# Bedroom Machine Shop Build



## wildo

Starting this thread to document a new machine shop I'm putting together in my very seldom used spare bedroom. The intention is that the room is primarily a machine shop, but can be converted into a guest bedroom when needed. This room is 10.5' x 12' with an additional closet. I'm choosing this bedroom for a number of reasons:

I do woodworking, wood turning, auto maintenance, and welding projects in my garage. As well as park my car in there. There's simply no room for more tools!
I like the notion of climate control for my machine tools since I already have a difficult time keeping my table saw and bandsaw tables rust free. My garage is not climate controlled.
I'm completely new to machining and it's been a life-long dream to break into this hobby. It'll be slow going as I already have 30 other really expensive hobbies to focus on. Never the less, I'm really excited to get this moving along. I'm going to approach this project in a number of phases.

*Phase 1: *Room prep. I'll paint the ceiling and walls. I'm going to install a 20A recep in the room. The hardwood floor needs refinished, but that almost seems silly when I'm going to be moving in a bunch of heavy machines and getting swarf all over. Instead, I'm considering a floor covering not so different from those floor tiles people put in their fancy garages.

*Phase 1.5: *Murphy bed. I don't really want to address building the murphy bed right away. It's honestly not a priority project for the build. That said, the bed _is _in the way... I don't think I'll address this as the second phase, but I'll probably start it while in the middle of Phase 2.

*Phase 2: *Lathe bench. Tonight I took delivery of a 120" x 30" x 1.75" butcher block maple bench top from Grizzly. It's massive; it's heavy; and it's awesome. I'm beside myself. It's the first purchase I've made for this whole project and I can't wait to get it setup. To do that, I need to fabricate the steel bench to put it on. It's not really a _huge_ project, but it does involve lots of garage time right as it's starting to get super cold. Not my favorite time to be working in the garage. Wrapping up this phase will be my lathe purchase (a South Bend 9A) hopefully in February.

*Phase 2.5:* Bandsaw/Bench accessories. There's no real building involved with this phase. But the SB 9A has only a 3/4" spindle bore and therefore I'll need a convenient way to turn larger diameter stuff. It seems reasonable that a horizontal bandsaw sets me up well for beginning some turning work. Also included would be a bench grinder for grinding cutting tools- and I'm always on the lookout for a restorable Atlas/South Bend/Walker Turner bench drill press. I don't know if the restoration would be part of this phase or not.

*Phase 3: *Workbench. This phase will include building the dog leg for the workbench, and purchasing the tool cabinets for the room. This bench is 60" long and serves as an assembly table as well as a convenient place for a surface plate. This might also be a good time to build a workbench into the murphy bed. While the main assembly area will be nice, I'm not convinced that the lack of a toe kick space won't be super annoying. Therefore I'll build a bench into the murphy bed as well that I can pull a chair up to.

*Phase 4: *Milling machine. This one just has to wait. This project is already going to cost a small fortune. I don't foresee reaching this point at least until next year. But the plan is a PM-25MV or PM-727M mill sitting on top of a Harbor Freight 27" wide cabinet. If I end up getting the heavier mill, I'll enclose the cabinet in a steel frame for better support. Also, I'll likely need to add some blocking in the crawlspace to support this heavier mill.

_______________
Well- that was a lot of words, but I think typing it out helped me solidify some thoughts and build order. Below you can see my plans (to scale) modeled in Google SketchUp. Enjoy!



















This is the Phase 2 bench:






This is the Phase 3 bench:


----------



## CarlosA

Amazing, will be watching this. Especially interesting to me because my own machine shop is in an apartment spare bedroom. Good luck!


----------



## FOMOGO

In a perfect world we would all sleep with our machines, right. Well, maybe make time for a super-model once in awhile. Sounds like a good use of available space to me. Mike


----------



## Chipper5783

Go for it.  I've seen it done before.  It was on the 2nd floor of a 3 story apartment building.  The guy simply put plywood over the carpet.


----------



## uncle harry

wildo said:


> Starting this thread to document a new machine shop I'm putting together in my very seldom used spare bedroom. The intention is that the room is primarily a machine shop, but can be converted into a guest bedroom when needed. This room is 10.5' x 12' with an additional closet. I'm choosing this bedroom for a number of reasons:
> 
> I do woodworking, wood turning, auto maintenance, and welding projects in my garage. As well as park my car in there. There's simply no room for more tools!
> I like the notion of climate control for my machine tools since I already have a difficult time keeping my table saw and bandsaw tables rust free. My garage is not climate controlled.
> I'm completely new to machining and it's been a life-long dream to break into this hobby. It'll be slow going as I already have 30 other really expensive hobbies to focus on. Never the less, I'm really excited to get this moving along. I'm going to approach this project in a number of phases.
> 
> *Phase 1: *Room prep. I'll paint the ceiling and walls. I'm going to install a 20A recep in the room. The hardwood floor needs refinished, but that almost seems silly when I'm going to be moving in a bunch of heavy machines and getting swarf all over. Instead, I'm considering a floor covering not so different from those floor tiles people put in their fancy garages.
> 
> *Phase 1.5: *Murphy bed. I don't really want to address building the murphy bed right away. It's honestly not a priority project for the build. That said, the bed _is _in the way... I don't think I'll address this as the second phase, but I'll probably start it while in the middle of Phase 2.
> 
> *Phase 2: *Lathe bench. Tonight I took delivery of a 120" x 30" x 1.75" butcher block maple bench top from Grizzly. It's massive; it's heavy; and it's awesome. I'm beside myself. It's the first purchase I've made for this whole project and I can't wait to get it setup. To do that, I need to fabricate the steel bench to put it on. It's not really a _huge_ project, but it does involve lots of garage time right as it's starting to get super cold. Not my favorite time to be working in the garage. Wrapping up this phase will be my lathe purchase (a South Bend 9A) hopefully in February.
> 
> *Phase 2.5:* Bandsaw/Bench accessories. There's no real building involved with this phase. But the SB 9A has only a 3/4" spindle bore and therefore I'll need a convenient way to turn larger diameter stuff. It seems reasonable that a horizontal bandsaw sets me up well for beginning some turning work. Also included would be a bench grinder for grinding cutting tools- and I'm always on the lookout for a restorable Atlas/South Bend/Walker Turner bench drill press. I don't know if the restoration would be part of this phase or not.
> 
> *Phase 3: *Workbench. This phase will include building the dog leg for the workbench, and purchasing the tool cabinets for the room. This bench is 60" long and serves as an assembly table as well as a convenient place for a surface plate. This might also be a good time to build a workbench into the murphy bed. While the main assembly area will be nice, I'm not convinced that the lack of a toe kick space won't be super annoying. Therefore I'll build a bench into the murphy bed as well that I can pull a chair up to.
> 
> *Phase 4: *Milling machine. This one just has to wait. This project is already going to cost a small fortune. I don't foresee reaching this point at least until next year. But the plan is a PM-25MV or PM-727M mill sitting on top of a Harbor Freight 27" wide cabinet. If I end up getting the heavier mill, I'll enclose the cabinet in a steel frame for better support. Also, I'll likely need to add some blocking in the crawlspace to support this heavier mill.
> 
> _______________
> Well- that was a lot of words, but I think typing it out helped me solidify some thoughts and build order. Below you can see my plans (to scale) modeled in Google SketchUp. Enjoy!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the Phase 2 bench:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the Phase 3 bench:



Nice work on your graphics !  It appears as though you can raise or lower the drill press table to allow long rods thru the quill. The drill press table could hold a v block to act as a steady rest.


----------



## planeflyer21

Looking forward to watching your progress on this.

We were contemplating moving our daughter's room to a new addition, in the back of the house, and then converting her current room to an in-house shop.


----------



## wildo

uncle harry said:


> Nice work on your graphics !  It appears as though you can raise or lower the drill press table to allow long rods thru the quill. The drill press table could hold a v block to act as a steady rest.



You know- I didn't even consider that. I *did* purposefully put the headstock away from the wall so that longer material could be run through the quill, but it didn't dawn on me that the drill press table could act as a steady rest in this situation. Good call!


----------



## wawoodman

Did you model the tools and toolboxes or were they in the Sketchup library?

Great job!


----------



## AR1911

Cool project. Following


----------



## stupoty

Looks like a well planed small space, the only thing i wouldn't put the bench grinder in their, the dust is ow so small and gets every where.  Although you look to have planned for that with the dust extractos so maybe ? Hummm

Stuart


----------



## middle.road

wildo said:


> ......
> 
> I like the notion of climate control for my machine tools since I already have a difficult time keeping my table saw and bandsaw tables rust free. My garage is not climate controlled.



Hi, give some Minwax Finishing Paste Wax (or similar) a try on the power tools. For me it seems to be keeping the rust at bay.
The only items not rusting in my shop lately have been the ones that I had coated with it earlier this summer.
I'm going over the machine tools now and putting it on the non critical exposed areas.


----------



## AR1911

At the risk of steering this post down a side-track, I agree with the wax suggestion. Seems to be SOP for woodworking. I solved my rust issues on my metalworking tools a few years ago with a pound of pure lanolin from ebay. Nothing has rusted since except for spots I missed with the lanolin. I also keep the ceiling fan on High when I am not there.  Unheated steel building.


----------



## wildo

wawoodman said:


> Did you model the tools and toolboxes or were they in the Sketchup library?
> 
> Great job!


The exact box wasn't in there, but there was a model that was close. I did some minor tweaking to it, and then used the skew tool to get it to the correct dimension. The SB lathe was already in the warehouse as were the other machines.

[EDIT]- I just uploaded the models to the SketchUp Library. The model titles are:
"Harbor Freight 44" 13 Drawer Tool Chest" and
"Harbor Freight 44" 13 Drawer Tool Chest with 7 Drawer 18" Side Cabinet"


----------



## wildo

AR1911 said:


> At the risk of steering this post down a side-track, I agree with the wax suggestion. Seems to be SOP for woodworking. I solved my rust issues on my metalworking tools a few years ago with a pound of pure lanolin from ebay. Nothing has rusted since except for spots I missed with the lanolin. I also keep the ceiling fan on High when I am not there.  Unheated steel building.



Thanks guys- I'll give it a shot! The rust isn't *that* bad on my woodworking tools, in fact- it's pretty minor. But it definitely is enough such that material doesn't exactly glide over my tablesaw top. I'll give the wax a shot; seems like a good idea!


----------



## wildo

stupoty said:


> Looks like a well planed small space, the only thing i wouldn't put the bench grinder in their, the dust is ow so small and gets every where.  Although you look to have planned for that with the dust extractos so maybe ? Hummm
> 
> Stuart



True- the bench grinder would get dusty, no question. I have planned for dust extraction/swarf removal via a shop vac and cyclone separator, but to be honest- I overlooked the dust from the bench grinder. I don't think it would be too hard to make a hood type device to hook to the dust collection like this:



Good observation!


----------



## stupoty

wildo said:


> True- the bench grinder would get dusty, no question. I have planned for dust extraction/swarf removal via a shop vac and cyclone separator, but to be honest- I overlooked the dust from the bench grinder. I don't think it would be too hard to make a hood type device to hook to the dust collection like this:
> 
> 
> 
> Good observation!



I need a dust extraction to use with my bench grinder, I've made a plinth type stand for mine and try to drag it out side when I do any substantial grinding, I touched up a tool bit on it the other day inside the workshop and it was like a very fine cloud had filled the room :-0 yup I need extraction I thought (or a warmer pull over) 

I recently made a small "spray booth" type filter to use when I'm air brushing models I got a large pleated HVAC filter on ebay for it.  needs a lot of suction though.

Stuart


----------



## John Hasler

Oh.  *spare* bedroom.  I was thinking "Let me see.  The mill can go in the corner if I rehang the door to swing the other way.  The lathe could go next to the dresser, but that would block the window.  Where to put the bandsaw?  Better put the grinder out in the hall.  Long stock can be stored under the bed..."


----------



## ELHEAD

And what will a night at these luxury accommodations cost ?
Seriously I am impressed with your planning within a small envelope.
I have too many interests and find my 40 x 60 and numerous out buildings too confining ( too much STUFF).
I look forward to seeing more of your progress.


----------



## AR1911

Look for a bench grinder with a vacuum exhaust connection, Alternately consider a belt sander. With the proper metalworking belt, it can do most of what a bench grinder does, often better, and most come with a vacuum exhaust connector.


----------



## TOOLMASTER

it's a slippery slope, next thing you know you have a toolbox in every room, and let me tell you the are hard to get upstairs..


----------



## juiceclone

Don't know WHAT u can do about it, but nice pointy/sharp bits are going to get tracked thru the house.   My mess is way outside and still a problem.


----------



## extropic

Swarf, dust, mist & liquid control are primary concerns.

I wouldn't put the band saw in there at all. Think about it. You'll have to carry longer pieces of stock, through the residential area, into a confined space, to cut them shorter (bad idea). Also, the band saw consumes too much valuable floor space. Leave it in the garage to support your welding projects. Cut the machining stock out there.

Maybe you could incorporate your bench grinder (all abrasive power tools) directly onto your vacuum cart to free up bench space and facilitate contamination control. There are many 'quick mount' ideas around to swap-out grinders/sanders if need be. Grind while seated so the whole thing still rolls back under the bench. Buy a QUIET vacuum so it's not a PITA to use it.

You don't show a bench vise yet (necessity).

Have you fully considered the social ramifications of having a machine shop inside your residence (rhetorical question)?


----------



## wildo

extropic said:


> Have you fully considered the social ramifications of having a machine shop inside your residence (rhetorical question)?



Good points, but the nice thing about living alone is that I can give a big middle finger to "social ramifications" of what I do in my house.   Noise is a nonissue since it's just me. Smell will be mitigated through a room air filtration system hanging on the ceiling like in woodworking shops. Tracking swarf will be managed via non-fibrous flooring (garage tiles) that can be easily cleaned. Dust? Well... I live with two German Shepherds! Dust is a fact of life for me.

Now coolant... yes, this is a concern that I haven't figured out yet. I won't use flood coolant, just cutting fluids. I can deal with cutting fluid being flung around on the lathe by using a backsplash behind the lathe and wearing an apron. Over at the mill though, I don't have a particularly good way to catch the oil from being slung all over. I have seen pictures of guys who create what looks like a grease tray you'd put on a camp stove for cooking bacon around the table on their mills. This is likely what I'll do.

Regarding the vice, I did realize that I left it out of the drawing. I'd likely mount it to the right of the lathe- on the corner by where I'm showing the bench grinder.


----------



## wildo

Oh- and on the topic of long material: I'm a newbie, some I'm not sure if there are "standard lengths" of material. That said, I don't foresee working with (or rather- purchasing) material over 4' long given the projects I'm interested in making. In fact, the SB 9A that I'm purchasing is sadly the 36" bed model. The need for the horizontal bandsaw is to cut a... 'short' piece off of a length of material so I can machine it in the mill or lathe. So moving loooooooong lengths of material through the house is of no concern to me. It's a good point, but considering that I want to make spinning tops and very small steam engines- I don't see a reason to buy very long lengths of material.


----------



## rwm

wildo- I have my shop set up in a spare room in the house 12 x 15 ft, similar to your idea. Although no one sleeps there! I routinely deal with all the concerns that have been raised. I have a Jet bandsaw inside. I generally cut any long stock out in the garage with an angle grinder or portaband. The most annoying issue is tracking chips through the house. Sharp chips can embed in the hardwood floors if you step on them. Dust has not been a big issue if I keep the door closed. The angle grinder is a big offender in this regard. I do TIG weld occasionally with a fume extractor. I do not use any flood coolant...yet.
I have placed jack posts in the basement at strategic locations.  I can't say the indoor shop is optimal, but it is better than watching expensive equipment rust in an unheated damp garage. Someday I will have a dedicated shop in a separate building.
R


----------



## extropic

"Broadly speaking, a rhetorical question is asked when the questioner himself knows the answer already or an answer is not actually demanded. So, an answer is not expected from the audience. Such a question is used to emphasize a point or draw the audience’s attention." http://literarydevices.net/rhetorical-question/

As to the rest of it; You're right, you're right. You're absolutely right.


----------



## wrat

Been following this with some interest because it seems it could turn into something.

Maybe I could offer a word about the abstract concept of "dual purpose".  Simply put, it doesn't really exist.   For example, a motorcycle.  It can somewhat do dirt and can still be ridden on the street, so it's labeled "dual purpose" but in reality, doesn't do especially great at either.  Of course, fans of the concept (such as I) are fine with that because there's no need going nutty in any special direction.  Flying cars are another wildly pursued undertaking with the exact same results.  The importance of all this babbling is an interesting paradox that results.  That is, the more you pursue having BOTH, the less you have of EITHER.  The more effort put into a good driving car, the more abysmal it will be when wings are attached.  To make it a performing plane, so much of the automobile componentry becomes superfluous that it's simply dead weight.  After sufficient compromises are made (and there's always many), it becomes either an encumbered car or a death trap with a steering wheel.

Obviously, these are complex examples.  But in your case, the same realization should take place.  The choice is simple.  Is this a 1) bedroom you can do some machining in? or 2) a machine room you can sleep in?  This distinction is real, IMO.  Considering the furnishings, I'm thinking you're already leaning toward option 2.  Then i read this:


wildo said:


> Dust is a fact of life for me.


  Y'know, i live on a farm and tend to keep the dirt out.  Which is why I wouldn't have the grinder in there.  Of course, I'm funny that way.  I'd have the grinder out with the woodworking stuff because that's where the dust is.  I don't have my grinders anywhere near my mills and lathe because that grit goes everywhere and invariably settles where it can do the most damage.  Cutting you can do with appropriate feeds and speeds to minimize debris, but grinding is always gonna be a mess.

So why would any of this matter?  I mean, right, it's your house and none of my business.  But i think this is bigger than we might imagine.  Remember this post?


ELHEAD said:


> And what will a night at these luxury accommodations cost ?


I think you're on to something.

Those of us that remember when the "bed and breakfast" craze was starting, also remember when the "winery cottage" and "fantasy camp" ideas also followed.  Ordinary people that know almost zippo about winemaking or football paying enormous sums to spend a night or two with those that do.

I see your modest bedroom here as something that could really grow legs.  It would appeal to the neophyte and craftsman, alike.  A niche market to be sure, but by indications, a steady one. 

For every guy that owns a machine, there's a hundred or more that would love to but cannot.  Okay, come stay at the "Bed and Boremill" (I dunno...) or the "Spindle House" (whatever) where we have a far reaching curriculum of  machining experiences for the first-timer and experienced machinist, alike.

Sure, this is not where you're going, but someday, someone will.  When these things start popping up all over, you can say you started the whole thing right here on this list. 

Wrat


----------



## planeflyer21

juiceclone said:


> Don't know WHAT u can do about it, but nice pointy/sharp bits are going to get tracked thru the house.   My mess is way outside and still a problem.



I used to work 10 miles away and chips were still a problem.


----------



## wildo

Wrat- I really enjoyed your post! I have a couple friends on facebook trying to get me to remove the bed stating that it's an impractical waste of space. I, for one, very much enjoy the notion of a "themed" bedroom, if you will. Certainly this is the latter, as you stated- a machine shop with a bed. But what a fun bedroom it will be! I don't think my room will turn into "Bed and Boremill" but I also think it's a fun idea! Hell- I might make up a sign to hang outside the room.


----------



## wildo

I think it's really amazing the interest and comments this thread has generated. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and opinions! Some good things have been brought up. I can't guarantee that this build will move at a quick pace as I'm building/purchasing only as I have the money to do so. As you all know- it's such an expensive undertaking...

Here's the first real pictures. They aren't much, but they are progress! The 120" x 30" x 1.75" butcher block maple top from Grizzly arrived and is moved into the house. It took three of us and came directly into the room through a window:



And today I went to my awesome local steel supply and got all of the pieces for the long bench. This is a small "mom & pop" kind of steel supply specializing in small cuts. All of my pieces were cut to length by the supply. Super service and super prices! The steel is 2" square tube 11ga, and the angle is 1.5" x 1.5" x 3/16". The dog is my Belgian Malinois. 



The ceiling was painted last night, and I'm painting the walls this weekend. Wallpaper will likely go up during the week next week.

And finally, I was researching flooring and I'm stuck between rubber horse matting (which may get chips embedded over time) or garage floor tiles (which are a hard plastic and assumedly would be more/less impervious to chips). I updated the drawing to included wall paint (a blue/grey that matches my home office) and wallpaper (the brick- also in my home office) as well as the flooring. Here's the current rendering:


----------



## wildo

A bit more progress. The room walls have been painted and I put the brick wallpaper up tonight. It's a textured wallpaper and really does look like real brick. I like the warmth that it brings the room. I still need to put up the crown moulding, and paint the trim white. I'm also going to install a 20A outlet. Otherwise, the room prep is just about done.



I wrapped the wallpaper around the window opening, which was a bit of a challenge:



And I also started welding up the long bench. Not much to see here- just one leg finished. This is 2" square tubing 11 gauge and I'm stick welding it with 6013 rod. I only have a buzzbox welder and although I bought some 7018AC rods, they still don't weld well on AC. I can put down a decent enough bead with the 6013.


----------



## wildo

Good progress this weekend! I was able to finish up the welding on the main bench. Of course it still needs to be painted, but it finally started snowing here and is therefore too cold out for painting. I can do it later. The bench was designed to be three pieces so that I could get it through a tight hallway and narrow doorways of this house. I still need to order the leveling feet. The room isn't quite ready to have the bench installed, but honestly- how can I resist? I still need to put up the crown moulding, paint the baseboard trim, and install the flooring. In time...


----------



## MachGeek

Awesome design! I love the Murphy bed!


----------



## tweinke

Keep up the good work! Its been fun watching this evolve. Wish the wife would let me have my metal machines in the house. Thinking though I can not afford what it would take to make that happen


----------



## wildo

tweinke said:


> Keep up the good work! Its been fun watching this evolve. Wish the wife would let me have my metal machines in the house. Thinking though I can not afford what it would take to make that happen


Thanks! Yes, it's costing so much money. I'm just doing it a bit at a time as I can afford it.


----------



## wildo

Moving forward with this project! All of the trim has been painted (though some of it [around the doorway] still needs installed). That wraps up the last of the painting and I'm thrilled about that! I hate painting... But this project has been a good excuse to get yet one more room of my house painted. I've had this house for nearly a decade and still have rooms that I haven't repainted since I bought it. Just not a priority, you know? So yes, a good excuse to paint up another room, but glad it's done!

I decided to use Block Tiles for the flooring, which are plastic floor tiles intended for a garage floor. Chips should have a very hard time embedding, and liquids/oils won't hurt it. The one draw back that I realized after purchasing them is that installed directly over the hardwood floors- the tiles were LOUD to walk on. So I ended up purchasing some floating floor underlayment which both insulates and sound dampens the floor. A worthwhile investment, I'd say! I got the majority of the floor installed tonight, and I'll wrap up the perimeter cuts in the morning.

Leveling feet have been ordered for the bench, and I picked up the first machine for the room a couple days ago- a 4x6 bandsaw! Moving right along...

Got the crown moulding installed:









The brown border wraps around this corner of the room. The door trim has been painted and just needs installed.






Next up? Hmmm... Not sure. The lathe will be coming once my tax return hits. That'll likely be another month or two though. I'm maintaining a lookout for a sale on the HF 44" tool chest that'll go under the bench, but in all likelihood I'll probably wait for the tax return for that one too. I suppose it would be good to get the steel painted on the bench so that I can get it officially set in place for good. Ugh- I _hate _painting! This project will probably get put on hold for a while until the funding comes in. Perhaps I'll start on the murphy bed in the meantime, but I'm not sure. I have it designed though, so that's step one I guess.

I've also been contemplating dust/chip collection. My intention was to use a cyclone separator like woodworkers use. I need to do more research on this, as I'm not sure if the cyclones work OK with metal shavings and chips. Especially if the chips are long and stringy (aluminum). Further, I intended to power it all with a shop vac shoved off in the closet. This would make the suction hoses a good length- 10 feet or more. If anyone has experience along these lines, I'd sure be curious if there's lessons learned from your own projects!


----------



## Fabrickator

Very cool shop build and nice graphic design work. My 1/2 garage shop is shared with the wife's laundry room, so technically, it no bigger than what your doing. I've shoehorned a standing drill press, standing band saw, 60" Oliver wood lathe with a LMS Mini Mill on the bed of the wood lathe, a Grizzy G0602 lathe, roll away box and 6' bench it there with some storage cabinets

 Good thing your single... no woman would put up with that!  Keep us posted.

Rick


----------



## wildo

Moving right along... 

The bench frame has been painted with truck bed liner paint. Turned out pretty nice and seems durable. I then drilled out all of the the 1/4" holes through the upper rails of the frame so I could screw the bench top to the frame itself. Since the bench top is 1.75" thick and the frame rails are 2" square stock, it would be hard to get a 1.5" screw in there. So I widened the holes on the lower side with a unibit.







I'm still waiting on the leveling feet to show up, and I can't actually fix the bench top to the frame before getting the toolbox installed. But I can get it all set in place and check out how it's looking. I'm really happy with it so far!




I did notice one "problem" that I didn't spot in the sketchup drawing. The dogleg bench is intended to be 30" deep just like the long bench. With the drill press sitting in the corner as planned, I'll need to scoot it pretty far towards the lathe in order to reach it. In fact, I'll have just about 24" of wasted space behind the press. This is making me consider getting a 24" deep dogleg bench instead of 30". This will allow the drill press to sit a little further back into the corner. I'll still have space behind it- but less space. I can utilize this for a cabinet or parts bins or... whatever. Anyway, I'm considering pretty strongly reducing the depth of the shorter bench to 24".




(Oh yeah- I got an awesome vintage Buffalo No. 15 drill press that I'm restoring. You can follow that project here.)


----------



## FOMOGO

Looking real good in there. I think a pair of slip on work shoes and a stiff brush for whisking any chips off yourself would go a long way toward mitigating the traveling swarf issue. Mike


----------



## yendor

I hope you placed something impervious under the tiles like a big old blue plastic tarp.
As oil will weep between the joints and migrate down to the hardwood floor.


----------



## wildo

The vision is really starting to take shape! I have a pretty good update on the shop.

Leveling feet have been installed on the bench:



The first Harbor Freight 44" box has been purchased and installed. While I had no doubts in my measuring/fabrication abilities, still it was nice to see that it fit right as it was intended. Note that the front, top angle iron bolts in place in order to capture the box. This angle iron was removed in order to install the box:






The box is suspended off the floor on an angle iron shelf. This design is a simple clone of the Steevo bench design from garage journal.



And the big news is that my South Bend 9a lathe has arrived! I was told that it was a 36" model (thus I sourced a 36" chip pan) but was pleasantly surprised to find it is actually a 42" model. The chip pan doesn't really fit as intended, but the way it's shown here is how the bigger lathes have their chip pans setup. It'll work fine.



I'm not sure where I'm going next on the room. While I planned for this 10' bench to be pretty much completely occupied with tools, I am still surprised at how much room the tools take up. So I might start working on the second bench. That said, I'm also not sure where I want to go with the lathe. A big part of me wants to just bolt it down and start having fun, while another part wants to disassemble it and work on the restoration. I am undecided at this point. The drill press restoration is almost complete. The only major component to finish is figuring out how to address the gnarled up spindle taper.

For the record, I intend to remove the hardboard cover off the benchtop. However, I'll wait to do this until all the old greasy machines have been cleaned up. I don't intend to work on greasy grimy things in this shop- I'll do those projects out in the garage. But the 75+ year old machine I'm putting in here are definitely requiring cleanup. So for now, the hardboard is keeping the nice butcher block clean for the time being.


----------



## rrjohnso2000

Depending on what type of projects you intend to work on you might reconsider your drillpress placement. 

It's real handy to have room on both sides to handle drilling holes on long pieces, but only you know what you will be doing.


----------



## wildo

rrjohnso2000 said:


> Depending on what type of projects you intend to work on you might reconsider your drillpress placement.
> 
> It's real handy to have room on both sides to handle drilling holes on long pieces, but only you know what you will be doing.



Good eye. I plan on making precision spinning tops, small model engines, and eventually (a long time down the road) some clocks. I should have plenty of room for the things I'll need to drill. As it is with it being in a corner, I should have ample space for something as much as 4 or 5 feet long anyway.


----------



## Scruffy

Loving your workshop.  Theirs a guy outside of Warsaw that deals in bowling alley lane.  It makes a nice bench top.
Thanks ron


----------



## wildo

Thanks for the compliments, Ron! One issue I've found is that my back is always to the light in the room, and thus my work is always in shadow. So this weekend I made some trusses and ordered some can lights that I'll attach to the trusses. This should help dramatically with the lighting. I mounted the truss over the bench 6.5" away from the wall so that if I ever get super ambitious with dust collection I can run a 6" trunk up in that corner of the ceiling. Lights arrive on Tuesday, though I don't think I'll get to the project until next weekend most likely.


----------



## TommyD

Nice set up there, my wife would pitch a fit if I tried to put machinery in our living space.

I've got those desktop lights on most of my equipment, I have found overhead light to sometimes be lacking and with this set up I always have light and can move them around for better placement.


----------



## uncle harry

TommyD said:


> Nice set up there, my wife would pitch a fit if I tried to put machinery in our living space.
> 
> I've got those desktop lights on most of my equipment, I have found overhead light to sometimes be lacking and with this set up I always have light and can move them around for better placement.



I like both forms of illumination.  I have an overhead "rail" with domestic track lighting in my main shop. Bench areas and my 13" lathe have fluorescent 2 tube fixtures. I have also been collecting those desktop lights at yard sales to install someday.


----------



## wildo

uncle harry said:


> I like both forms of illumination.  I have an overhead "rail" with domestic track lighting in my main shop. Bench areas and my 13" lathe have fluorescent 2 tube fixtures. I have also been collecting those desktop lights at yard sales to install someday.



Agreed! I have 900 watts of gymnasium lights in my garage (really!) and still use a dedicated LED task light over my wood lathe. Absolutely love it and find it imperative to being able to see what I'm doing. I have no doubt I'll end up with a similar light in my metal shop!

This is the light I use over my wood lathe. I find it a bit expensive, but it's perfect in just about every way. The only thing I don't like about it is that vibration can cause the on/off magnet dial on the base to turn, eventually turning off the magnet. I just keep it in mind to check it every now and then... http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/flex-arm-magnetic-led-work-light.aspx


----------



## rwm

Those trusses look awesome....but they should be steel!
R


----------



## wildo

It took some time, but the shop lighting is complete. I have to say- I am so _thrilled_ with how it turned out! Not only do I think it looks super cool (and actually makes me smile when I walk into the room) but it's *bright*! So bright, I don't think I'll need task lighting after all. I used nine 8W LED lights. The conduit was run especially "spaghetti" like to further the illusion of a busy industrial ceiling. I also ran a switched recep over to a corner where I intend to hang an air purification/filtration unit. This was a fun part of the overall shop project!

The lathe is out in the garage being painted, and the drill press is off the bench so I can finally wrap up the bench top itself. I need to screw the bench top to the bench frame, and then level it. Yeah- I've been putting that off. I also need to route out some space in the back of the bench where it meets the wall to mount some power strips, as well as cord pass-thrus to underneath. Isn't it just amazing how much work goes into a simple thing as a "shop"?? Never the less, I'm having a blast with this project!


----------



## kvt

The lights look great, but you may still want some desktop lights,  like small spots, they do help.    I know they do me.  My wife would kill me If I did something like this.  Right now she is thinking of getting me one of the shipping containers so she can have the garage back.


----------



## itsme_Bernie

Love watching this progress


----------



## wildo

itsme_Bernie said:


> Love watching this progress


Glad you're enjoying it. I know I am!


----------



## wildo

The shop is coming along quite nicely! A lot has happened since I last updated here. The Buffalo #15 drill press is complete. The SB 9a is _almost_  complete- just have the carriage assembly to finish restoration. I've added a 12 ton H-frame shop press. While I'm currently using it as a table for completed lathe parts, I did shorten the parts washer height and add wheels so that I can roll it under the bench. This will be important in the future when I add the second bench, as I won't have a place for the parts washer otherwise. And today I added a wall cabinet for some much needed storage space.


----------



## rmack898

That place looks awesome, nice job.


----------



## rmack898

That place looks awesome, nice job.


----------



## FOMOGO

The shop is looking really good. I think one aspect being missed here is the "hot waitress" angle. You just know they have all heard the "would you like to see my etchings" line, but how many have been confronted with "would you like to see my milling machine". I think I'm seeing a distinct advantage here.  Mike


----------



## John Hasler

Nice.  I see that you also have to share space with an exercise machine.


----------



## wildo

FOMOGO said:


> The shop is looking really good. I think one aspect being missed here is the "hot waitress" angle. You just know they have all heard the "would you like to see my etchings" line, but how many have been confronted with "would you like to see my milling machine". I think I'm seeing a distinct advantage here.  Mike



I like how you're thinking! Wait until I put the bed in there... bow chicka bow chicka... 



John Hasler said:


> Nice.  I see that you also have to share space with an exercise machine.



Only until I decide I don't want it in there any longer. For now I don't anticipate getting the milling machine for another year- so there's no real reason to move it out. Not to mention this room has a TV in it, which helps. Once the milling machine arrives, I'll move the elliptical machine into another room of the house. It also sucks that I have to disassemble the elliptical machine in order to get it out of the room. So there's about as much motivation to move it as there is to use it. Hahaha!

______
Thanks for the comments everyone! It's so rewarding to see a room that I basically didn't ever use turn into one of my most used rooms. I am finding myself heading to my machine shop now for projects rather than my garage- and that's an awesome feeling!


----------



## extropic

The shop is coming along nicely.

I'm concerned that you persist in entertaining the fantasy of installing a bed in there.
You must expect some pretty desperate house guests.
And a solvent tank too! Yummy!


----------



## wildo

extropic said:


> I'm concerned that you persist in entertaining the fantasy of installing a bed in there.
> You must expect some pretty desperate house guests.



Actually, I plan to have very few guests, which is historically accurate. And when I do have them, they'll have a badass room to sleep in. The bed is happening. Welcome to the Bed and Boremill! (Thanks wrat.)


----------



## extropic

wildo said:


> Actually, I plan to have very few guests, which is historically accurate. And when I do have them, they'll have a badass room to sleep in. The bed is happening. Welcome to the Bed and Boremill! (Thanks wrat.)



Scary scary stuff.


----------



## LucknowKen

Very nice job on the shop, Especially the workbench.
The crown moulding goes well with the trusses.


----------



## extropic

^^^^^^^^^
ROTFLMAO


----------



## wildo

I had wanted to get another wall cabinet to mount to the left of my window above the lathe, but I couldn't find a matching cabinet for one thing, and for another- I did think that it might feel a bit too cramped with a wall cabinet up there. That made me think about why I put the cabinet up in the first place. I had hoped that it would be a good place to store the books/magazines I've collected on machining, but the cabinet is just a bit too small for this. Naturally, that made me consider some shelves for the left side of the window. I wanted something industrial feeling to match the theme of the room- but I also wanted it kind of raw- like a guy turned some pallets into shelves one day, you know?

A buddy of mine happened to have some 1" thick rough sawn ash that he donated to my project. The board started out at 13" wide, and I did want to use the depth of shelf but reality hit and it was just too big for the small room. I made the lower brackets 10" deep and the upper brackets 9" deep. I thought the slight smaller shelf on the top would allow more light down to the bench.




The brackets were made out of 2" wide 1/4" flat steel stock. This is a design I spotted online for big money and decided to make myself. My steel supply can cut to exact length, and even has a brake. They were able to put the hook in the end for me for a nominal fee (a worthwhile cost as there's no way I could have bent the 1/4" steel at home).



The brackets were welded up on my new Harbor Freight welding table. Sure, it's no beefy 1" thick steel plate table top, but it's far better than the plywood table I've been using. It made the project much easier.



Unfortunately, the shelves did kind of darken this corner of the room, but I think I have a plan. I can put another overhead light on the second truss in from the wall, which will land the light just in front of the drill press. That should be perfect anyway. I have been thinking that a light above the drill press is kind of needed. I'm finding myself using this shop more and more and absolutely loving it! Even as bright as it is, we can always use more light though!




The rough cut lumber provides exactly the "feel" I was going for. I'm really happy with how these turned out!




I bought some vintage 1/2" square drive lag screws to bolt the shelves to the wall. I haven't installed them in the shelf planks yet, and I may not; we'll see. I was considering the fact that this is actual hardwood and generally it's not a good idea to lag hardwood in a way that it can't expand. So while I had a plan to put some of those super cool vintage screws into the shelves, it might not be the best idea after all.




Like I said above, the more time I invest in getting the shop setup- the more I find myself in there working on projects. So far it has been SUPER fun, and I continue to be floored at how far it's come. Not bad for a seldom used bedroom, right!?


----------



## wildo

Continued progress. Air filtration is complete. One of the big issues that you all seemed to have with a "bedroom machine shop" is the odor from cutting oils and such. I always had a plan for this... I've added a 5 micron and 1 micron particle filter followed by a 550cfm carbon filter. The system is powered by a 435cfm fan. This will remove both particles and odor from the room. The fan is capable of circulating all of the air in the room in 139 seconds. It works very well!

I made the box out of 1/2" plywood that I laminated 24ga galvanized steel sheet to the outside. All seams are sealed with aluminum tape. The 5 micron filter sits at the inlet, and the 1 micron filter spans diagonally across the middle. The outlet of the box feeds into the carbon filter system.



The outlet from the box feeds into a silencer, which reduces the total system volume by about half. That connects to the impeller fan which blows into the actual carbon filter. The carbon filter is 6" in diameter by 24" long.






I wanted to keep the carbon filter setup close to the wall, however I found that this obstructed the light a bit. Therefore I moved the whole deal a bit closer to the center of the room. I have no light obstruction this way.



I do have a speed controller for the fan, but I'm not sure I'm going to use it at this point. Running full blast, it really isn't all too loud. I can't hear it from any other room. About the only addition left is to put in a timer switch instead of the standard SPST wall switch. This way I can run the unit for a set amount of time. Overall I'm really happy with this setup, and it should eliminate any shop odors generated. 

...One step closer.


----------



## wildo

Big update on the shop! 

First of all, I finally got the air compressor installed in the closet. I needed to run electrical in here, which was the holdup. It's finally done and in place. This is a small 4.6 gallon unit I found clearance at the Home Depot. It's an exceptionally quiet 62db and is perfect for the space. I also found a 10 gallon portable tank that I converted into an expansion tank. So now I have a nearly 15 gallon air compressor that you can EASILY talk over at normal levels. I'm very pleased with it:



I also started planning out the dogleg portion of the bench. I found these filing cabinets that seemed like a nice solution for the space. I figured I could use some toolbox drawers as well and make a custom enclosure for the whole assembly.



That was the plan anyway until... I bought a milling machine!! Now my shop is equipped with a mill. I had intended on a PM benchtop mill which would allow for a longer bench as the mill table would travel over the top of it. Now with a knee mill, the bench there will need to be substantially shorter. I think that's an ok sacrifice for some awesome American old iron! I'm still not sure what I'm going to do for the second bench, but I guess that will be the next project in there. I really am feeling motivated to get that second bench done because at that point- pretty much all of the infrastructure of my shop will be complete. I'll be able to get my 24 x 18 surface plate off the floor and out of the way so that the murphy bed can then be built.



I'm so pleased with how this shop project is coming along.


----------



## JimDawson

Nice layout and great use of space!


----------



## wildo

Another update on the shop. In preparation for a visit from my grandparents, house cleaning tonight started with cleaning up the shop. (Hey- gotta have your priorities straight!) I decided that since the lathe is essentially done, the drill press is definitely done, and I don't plan on any substantial restoration work on the mill- that I no longer need the hardboard protector on the maple benchtop. So off it came! Now I can finalize the location for each tool on this bench and finally bolt some stuff down. This is a big step for me!










I just love how these old machines look in my shop; they are perfect for the space!




One thing I definitely didn't account for was putting such a comparably big mill in the room. I had always intended on a benchtop mill and therefore I was trying to maintain some kind of plan for the dogleg section of my bench. However, with the mill table moved all the way over to the far right, I only have 37" of space left between mill table and the benchtop that the lathe sits on. I don't know how realistic it is to have the mill table moved over this far, but it sure would be a shame to have the milling capacity and not be able to use it because a bench is in the way. I have some ideas for this space though. I have my heart set on my surface plate sitting over here, so why not make this an inspection/layout bench area. That doesn't need to be a giant bench anyhow. I'll get some cool cast iron machine legs off ebay and create a 37" benchtop. Between the machine legs- rather than a toolbox (which wouldn't fit) I've been thinking about how a nice Atlas 7" benchtop shaper might store nicely there! 







And finally- there's this wall. The plan has always been to put a murphy bed here. In spite of much flak from a couple of you, I've been resolute that that is happening. Well... again, there's that big ass milling machine that I didn't quite account for. Other than moving down to a twin size bed, I'm pushing my luck on getting a full size murphy bed to fit the space available. Given that I also gave up a lot of benchtop space to the right of the mill- I think the only reasonable solution here is to build another bench for this wall. That's kind of nice anyway because that really opens up a lot of usable space! This area will essentially become my assembly table. I can also move a tool grinder over here since it's not quite fitting at the tailstock end of the lathe. 





That's where I'm at for now! My focus now is on wrapping up the lathe. It's so close to being complete; I'm just itching to wrap it up.


----------



## extropic

"Much flak"?     You call it flak, I call it good advice founded on life experience. You're lucky this is The Hobby-Machinist.

Regardless, any person that would sleep in that room would be just as happy on a cot or an air mattress (in the hall).

One day, if/when you get a proper shop building, you'll be all set to build on the wisdom gained from this 'in house' experience.

As you were.


----------



## uncle harry

wildo said:


> Another update on the shop. In preparation for a visit from my grandparents, house cleaning tonight started with cleaning up the shop. (Hey- gotta have your priorities straight!) I decided that since the lathe is essentially done, the drill press is definitely done, and I don't plan on any substantial restoration work on the mill- that I no longer need the hardboard protector on the maple benchtop. So off it came! Now I can finalize the location for each tool on this bench and finally bolt some stuff down. This is a big step for me!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just love how these old machines look in my shop; they are perfect for the space!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> One thing I definitely didn't account for was putting such a comparably big mill in the room. I had always intended on a benchtop mill and therefore I was trying to maintain some kind of plan for the dogleg section of my bench. However, with the mill table moved all the way over to the far right, I only have 37" of space left between mill table and the benchtop that the lathe sits on. I don't know how realistic it is to have the mill table moved over this far, but it sure would be a shame to have the milling capacity and not be able to use it because a bench is in the way. I have some ideas for this space though. I have my heart set on my surface plate sitting over here, so why not make this an inspection/layout bench area. That doesn't need to be a giant bench anyhow. I'll get some cool cast iron machine legs off ebay and create a 37" benchtop. Between the machine legs- rather than a toolbox (which wouldn't fit) I've been thinking about how a nice Atlas 7" benchtop shaper might store nicely there!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And finally- there's this wall. The plan has always been to put a murphy bed here. In spite of much flak from a couple of you, I've been resolute that that is happening. Well... again, there's that big ass milling machine that I didn't quite account for. Other than moving down to a twin size bed, I'm pushing my luck on getting a full size murphy bed to fit the space available. Given that I also gave up a lot of benchtop space to the right of the mill- I think the only reasonable solution here is to build another bench for this wall. That's kind of nice anyway because that really opens up a lot of usable space! This area will essentially become my assembly table. I can also move a tool grinder over here since it's not quite fitting at the tailstock end of the lathe.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's where I'm at for now! My focus now is on wrapping up the lathe. It's so close to being complete; I'm just itching to wrap it up.



Great shop !  Also, can you identify and date the metal-clad 'woodie' toolbox ? I bought one just like it but with a lot of patina for $ 30.00 delivered.


----------



## wildo

uncle harry said:


> Great shop !  Also, can you identify and date the metal-clad 'woodie' toolbox ? I bought one just like it but with a lot of patina for $ 30.00 delivered.



No, unfortunate I can't. I've looked everywhere inside and out, on every drawer, etc and I can find no markings other than on the lock itself:



My grandpa found this box absolutely jam packed full of Starrett layout tools for $100 at a yard sale. Wish I had been there; who knows what other treasures the guy might have had. He was an older gentlemen who, according to my Grandpa, "just wanted to downsize a bit." One of the tools in there had "USAAF" written on it which might indicate United States Army Air Force, which would be WWII or prior, though if the box was an army issue item it sure seems that it would have other identifying marks on it. That's basically all I know about it.


----------



## uncle harry

wildo said:


> No, unfortunate I can't. I've looked everywhere inside and out, on every drawer, etc and I can find no markings other than on the lock itself:
> 
> WWII was my first guess from the green metal case. Mine is missing the key and the leather handle is worn but its definitely the same make of box by identifying the hasp,  Thanks for your reply. Now we have this and 9A South Bend lathes in common.
> 
> 
> 
> My grandpa found this box absolutely jam packed full of Starrett layout tools for $100 at a yard sale. Wish I had been there; who knows what other treasures the guy might have had. He was an older gentlemen who, according to my Grandpa, "just wanted to downsize a bit." One of the tools in there had "USAAF" written on it which might indicate United States Army Air Force, which would be WWII or prior, though if the box was an army issue item it sure seems that it would have other identifying marks on it. That's basically all I know about it.


----------



## wildo

Yesterday I bought a whole bunch of brass and aluminum bar stock for spinning top making and needed a place to store it. Way back when I made some shelves for my shop, I had made an extra set of shelf brackets.






They made a nice rack for long pieces, but short pieces wouldn't work. I designed a short "cut offs" rack unit that would lag onto the wall with the shelf brackets to form one assembly. Painting now and will finish the paint job in the morning. The smaller rack is made from 2" x 3" angle with the bottom set off the runners with a .25" metal rod. This creates a tray of sorts for the angle so that the stock doesn't fall off.


----------



## FOMOGO

The place looks absolutely great, and you don't even have to go outside in the winter to get to the shop. Everything you need in one place and all you have to do is turn around to get there. One question, What is that odd looking machine with the long operating handles and the digital readout? Must be some kind of shaper, I recon.   Cheers, Mike


----------



## wildo

FOMOGO said:


> One question, What is that odd looking machine with the long operating handles and the digital readout? Must be some kind of shaper, I recon.   Cheers, Mike



Like most shapers, you know it gets little use! Haha!! Yes, I'm loving this shop. It really IS so cool to be able to walk to a room in my house and make something. I recall while building the shop needing to head out to the garage for tooling, and now I find my self heading into the shop for tooling! I love it!


----------



## wildo

Got the stock rack painted and mounted. I think I might make a couple more of those shelf brackets to support the ends of the longer stock. I'm not sure if it would sag or not- I don't intend on getting more than 6' lengths and my current brackets are at 32" apart. I could add two more brackets, but we'll see. Cleaned up the place a bit also.


----------



## wildo

These little parts bins/hardware bins you can get at Lowes are great, but it has been bugging me for almost a year that they don't seem to make a storage unit to put them in. So today I made one for the shop. I have #4 through 1/2" hardware (excluding #14) and then four bins labeled as "projects" to hold miscellaneous things I'm working on. Really happy with how it turned out!












And then, while I didn't intend to spend practically my entire tax return on tooling for the shop, well... I did. And now I'm starting to feel tooled up enough to actually be able to USE these awesome machines! Crazy how much money one has to invest to get going, but I admit- I'm having a blast with it. I have one more six pack of end mills in the mail, a set of Kodiak Cutting Tools Aluminum cutting ZrN coated carbide end mills.






Oh- and while I was able to use the Indicol holder to better tram the mill head, I think that thing is a total piece of CRAP and I'm kicking myself for not spending $30 more on a Noga one.


----------



## mikey

Wildo, you have the sickness really, really bad! Next thing you know, you'll look at something and say, "Hey, I can make that ..." and then you know you're a Hobby Machinist!

You did a great job setting up your shop-in-the-house. Well thought out, well executed, and you did a beautiful job on restoring the lathe. Kudo's, brother!


----------



## extropic

Wildo,
Any chance of you posting the photos that have been lost to photobucket (since March 15 2017)?


----------



## rwm

I second that!
R


----------



## Truefire

Where did you get those lights from, that are mounted on your trusses if you don't mind me asking?


----------



## wildo

Truefire said:


> Where did you get those lights from, that are mounted on your trusses if you don't mind me asking?



Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LIUZFWE/


----------



## Tozguy

wildo said:


> Actually, I plan to have very few guests, which is historically accurate. And when I do have them, they'll have a badass room to sleep in. The bed is happening. Welcome to the Bed and Boremill! (Thanks wrat.)


Its the first Machinist Bed and Breakfast I have ever seen, where do we call to reserve?
Seriously you have an amazing shop!


----------



## tmenyc

The first of us to be able to have an idea in the middle of the night, sit up in bed and take care of it!  

Actually, as a guy who has set up his shop in an 11x11 apartment bedroom in Greenwich Village, I'm super impressed.  My place does not have a bed, and the first visit since I put in the lathe by a family member who sleeps on an air mattress in that room will be in May, so I'm curious to see how it works.  I won't hijack this wonderful thread with my pictures, but will add that the detritus of the lathe and the bench grinder do become problematic. My main workbench, for my fountain pen restoration work, which the lathe is mean to complement, is six feet away and keeping it clean enough for pen work is a new challenge. It is not easy to have oily fingers and then move to the desk and/or bench where oil isn't welcome, or to use the bench grinder, even with relatively dust-free HSS, without getting it around.  I'm impressed with your plans for dust collection and removal; it will be needed. 

Tim


----------



## ThinWoodsman

tmenyc said:


> the first visit since I put in the lathe by a family member who sleeps on an air mattress in that room will be in May, so I'm curious to see how it works.



Air mattress + chips


----------



## tmenyc

ThinWoodsman said:


> Air mattress + chips


yeah, I'm a little worried about that.  Will walk in there barefoot for the preceding week to make sure I've got it all picked up...


----------



## Truefire

wildo said:


> Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LIUZFWE/



Oh ok, simple recessed light drop ins.  You must have designed your own little mounting means then.  That's what threw me off I suppose for I was thinking they were a specialty light of the sorts.  From the looks of things in the pictures, it appeared there was some sort of clipping component (specialty perhaps) which were designed for the angle on truss work.  Thank you


----------



## HarryJM

Great design and implementation! On one or two occasions I have kidded my wife about turning our third bedroom into a machine shop  Also great to see another fellow hobbyist who appreciates old arn as they call it at owwm.org.


----------



## rwm

I see you have the Millrite (aka Rockwell). I am interested in those but I understand they weigh 1100lbs. My shop floor is wood so...maybe?  I assume your floor is slab? I did not see pics of you moving it? Did you disassemble it for moving? What was that process? I am going through the same calculus you did about the PM 727, PM 30 , Millrite, etc.
Robert


----------



## Aaron_W

rwm said:


> I see you have the Millrite (aka Rockwell). I am interested in those but I understand they weigh 1100lbs. My shop floor is wood so...maybe?  I assume your floor is slab? I did not see pics of you moving it? Did you disassemble it for moving? What was that process? I am going through the same calculus you did about the PM 727, PM 30 , Millrite, etc.
> Robert



I think a lot of people under estimate the loads a properly built wood floor can take. 100 gallon fish tanks are not uncommon in homes and nobody seems concerned about that. That is 834 pounds just for the water, then you have the cabinet, glass tank, pumps, filter etc which easily add up to several hundred pounds. Total weight is probably pretty close to that 1100lbs.

A small twin size waterbed can weigh 1300lbs.

Here is a short article on floor loads from a safe company

Will a raised floor support a safe


----------



## Latinrascalrg1

I realize this is an old thread that has been revived so my comment is more so just me thinking aloud.

Turning a spare bedroom into a machine shop is a definite challenge for creative use of space for which I have a suggestion that I think may be of some value in both the workshop and bedroom aspects of the design.

My idea is simply to allow enough space between the bench top surface and the tool boxes beneath them to build and fit a folded "table extension" that is large enough to cover the entire front area of the work benches when extended. 
These "table extensions" can be used as more workbench surface area in "workshop-mode" or as Aesthetic toolbox covers when in "Guest-mode" as they hide away what doesnt need to be seen plus if you wish, the "table extension covers" can also be locked down to restrict access to the tool boxes if ever needed.
Anyway just a suggestion that may help improve on an already creative idea or not, either way works for me


----------



## rwm

Aaron_W said:


> I think a lot of people under estimate the loads a properly built wood floor can take. 100 gallon fish tanks are not uncommon in homes and nobody seems concerned about that. That is 834 pounds just for the water, then you have the cabinet, glass tank, pumps, filter etc which easily add up to several hundred pounds. Total weight is probably pretty close to that 1100lbs.
> 
> A small twin size waterbed can weigh 1300lbs.
> 
> Here is a short article on floor loads from a safe company
> 
> Will a raised floor support a safe


 OK then. I'm getting a Bridegport....
Robert


----------



## wildo

rwm said:


> I see you have the Millrite (aka Rockwell). I am interested in those but I understand they weigh 1100lbs. My shop floor is wood so...maybe?  I assume your floor is slab? I did not see pics of you moving it? Did you disassemble it for moving? What was that process? I am going through the same calculus you did about the PM 727, PM 30 , Millrite, etc.
> Robert


Sorry- I didn't see this post. My floor is not a slab, but rather typical 2x12 floor joists. I didn't have any issues but just because I did go into the crawlspace and prop up the floor direct to the ground. That really solidified the flooring- even though I don't believe it was needed overall. 

As far as moving the mill, you can see more pics here: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/i-bought-my-first-milling-machine.48864/


----------



## rwm

Thanks. I remember that now. 2015 seems like yesterday. Now I am torn about getting the PM727 or some old iron like the Millrite.
And I was mistaken above when I wrote aka Rockwell. I was confused.
Robert


----------



## wildo

Well... going from an entirely warn out SB9 with a ton of wear to a new PM 1236-T with zero wear, I know what my suggestion would be. The reality is that the new machine tools are UGLY. Square, boxy, dumb colors, and simply uninspiring. Whereas the old iron is pleasant to look at and almost beckons you to come make something cool. That said, I'm so done with dealing with massive amounts of wear and slop. On top of that, there are a couple threads on here indicating the massive challenge of putting a DRO on the Millrite- a project I'll be tackling here shortly.


----------



## fsts2k

Bringing this thread back up to the top.. I am seriously considering replicating much of your design in a new house. I live in the city and a large shop is not an option, nor is building out a bigger garage. That said, there could be a spare bedroom that would support a similar design that you have. How has it worked out since April of 2019? Any changes you would suggest? 

Did you get new machines?


----------



## rwm

fsts2k said:


> Bringing this thread back up to the top.. I am seriously considering replicating much of your design in a new house. I live in the city and a large shop is not an option, nor is building out a bigger garage. That said, there could be a spare bedroom that would support a similar design that you have. How has it worked out since April of 2019? Any changes you would suggest?
> 
> Did you get new machines?


My shop is also in a spare room that is 12 x 15'. I put jack posts under the heavy stuff. Other than the space limitation it has been fine. 
Robert


----------



## brino

@fsts2k ,

I see that you are new here (first post!).

Welcome to the group!

-brino


----------



## fsts2k

Thanks Brino, I hope to start my own thread some day soon with my projects. I don't want to muck up this thread as it is super cool and I hope to borrow/steal/copy many ideas


----------



## wildo

fsts2k said:


> Bringing this thread back up to the top.. I am seriously considering replicating much of your design in a new house. I live in the city and a large shop is not an option, nor is building out a bigger garage. That said, there could be a spare bedroom that would support a similar design that you have. How has it worked out since April of 2019? Any changes you would suggest?
> 
> Did you get new machines?



My shop is awesome. I feel like making stuff every time I walk in there (unlike my garage). It's nice to have great lighting, climate control, and be able to walk in there at any time. Highly recommend. I do have some new machines, but they are mostly in the garage for now. I would not hesitate to build such a room again; it has been great.



rwm said:


> My shop is also in a spare room that is 12 x 15'. I put jack posts under the heavy stuff. Other than the space limitation it has been fine.
> Robert



Yes, I also put headers & jack posts under the floor joists under the heavy stuff.


----------



## rwm

I agree. I use the shop so much more because it is easy access. I walk in there all day long for little things. The climate controlled environment is much better for the tools. If i build another house I would plan on an attached shop with a slab floor but keep it as part of the house.
Robert


----------



## Boswell

Just remember that the closer the shop is to the house the more work it is to keep them seperate. Especially for little chips that attach to the bottom of shoes.


----------



## Winegrower

If I were to do this I would have to plan it out better.


----------



## extropic

Winegrower said:


> If I were to do this I would have to plan it out *better*.



Better than what?


----------



## Winegrower

I hate having to explain my dumb jokes.


----------



## brino

Winegrower said:


> I hate having to explain my dumb jokes.



I got this.......



extropic said:


> Better than what?



I believe @Winegrower was referring to the extent that the OP (@wildo) went to plan this room.
Willy's first post here: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/bedroom-machine-shop-build.41545/post-356493
listed a multi-phase plan with dozens of 3D renderings detailing every piece of the room.

-brino


----------



## extropic

LOL  Thank you brino.

I've followed this thread from the beginning.
The beginning was quite a while ago so the reference to the early planning went high above my head.


----------



## Truefire

wildo said:


> My shop is awesome. I feel like making stuff every time I walk in there (unlike my garage). It's nice to have great lighting, climate control, and be able to walk in there at any time. Highly recommend. I do have some new machines, but they are mostly in the garage for now. I would not hesitate to build such a room again; it has been great.



Yes, its a stretch on a lot of minds to attempt to do things differently than whats laid down in a region/ locale or body.  I know many, which will look at me like I have a third eye if I were to tell them I have a machine shop setup inside my house.   Why that's so hard for people is beyond me.  I'm glad you're enjoying your shop space.  It's great not to be part of the herd mentality.


----------



## hman

I've had relatives (especially ladies) ask me, "Whatever would you do with a lathe/mill/whatever???"  My best answer to them is, "Whatever would you do with a sewing machine?"


----------

