# Welcome to samthedog's shop - warning... LOTS of pics



## samthedog

It's been relatively quiet on the forum lately so I thought I would post some pictures of my shop and discuss some of the machinery I have. It's not really a helpful post but I for one enjoy looking at what others have in their workshops and figure you guys might be the curious types as well. I will try give some info on the machines as well as country of origin as I find this interesting when reading other peoples' posts.

*The workshop itself*
I don't have a large space to work with compared to some. It is a small double garage 5.5 x 5.5 meters (30.25 m2) or 273 square feet. It is insulated and has 3 phase, good lighting (a total of 8, double tube fluorescent lights) and the mandatory security system when you have a well equipped machine shop.



What is great about this type of shop is that people don't assume what is inside and its rare that people have a chance to look in. Opening up to pavers is useful as it allows me to unload heavy items from my trailer with the pallet jack, then roll them into the workshop.
*
Inside the workshop - woodworking machines*
Since I do a mix of woodworking and metal working, I have my garage split into 2. The left side is reserved mainly for woodworking machines. I enjoy using cast iron machines because of the stability and the industrial quality of these machines. 



At the very left of the above picture, you can see my 60's model Wadkin BGS 10 with sliding table. This is a rare model as I have never seen an BGS with this table configuration before with a 10 inch blade. With a 3 horsepower motor it slices oak like soft cheese. In front of it is my 230 to 400 volt 3 KVA transformer to save me having to change the configuration on all my dual voltage machines.



	

		
			
		

		
	
Keen eyes will have noticed the handles on the machine. One was cracked so I had friend braze it up for me as I wanted to keep the entire machine original. There is a home built dust cabinet on the right but this feature is removable and too darn useful for me to remove. The machine will be getting a re-paint this summer as I have already finished cleaning all the rust of the table and the machine in general.

To the right of the table saw is my jointer thicknesser. It is an Elektra Beckum HC314 G and was made in Germany. It has a 3 phase, 3 HP motor, 12 inch capacity and a 4 blade cutter head so it will handle very gnarly wood and leave a very smooth finish. Its a very heavy machine with a cast top, weighing in at about 250 - 260 Kgs.

On top is a small Multico PM12 bench morticer - also German made.



I also have a spindle moulder made by Elektra Beckum - a TF 900 model, also made in Germany. This machine is 3 HP variable speed single phase model. Also with a cast iron top it weighs in at about 110 Kgs. All the machines are on pallets to allow me to move them outside when I need to use them to reduce the dust in the workshop.




*Moving on to the metal work section...*
Ignoring the dust collection for the woodworking, the next machine is the metal bandsaw. It is a Macc Special 215. It is an Italian made machine with built in cooling. It is a 3 phase machine and is the smallest of the Macc industrial metal saws.


I bought this saw in rough shape with missing and broken handles, seized bearings, broken brackets and caked on coolant. You will notice it does not have the gas ram to allow semi-auto cutting. I have not really needed this feature as most of the materials I cut are a maximum of 4 inches in diameter so it does not take me long to cut them. It has some nice features like a tension light activated by a micro switch to let you know when you have the right blade tension plus 2 speeds. I have mounted it on wheels so I can roll it out when I cut long materials. 

Next up, the back wall of my shop....

- - - Updated - - -
*The back wall - metal work*


On the left is my metal lathe, a metric Colchester Chipmaster "continental" model. This machine was in outstanding condition when I found it in Sweden and although cost twice what I wanted to pay for a lathe at the time, I begged borrowed and thrashed the credit card into submission to purchase it. It is by far the best example of a Chipmaster I have seen anywhere. A British made machine built in 1964, it is a beautiful machine to use and not a day goes by in the workshop where I don't admire it.


	

		
			
		

		
	
Specifications can be found here:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/chipmaster/
The machine weighs in at 550 Kgs and is extremely rigid. It has a capacity that matches my metal bandsaw, metal mill and surface / tool and cutter grinder.

To the right of the lathe is a wood bandsaw made by Lini in Sweden.


It is a project as it requires blade guides and thrust bearings. It was too good a price for a 60's model, cast iron machine that has 3 speeds. It will get mounted on wheels to allow me to roll it around the shop to maximize space when needed. It weighs in at about 200 Kgs and has a wheel diameter of 500mm.

Moving on we have the milling machine:


This machine is a Jungner VF600. Swedish made, it was originally designed and built by Mattsson & Zetterlund as a jig borer / mill. Very rigid and with a good range of speeds, it has the useful feature of doubling up as a drill press. It has auto down feed, head tilt and a range of other useful features. More info here:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/mattsson&zetterlund/

The machine weighs in at about 530 Kgs so is about as large as I need in a small machine shop. I was fortunate enough to have purchased it with a large number of accessories which I tried to conveniently position near the machine:


*The right wall - grinding and hand tools*



I dislike making dust in the workshop. With an open concrete floor, dust control is important so I do all the dusty jobs outside. This was the reason I mounted all my grinders on a cart:


On the left is a Swedish made All-Electro 8 inch grinder with a classy and clever hub-cap guard:


This machine is 3 phase and has a buffing spindle and came with all the wheels I needed. A buffer / polisher had been on my list for years so I was overjoyed when this came up with 6 grinding wheels and polishing equipment for the equivalent of 80 USD.

To the right on the cart is a Taiwanese made belt grinder. I love the belt grinder as it runs much cooler than the bench grinder and also has the plenum that allows grinding objects flat. I often use this instead of milling to reduce the wear on my mill.

On the other side is an Ashley & Abbott 6 inch bench grinder that is made in Australia. I brought it over with me from Australia when I moved to Norway and use it for general grinding duties.

*The workbench and hand tools*


Over time I have acquired an eclectic mix of hand tools. I have my "clean tools" on the wall, and my "dirty tools" in the Ikea Roskog kitchen trolley. I have tried to keep the tools well organized since I have such small windows to work in the garage, I want to be using the time building or repairing, not searching. I found a number of tools from Scandinavia which I added to the mix:


	

		
			
		

		
	
You will notice that most tools are second hand. I rarely buy new since this would cost me way too much and I would have to wait 3 lifetimes to accumulate what I want. I spend a great deal of time working with files and the vice so have a nice English made bench vice:


	

		
			
		

		
	
Not all my tools are European or British though. I do have some USA made hand tools, like these Starrett tap handles:


My trusty chair is also a 60's model which I bought from a gent who was selling off his father's shoemakers equipment. I just love the design and robustness of equipment from that era:


	

		
			
		

		
	
This chair was made in Norway and is extremely comfortable to sit on.

*Lets get boring*
Moving onto the drills, the first is an Ixion BST 13 which I resurrected. It was selling cheap as it was full of rust and the paint was in terrible shape. I cleaned her up and re-sprayed her and it's now my go-to machine for anything up to 13mm in diameter.


It is German made and is very quiet in operation. Sometimes though, you need more clearance and horsepower and that's when the Arboga is great. I bought the Arboga A 2508 very recently and have finished fixing most of the small issues. 


A gear head machine of typical high Swedish quality, it has a useful range of speeds. It has a MT3 spindle but no auto down
feed. It has one small remaining where the rack is not smooth. I believe that it may be an issue with the pinion gear missing a tooth but functionally everything is ok and it works well. A very rigid machine, it weighs in at 165 Kgs.

*
Tool sharpening*
I took a trip to Sweden to purchase my Thorns T2 surface / tool / cutter grinder from a member on the board - rcflier. The machine was the cream of the Swedish made grinders in the 60's and 70's.


	

		
			
		

		
	
Able to be utilized as a cylinder grinder as well, it was very versatile. Weighing in at 550 Kgs, it is a very stable machine and has some nifty features. It has a micro switch that turns a light on when the grinding wheel spindle is aligned with the collet centre within +/- of .01 mm. It also has controls on the back side of the machine, allowing different types of set-ups that would otherwise be unsafe of awkward:


It needs a little TLC although for the most part, its just handles and paint that needs attention. The machine is mechanically good and came with all the necessary attachments for me to sharpen anything from drills to endmills. I was fortunate enough to get literally hundreds of carbide and HSS endmills for free that only require a little sharpening. This machine will pay for itself many times over when I complete the task and have all the cutters, drills and endmills sharpened. 

So there you have my shop. It's taken me 10 years to get to where it is now. I figured that if I got it out the way early, I could spend the best years of my life using the equipment. I am 35 this year so I don't want to waste time as before I know it, I'll be too old or tired to enjoy it.

I have waited, saved and pounced when a good deal has come up, even to the point of driving 24+ hour round trips for some of the machines. I believe it was worth it as I would never have been able to afford this shop if I bought new. 

I hope you have enjoyed this and feel free to ask questions or comment. If you want more info or photos of any of the machines, just ask.

Paul.


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## Bradrock

WOW! I was really enjoying the tour......................Until I read that your 35.  

Makes me feel like a dinosaur..................A layabout dinosaur!


Really impressive in many ways.

Most U.S.A  35 year olds are still living in mommy's basement these days.

Your lathe is absolutly YUMMY!


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## David

Very nice shop Paul!  Clean with lots of color, thanks for taking the time to share!

David


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## rmack898

Very nice shop and nice machines.

Enjoy them.


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## psychodelicdan

Very impressive I lot of effort must have gone into that. 


Master of unfinished projects


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## samthedog

Bradrock said:


> WOW! I was really enjoying the tour......................Until I read that your 35.
> 
> Makes me feel like a dinosaur..................A layabout dinosaur!
> 
> 
> Really impressive in many ways.
> 
> Most U.S.A  35 year olds are still living in mommy's basement these days.
> 
> Your lathe is absolutly YUMMY!



Thanks Bradrock. I left home at 16 and have been working since before that and had a mid-life crisis at 25 (seriously). I figured that life is too short and given I worked through my childhood, I wanted to start doing something I enjoyed as I saw how quickly time goes by.

That lathe is the jewel of my machine shop. It had a single owner who was a tool and die maker and he took fastidious care of the machine. It came with a full set of change wheel, all the chucks and backplates a man would want plus 7 spare tool holders. The change gears for a Chipmaster are harder to find than an honest politician so I was very fortunate although it did require a 28 hour round trip to fetch it (it was in Stockholm).

David: I like to keep a clean shop and the only thing that is ever dirty is the floor. I work a lot and don't have time for a messy shop to try wade through in order to begin or finish projects. Many of the machine required repairs which was how I managed to buy them cheaply.

Mack898: Thanks! I love machines from the 60's the most and try to stick with that era as much as possible.

psycodelicdan: Thank you. Yep, I had to insulate the garage and spent a great deal of time scouring the net looking for machines of a similar capacity and weight to complement each other.

I tried to build a workshop with the smallest industrial machines I could find. I figured I could go with hobby machines but in this area of the world, if a person is patient industrial machines can be had for pennies on the pound.

Paul.


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## Marco Bernardini

For your floor you can consider the painting used for tennis courts.
I had to use it many years ago to resurface a court (because the buyer of a villa complained about the bouncing of balls on bare concrete :nuts, and it's a neat material: thick and soft enough to prevent damages to tools falling on the floor.
If you give the floor the correct inclination for draining you can even wash it with a garden hose without problems.


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## samthedog

Thanks Marco, that's a great idea. I need to do some work to the floor first because when they laid the slab, it must have rained as it washed a lot of the sand out. The floor is rough and they attempted to fill it in with self levelling concrete but it wasn't strong enough so it has chipped out leaving bare gravel.

I have thought about levelling it again but installing oak floor instead of tiles or epoxy. The floor will install quickly and will not damage anything dropped on it.

Paul.


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## Marco Bernardini

samthedog said:


> Thanks Marco, that's a great idea. I need to do some work to the floor first because when they laid the slab, it must have rained as it washed a lot of the sand out. The floor is rough and they attempted to fill it in with self levelling concrete but it wasn't strong enough so it has chipped out leaving bare gravel.
> 
> I have thought about levelling it again but installing oak floor instead of tiles or epoxy. The floor will install quickly and will not damage anything dropped on it.
> 
> Paul.



If you paint it there is no need to level it: a rough surface will give a better grip, even if it requires more paint.
A wooden floor would be nice, too, and I guess in Norway wood is cheaper than here, but oils, coolant, etc. will stain it soon.
If you want to have fun, you can visit all the tile shops in your area, collect (for free!) the old tile samples they have to bring to the city dump and make something like the walkway in front of my shop:




This is a very cheap solution: all you have to buy is a 5 kg bag of tile glue and a bag of grout :biggrin:


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## Ozwelder

Super shed Sam.

Oz


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## bpratl

Great looking shop with the right equipment and layout.
Thanks for sharing.


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## jererp

Marko,  that walkway is a work of art!


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## Marco Bernardini

jererp said:


> Marko,  that walkway is a work of art!




Thanks!
I consider it just a way to save money on new tiles and time to place them on a not-so-straight and uneven concrete walkway!

:roflmao:


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## samthedog

Thanks Ozwelder and pratl. I figured I might go into some more detail regarding storage in my workshop.

*Lathe and mill tooling*

On the back I have the tooling needed for the lathe and mill (behind the bandsaw).






Above the lathe itself is where I keep the chuck key and keys for the quick change tool post and the holders. If I see a spot without a tool, I don't turn on the machine until it is replaced.


I have a set of drawers where I have the bulk of my tooling. My most often used tools for the lathe are stored on top and the lathe dogs and all the carbide I have is stored in the actual drawers. I have a LOT of carbide as it was given to me by a friend who works in a machining workshop. The workshop changed out all their old tooling and they were going to throw away all their spare stock.





Moving to the right on the back wall I have the measuring equipment and milling cutters. Beneath this drawer I have my materials, mostly large Teflon pieces and metal odds and ends.


On the same wall I have all my grinding wheels as well. I put them closest to the mill as the occasional bit of swarf and chips won't affect the wheels.




I also have tins of colour matched paint for all my machines. As they get chips and scratches, I touch them up immediately to keep them rust free and in good shape.

I try hang as much as I can on the walls to keep as much open floorspace as possible. My camelback is hanging behind the mill, safe and out of the way.

*The workbench*
On my workbench I have several small drawer units that contain my taps and various smaller odds and ends.




	

		
			
		

		
	
All my taps are covered in a wax / engine oil / turpentine blend after each use. This keeps them rust free and also works very well as a lubricant.
My workbench has drawers that contain my MT drills, drills and end mills that need sharpening:




I also store much of my measurement equipment safely in the drawer in the centre. It fits a surprising amount.







Under the workbench I have my scraping equipment. Cast iron surface plates and dove tail masters;


	

		
			
		

		
	
There are also a couple of heavy duty plastic trays in the same shelf. One is for rags and the other has the accessories for the tool grinder;


I try to keep as much off the ground as possible however under the workbench I have a small wood lathe, a folding stand for my sliding compound mitre saw and my anvil.




	

		
			
		

		
	
Like I have mentioned, I like old, second hand tools. My 80Kg anvil was manufactured in 1905.

One item that I have really come to appreciate is the Ikea trolley with my "dirty" tools. It is handy as it serves as a tool box and an organizer for small parts.


So that's pretty much my workshop. I have a huge number of woodworking power tools but they are stored in a store room in the house to reduce clutter in the workshop. It's been a lot of work to keep the clutter down and the workshop clean but it is a worthwhile endeavour as the workshop is a pleasure to work in and can easily fit 2 people plus a project or two at the same time.

I hope you guys have enjoyed this thread. I just spent 3 hours looking at all of your workshops and drooling over your machines


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## walterk

Very well organized and easily accessible!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RandyM

FANTASTIC Sam! That is a shop you can certainly be very proud of. Well done, and thank you for sharing.

:thumbzup3:


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## samthedog

Thanks Randy. Its been a while in the making and I have been active in checking for good deals so that I can flip them or upgrade.

I try to have a policy where I sell items I don't use or have doubles of. This helps me to keep upgrading without getting cluttered as I always keep the better of multiple items.

Paul.


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## zmotorsports

Nice shop and very nice equipment.  Thank you for sharing pictures with us.

Mike.


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## samthedog

You're welcome Mike. I like looking at other people's garages so I figured I might do a show and tell myself )

Paul.


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## RandyM

samthedog said:


> Thanks Randy. Its been a while in the making and I have been active in checking for good deals so that I can flip them or upgrade.
> 
> I try to have a policy where I sell items I don't use or have doubles of. This helps me to keep upgrading without getting cluttered as I always keep the better of multiple items.
> 
> Paul.



I hear you Paul, I have the same philosophy. I started out years ago just buying what I could to do the job. And now, with constant vigil I am able to do the upgrades, thanks to Craig's List of course.


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## samthedog

Well I have been very fortunate as it turns out. Much of my equipment was purchased from a machine dealer who buys from liquidation auctions and ends up with crates of "junk". I have bought a huge amount from them at very low prices and it turns out that they will be stopping this side of their business. They will now only focus on machines and will no longer store or sell the small accessories. 

I have been lucky with timing as I now have nearly all the metal working equipment I forsee needing in the immediate to mid term.

Paul.


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## Dave Smith

I really like your shop tools and you have them very well organized---I am twice your age and still haven't got my shop machines all in the shop----- and they are definitely not well organized yet-----my problem also is having such a big supply of neat resources that takes up a lot of space---my shop is a confused mess now but next year I hope to have more expenses for installing 220 wiring to my shops for my welders and big air compressor and all the 220 machines----it has really been a disadvantage to do without these tools for 4 years now---anyway, I have really enjoyed looking at your perfect shop and machines----Dave


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## samthedog

Dave Smith said:


> I really like your shop tools and you have them very well organized---I am twice your age and still haven't got my shop machines all in the shop----- and they are definitely not well organized yet-----my problem also is having such a big supply of neat resources that takes up a lot of space---my shop is a confused mess now but next year I hope to have more expenses for installing 220 wiring to my shops for my welders and big air compressor and all the 220 machines----it has really been a disadvantage to do without these tools for 4 years now---anyway, I have really enjoyed looking at your perfect shop and machines----Dave



Thanks Dave. Organizing a shop is half the battle. It takes time and effort and needs to be re-organized after every project. A big factor is having cleaning equipment like vacuum cleaners, brooms, brushes and dust pans available throughout the work space. Every time I make a mess, I need to clean it otherwise it grows out of control.

My dad is a hoarder and I have promised myself I won't go down that road. I convince myself that space is more valuable than an assortment of machines I may never use I have only kept the essentials for repairing old machines and fabricating parts. I have also made a rule where I do not exceed 600 KG for any machine. This is the limit of my trailer and what I can safely lift with my pallet jack. If I exceed this weight limit, I will not be able to sell the machine on or move it at my convenience easily and this would complicate the workshop area.

When organizing the space and placement of machines, I have tried to apply the magic triangle rule used in kitchen design. In kitchens you want to have the refrigerator, stove and bench within close proximity - in the workshop I made this the mill, lathe and bench. I have also tried to eliminate the number of items stored out of sight in boxes. This was to reduce the risk of items rusting un noticed. This is why I spent a significant amount of money and time organizing hand tools on toolboards and my tool trolley. 

I would love a larger space but this small area has forced me to be brutal with my decision making as to which tools to keep. This has been a chief reason why I have flipped so many items and upgraded. I like different tools and upgrades like every other red-blooded bloke, I just have to make a decision that when I have 2, which is the better one that I will be keeping.

Paul.


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## samthedog

Well folks, I have a couple new editions to the machine shop and it has become an untidy mess now. My wife and I are considering moving back to Australia so I will need to ship my workshop back. This will cost a decent chunk of money but I don't want to give up the machines. Depending on where we move to, the machines may have to reside in a shipping container for up to a year. I am really not keen on the idea as this is how many great machines have ended up as rusted heaps.

Any advice on how to keep the machines protected over an extended storage time in a shipping container?

Paul.


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## bpratl

Paul,
What a bummer that you have to pack up and relocate your shop. I would dread the idea. Good luck with your venture.
Bob


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## GK1918

Very nicely done, sorry too about the move.

the other Sam


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## fastback

Paul,

 This is a very nicely organized shop.  Sorry to hear that you will need to move everything, but I am sure that you will get the new place up and organized in no time.  Very clean and bright place to work in.  Good luck..

Paul


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## varjag

Very cool shop Paul. I envy the choice of equipment you can get from Sweden: you folks i Østlandet can score the best deals


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## samthedog

varjag said:


> Very cool shop Paul. I envy the choice of equipment you can get from Sweden: you folks i Østlandet can score the best deals



True, however you guys on the west coast have Stavanger where the rich people basically give their machines away )

I have seen so many nice machines on Finn that have been for sale in Stavanger for ridiculously low prices.

But you are right, we are spoiled!

Paul.


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## ARM

Hello there Sam
Came across this thread accidentally, whilst looking for something totally different.
Been following Your own web site and from when U acquired Your Chippy, refurb'ed Your Bandsaw etc  etc
Took U  all this while to get so well stocked and organised - what a neat setup.  Just beautiful, Man.
And now U say U Guys are literally packing up and going back home !!!???
Don't make sense to us oldies, but U know Your reasons
Still have my Chippy, with practically nothing attempted thereon. Just don't have the guts to tackle this project, 'cos we don't think we have the know how like U.
Was good looking at Your splendid shop.
Your mind set makes a lot of sense which we have overlooked.
Never too old to learn.
Keep in touch and all the best
aRM


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