 5 rolling benches and two shelves of meters and valves. . all in all a productive day. Wendsday, buy wood and run errands and move everything back out to stay till done. Thursday, build 7 benches. Friday finish moving the other stuff around. Saturday Vic helps sweep and clean and move everything back in. This is a batch of the photos, a lot more if you want to see are at the link also. and your welcome to go and look if you are interested. photos This week to clean and organize and trash junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesail Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Glad to see you trade the Harbour Freight cheepy for a nice Clausing! You'll be much happier!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Jesus Christ....you have a fucking major shop going on there. Most people only dream of having something like that. NICE !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB4XX Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 I had to pull out my Stan-English dictionary... Awesome buddy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuXXtin Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Oh man. Am curious, was that Tim's SV triple in the first picture? Amazing either way! edit.. ahh, probably not, if you just took that pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrxxquad Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Oh man. Am curious, was that Tim's SV triple in the first picture? Amazing either way! edit.. ahh, probably not, if you just took that pic. Yes, it was. Just a good mill picture, that at the time, I had already loaded to PB. I was loading the group of pictures to photobucket and needed something to do while they were loading. I have just found a bunch more that were on the camera internal memory and not the card the other day from the build. Really should upload them to PB for Tim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVLXX Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Nice.... Very Nice.... good work. So, when are you going to paint the floor White ? (I know it's crazy, but that's my dream... like this, http://www.epoxy-coat.com/ ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02XXCA Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Envious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdman Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Nice Bridgeport Fucko! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrxxquad Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 When I built the shop, before I put anything in it, I etched the floor with muriatic acid and primed and painted the floor. Kills type and it came up after about a year. I really wanted to do it right, but was so disappointed and mad about all the paint flakes, but, now with the epoxy type sealers it is tempting. But would be such a big job. I might still do it as nothing will be on the floor but the feet now. I can wash out the whole shop if I want. Yes it is Jeff, real nice. But, now the big job, to throw out all the useless crap, and organize. Built a filter system on my parts cleaner yesterday. Used a cartridge filter and pump and oil filter to cycle the naptha all the time. Should help keep it cleaner and will not have to dispose as much. With what evaporates, I can just use a pan to final clean and add to the dirty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearXX Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Envious! A big +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrxxquad Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Nice.... Very Nice.... good work. So, when are you going to paint the floor White ? (I know it's crazy, but that's my dream... like this, http://www.epoxy-coat.com/ ) 1500 dollars.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redxxrdr Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Wow, Stan that is fantastic. My grandfather could make about anything on a lathe. I just make good parts worse. As to workflow, forget that floor stuff. I have a counterpoised boom from a X-ray room for my shop. Hang a small fridge on it, and move the beer to where I am working. Do you have a three phase service? Makes most machine tools cheaper to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVLXX Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 When I built the shop, before I put anything in it, I etched the floor with muriatic acid and primed and painted the floor. Kills type and it came up after about a year. I really wanted to do it right, but was so disappointed and mad about all the paint flakes, but, now with the epoxy type sealers it is tempting. But would be such a big job. I might still do it as nothing will be on the floor but the feet now. I can wash out the whole shop if I want. Nice.... Very Nice.... good work. So, when are you going to paint the floor White ? (I know it's crazy, but that's my dream... like this, http://www.epoxy-coat.com/ ) 1500 dollars.. Ouch ! Hmmm, but I would keep looking, maybe you can find a better deal, because now would be the time to do it, especially in the area were you're going to mount the equipment anyways. Maybe a little floor area now, then some more later, so on and so forth. Years ago, My dad painted the shop floor Glossy White, and I thought it was pretty cool, but I did not look forward to cleaning it. Then one day while I was rebuilding a Quadrajet, one of the those little ity-bity steal balls popped out and rolled across the floor. SHIT ! I thought.... I've done this before, only to spend an hour looking for the part. But then, about a second later I looked down, and bingo, there it was, sticking out like a sore thumb. From that point on, I Loved that Floor. As it turned out keeping it clean was easier than ever, sweeping was easier, and washing was easier too. ( there's only 2 draw backs, wet shoes, leave them at the door, otherwise you might be on your ass, quick, and secondly, cutting torches, slag tends to leave marks, it would be best to have an area just for that with no paint. ) Ever since then... I have wanted a nice big shop... with a high gloss White floor. ( No speckles ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrxxquad Posted March 5, 2010 Author Share Posted March 5, 2010 Wow, Stan that is fantastic. My grandfather could make about anything on a lathe. I just make good parts worse. As to workflow, forget that floor stuff. I have a counterpoised boom from a X-ray room for my shop. Hang a small fridge on it, and move the beer to where I am working. Do you have a three phase service? Makes most machine tools cheaper to buy. Yes three phase in the shop. The boom would really be nice. Need to look for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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