slodat's shop projects

[slodat]

I bought my welder about 3 months ago used in like new condition. At the recommendation of a friend I bought a water cooled torch and a CoolMate 3 water cooler. Once I had it all in the shop I started making a cart to hold it all and make it easy to move around the shop when needed. It's made of 1.5" square tubing for the most part. I made a clamp for the argon cylinder. It turned out nice and makes changeout easy. This is the first TIG welding I have done. I'm still getting the hang of it all.

[Skib]

sweet cart Steve :thumbup:

[Duke]

Nice machine. Good choice going with the water cooled torch. After welding with both an air cooled and a water cooled, the difference in consistency and time you can weld is very obvious.

[ariascarlos1990]

Thats Cool. :D

[Pacific coast Datsun]

That came out clean ! Gotta love the do it yourselfer :cool:

[mklotz70]

Great stuff Steve!!! Congrats on getting the setup.

[slodat]

Thanks for the kind words guys! My second project is a welding/fab table. After reading a lot of threads on various forums I cam up with a basic design.

• 3' x 4' x 1" steel plate top on a very sturdy frame
• 4" over hang on all four sides for clamping
• Inset on one long side so I can sit at the table for bench welding type work
• Receiver hitch tool mounts for a vise, cheap 6" bench grinder I have lying around to sharpen tungsten and whatever else comes up
• Hangers for 4 or so 4.5" angle grinders
• Storage for the clamps I'm starting to acquire
• Wheels to move it when necessary
• Jacking bolt type feet to level table when in place
• Drill/tap holes on a 4" grid to use milling clamp sets for fixtures and setup anywhere on table
• Considering sheetmetal chip tray just under table surface to keep lower contents clean. Not sure on this yet.

I'm approaching this like I'm building a tool I'll own for the rest of my life. I planned on 2" x 2" x .120" for the frame. I got 2" x 3" x .120 surplus for a lot less money and went with that for the frame. I found a place today that will CNC flame cut the top out of a full sheet for me, with rounded corners (I'm thinking 1" radius). The top will be bolted to the frame in four spots.

 

I'm hoping to have the frame finished this weekend. It's getting close. I made the leveling feet tonight. They turned out nice. I'm headed to buy material in the morning.

 

This is what I have for photos right now:

 

Top of frame:

 

 

 

Bottom and top stacked:

 

 

 

Frame upside down during assembly:

Caster:

[]2eDeYe]

mmmmmm tig...

 

I really like how that table is looking :cool:

[slodat]

I've made some progress on the fab table this week. Looking forward to getting a lot done tomorrow. Two of the caster/leveling foot plates are tack welded in place. I want to get all four tacked in place and flip it over on the wheels and see how things are before I finish weld. Once that is sorted out, I'll get going on the tool and clamp holders.

I bought a portaband mount from Troy at Swag Off Road. Plan is to pick up a new Milwaukee portaband tomorrow. This will also be mounted to a plate for the receiver hitch spot.I picked up a really nice, American made vice today. It will be mounted on a plate to fit in the receiver hitch tubes on each corner.

[mklotz70]

I like how you did the bevel cuts on the tubing for the levelers :)

[slodat]

I've been really busy and haven't had much time to make progress on my table. I did get the other two foot plates made and tacked into place. The photo is of the table sitting on the four leveling feet bolts. It is Very stable. I have two 1' x 2' x 1" plates sitting on it. They are making visualizing the full size 3' x 4' top a lot easier. In the photo is also the swag offroad portaband mount. I bought 1/2" plate yesterday to mount my receiver hitch tools on. I'm headed out to the shop to make some progress in a few.

[the510keeper]

That mig+ stand is cool, I have a POS rolling stand from a welding shop and it sucks. I know what i need to make next, cool wright up.

[slodat]

Was on the road for 5 weeks. Worked 411 hours in 33 days with no day off. After some pretty heavy duty decompressing, I'm back in my shop. I added an accessory outlet on my welder so that my cooler is powered by the welder's main power switch.

I went from this:

:

to this:

(the clip is holding the breaker through the hole. It is an oddball size. Ordered a screw post mount breaker to replace it)

Plan is to spend the weekend cleaning the shop and getting the base for my fab table ready for the top next week..

I have a couple of fun fabrication projects to do for my day job. I welded aluminum for the first time today. I'm so happy I bought the water cooled torch!!

[City Hunter]

Looking good man, that was a pretty good find at the swap meet. We both walked away with some nice goodies.

[slodat]

I've been tool hounding on craigslist the past week or so. I've got a lot of really good deals. A few additions to the shop:

 

 

 

HF 30" sheet metal brake/shear/slip roll. Got a really good deal on it. Found the cart while picking up a really cool old porta power today. I welded up the frame, attached it to the cart and this is the result. Very stable.

 

 

Blackhawk Porta Power

 

 

 

 

Last week I drove out to Astoria to pick up what looked like a great deal on a oxy/acetylene torch. The torch was a good deal, and much bigger than I needed. I did buy this mill though. We loaded it into the bed of my 620 KC. The tires were pretty squatty and pressure was correct. So, we removed the head. I hauled this home the first trip.

 

 

The second load was to pick up the head. I also got a 29" Northern Tool press brake, Milwaukee abrasive chop saw and a HF tool post grinder - all for a VERY good price. The guy was dumping his tools because of a divorce.

 

 

I had to sort out a way to mount a hoist. I bought a 2 Ton HF chain fall on sale for $48 with a 20% off coupon. The hook is mounted to a 4' long piece of 2 x 3 x .120 steel tubing to spread the load across 4 joists.

 

 

The chain fall made short work of unloading the mill and head by myself. I also put the head back on the mill in a matter of a few minuts.

 

 

The pallet jack made setting the mill in position easy.

 

 

 

I have a lot of shop projects to get finished right now so I can get going on my 521. I want to mount my ShumaTech DRO-550 on the new mill and get tools put away, fab table finished etc. Hopefully this week..

[mklotz70]

Awesome stuff Steve!! I'm a bit green....not quite sure if it's envy or moss that's growing from not doing anything :)

[]2eDeYe]

Damn dude! Not messing around :D

 

I really want one of those porta band mounts :cool:

[Braden]

and what again did you say you did for a living???? :blink:

[DISLEXICDIME]

Sweet now I can come build my heat shields

[slodat]

Awesome stuff Steve!! I'm a bit green....not quite sure if it's envy or moss that's growing from not doing anything :)

I've got another thing in the works. I have a guy coming to look at my 9" Logan lathe.... So I can go buy a new lathe! Fingers crossed..

 

2eDeYe' date='08 June 2010 - 07:54 AM' timestamp='1276008887' post='312317']

Damn dude! Not messing around :D

 

I really want one of those porta band mounts :cool:

The porta band mount is awesome. Just as much vertical bandsaw as I need. I'm already really surprised at how much I use it.

 

 

and what again did you say you did for a living???? :blink:

I test/prove high voltage substation protection systems. I'm not made of money, at all. I keep an eye out for good deals and upgrade when the right deal comes along.

 

Sweet now I can come build my heat shields

It will only work 20ga steel or aluminum.

[slodat]

I'm having some upgrade fever. I'm also finding some good deals. No more than I lowered the new mill to the floor and I found my dream lathe. I was able to sell the lathe I have today for enough to buy the new machine. More rigging tomorrow to get this girl in place.

 

[mklotz70]

Specs?

...and congrats!!!

[slodat]

16" swing. 6' bed. 2hp 220v. Lots of tooling. Needs to be cleaned up. In very good condition otherwise. I'll do a light once over on it before I put it to use. Plan to buy a quick change tool post for it. And am mounting my ShumaTech DRO-550 on it. I bought two of them when they did a powerbuy earlier this year. Both machines will have DRO's. The mill will have X, Y, Z and perhaps knee also. The lathe will have X, Y and RPM for starters.

[mklotz70]

Sweet! Mine's not quite big enough...but your should be......to turn the hardbody spindles to accept the toyota hubs/rotors.

[slodat]

Lots going on in the shop lately. I got the mill and lathe electrical circuits ran. They are both powered up now. The lathe was injured during unloading. I have all of the parts coming to repair the broken pieces. I bought some dark grey-blue paint for the restoration. Last weekend I went to the rebuilding center and bought a bunch of 12" deep 30" tall upper kitchen cabinets.

 

 

 

Transformed this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also picked up a pretty heft dual head belt grinder a couple weeks ago.

 

 

 

I traded one side of the belt parts for a KA24DE for my 521 project. That side will be used for polishing. I plan to lengthen the belt grinder side to 3" x 79" for metal working. I need to find a 3-5HP single phase motor for it. The existing 3 phase 3HP motor burned up the VFD I bought for it.