Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

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Frank Ford
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by Frank Ford »

As to organizing a shop - my experience is that it's never really done. Lathe went against the wall when I got it 11 years ago and I've NEVER needed to get back there. Bench, same thing, except it has been 45 years. TRUST ME, mill in the corner is a REAL space-loser. Out in the middle of the room, you can add more stationary tools alongside it, particularly ones on wheels, and move 'em if and as needed. Big drawer units against wall, other things always in flux. . .
Cheers,

Frank Ford
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WesHowe
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by WesHowe »

For what it's worth, on my last shop rearrangement I put the lathe sort of in the corner, with room behind and on the tailstock end for access. I set up my mill about 36" behind where I stand at the lathe. The logic is that where you stand is essentially unusable space for equipment. If you place the lathe and mill in line with each other, say along a wall, then you have around (6+5)*3=33 square feet of space devoted to the operator. With them facing each other, I have 6*3=18 square feet for operator. Almost half the space. In a 400 or so square foot garage, that's worth considering.

In a real shop, that would be awkward. But since I am the only machine operator (not calling myself a machinist there), I can't interfere with myself.

- Wes
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GlennW
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by GlennW »

Too bad you got snagged in the middle of that weld, but that's looking pretty nice!

If you can play that Hammond, once you get the visual part and a bit of the technical part sorted out, you should be pretty damn good at TIG welding!
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by SteveHGraham »

Thanks for the encouragement. I wouldn't say I can "play" the Hammond, but I did get it to function.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by warmstrong1955 »

For welding, the whole thing is seeing & knowing what the puddle is doing. That applies for MIG, TIG, or stick.
You are improving....keep at it!

For the Hammond....not a clue.
Best I could do with one is chase off cats....

;)
Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by SteveHGraham »

Here's the weird part. I'm pretty sure I forgot to turn the helmet on for the weld after this one, and I still saw things pretty well. I didn't realize anything was wrong at first; I just kept going. My understanding is that the base shade, with dead batteries, is like 5. The weld looked better than this one.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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GlennW
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by GlennW »

warmstrong1955 wrote:For the Hammond....not a clue.
The Hammond requires both hands and both feet.

I used a weld positioner with TIG a few of times. Left foot for weld control and right foot for positioner control.
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by warmstrong1955 »

I have struck an arc with a #5....and stopped immediately.
Auto hoods will still protect you from the UV, but #5 is too bright to see what you are doing.

Maybe the hood was on....or it's a darker shade than #5 when dead?

Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by warmstrong1955 »

GlennW wrote:
warmstrong1955 wrote:For the Hammond....not a clue.
The Hammond requires both hands and both feet.

I used a weld positioner with TIG a few of times. Left foot for weld control and right foot for positioner control.
I've used positioners for MIG & stick welding, not any TIG though. Was a piece of cake, but all the TIG experience probably made it that way.
I can run my TIG, either foot. I might have to give that a try to see if I can! :)
Would that be....podiadextrous?

;)
Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
shootnride
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by shootnride »

I'm no expert on how best to set up a shop, but before I retired I had occasion to be in quite a few commercial machine shops and one thing I noticed that seemed to be common with the vast majority of them, was that the lathes and mills were situated basically in the center of the floor and oriented about 45 degrees to the walls. I also have a good friend that is retired, having owned his own commercial machine shop and now has a very nice hobby shop, and his lathe and mill are situated about 45 degrees to the walls. I've never asked why the machinery is situated this way, but have always assumed that it must provide the best usage of the machinery. I don't have my shop set up this way just because it's so small. Maybe some of the pros on here could elaborate on this system of machinery placement.

Ted
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GlennW
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by GlennW »

warmstrong1955 wrote:I can run my TIG, either foot. I might have to give that a try to see if I can! :)l
It was pretty much automatic since the TIG part basically requires no thought after you have been doing it a while.

What would you call it when you have used both feet, both knees, an elbow and a shoulder to run the foot pedal when welding in different awkward positions?

After I got bit a couple of times it didn't take me long to figure that a thin sheet of rubber over the foot pedal wasn't a bad idea. :shock:
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Situating Fixed Tools in New Shop

Post by warmstrong1955 »

GlennW wrote: What would you call it when you have used both feet, both knees, an elbow and a shoulder to run the foot pedal when welding in different awkward positions?
Weldilingual of course! :D

I've been in some cramped places and awkward positions , and had someone else run the foot pedal for me, as well as running it for them. "Little more....little less....".
Team effort....

:)
Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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