WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY


Just keep it clean please....

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Mon Aug 07, 2017 1:42 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

Yesterday, I used my Miller Spectrum Plasma cutter to cut seven inches out of the width of a lighter duty cherry-picker/engine hoist. I/we made two cuts, one on each side 3.5 inches in from the struts.
The original width is 35 1/2 inches and this will not fit through a 36 inch door opening without removing the door.
I bought this RUGER shop crane with the intention of making is narrower for easier maneuvering in the shop and through doorways.
Now that the struts are cut off, I am going to turn the base of the crane and the back column 180 degrees before welding the crane back together. The two stabilising bars will be moved to the rear where they change from compression to tension control. The control bars will be bolted in place rather than OEM welded for future breakdown for easier storage. The back-bone of this crane will get cut near the bottom and have a sleeve welded in to act as a receiver. There will be a securing bolt to hold the back in the receiver.
At a later date I would like to replace the fixed front wheels with casters for improved maneuverability in the shop.
Pictures to follow.
Attachments
CHERRY PICKER CASTOR.jpg
CHERRY PICKER RUGER.jpg
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Mon Aug 07, 2017 8:13 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

After an hour of surgery on a horizontal bandsaw, the struts are a foot shorter and the back-bone was cut 5 inches from the bottom. Tomorrow I will buy some square tube at The Metal Supermarket to be the slip-in sleeve connector for the back-bone to the base. Rather than using the very heavy OEM compression stabiliser bars for tension bars, I will buy something lighter at TMS.
I enjoyed doing the welding. This old Miller-Matic 200 makes my welding look really good. Made in USA machines and tools do that. My long time fiend was a welder/fabricator/longshoreman. He would not use any welder unless it was Miller Blue.
Attachments
CHERRY PICKER CUT DOWN 2.jpg
backbone.
CHERRY PICKER CUT DOWN 1.jpg
shortened struts and lift arm
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 739

Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2015 11:14 am

Post Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:13 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

You do have skills and ideas that can be contagious ,,, the idea part at least.

I dont have a Miller its a 120volt Lincoln Mig and have always enjoyed it,
would like to get a plasma cutter one day.
I noticed the LED light upgrade in your shop in one of your posts , we did the same
in ours , such a big difference with my old eyes..

Hope the smoke is clearing from the fires in your area,
Been bad here as well

Stay safe healthy and happy..

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:02 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

You do have skills and ideas that can be contagious ,,, the idea part at least. Thanks

Here is a HARVEY DUTY CHOP SAW on Craigslist. https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rds/tls ... 25989.html
I really appreciate the LED lighting.
The smoke clears when the wind blows. Yesterday was not too bad and today was not anything close the worst. Visibility was less than a kilometre on a few days. The smell of the smoke is strong
A plasma cutter is something you will enjoy. I don't think I have used my Spectrum 300 in the last year. I find the Spectrum 300 a little under powered on half inch steel. I slow down and try to move steady. I tried to pre-cut the corners on 12" by 1/4" channel with a Sawzall and this made the most difficult part of the cut EZ.
Today, I was trying to finish the assembly of the cherry picker I have been modifying. I have one more minor change for tomorrow. Paint? I don't know.
I bought a New MILWAUKEE 5 inch angle grinder today. I could not find the Milwaukee I own. This new grinder really moves metal and the balance is really nice. I prefer WALTER flap discs. I have an older MAKITA 6 inch angle grinder. I am not comfortable with using is because it does not have a guard. I adapted a guard from another random grinder, but .........................
Attachments
cherry picker almost finished 1.jpg
cherrypicker nearly finished..jpg
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Thu Aug 10, 2017 8:08 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

The shop crane is finished. It looks good and works well.
Attachments
ENGINE HOIST JACK HANDLE ON THE POST.jpg
JACK HANDLE ON THE POST
ENGINE HOIST JACK HANDLE POST.jpg
POST TO STORE THE JACK HANDLE
ENGINE HOIST 1.jpg
BEFORE
CHERRY PICKER FINISHED.jpg
FINISHED AND IT WORKS.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Rusty Driver
Rusty Driver

Posts: 177

Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:50 pm

Location: Below the pinky finger of the Mitten

Post Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:16 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

Today I had to stop field work to install the replacement gearbox in my Lawn Genie. It's a small (4 foot) PTO-driven flail mower/vacuum collection system that I use to mow the cover crop grown in the middle of the rows in our grape vineyard. The collection box opens and drops a wad of rye clippings like a round bale, and I use a loader to feed them to our cows. When pastures are thin due to summer drought, the girls really love the juicy greens!

Something caused the original gearbox to fail- the drive gear was missing three teeth and the driven was pretty chewed up. Obsolete, of course, and the manufacturer has stopped making the mowers. The supplier of the gearbox had a similar newer style to offer at $600+. I found a suitable replacement on eBay, made an offer of $200 delivered and took delivery yesterday. Not a terrible install, nearly plug-n-play, had to re-tap a hole on the drive shaft yoke where I hit the edge hammering it off. New box runs much quieter. I got 16 rows harvested and fed.

Tomorrow will be figuring out the misfire in my oldest son's 03 Deville if the rain shows up, or unloading a couple wagons of hay and one of straw if it is dry.

Edit: sorry for so much of the repeat info from my recent post about the same issue tear-down.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:40 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

You have nothing to apologise for. What you are doing is genius in every way. Every time I have something to eat, I quietly than our farmers. I thank You.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:23 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

CUT AND PASTE: I bought a New MILWAUKEE 5 inch angle grinder today. I could not find the Milwaukee I own.
So, I opened the bottom drawer to put the new Milwaukee grinder away and there it is. I looked for the e other grinder and I was sure I had opened this drawer. Oh well Never too many Milwaukee grinders.
Tis new grinder has all the markings of made in USA and I could not find China anywhere. Do you think, maybe? This mew grinder really hauls a$$.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Rusty Driver
Rusty Driver

Posts: 177

Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:50 pm

Location: Below the pinky finger of the Mitten

Post Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:29 am

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

I think your signature covers it all.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Thu Aug 24, 2017 10:35 pm

Re: WHAT DID YOU DO IN YOUR SHOP TODAY

I was sitting by my lap-top in the shop and having a look around at the layout. Before moving anything around, I got out the tape measure that always get me into trouble. Two hours of shuffling toolboxes and the working space was much improved. Two toolboxes may be appearing on Craigslist. The final act of shop improvement was two hours of chasing the Shop Vac. My daughter's BFF decided to take a really nice Canadian Made Rockwell Beaver table saw. It was made in the 1960's. I paid $10 to save it from the scrap and I gave it away. The BFF appreciates vintage machinery.
Attachments
ROCKWELL BEAVER TABLE SAW.jpg
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive
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