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Here I go again. I recently took the reins of a not-very-smooth-running golf course equipment maintenance shop, this time in Northern California. This will be my fifth such golf shop that I have taken over as head wrench. The previous shops being in Bama, upstate NY, NJ. A couple of them have been basket cases- dysfunctional pig pens with no equipment records kept and very inefficient. I usually stay for a few years and transform them into clean, organized, efficient operations.
My new shop consists of a small shop (what I will call the "workshop") which may have been built along with the course in 1924. Then there is a modern large shop attached, which was built in the 1970s. The workshop, where I will do the majority of the "surgery", is well-lit, heated, and is a real pig pen. The large shop contains a 2 post automotive lift, reel grinders, and houses most of the equipment at night. A typical 18 hole private high end club such as this one will have around one million dollars of equipment to keep up with. From weedeaters to backhoes.
I've been here over a month and have been trying to restore the reel mowers back to factory specs, while repairing the grinders and doing the shop rehab at the same time. Kinda like tuning a carb while driving the car at the same time. I haven't even had time to look through all the tools and supplies that are piled up, and stuffed into hiding places, collecting dust for decades. There are some antique tools here mixed in with modern high quality stuff- Large roll around Miller mig welder, o/a rig, Parker hyd hose crimper, old Delta drill press, wifi etc.
There is a tap chart on the wall that may have been tacked up when this shop was built. It is an Ace brand that shows all the common NC and NF threads as well as the following:
1-56 NS
3/16-32 NS
10-30 NS
12-32 NEF
14-?? (I didn't write the pitch down correctly on my notes)
1/4-24 NS
1/4-32 NEF
One of my first projects is going to be a proper work table and vise. Currently, there is a wood counter with a little 4" Chinese vise that was screwed down so the rear jaw is not proud of the front of the counter which is pretty dumb. The jaws have been smoothed down from use and they are loose of course. The jaw shank is bent of course and the swivel lock downs won't lock of course. And the counter/vise is too high of course. I think you get the picture- there has been adequate financial support to outfit this shop in the past but this is the kind of sorry **** that has been produced.
My hardinge cataract lathe made the trip out here with me and I hope to get it up and running later in the year. A small mill may find it's way into the shop as well.
Cheers
My new shop consists of a small shop (what I will call the "workshop") which may have been built along with the course in 1924. Then there is a modern large shop attached, which was built in the 1970s. The workshop, where I will do the majority of the "surgery", is well-lit, heated, and is a real pig pen. The large shop contains a 2 post automotive lift, reel grinders, and houses most of the equipment at night. A typical 18 hole private high end club such as this one will have around one million dollars of equipment to keep up with. From weedeaters to backhoes.
I've been here over a month and have been trying to restore the reel mowers back to factory specs, while repairing the grinders and doing the shop rehab at the same time. Kinda like tuning a carb while driving the car at the same time. I haven't even had time to look through all the tools and supplies that are piled up, and stuffed into hiding places, collecting dust for decades. There are some antique tools here mixed in with modern high quality stuff- Large roll around Miller mig welder, o/a rig, Parker hyd hose crimper, old Delta drill press, wifi etc.
There is a tap chart on the wall that may have been tacked up when this shop was built. It is an Ace brand that shows all the common NC and NF threads as well as the following:
1-56 NS
3/16-32 NS
10-30 NS
12-32 NEF
14-?? (I didn't write the pitch down correctly on my notes)
1/4-24 NS
1/4-32 NEF
One of my first projects is going to be a proper work table and vise. Currently, there is a wood counter with a little 4" Chinese vise that was screwed down so the rear jaw is not proud of the front of the counter which is pretty dumb. The jaws have been smoothed down from use and they are loose of course. The jaw shank is bent of course and the swivel lock downs won't lock of course. And the counter/vise is too high of course. I think you get the picture- there has been adequate financial support to outfit this shop in the past but this is the kind of sorry **** that has been produced.
My hardinge cataract lathe made the trip out here with me and I hope to get it up and running later in the year. A small mill may find it's way into the shop as well.
Cheers
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