The Home Machinist!

liveaboard—

That “slight tension” thing is what I’ve been thinking about. However, my friend is going with me this weekend and he will provide the slight tension for me.

—Bill

Ah; the barbecue and beer powered multi function device!

liveaboard--

Thank you for the help! The "barbecue and beer powered multi function device" worked just as you thought.

--Bill

It appears you are approaching the time when you move in. The home I am in is 5400 SF and I built it myself with the exception of the septic system and sheetrock hanging. It was a long two years.

What was most interesting for me was the first evening when we actually "lived" in the house. My wife was really excited to have it done and I had this overwhelming feeling that I had just moved into my job...

It has been enjoyable watching your progress.

curtis--

I wish I had your skills! I spent my life in academia, which is poor preparation for life. (I could say a LOT more about the relationship between "poor" and "academia", but this is not the place, besides, you probably already know.)

We are now in a 992 sq. ft. apartment. It's like a small box, although the rent is like a very, very large box. I spend more of my time at The House than I do in the apartment. However, my wife will work for a while yet and can only go to the new place with me about once a month, or so.

I am glad you are enjoying the topic. Soon, I hope to start another one that IS topical to our forum: Building my shop!

--Bill

seal killer wrote: ↑Thu Oct 11, 2018 10:40 am curtis--

I wish I had your skills! I spent my life in academia, which is poor preparation for life. (I could say a LOT more about the relationship between "poor" and "academia", but this is not the place, besides, you probably already know.)

We are now in a 992 sq. ft. apartment. It's like a small box, although the rent is like a very, very large box. I spend more of my time at The House than I do in the apartment. However, my wife will work for a while yet and can only go to the new place with me about once a month, or so.

I am glad you are enjoying the topic. Soon, I hope to start another one that IS topical to our forum: Building my shop!

--Bill

I am spending a lot of time at my second son's home working with him on plumbing, wiring and concrete projects. He is a professor who teaches robotics and mechatronics. We all have our skills and he is very good at what he does I am told by his students. He is extracting from me what he can and I am enjoying it immensely. I have to haul one of the tractors over to #1 son's house this afternoon as he has a project. #3 son is putting his house on the market and will be living in our "spare" house while looking for a larger house. Only daughter's husband is rebuilding a home as well. Life is good and it keeps this old guy busy although I could definitely stay up later in the evening if I did not have so many skills my kids use.

I've been working on my shop lately; I had to put off a lot of other projects to give the workspace priority, or it just never happens.
Even so, I had to pause on it because my car engine blew [cracked head], and fix that first.
Anyway, I made 3 work benches with 30 drawers and 12 bins for cutoffs etc.
plumbed air around the place, and lots of power.
Still need more material racks and a few shelves.

I have a 1 ton electric chain hoist on a gantry in my garage; I recommend this highly. Since we never get younger, and weaken with age, the more lifting machinery the better.
I can lift the front of my car with it, engines of course, my tractor tires [500lbs or more], and recently I disassembled the tractor to replace the clutches and rear axle seals. That would have been imposable to do safely without the hoist.

I want to have one in my machine shop too, but since it's a 20' sea container the head clearance is a problem.
Rails along the top inside edges and a rolling cross beam would be ideal.

liveaboard--

I want a gantry crane, as well and for the same reasons. When I start the thread on my shop build I will be asking questions about gantry cranes, for sure.

--Bill

Bill, If I combine the time I have spent figuring out how to get something heavy out of the back of my truck, and recovering from doing it wrong, I could have probably built a gantry crane.

BadDog wrote: ↑Thu Oct 04, 2018 12:31 pm Me, I'm planning to retire to an open span steel building on a concrete slab surrounded by 8' chain link with razor wire in an isolated warm/dry location. In reality, with my luck, it will probably be a trailer park...

LOL, funny, by your description I thought you meant jail

Hmmm, that's a possibility. Given the state of my retirement options, that might be a viable upgrade. But I doubt they would let me keep my machines. So I'll have to build my own reverse-prison to minimize upkeep so I can do what I want to do, and to keep out everyone else...

All--

Wow! TWO YEARS!

Well, almost. By the time it is finished-finished, it will be two years.

All that remains is granite in the kitchen and hookups for the faucets in the four baths (sinks, showers and tubs), kitchen and some paint touch up.

Here is some great drone footage that will give you a perspective of where we are and a good view of the house.

https://youtu.be/GICg_LcvQ0Q

--Bill