TIG Welder Cabinet and other shop improvements
I
needed a cabinet to stow all my welding stuff in so I finally
took the time to fabricate one to suit my needs.
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I
started with a Microfiche cabinet I got from the local
"New and Used" store. It has heavy ball-bearing,
roller drawers that are very long.
It
was missing a couple drawers, so I cut it in half and
removed a section. I ended up with two 'cabinets' with
six drawers each. I added a 'shelf' on the back for
a couple bottles of gas.
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I
wanted my Lincoln
Precision TIG 185 in an 'easy to reach' position.
After sketching out my idea I made another trip to the
Scrap Yard for a load of steel.
I
got an ATV wheel rim from the dumpster at the local
tire shop. Split in half it makes a great hose rack.
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Here's
the completed cabinet. It rolls nicely with swivel wheels
in front and a couple larger wheels in back. Now I have
lots of room for rod, tips, accessories, etc. I was
not concerned about its overall size as it will not
leave the shop. A little 'Hammerite' paint makes it
look pretty respectable.
The
welder slides out the rear for maintenance. A piece
of old counter top covers the cut edge for the new top
of the cabinet. That bottle looks a little small on
the back, but I've got enough room to add another even
taller bottle when the time comes.
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Here's
a couple Quicktime
movies demonstrating proper welding technique.
Check out this monster lathe
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I
recently went to a local auction of a boat shop that
had gone out of business and was being liquidated. Note
the styrofoam coffee cup in the photo on the left to
get an idea of the size of this monster.
This
monster lathe was used for turning ships propellor shafts
up to 55 feet long and went for just over $12,000. I
waited all day till we got to this machine room so I
could bid on a couple of hoists. I won both one ton
electric hoists that were mounted on jibs over this
lathe. They will soon be mounted in my boat
storage building for lifting my boat off the trailer.
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While
I was at it, I made some additional shop improvements.
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This
bottom cabinet was part of a desk that I picked up at
the local recycling center. I added some locking swivel
wheels and the laminated top. Now I've got a strong
surface to which I bolted my bandsaw and bench grinder.
There was enough room behind the saw to mount the motor.
I fabricated a belt guard to cover the drive belt. I've
got plenty of room below to stow my 'junk'.
The
local "New and Used" store also had this laminated
table top that appears to be "leftover from the
sixties". It became a nice work surface after I
bolted it to my steel work table (also from the local
recycling center) and added my Wilton vice (with a fresh
coat of Hammerite paint so it fits the decor). It's
almost 'too nice to work on'. Almost, but not quite.
:-)
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I
figured out where the Grizzly
Tool Store is located and decided to replace a few
of my powertools.
After
running a local ad, the first guy to respond left with
a 'full load'. While his car was not quite loaded this
bad (we did cram a lot of tools into it), I could not
get this image out of my mind. (photo used with permission)
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My
new Grizzly
G0580 Wood Bandsaw and Grizzly Bench Grinder work
well together on this enclosed stand.
I
really like my new Grizzly
G9742 Metal Bandsaw as it features a really slick
swivel head for angular cuts (from -45 degrees to +60
degrees) and a pneumatic cylinder to adjust the rate
of cut. A cut down microfiche cabinet provides lots
of storage and rolls well on swivel casters (so I can
pull it out for cutting the 'big stuff').
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My
old Craftsman drill press got used quite a bit, so when
it sold I upgraded to this floorstanding Grizzly
G7948 Drill Press.
My
new Grizzly
G1183 Combination Sander works well on this set
of drawers (cutdown microfiche cabinet) mounted on two
angle iron support rails (to keep it stationary). I
should have taken the photo after the drawers were back
in (now it's shoved back into the corner).
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I
like stowing some of my 'junk' in surplus milk crates,
so naturally I wanted to incorporate them into the design
of my Grizzly
G4011 Sheet Metal Machine cart. This took me a couple
hours to fabricate out of my scrap steel pile. Short
enough to roll under my shelf (when not in use) this
cart provides a firm base for shearing, rolling, or
folding sheet metal in addition to providing great storage
for my 'stuff'.
I
picked up this cart at the local recycling center (in
pieces). After cleaning it up, I realized it's a Snapon.
Now reassembled it's working as my welding cart and
tool tray. I added a set of locking wheels, angle iron
along the side, and a vice so I can TIG weld whatever
I need.
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I
also acquired an EMCO Compact 5 precision machining
center. This unit is in perfect condition and includes
the vertical milling and drilling attachment and all
accessories available for this tool system. Now I can
turn/mill my brackets and whatever I need for my ongoing
turbine
powered boat project.
I
also have the facilities to remove corrosion in my sand
blasting cabinet. My vacuum cleaner keeps the dust cleared
so I can see clearly through the top window. It's internally
lit and large enough to fit an engine block. A pressurized
vessel holds sand powered by my 220V, 60 gallon compressor.
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I've
been looking to get a little larger lathe and I happened
across this Shopmaster
Bridgemill 3 in 1. A local retired machinist bought
it new and made me a great deal (complete with measuring
tools, accessories, and all the cutters I'll need to
get started). Now I'll be able to properly fabricate
brackets for installing my turbine.
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