2017 POTD Thread Archive

very very nice Mike, really clean and neat.
wont let me place a like
 
Absolutely beautiful job on the panels. How did you keep the lines so straight and the turns so uniform? <Like>
 
very very nice Mike, really clean and neat.
wont let me place a like

Nice, Mike. The server isn't allowing likes at this time.

Absolutely beautiful job on the panels. How did you keep the lines so straight and the turns so uniform? <Like>

WOW! Thanks for all of the kind words and comments guys, I'm flattered. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out and last night was the first night walking into the shop without seeing the items in the openings and it actually "felt" finished.

As for the lines, I merely marked then with a straight edge 4 inches in from the outside and then used a 3" diameter piece of tube to draw in the radius. Once I got the panel in the roller the key is to keep moving and especially don't stop on the turns, you want the turn to be smooth and fluid as you turn the panel while the rollers are drawing the panel through them. I actually filmed part of the panel stepping process in one of my videos for my youtube channel to show the process but I haven't edited or posted it yet.

Mike
 
last night was the first night walking into the shop without seeing the items in the openings and it actually "felt" finished.

A shop can never really be "finished" can it?
Especially with so much empty space in there!

-brino
 
A shop can never really be "finished" can it?
Especially with so much empty space in there!

-brino
Correct Brino. It is an evolution with no ending. It is the projects that get finished. :encourage:

You're both correct, that they are never really done. My last shop I was in for around 25 years and it went through several renditions in that timeframe.

I was more trying to express that when walking in now and not seeing the open compartments it has the "feeling" of being finished for the first time since I have moved into it about 4 months ago.

I am sure this one will go through variations over the years as well but I also hope I thought enough ahead to have power outlets that won't have to be moved, unlike my last shop.

Mike
 
You're both correct, that they are never really done. My last shop I was in for around 25 years and it went through several renditions in that timeframe.

I was more trying to express that when walking in now and not seeing the open compartments it has the "feeling" of being finished for the first time since I have moved into it about 4 months ago.

I am sure this one will go through variations over the years as well but I also hope I thought enough ahead to have power outlets that won't have to be moved, unlike my last shop.

Mike

Mikey,
There are certain things that will tend to find more permanent homes. But, never say never. Hope your power outlet location calculation is a good one. I planned on the other scenario when I started my shop 25 years ago. I assumed that my power requirements were going to change. I also realized I am building a shop and not the den in my house, so I put all of my electrical in conduit on the outside of the walls. A half a dozen changes have proven I made the correct decision. I also have visions of more wiring changes in the future. I have never regretted my choice. Besides, when someone does come into my shop for the first time, the electrical isn't even noticed. Some of my friends have inquired and my response is, "I go to my shop to work on projects and play, not to look at the walls". I admit buried wiring is nice, but not for a shop. Oh you have a work den that anyone can and should be proud of. I know how you feel when you walk through that door every time. It never gets old. :encourage:
 
Mikey,
There are certain things that will tend to find more permanent homes. But, never say never. Hope your power outlet location calculation is a good one. I planned on the other scenario when I started my shop 25 years ago. I assumed that my power requirements were going to change. I also realized I am building a shop and not the den in my house, so I put all of my electrical in conduit on the outside of the walls. A half a dozen changes have proven I made the correct decision. I also have visions of more wiring changes in the future. I have never regretted my choice. Besides, when someone does come into my shop for the first time, the electrical isn't even noticed. Some of my friends have inquired and my response is, "I go to my shop to work on projects and play, not to look at the walls". I admit buried wiring is nice, but not for a shop. Oh you have a work den that anyone can and should be proud of. I know how you feel when you walk through that door every time. It never gets old. :encourage:

I seriously considered doing all surface mounted electrical like we have in our maintenance shop at work when I was in the planning phase (like the last several years) but in the end I couldn't bring myself to do it. It seems like more crap collects on the conduit than I care for. I like my clean walls but I did run extra wiring overhead for future drops if needs be. Also as far as power I had a 200-amp panel and MORE than enough electrical than 5 guys in a shop could utilize let alone one. My contractor kept telling me I was crazy putting in as much electrical as I was but I basically told him I was calling the shots and not him. Worked out well but I did have to end up doing much of the electrical myself as sweat equity as my GC still didn't calculate in as much electrical as I instructed him originally. In the end will never run out of power, that is one thing I can be certain of.

You are also correct, that walking into a shop that you are proud of never gets old. I thought my last shop was nice and I was very proud of that one, but this one is on a whole different level.

Thanks again Randy.

Mike
 
Well, my project was much smaller than that. I made a set of soft jaws for my lathe. A version of this project I found linked on Pinterest.

SoftJaws-LMS.JPG

It's a Little Machine Shop 3540, a version of the Sieg SC4. I ended up needing almost everything in my shop. I cut the slices on my Sherline micro mill because it's the only thing I have a slitting saw for. Faced and thicknessed on this lathe, and then drilled and tapped on my G0704, because it's my best precision drill press.
 
Back
Top