Shop Furniture

[Larry Caldwell]

A couple years ago I built a deluxe shop with room to pursue all my random hobbies. Thanks to once being a building contractor, and inheriting a bunch of tools from my machinist/blacksmith/farmer dad, I had more tools than I knew how to use. Brother-in-law already had a shop, so he got the big stuff from my dad's shop, and I got all the small stuff like air tools, taps and dies, body and fender tools, an arc welder with high frequency arc stabilization and a TIG torch, etc.

In the last two years I have gone junk shopping. So far, I have collected:

1960s 14" Rockwell drill press that needed the on/off switch replaced - $100
1960s 12" Craftsman table saw, 240 volt only motor with 4 blades, in showroom condition - $100
Recent Harbor Fraught metal cutting band saw - $25
Unknown vintage 6" jointer and 6" planer/shaper mounted on their own wheeled table with 1 hp motor that runs both - $125
Chinese mini-lathe upgraded to metal gears and quick change tool post - $60
Wood lathe - $25
14" wood cutting band saw - $60
20" (!) scroll saw - $20

A friend was cleaning out space in his automotive shop, and gave me a 20' work bench topped with 1-1/4" plywood, that I have shoved up against one wall. For work bench in the middle of the shop, I built a heavy wood 10' bench with four electrical outlets wired to a 12 gauge pigtail.

Does anyone else scrounge auctions and estate sales for tools and shop stuff? The tools from 50 years ago lack the modern bells and whistles, but were built to last and are easy to repair. The planer/shaper needed new bearings, which took me 2 hours and an hour trip to the bearing outfit in town, plus $29 for parts.

I keep an eye on Craigslist too, but most of the prices there are nuts. Auctions are sometimes good. I scored a 55 gallon 3-pt sprayer with diaphragm pump for my tractor for $125 at an auction.

 

[ponytug]

No, not me...

I just have three Walker Turner radial saws in various states of rebuild, a Walker Turner radial drill (which is a truly under appreciated tool in my opinion), and perhaps a few, ok more than a few, other antique tools. It is definitely a hobby; I love restoring old tools and using them. Around here, auctions are much better than CL, but it varies. I see lots of older tools for sale locally on CL at fully restored prices for things that clearly need extensive rebuilding. Rather like the local housing market, now that I think about it. That said, I have bought things from CL in other parts of the country and had them shipped, and have met some wonderful people doing it.

I envy all your space.

Thanks for sharing.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Larry Caldwell]

No, not me...

I just have three Walker Turner radial saws in various states of rebuild, a Walker Turner radial drill (which is a truly under appreciated tool in my opinion), and perhaps a few, ok more than a few, other antique tools. It is definitely a hobby; I love restoring old tools and using them. Around here, auctions are much better than CL, but it varies. I see lots of older tools for sale locally on CL at fully restored prices for things that clearly need extensive rebuilding. Rather like the local housing market, now that I think about it. That said, I have bought things from CL in other parts of the country and had them shipped, and have met some wonderful people doing it.

I envy all your space.

Thanks for sharing.

All the best,

Peter

I don't even know what a radial drill is. That's the sort of discussion I was hoping to stimulate with this thread.

Sometimes purchases don't work out. For instance, last year I bought an L shaped piece of 3/8" scrap steel (308#) that I was planning on using as the top to a welding table. I took it for hot rolled mild steel in the scrap yard, but when I got it home I discovered it was hardened plate. I still haven't done anything with it, but mentally I have repurposed it to steel targets and maybe a nice big gong.

I still need a welding table.

 

[PuffyC]

Wow, where are you finding deals like that? I'm always checking estate sales and auctions but most I find is junk that they want new prices for.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Wow, where are you finding deals like that? I'm always checking estate sales and auctions but most I find is junk that they want new prices for.

All things come to those who wait. I got most of the stuff off of local Facebook for sale lists, and the occasional auction. Some stuff I had to pass on, like the great milling machine for $1500 that was all 3 phase. I don't have the rotary phase converter built yet. I'm still scrounging capacitors, but I picked up a 15 hp 3 phase motor for $25. Freaking capacitors are expensive. I take a VOM with me to the junk yard, and anything not shorted out comes home with me.

There's always good junk around. Have you ever heard of the Post Apocalyptic Inventor on YouTube?

 

[ponytug]

Personally, I like variable frequency drives for converting single phase to three phase.

I think that there is no magic to finding things; it is very random, but my view is if you don't look, you can't find.

Here is my radial drill; it has a 6" quill, with a 31" throat, sixteen speeds, 42" column. This one came with a Morse Taper drill setup that I converted to a chuck. The chucks on these drills fit on a taper that is screwed on, so they can safely take radial force, e.g. sanders, light milling, or even, gasp, hole saws. Not that I would do that, but much safer than "normal" designs. The whole arm slides in and out and is quite rigid.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Larry Caldwell]

A VFD is less practical for a milling machine that has three different motors

 

[ponytug]

A VFD is less practical for a milling machine that has three different motors

Very true...

I know someone who went ahead and bought a three phase surplus generator to cover his shop needs. Mil-surplus.

All the best,

Peter

 

[BravoXray]

I converted my Craftsman 17" floor drill press to a 3 phase motor and VFD. I love it, makes it so easy to change spindle speeds when drilling different materials.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Remember folks, everything in the shop is either hot, sharp, or dirty, and you are the softest meat sack in the place. Wear your gloves.

 

[MoKelly]

Remember folks, everything in the shop is either hot, sharp, or dirty, and you are the softest meat sack in the place. Wear your gloves.

This is great advice. Plus safety glasses.

I’m good about wearing gloves. Not so good with safety glasses.

I was cutting a board a week or so ago. Only one board - no big deal. Takes less than 30 seconds.

While cutting, something flew up and hit me a inch or so from my eye. Cut me enough to bleed. I can’t imagine if it had hit me in the eye!

MoKelly

 

[Larry Caldwell]

This is great advice. Plus safety glasses.

I’m good about wearing gloves. Not so good with safety glasses.

I was cutting a board a week or so ago. Only one board - no big deal. Takes less than 30 seconds.

While cutting, something flew up and hit me a inch or so from my eye. Cut me enough to bleed. I can’t imagine if it had hit me in the eye!

MoKelly

Good reminder about safety glasses. More than once I have had to have a doctor dig something out of my eye, but not in the last 40 years. I bought a dozen cheap HF safety glasses and have them hung on nails all over my shop, so one is almost always within reach. Every workbench has at least two pair, a couple are hanging behind the grinder, next to the drill press, and next to the air tools. Blowing schmoo out of the works is a great way to get a face full of crap.

I wear a dust mask when using abrasives for cutting or grinding too. Some woods, like cedar, are nasty to inhale, so sawdust needs a dust mask.

 

[rgr33]

I started wearing eye protection in the shop about 4 years ago, when cataract surgery made regular eyeglasses unnecessary.

It was weird having no protection from flying objects, especially working underneath cars and tractors. Now it’s a habit, I hate going to get something removed from my eyes, especially metal slivers.

 

[ponytug]

Yes, Safety glasses definitely! I also try to wear nitrile gloves when around solvents/oil/grease/paint. I am always kind of wondering at the number of folks who don't wear respirators or masks when around dust or smoke. My lungs aren't very tolerant, so it is a habit for me. Especially with things like hanta virus around here. I remember haying when I was younger without dust protection and coughing/hacking up alfalfa dust for days.

I am always surprised at how fast I go through leather gloves; not their fault, just lots of rough material around.

All the best,

Peter

 

[dstig1]

Remember folks, everything in the shop is either hot, sharp, or dirty, and you are the softest meat sack in the place. Wear your gloves.

...But not around rotating equipment...or you can lose a finger, hand, arm, ...life...

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I built a shop last summer, not huge but adequate at 24x28 or about 650sqft. Luckily I have a contain where I store all the random stuff so the goal is to keep the shop mostly as work space.

My dad also has a garage full of tools and at 95 he is not using them much anymore. Every time I see him he brings me a few things, like this perfect condition Black and Decker drill bit sharpener, hardly any plastic on this thing. Or this mint condition Milwaukee right angle drill, with original box. I have also gotten a drill press, pneumatic tools, etc. And it is just the tip of the iceberg, he has a lifetime of amazing tools. And he is meticulous about taking care of them. I look forward to using them the rest of my life as well.

Half the reason I built the shop is I knew he would not be handing them down to me until I had a place to keep it all.

 

[Xfaxman]

I wear safety glasses with a reading lens:

And tinted with reading lens for outdoors:

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I built a shop last summer, not huge but adequate at 24x28 or about 650sqft. Luckily I have a contain where I store all the random stuff so the goal is to keep the shop mostly as work space.

My dad also has a garage full of tools and at 95 he is not using them much anymore. Every time I see him he brings me a few things, like this perfect condition Black and Decker drill bit sharpener, hardly any plastic on this thing. Or this mint condition Milwaukee right angle drill, with original box. I have also gotten a drill press, pneumatic tools, etc. And it is just the tip of the iceberg, he has a lifetime of amazing tools. And he is meticulous about taking care of them. I look forward to using them the rest of my life as well.

Half the reason I built the shop is I knew he would not be handing them down to me until I had a place to keep it all.

That Milwaukee Hole Shooter is a score!

Immaculately maintained is nice, but a lot of old tools can be refurbished with nothing but emery paper and Scotch Brite. Before about 1980, hand tools and shop tools used standard bearings and switches that are easy to buy and replace.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

That Milwaukee Hole Shooter is a score!

Immaculately maintained is nice, but a lot of old tools can be refurbished with nothing but emery paper and Scotch Brite. Before about 1980, hand tools and shop tools used standard bearings and switches that are easy to buy and replace.

I agree! Nothing better then taking an old, forgotten piece of American steel and making it shiny and useful again. I take great pride and satisfaction in doing so. I have an OLD Craftsman (WAY before it was Crapsman) drill press my dad gave me that needs some love. It works fine, just needs a little TLC.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

New furniture this week was a 4 x 5 x 20" small equipment repair bench. I can't afford a lift bench, so this is a compromise. I may weld up a light duty gantry over it to pick up a riding mower to work on the deck. It sits against the wall between roll-up doors, but is moveable and can be stood up to clear floor space if I need it. Let's hear it for scrap lumber. It cost nothing but a couple of hours time.