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ieezitin:
Peter.

Great use of such a small space. I love those little stackable tray storage thingies.

I too like the idea of the mirror. 

Where you have that splash tray on the back of the lathe I have something similar in size and shape, but it’s made from stainless steel, I have directly overhead a two strip florescent light which bathes the machine with light and at the same time the stainless collects the unused light and pushes laterally towards me it helps a lot as my eyesight is getting worse.

What is it you make in this little heaven?.

God bless    Anthony

latheman:
Anthony,

What do I make?

The short answer is nothing! Which then invites a lot of additional questions so here are a few answers.

First, some basic things: 1) I have no prior engineering expertise. Whilst it's true that at school I did use a die, did some brazing and soldering, and did use a metal working lathe on wood, that's all. 2) This is a hobby, and as such comes after other things. 3) I'm now at the age when I can indulge myself being retired and on a reasonable pension.

So, put all that together, and you have someone who wishes to learn how to use the equipment and has a small amount of spare time to spend on it - except that other things do have to be done, such as maintaining the house and garden etc. What this means is that I have bought the equipment with a view to learning how to use it, and if along the way I can use it to repair, or replace or adapt something then that's all to the good. But, and it's a big but, I do have lots of problems along the way, problems such as discovering that TCT tools are not the bee's knees they are made out to be. Which is why I am going back to HSS & high carbon steel (silver steel or drill rod). Problems such as drunken threads, turned steel which is anything but smooth, screwcutting under power at 125rpm (definitely not advised), and so on. All problems which any beginner has to overcome. Along the way, I've come to realise that I needed certain additional equipment, so I've built (again with various problems along the way) a simple indexer mechanism (the mandrel has 12 holes ready for this), a self releasing mandrel handle (avoids use of a mallet to release it), a filing rest (but not a particularly good design), modified a vertical slide for the 918 lathe to fit on mine, a parting off tool to Len Mason's hacksaw blade design but using an old 4" file ground down. And now I've bought all these castings etc to set myself up on the mill. Learning about accuracy, to turn parallel and to dimension (still difficult that last).

So, in essence then, I'm in it for self-education, and to make additional tooling as I go along.

Now you are probably thinking what a lot of expense for no obvious reason. Fair comment, but as the saying goes, I can't take it with me, so having spent the majority of my life being careful with money, eg camping/caravanning holidays in the UK, no flash or new cars, refusing in general to replace something just because it's old and out dated, and being careful with loans/mortgages etc I think I now have the right to spend some of the money I've saved. When all said and done, using the computer, going singing and learning about engineering all helps to keep the old brain cells ticking over.

In respect of lighting, you'll have noticed the three bench lights - one on the work bench, one on the lathe which can be swiveled through 90° to use on the miller as well, and a third on the miller (that one is a bit limited in it's adjustments). What doesn't show is that there are also two normal fluorescent strip lights on the ceiling (ceiling? Rafters actually!) mounted in a serial configuration giving 9 or 10' of light. So I'm pretty well off for lighting. But as you say, the old eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be and so for things like setting up the parting off tool which needs to be exactly right, I now use clip on lenses, and a magnifying glass.

The little storage tray thingies were bought as scrap metal from work. They would have gone to a scrap man as a job lot along with all the redundant equipment. They were actually used to hold spare components and consist of a moulded plastic divider a bit like a plastic cutlery drawer and then glued to a metal base which in turn then slides on a very crude set of metal sides. The whole device was originally designed to fit inside a steel cupboard which imparted rigidity to it. In my case it's free standing so can wobble a bit. But it does what I want and that's all that matters.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

Jonny:
A little tip, board over the underside of the rafters. If apex roof put some insulation down as well, not only does it keep the heat in better it also keeps the noise down.
I have less working space than you.

In my shop i would give carpet less than 3 mins before smelling the burning and must put something down on concrete floor.
I did paint the floor, lasted a couple of hours too slippy when wet.

Miner:
Latheman,
I think you have a great shop, Pretty well all the machine tools needed to make just about anything you want. It looks warm and well lit, What more does anyone need. You've obviously spent a great deal of time getting it set up for the way you work and want it.

Pete

Stilldrillin:
Peter.
You have a great, but much too tidy workshop.......  :thumbup:

Your attitude towards cashflow at our age, completely mirrors mine!  :clap:

Long may it/ we, continue......  :D

David D

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