Some time ago there was a proposal to have a page showing the current status of all tools in the shop. Has any progress been made toward this? As of 9/11/2022 what machines are up and available in the metal and machine shop areas? I haven’t been in for awhile and saw that some major changes were being made.
Both welders, plasma cutter. sand blaster, lathe, vertical mill, Tormac are all online. Do All got wired today, but may need a blade change. All hand power tools work. The overall area has been cleaned a lot, and is workable. Still some work to go, but progress is being made.
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Some of the minor tools, like the grinders, are being powered by various kludges and extension cords, but pretty much everything can be powered and run now, excepting only the DoAll because the blade got damaged. We are still working out the final locations of lots of tools and accessories though. The final electrical runs will get done over the next few weeks.
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I hope that the plan includes dedicated power to ALL major power tools, in particular all welders and plasma cutters. That kluged mess of having to swap one power cord was just ridiculous. Breaking up the weld table, into two smaller less versatile, undersized tables, was a huge mistake IMHO.
The welders and plasma cutter will each have their own power outlet. There is also a 50ft extension cord that can be used. The plans also call for more 120v outlets along the wall for regular tools.
We welcome you to come help with the install. Multiple members have spent days working on expanding the area and re wiring an entire shop section. The moving of equipment alone was a vast accomplishment. Let me know when you’ve got some time, and I’ll be happy to meet you there and get you started @LoboFPV.
As for the tables, IMHO I disagree with you. I think having them seperate makes the area more functional. They can still be pushed back together. Before they were simply tacked welded together with no real precision, so we didnt loose much by separating them. The plans also call for fabrication tables in the future, which would definitely be a huge upgrade.
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and just to clarify - “in the future” means “as soon as we get what we currently have organized and space cleared for more equipment” not “in the next year or two”.
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I owned the welding table that was one 4x8 piece. When I left for a bit. I took the table. The space was without a table. Danny found a table from Craigslist. The warping in the table was there when we purchased it.
@LoboFPV I had a ridiculous idea of wanting a near aerospace grade table. We settled on 2 more versatile smaller tables that has jig holes and is much flatter than what we have now. You can connect the table together for larger projects. The new tables have much more clamping and jig options. We can also install a center panel at the center of the 2 tables so 2 people can weld simultaneously.
AFAIK, the Tormach and Lathe both still need to be leveled in their new homes so keep that in mind if you are trying to make close tolerance parts. Also, I think we’re still coming up with a recertification plan for the new lathe will all of its new capabilities, so I don’t think it’s a free-for-all on that yet.
Also, when they do get leveled (probably by @JoeN or @EricP I’m assuming), let me know when you plan to do it. I’d like to see it done for my own future reference if possible.
Sorry I forgot to bring my level. I will bring it and place it in the cubicle. Dale Derry has a Youtube channel call Build Something Cool. He has good video on leveling a metal lathe.