Shop Tours

[Dick Wilson]

Hopefully this post is appropriate for the turning forum. I have really enjoyed seeing other peoples shops and specifically their turning area. I would love to see others post pics of their shops. Everyone could pick up ideas to better organize their work areas.

[John Keeton]

Dick, while the rules are not hard and fast, most "shop tour" threads really need to be in the Workshops Forum. The recent clean up threads were marginally turning related, so they were OK. So long as the threads relate to turning and turning processes, posting here is OK. General shop tour threads would not be appropriate. There are dozens of shop tour threads in the Workshops Forum you may find interesting.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Yup... what John said.

[Harry Robinette]

been there and looking through all the shops for TURNING SHOPS gets trying .Need a Turning Shop Tours page or indicator so we know whats Turning and whats flat.
As always JMHO

[Don Alexander]

there's such a thing as flat? :eek: who woulda thunk it? :D

[Peter Hay in Aus]

186227186228I do not seek to fill this section with amusing replies rather would seek to edify my way with a snapshot of part of my shop. The entire shop is 60 feet virtual by12 feet.
This area is my Pen Turning spot. The Lathe is a Vicmarc VL100. The bench made by me to suit me is a heavy welded construction with an inch and a quater laminated top. Many improvements have taken place over time.

The Lathe is bolted to the bench (I sit down on a draughtsmans swivel stool to turn). I directed the drive belt through the head stock and mounted a three phase 3/4hp
motor on the bench top keeping under the bench free. Through the bed rails there is dust extraction under the mandrel that now goes via a chip drum to a whole of house vac system to the right. On the left of the lathe in a shop built box is a Single to Three Phase Inverter with a knob to give infinite speed control, over here we use 415/240v and 50 cycles. To the right of the lathe at eye height is a I Ton Bearing press modified with Corian inserts top and bottom and an Aluminium block under the Anvil Part.
On the same raised table is an old Variable Speed University Ex Lab Stirrer with a small buff fitted on a sleeve to the shaft. So I turn and finish swivelling around without moving the seat.
At the immediate left is a large Taiwanese Mill Drill I have Modified to use my Design Pen Mill. Pic 2. This was acheived using an aluminium plate fitted to the quill as an outboard attachment holding a small finishing Router above a mini metal lathe stripped to hold a mandrel under and on the X Y movement table so now I have up and down ,side to side , and back to front capacity. Indexing I acheived using a 72 toothed gear attached to the head stock shaft with a meshing small gear to hold it in place. This enables me to facet pens my way as Frank Sinatra once said.

I now have reversed the small lathe on the mill remove the main mill cutter assy when I do pens and use a vac behind the cutter on the Router.

Kind regards Peter.

[John Keeton]

Don't forget, we do have the "Turning Group Members and Their Lathes (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?65230-quot-Turning-Group-Members-and-Their-Lathes-quot)thread!"

Peter, you may want to post this information there. As a "sticky", it will be much easier to access as time goes on.

[Sean Hughto]

For what little it may be worth, here is the portion o my shop where I turn:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5490692064_c37c2c358c_z.jpg

[Sean Nagle]

John and Steve, what about a forum section dedicated to shop tours?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Well I just got done turning several items so what you see is what you get. Needs cleaned for sure but will carry the chips out with a wheat shovel. My Nova and Jet 1220 get worked out pretty good these days.

[Dick Latshaw]

Looks much too clean, Sean. :)

[John Keeton]

John and Steve, what about a forum section dedicated to shop tours?Sean, the size and complexity of the structure of the creek is already stretching the bounds of the available manpower. The creek has experienced a massive increase in traffic, and it is unlikely any new forums will be established - at least in the near future.

While it would be nice to break down the existing SMC forum structure even further, please understand there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. The monthly archiving alone takes hours and hours of time. Everyone involved with the creek, including the administrators (Keith, Jackie and Aaron) have other jobs and responsibilities. The moderators perform their functions without compensation, and forfeit the benefits of participating in giveaways, etc. The recent software changeover is still being tweaked, and there are other improvements in that area that are being made as we speak. It is a busy time!! And, all of that goes on "behind the scenes" to give creekers a seamless, and informative community in which to share their hobby and knowledge.

Long answer, I guess, just to say - there aren't enough hours in the day! My guess is that each moderator spends 2-4 hours per day on line. Many of you all do, as well, however, that viewing doesn't carry with it any responsibilities, so it is a little different.

I would suggest, however, that if someone, or someones, want to undertake a search of the Workshop Forum for shop tour threads of turners, and post those links, we can make a permanent sticky of the list. That sticky could be updated with additional listings as time goes on, but the responsibility of compiling that data, and the future additional information would need to be provided by creekers.

Again, do keep in mind the existing sticky on Turners and their lathes. Much of what you are wanting can be done there, and many of you have posted there. Harry Robinette has a recent posting there with pics of his lathe area. Please take a look at that thread and see if it will provide the resource you are after, and I would encourage more of you to post there. I need to do the same!

Again, that link is http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?65230-quot-Turning-Group-Members-and-Their-Lathes-quot Take a look!!

[Rick Markham]

I'd show mine, however, it wouldn't help for organization for anyone, unless a covered workbench and tablesaw count as organized... Though I do know without looking where every single one of my tools is... Have you found yours yet Dick? still looking?

[Dick Wilson]

I'd show mine, however, it wouldn't help for organization for anyone, unless a covered workbench and tablesaw count as organized... Though I do know without looking where every single one of my tools is... Have you found yours yet Dick? still looking?

Yes, and no. I don't recall seeing or holding during clean-up. Hope I didn't shovel it out the door:confused::(

[Rick Markham]

ugh... that's the worst feeling... I hope you didn't too!