Bedroom Machine Shop Build

The vision is really starting to take shape! I have a pretty good update on the shop.

Leveling feet have been installed on the bench:


The first Harbor Freight 44" box has been purchased and installed. While I had no doubts in my measuring/fabrication abilities, still it was nice to see that it fit right as it was intended. Note that the front, top angle iron bolts in place in order to capture the box. This angle iron was removed in order to install the box:




The box is suspended off the floor on an angle iron shelf. This design is a simple clone of the Steevo bench design from garage journal.


And the big news is that my South Bend 9a lathe has arrived! I was told that it was a 36" model (thus I sourced a 36" chip pan) but was pleasantly surprised to find it is actually a 42" model. The chip pan doesn't really fit as intended, but the way it's shown here is how the bigger lathes have their chip pans setup. It'll work fine.


I'm not sure where I'm going next on the room. While I planned for this 10' bench to be pretty much completely occupied with tools, I am still surprised at how much room the tools take up. So I might start working on the second bench. That said, I'm also not sure where I want to go with the lathe. A big part of me wants to just bolt it down and start having fun, while another part wants to disassemble it and work on the restoration. I am undecided at this point. The drill press restoration is almost complete. The only major component to finish is figuring out how to address the gnarled up spindle taper.

For the record, I intend to remove the hardboard cover off the benchtop. However, I'll wait to do this until all the old greasy machines have been cleaned up. I don't intend to work on greasy grimy things in this shop- I'll do those projects out in the garage. But the 75+ year old machine I'm putting in here are definitely requiring cleanup. So for now, the hardboard is keeping the nice butcher block clean for the time being.

Depending on what type of projects you intend to work on you might reconsider your drillpress placement.

It's real handy to have room on both sides to handle drilling holes on long pieces, but only you know what you will be doing.

rrjohnso2000 said:

Depending on what type of projects you intend to work on you might reconsider your drillpress placement.

It's real handy to have room on both sides to handle drilling holes on long pieces, but only you know what you will be doing.

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Good eye. I plan on making precision spinning tops, small model engines, and eventually (a long time down the road) some clocks. I should have plenty of room for the things I'll need to drill. As it is with it being in a corner, I should have ample space for something as much as 4 or 5 feet long anyway.

Loving your workshop. Theirs a guy outside of Warsaw that deals in bowling alley lane. It makes a nice bench top.
Thanks ron

Thanks for the compliments, Ron! One issue I've found is that my back is always to the light in the room, and thus my work is always in shadow. So this weekend I made some trusses and ordered some can lights that I'll attach to the trusses. This should help dramatically with the lighting. I mounted the truss over the bench 6.5" away from the wall so that if I ever get super ambitious with dust collection I can run a 6" trunk up in that corner of the ceiling. Lights arrive on Tuesday, though I don't think I'll get to the project until next weekend most likely.

Nice set up there, my wife would pitch a fit if I tried to put machinery in our living space.

I've got those desktop lights on most of my equipment, I have found overhead light to sometimes be lacking and with this set up I always have light and can move them around for better placement.

TommyD said:

Nice set up there, my wife would pitch a fit if I tried to put machinery in our living space.

I've got those desktop lights on most of my equipment, I have found overhead light to sometimes be lacking and with this set up I always have light and can move them around for better placement.

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I like both forms of illumination. I have an overhead "rail" with domestic track lighting in my main shop. Bench areas and my 13" lathe have fluorescent 2 tube fixtures. I have also been collecting those desktop lights at yard sales to install someday.

uncle harry said:

I like both forms of illumination. I have an overhead "rail" with domestic track lighting in my main shop. Bench areas and my 13" lathe have fluorescent 2 tube fixtures. I have also been collecting those desktop lights at yard sales to install someday.

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Agreed! I have 900 watts of gymnasium lights in my garage (really!) and still use a dedicated LED task light over my wood lathe. Absolutely love it and find it imperative to being able to see what I'm doing. I have no doubt I'll end up with a similar light in my metal shop!

This is the light I use over my wood lathe. I find it a bit expensive, but it's perfect in just about every way. The only thing I don't like about it is that vibration can cause the on/off magnet dial on the base to turn, eventually turning off the magnet. I just keep it in mind to check it every now and then... http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/flex-arm-magnetic-led-work-light.aspx

Those trusses look awesome....but they should be steel!
R

It took some time, but the shop lighting is complete. I have to say- I am so thrilled with how it turned out! Not only do I think it looks super cool (and actually makes me smile when I walk into the room) but it's bright! So bright, I don't think I'll need task lighting after all. I used nine 8W LED lights. The conduit was run especially "spaghetti" like to further the illusion of a busy industrial ceiling. I also ran a switched recep over to a corner where I intend to hang an air purification/filtration unit. This was a fun part of the overall shop project!

The lathe is out in the garage being painted, and the drill press is off the bench so I can finally wrap up the bench top itself. I need to screw the bench top to the bench frame, and then level it. Yeah- I've been putting that off. I also need to route out some space in the back of the bench where it meets the wall to mount some power strips, as well as cord pass-thrus to underneath. Isn't it just amazing how much work goes into a simple thing as a "shop"?? Never the less, I'm having a blast with this project!