Show us your Shop and Equipment

[Lil Foot]

I used to teach a beginner level machinist class for technicians who wanted to use our engineering shop.
This was one of the handouts I gave the newbies in that class.
It's a little rough, (been copied about a billon times) but if you blow it up, it's pretty clear:

 

[BXHoosier]

Lil Foot, I have that same exact paper at work. Had it since high school 30+ years ago.

Got my lower brake die welded today. I also have a 24-1/4” lower die with 1/2” and 1” wide V’s for material up to 1/8” thick.

The limit switch and stops for the knee feed are mounted.

 

[BXHoosier]

Tried out the brake yesterday on a piece of 14 or 16ga. It works good and will bend slightly past 90 deg. Need to cut some blocks to fit along side the lower die to center it in the brake. Also, need to make a longer cylinder ram extension to reach the bottom of the large die.





Bought a compact bender and put threaded inserts in the floor to bolt it down temporarily when I need to use it.

 

[Lil Foot]

Lil Foot, I have that same exact paper at work. Had it since high school 30+ years ago.

When I first got mine, (50yrs ago?) I took the sheet to a print shop and had them print 30 or 40 copies on some absolutely indestructible paper- won't absorb oil readily, & cannot tear it by hand.
I cut each section out into "flash cards" to make them easily accessed without having to store & handle an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet every time you needed a hole pattern.
This was way before modern DROs & CNC that do it all for you now.
Over the years, I have given all the special paper ones, mostly to promising students.
Still have my set.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That special paper is very likely Tyvek.

 

[Lil Foot]

Taking delivery of my newest piece of equipment:
(I wish!!!)

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Taking delivery of my newest piece of equipment:
(I wish!!!)

Such a tiny little machine.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Such a tiny little machine.

Is that a watch making lathe?
Big Ben, or so?

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Taking delivery of my newest piece of equipment:
(I wish!!!)

Might be tough to get that one “down the stairs” though…….

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Might be tough to get that one “down the stairs” though…….

There's a guy here on the forum, from Michigan, I think, he knows how to get that done, he had a thread here with a 200 ton milling machine. Don't remember his forum name but it is kindof dangerous sounding

 

[TheOldHokie]

Tried out the brake yesterday on a piece of 14 or 16ga. It works good and will bend slightly past 90 deg. Need to cut some blocks to fit along side the lower die to center it in the brake. Also, need to make a longer cylinder ram extension to reach the bottom of the large die.

View attachment 168435



Bought a compact bender and put threaded inserts in the floor to bolt it down temporarily when I need to use it.

View attachment 168434 View attachment 168437

That bottom picture looks like American Standard brake tooling. I had just started building mine when my health tanked.

Dan

 

[Lil Foot]

Picked these up at an estate sale:

New in box keyway broach kit
15" of 4 1/2" 6061
Assorted bar stock: aluminum, nylon, UHMW, machinable wax

 

[BXHoosier]

Made a table for my pneumatic chamfering tool similar to what SWAG Offroad makes. Used my press brake to bend the 3/16”x6” steel.

 

[BXHoosier]

Made a scissor type knurling tool for my lathe. Copied one that we have at work.

 

[Lil Foot]

Shop tip:
If you're like me, cleaning up oil soaked chip pans is not high on my enjoyable tasks list.
In all the shops I worked in over the years we had oil socks or pig mat to help with that messy task.

My home solution has been to use absorbent pads for sick bed patients to ease this clean up.
Initially, I utilized pads left over from taking care of the wife's folks, and now I often find cases of them at estate & garage sales.
Simply lay 'em in the chip pan or machine base, and when them get oil & coolant soaked and full of chips, just throw them out.
They are easily folded or cut to fit, and they are usually pretty cheap- last ones I got were 30" x 36", 10 per pack, 7 packs for $5.

 

[Lil Foot]

My latest project:

 

[Lil Foot]

My wife's uncle has a watch he absolutely loves- had it since the "70s, claims it has never lost a second, and only needed one battery in all that time.
He wears it 24hrs a day, except when on shift at the steel mill.
Over the years, I have repaired the "ears" where the band pins attach 3 or 4 times- with epoxy.
Fixed the band 2 or 3 times.
Recently he mailed it to me to repair again, with three of the 4 ears torn off.
Because he and my wife's aunt are kind of our surrogate parents, I told him I'd do what I could.
Now, hearing all this, you are probably thinking Cartier, Rolex, Patek, etc.
Nope.
Casio.
With a plastic case.
Probably $5 new.
I offered to buy him a new watch, but he wanted this one.
So I machined off the "ears", and made the above brass parts to replace them.
Glued them on with Loctite 411, attached the band, and shipped it off.
I guess we will see how long this repair lasts.
More pics:

 

[Lil Foot]

Oh, the battery died while I was doing this, so I put in a new one.
A CR2016.
Biggest battery I've ever seen in a watch.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Oh, the battery died while I was doing this, so I put in a new one.
A CR2016.
Biggest battery I've ever seen in a watch.

No surprise it lasts so long !

 

[Sawdust&Shavings]

My wife's uncle has a watch he absolutely loves- had it since the "70s, claims it has never lost a second, and only needed one battery in all that time.
He wears it 24hrs a day, except when on shift at the steel mill.
Over the years, I have repaired the "ears" where the band pins attach 3 or 4 times- with epoxy.
Fixed the band 2 or 3 times.
Recently he mailed it to me to repair again, with three of the 4 ears torn off.
Because he and my wife's aunt are kind of our surrogate parents, I told him I'd do what I could.
Now, hearing all this, you are probably thinking Cartier, Rolex, Patek, etc.
Nope.
Casio.
With a plastic case.
Probably $5 new.
I offered to buy him a new watch, but he wanted this one.
So I machined off the "ears", and made the above brass parts to replace them.
Glued them on with Loctite 411, attached the band, and shipped it off.
I guess we will see how long this repair lasts.
More pics:
View attachment 171184 View attachment 171185 View attachment 171186 View attachment 171187 View attachment 171188

I had that same watch for over 15 years, best watch I ever owned.