Changing the entire shop

[J Tiers]

In order to fit everything in that I want to fit in (almost), and not exceed the available space, I am moving absolutely everything in the shop. And, I am moving at least one wall (one for now).

So far, I have moved out a couple of roll-around toolboxes, moved lathe #1 over to the corner, repainted some wall areas, and painted most of the floor (in sections). I have also taken all the shelves etc off the wall that is getting moved.

That sounds easy, but the easiest part of it (aside from painting) was actually moving the lathe. Nothing else fit through the places it had to go to get out of the way. For the lathe, all I had to do was jack it up, put skates under it, and push it to the new location, and jack it up off the skates to set down.

In the process I added angle iron extensions on the feet, since it has bothered me for years that the lathe seemed to need a wider "stance" to prevent it seeming to be "tippy". That about doubled the distance from the CG to the support point.

The eventual goal:




Where it started. The brown thing on the right is the boiler., with the water heater beyond it:

[BCRider]

I recall that you are tight in there. But what's the "scale" of this again?

And?..... Is it a cold house and cold showers from here on in? Re-locating the boiler (house heating I assume) and hot water tank must have been big jobs! ! !

[RB211]

I'll stop complaining about my space

[J Tiers]

Boiler simply not shown in the "new" pic. The boiler is about 45 cm past the wall. to the right. I am moving that wall over as far as I think I can get away with. According to the installation instructions, the wall could be much closer, but I'm not pushing it. The wall is intended to be "removable" (with some effort) if that is ever needed for access in case boiler replacement is required.

This may clear it up:



Scale? The green workbench is 1.8m x 0.63m, the distance top to bottom in the pic is 2.3m, the distance left (outside wall) to right will be 3.5m. it will be cozy, but the horizontal mill actually has more room than where it was before.

I think it will be OK, I had tighter spaces in the prior layout. And this layout gets all the machines other than the drill press inside the area. The Benchmaster (at top next to the Rivett) was in another room at the far end of the house, and the Rivett was in a hallway area for storage. This at least gets all the crap in one sock, including some storage inside, and the tall rollaround next to the bench just outside.

The space is the old coal hole, the chute was just to the left of the black cabinet that is on the wall at bottom (an outside concrete and brick wall). The floor paint seems slightly problematic in certain places under there, much scrubbing with purple cleaner and other things may not have removed enough ingrained coal for it to stick well. But, most of that area is under things, so wear will be minimal.

[Paul Alciatore]

Have fun! I know what you are going through.

[BCRider]

I was going to say that there MIGHT have been some extra "lost" room in the size of space in the "machine circle on the left side of the new layout. But with the reminder of how tight things are I'm liking what you did.

It's a shame that the Rivett has such a big lower bench. It takes up a lot of room. But I recall from a previous post that the drive is in that cabinet along with a lot of tool storage. So making something more compact would result in being less "Rivett" by taking away the OEM lower cabinet.

So all in all I'd say you did great by getting the mills in there with the lathes and still having that center zone to move around. It's almost big enough to actually hold two thoughts at the same time.....

[BCRider]

I'll stop complaining about my space

I think the only one out there that has less room for what they've got is Clickspring and one of the other members here that has a closet size area at one end of the garage. Can't recall his username and have not seem him post for a while. I recall that his bench grinder had to live on a lower bench shelf and he would bend down to grind tool bits and things.....

[J Tiers]

I may move everything again, since right now, the grinders and woodshop is at the other end of the basement. That's a larger space, but I can't use it all unless and until the new addition is put on, since that will have a storage room to take a lot of the shelves that occupy the woodshop area. Not likely to happen for at least a year, maybe longer. I can't see that being done any sooner.

Her are some pics. The space is not that bad, although the machines are considerably bigger than Clickspring's. I like having stuff handy and within reach. More than a few steps away is a nuisance.

It's hard to believe what-all was in there.... I found things I had misplaced, or even forgotten. And it all fills the rest of the space in the basement way too much, mostly by being on every available horizontal surface everywhere.

The Logan in it's new spot. (and without the shelf that goes on top of the post... I can put that back now). The toolbox is lathe related, and will have a new home when this is finished. meanwhile, it's heavy, and that place is out of the way.



A couple of the shop-made "skates". About 100 x 125 mm, and just the right height. They can be linked at various distances by the overhang areas.




The wall that is getting moved. Typical coal-hole construction, right down to the slots holding the boards across the door, with shovel room below them (not seen in the pic).

[Hal]

Some of the hobby shops are a work of art themselves. The way they fit everything in the given space.

Hal

[BCRider]

Mighty fine looking job on the floor. And if the white isn't new it sure looks it. I'm sure the Logan will take care of THAT before long.... Rear splash guard or not the darn things have a way of leaving a skunk stripe around the whole area.

Out of the small'ish size lathes I've always considered the Logan to be the premier machine in its class. Both for function and for looks. No idea why but the times I got to use one (often enough if infrequently) I very much enjoyed it and found it more capable than the light construction suggested. If you had a QCGB it would be nigh on perfection.

[J Tiers]

Definitely agree about Logan.

Yeah, QCGB AND the apron that takes longitudinal feed off the keyslot in the leadscrew with a feather key... Logan called it the "automatic apron". I can fix the feed, the power takeoff is there, but the lever and gearing to the handwheel is not. QCGB, well there are options there also.

[RB211]

Definitely agree about Logan.

Yeah, QCGB AND the apron that takes longitudinal feed off the keyslot in the leadscrew with a feather key... Logan called it the "automatic apron". I can fix the feed, the power takeoff is there, but the lever and gearing to the handwheel is not. QCGB, well there are options there also.

You could 3D print all those gears and mechanisms to figure it out then machine proper replacements.

[J Tiers]

You could 3D print all those gears and mechanisms to figure it out then machine proper replacements.

Yes I could, once I had the design. I know it is possible, I just have not worked out the detailed design.... And now I have torn up the shop pretty well, so ..... later!

[reggie_obe]

How old are the boiler and water heater? IS heating HWBB or steam?
Just a thought.....
If hot water boiler it could be replaced by a combi units that provides all heat and hot water, smaller, more efficient and wall hung, direct vent.
Gain a lot of space back.

[J Tiers]

water heater is only 2 or 3 years old. Boiler about 20, which is not old for those, and it is reasonably efficient.

No plans to replace boiler until the eco freaks come and take it.