The Home Machinist!

I would love to have a forklift, and have come across some SMOKING deals, but just can't justify one. However, I have 2 5k+ pallet jacks. One standard width, and another with wide forks. The wide one has some very simple weldments that adapt it to easily and safely move most everything in my shop. I...

I can't offer much except to say I have a small Hypertherm 380 and absolutely love it for automotive style stuff. Most typical heavy cut is 1/4" material (typically brackets, gussets, etc), and it works great for that. I've cut up to 3/8" with modestly degrading performance, but it suffers from a ve...

LOL, seems that didn't translate well. As I said, "when you already have one". That was the crux of the entire post. If so, the space is permanently allocated anyway. And for the typical "home shop", it's not likely to have something on it all the time. So, like the school, reutilizing it as a table...

It makes a GREAT table, when you already have the lift and it's not otherwise (or soon to be) occupied. Seems mine always has a truck of some sort on it these days, mostly my most recent build for myself. Local school did their beginning of year book acquisition in a sectioned off bay of the auto sh...

At one time I had lost interest in my normal projects, and I thought I would finish an unfinished AR-15 lower and build out from there. They're still setting in the box they arrived in. It's a big commitment to see a project like this through, and off road desert stuff has filled my plate again, so ...

I'm far too clumsy (and often absent minded when focusing on the task) for that, I would invariably stick an ankle into it, or bump it and let it damage the floor and the disk. However, if the guard is in the right location (yes, I keep the guard on unless a specific need otherwise) I sometimes set ...

All my cheap grinders have very effective brakes that don't unscrew the disk.

I just touch it to the surface I'm working on (not areas to remain pristine) whatever I'm grinding or cutting...

Agreed on all points

Yeah, mines the green x31 too. It's got it's good points, but it's not been what I thought it could be. Then again, I'm just not a big wood person.

Yes, X31.

I stand corrected. I have about 1800 sf. At 900 sf you have much less space than I do. My mistake, no idea why I thought you had a bigger shop. I'm much like you in ergonomic desire. I can get all the way around most anything (though some back paths tend to accumulate stuff), and unless in mid large...

I'm pretty sure you've got more space than I do.