Shops, tools, materials and tips

[TripleF]

WOW.....knice find Kaleb!!

[muskrat man]

Dale, I had one of those, make sure you mount the plate to a rigid backing like plywood. and don't load it up with too much heavy stuff. I had one I loaded up with nuts/bolts and screws. It only lasted about 4 months. I still have all the trays, the back part is the weak link.

[orvet]

Good to know Kaleb thank you.
I will try to hit the studs under the drywall and anchor it real solid. I appreciate the heads up.

[#goldpan]

Wow, everyone has a nice looking shop! I got some new equipment this week. A cabled rotary tool with foot pedal control. Variable speed too. Both hands are free to work with. I have a cable attachment for my Dremel workstation but this is better!

Has a real drill chuck instead of the system used by Dremel.

And I discovered that I can plug my first gen Work Sharp into the pedal and now I have slow enough speeds that it has become very versatile.

Good tool so far. Got it on eBay. $60.00 shipped!

[Brumbydownunder]

Love this thread... I have learnt so much. They say “Necessity is the mother of invention” but so often in my case “lack of money is the mother of my inventions”
A couple of recent creations as I get into making slip joints from scratch – up until now most of my dabbling is around re-working existing knives.
A rise and fall gauge … the actual gauge cost $19 off that auction site the rest of the 'stuff' surfaced from various parts of my shed.

Also I wanted to start relieving the area of the scales where the tang rotates. I don’t have a Mill or access to one so again to ‘that auction’ site for a small east/west vice $40 shipped out of China. Some other bits & bobs out of my handy shed pile and a basic drill-press becomes a rudimentary mill. I still have a few minor adjustments to make but the test-runs are going well.

Edit ... I should have added the Chuck is pinned to the Drill press shaft to prevent it shaking loose.
Derek

[#goldpan]

Nice set up Derek! The tools in my shop are all re-purposed. I have one drill press that a dedicated buffer as I dont have a bench mount buffer. I like it better as the speeds are slower and I have a choice of speeds. I like the way you set up your shop Derek!

[btrwtr]

Randy, I'm sure yo'll enjoy the variable speed rotary tool and looks like you are going to get the most out of the variable. Fantastic buy!

Derek, you are doing some great work on your tools so I'm sure the folders will follow the coarse. Great innovation.

[#goldpan]

Well I decided to spend a few days arranging shop to make it easier to get to things since my my neck was bothering me too much to work on knives.
Here are some earlier pics from I first set things up about a year ago.

It seems I was always getting up to look for something. Along with a bad neck I have a screwed up lower back as well. Instead of unnecessary trips for sand paper or what not I arranged things so I reach what I need without getting too often.

The drilling and buffing stations are the same, just needed to be cleaned.

The Work Sharp, 1 inch belt sander, 4 inch belt sander and wet grinder are all located together. Makes the large grinding chores easier.

Sand paper, files, rotary grinder and accessories all together.

[#goldpan]

Breaking things up a little bit.

I have had a stainless work bench top so I though it would be a good time to use it. Besides a such a solid work surface makes things like cutting knives apart as well as pinning them back together easier. This work surface gives less than just the 2 layers of plywood that I have been using.

A friend of mine gave me a wet grinder some time back. It was missing the water tank and such so I had to rig this bottle to do the job. I drilled a hole in a block of wood and used a bolt to connect it to my "post" in order to tip it up for off. And tip it on its side to get the water flowing. Change the angle to control the flow. I made two holes in the bottle cap. One for water to come out and one to let air in. Gets the job done cheap!

Well its time to get back to working on those small Colonial lock backs. But now I don't have to hunt for all the things I might need to take a knife apart. Or put one back together!

[Brumbydownunder]

That is just way too tidy to be 'normal'

Nice work space it would be a joy to work in ... I'm envious>

[orvet]

Great ideas guys!
I love your vertical mill Grant, awesome idea!
I should be getting my other small drill press back soon. I may need to ask a couple questions on your setup.

Randy, I am jealous of all the room you have!
Outstanding layout and it seems to flow in one direction so you don't have to backtrack. Nice!

Cudos to you both!!

[#goldpan]

Thanks guys! The only reason its so tidy is because I just cleaned. Believe me, in a day or so I wont be able to see to bench!

[orvet]

I have wanted to get another buffer for my shop for some time. Changing buffs can be pretty time-consuming and it’s nice to have one machine that can do your most common buffing tasks without changing buffs.
I found a buffing assembly with the three diameter pulley on sale at Grizzly Industrial’s website: http://www.grizzly.com/search?q=(buffer ... op+Fox%22)

I had a 1 HP Craftsman motor that I picked up at an estate sale for $5 or $10. It’s more motor than I need but I’m certainly not complaining. I got it set up and I have to make something to trap the dust because these new buffs will rain little threads until you get them broke in. I’m not sure where it’s going to be placed in my shop, that’s another issue yet to be solved. I would like to make a stand that would hold both buffers but I’m not sure how practical it would be especially with limited space.

The buffing assembly was around $130 shipped plus $10 for the old motor and everything else was things I had on hand. For less than $150 I have a variable speed 1 hp buffer.
Grizzly does sell a 1725 RPM 1 HP buffer for around $350. It’s a dead ringer for my old Jet buffer except for the color in the name on the front.

I just thought I would show you guys and if anyone is interested in making one of these for your own use, please feel free to ask questions in here or send me a PM.

[glennbad]

That's a neat setup, Dale! I'd love to have a second buffer setup, but I probably don't have the room...

[#goldpan]

Nice set up Dale! I'm always a bit jealous when I see pictures from everyone's shops. Just like knives, when I see what others have I want one for my self! Thanks for sharing!

[muskrat man]

If you figure out a good dust trap for your buffer i'd like to hear it, I have black streaks along the bench, up the wall and across part of the ceiling in line with both wheels on my buffer LOL. I've tried a couple different cobbled together setups, nothing that I have tried so far works.

[americanedgetech]

Use a pair of 90* terminal ends for a floor register, and one section of trunk.
You can cut the trunk to make a larger shield that will work for two 12" wheels.

All in you'll spend about 12 bucks.
Edit:
Use sections of sliced fuel line or similar hose to cover the sharp edges. Trust me on that one...

[orvet]

That looks doable Ken.
Where do you get the ducting, Lowes?

[americanedgetech]

Lowes, Home Depot ect.

Something that REALLY helps is pop riveting it all together. Sheet metal screws tend to vibrate loose, and you'll know it when you get "shot" w/ one.

I just found the link for Home Depot... They are almost 9 bucks there now. https://www.homedepot.com/p/10-in-x-4-i ... /100197347
I would try a local HVAC guy, and ask for a couple. They should be around 4 bucks.

The circular part that takes the duct can face into a 5 gallon pail or out of a dryer duct thru the wall, and into a bucket there. You'll want to use steel ducts so they are easy to clean. Those flexible ones actually trap the compound, and will start falling off or kinking.
Same issue w/ a dust collection system... the compound gunks it all up unless you use something like a piece of a central air conditioner filter.

[Bill DeShivs]

I make my buffer hoods out of cardboard and duct tape. I screw them down to the bench.
Cheap, easy, effective and best of all-safe!

[orvet]

A man after my own heart Bill!

I appreciate a nice shop where everything is really nice, but I think having a table next to Wayne Goddard for 10 years at the OKCA show has had a lasting effect on me. Now when I see something I think how I can make it.
My existing hoods are cardboard, plastic jugs and of course duct tape. Two of my buffers are home made.
I will post a couple pics tomorrow.

[americanedgetech]

I'm almost finished with my Stiddy, and I had the camera out so I figured I'd post a pict of the progress.
The basic block is 11L17 cold finish steel. Hard surface, and a soft core so I could easily machine it without heat treating or annealing.
The tang that is on it now is 4130, and is 0.07863" thick. I have some S-7, and W-1 steel on the way to make interchangeable tangs from in varying thicknesses, and hardness.

For now there are two 1/4 x 20 machine screws holding the tang but tomorrow I am cutting a 1" round piece of 4130 lengthwise to get a half moon piece or cap to sandwich the tang with recessed cap screws onto the block. I figure that spreading that load across the bar would be much better than a couple screw heads. Plus that will leave an area for krinking.

The only other modification I need to do is add a few dimples to the surface to seat pin heads into for secure peening. I think I'll add these to the side of the block.
All in I have about 60 bucks worth of steel, and enough tang material to make around ten spares of each grade.
Time wise it took about an hour to drill the holes, tap the threads for the tang, and about 1/2 an hour in the mill to cut the end below the drift holes.

I call that time, and money well spent.

The messy work table is just a spare table in my lab room but I needed somewhere to stage from until my shop is built,
I have a grinding, and polishing bench that I am working on building as well so I'll try to post that up tomorrow.

[Tony_Wood]

This thread needs a bump.
Received this small jewelers vise for Father’s Day.

[doglegg]

Bumped it is. Nice little vice. Good for decoration as well as useful. I like the little built in anvil.

[orvet]

Great old vise Tony!
Is there a brand or any name on it?