My "shop" for the last 5 years

[mattthemuppet2]

hey all, figured I'd take a few pictures for sentimentality sake. This lot has taken me quite a few years to accumulate, with most of the "big" stuff coming in the last couple of years. Mostly been used to make more tooling, but I'm getting to the point where I can actually start making things. The first big project(s) will be new bike lights for mountainbiking, once I get it all moved and set up again in WA.



one day I hope to get a proper mill, even if only a benchtop, and a bigger lathe, but that won't be until I get a permanent job and buy a house, perhaps in a year or two's time.

 

[RandyM]

Yup, definetely paradise to me. Very nice.

 

[starion007]

Thats a great shop, your space! you cant beat that. One thing about this stuff, it can grow with your needs.

Mark

 

[mattthemuppet2]

thanks guys, it's been a fun place to work and learn over the last few years, although it gets bitterly cold in winter and steaming hot in summer. I just have to adjust the amount of clothes I wear or don't wear

hopefully it'll grow in its future home after I've finished this 1 year contract, I just have to make sure we're going to stay in the same place for a fair few years before buying heavy equipment. Paying by the pound to ship stuff gets expensive!

 

[Gary Ayres]

Agreed - shipping costs are usually the worst bit.

Nice shop that you are leaving behind - augurs well for an even better one next.

Good Luck!

 

[mattthemuppet2]

thanks Gary! I should take a picture of my new "shop", it's worked out even better and I have gobs of room. Lathe, grinder and DP are in the main garage, band saw and press are in an internal room and the anodising gear is in a 2nd unused garage! I could get a 20x60 lathe and still have plenty of space, which would be useful as I'd probably be sleeping with it

It'll be interesting to see where we end up next - Seattle/Tacoma area is top of the list although the wife isn't keen on the weather. Ideally somewhere awesome to live, not too expensive, right next to the mountains and awash with cheap used machinery

 

[Andre]

Nice shop, can you post some more detail on that little lathe? I love small instrument lathes.

 

[JimDawson]

If you love heavy traffic, rain, and high cost of living, you will love the Seattle/Tacoma area. Not that the Portland is much better. There is a reason that I live in a rural area, but only about 23 miles from downtown Portland. If you can find a place a bit east of Seattle, or east or west of Olympia and don't have to commute too far, then you will be in pretty good shape.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

Nice shop, can you post some more detail on that little lathe? I love small instrument lathes.

thanks Andre! Actually, um, I can't give you any details about the lathe as I have none. it's a complete mystery. All I know was that it was once traded in for a tattoo to a tattoo artist, who used it to wind the armatures/ coils on his tattoo guns, who then traded it to a chopper builder for some work on his Harley, who then gave it to a good friend of mine who gave it to me before he drove out West to Portland I'm guessing it was an early 20thC kit lathe that you put together yourself with your own motor, but that's as far as I've gotten.

If you love heavy traffic, rain, and high cost of living, you will love the Seattle/Tacoma area. Not that the Portland is much better. There is a reason that I live in a rural area, but only about 23 miles from downtown Portland. If you can find a place a bit east of Seattle, or east or west of Olympia and don't have to commute too far, then you will be in pretty good shape.

yay, thanks Jim, haven't even applied for the job yet At the end of the day, I'll be pretty thankful if we get to choose where we live and however crappy SeaTac might be, it sure beats somewhere in the middle of the Dakotas or Kansas! If that sounds screwy, read this

 

[JimDawson]

yay, thanks Jim, haven't even applied for the job yet At the end of the day, I'll be pretty thankful if we get to choose where we live and however crappy SeaTac might be, it sure beats somewhere in the middle of the Dakotas or Kansas! If that sounds screwy, read this

I read it, I feel for you. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm self employed.