# Turning my garage into my little machine shop



## Brento

Ive been posting a little bit through the main group about my updates but i think it is time to start this thread instead for my own not taking.

it started about 3 years ago when i bought a nice Clausing 8530 and a SouthBend 9A from a retired machinist ho was ill.



When i bought them i had to store them at his house for about a year as i didnt exactly have a place to store them and we had just started house hunting. Fast forward about a year and we finally bought a house. But the nice gentleman that i bought the machines from needed them out so i got them moved and put into the back of my garage for safe keeping as that is where they sat until just this past weekend. Well as everyone knows you accumulate junk and your garage becomes a storage shed if you dont have one, so this past weekend i cleaned out the whole garage and had done a sweep out and brush down to get ready to start this ongoing project finally.



Rewind back two months. To start my project the plan was to clean the garage out completely and do a concrete patch, level and Epoxy the floors. I asked a friend of mine who does masonry work and he said that the only way to make that work i would have to either pour fresh concrete at another 2" or chip out the garage floor and repour.  Well the former and the latter will not work as that would cost loads of money and set me back quite a bit.  So the plan is to just clean the floor and the wall and put some fresh paint down. I did decide to still put Epoxy down but it is just a paint Epoxy for concrete. Fast forward back to the present.

As my machines sat i would periodically move them to make sure nothing freezes up and that is when i found out the X on the mill seemed to be frozen up. I would try several times to try and move it as the months went by but not with alot of force as it is sitting on a dolly and i did not want it to go crashing down. So as i moved my machines out of the way to start a section where they will but put to a permanent home i found that i have the collet system for my lathe in the drawer, just need to buy some 3C collets. Also i found out my X on the mill was not stuck but it was engaged with the motor for the feed. Just a push of the handle and it slid into neutral as i can now make it move along the X.  Case closed. For the longest time i had begun to think that something got hurt from the move from the gentleman's house to mine.  Another nice thing i did find out was that the mill was equipped with a vfd! Totally forgot about it when i saw it run when i bought it.


Now to get back on track. Sunday i decided to put up the paneling that i took out of my house when i bought it and stick it up on the drywall behind where my machines will sit for an oil spatter catch.


I had to do some caulking around the paneling as my house and garage is far from square and straight (damn old houses). So i caulked most of it last night however i ran out and could not finish the job last night and i wanted to get some wall and ceiling paint started tonight. So i decided to get up early, head to Home Depot, and i picked up a tube as well as bought some composite shims. I was thinking these composite shims have some notches in them and could help with leveling the machines later when i set them down.


I finished the caulking and let it sit to dry while i went to work.




Tonight i went and bought 2 gallons of Semi-Gloss and 2 gallons of Epoxy paint. From there i started painting the back section of my soon to be shop and i will let it sit for the night with the dehumidifier going until morning as i will put a 2nd coat on and let it sit so i can start my Epoxy adventure tomorrow night.


I am far from a good painter (my wife painted our house as she was controlling and needed to look perfect). For me in my shop and as a garage. Id say good enough. It is not a living area it is a storage/work place and will get dirty as i say. Until the morning she will sit.

if you are still reading this i hope it was not boring and i was able to entertain you. I hope you guys will continue to follow me along on this journey as i turn my garage into a semi hobby shop. Long term goal is to try and earn some money from it and be a small job shop. Only time will tell. Thank you and have a good night!


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## mmcmdl

Looking great Brent !


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## Brento

Thanks dave. I am kinda wishing i took a full Kennedy set off you back a couple years ago as i am trying to find a roll cart now.


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## mmcmdl

Brento said:


> Thanks dave. I am kinda wishing i took a full Kennedy set off you back a couple years ago as i am trying to find a roll cart now.



Whatcha need Brent ?


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## Brento

Well a couple hours ago i decided to get up and do the last coat on the walls. Took about an hour to do a second coat where needed. I basically did the ceiling and the paneling. I am not happy with how much paint i used just for this area. I must be doing something wrong as i used almost a whole gallon? I am not a painter haha. I know drywall will suck up paint like it is no bodies business. Here is a before and after photo from tonight and this morning.


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## Brento

mmcmdl said:


> Whatcha need Brent ?


I am in search of the Kennedy base to start storing my Collets and such in.


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## brino

Great progress!

Lights, you need lights!
I really like the 4' LED fixtures I've got, just buy about twice as many as you think you need. I am always finding that just one more really helps.

-brino


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## Brento

@brino once all the paint is done back there and i run my wiring i will be adding the exact same 4’ as you are prob talking about. I will be hard wiring one in. Then i will be adding a trifold LED light in the light socket to get rid of that crappy yellow bulb.


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## mmcmdl

Brento said:


> I am in search of the Kennedy base to start storing my Collets and such in.


I'll keep my eye out for a few .  I have a 42" Vidmar I use in at work holding the big Kennedy mechanics box . I have 4  HF 42s along with the 3 62" Vidmars . All my other Kennedy sets have been sold .

I'll be getting back up your way very soon , have to let those black flies clear out .


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## Braeden P

When you use the lathe there will be a big line of oil going up the wall.


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## Brento

I know i am going to line it up with one of the paneling lines so it looks natural


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## Shotgun

Brento said:


> Well a couple hours ago i decided to get up and do the last coat on the walls. Took about an hour to do a second coat where needed. I basically did the ceiling and the paneling. I am not happy with how much paint i used just for this area.


Paint comes from the store way too thick.  Usage increases exponentially with thickness.  (I don't know that for a scientific fact.  Just my observation). The manufacturers do that so that noobs get solid coverage, and they don't get complaints.  They don't mind that it uses more paint either.  Add enough water for it to run like heavy milk.  Not syrup.

My father was a painter.  I detest the process, but will do it in a pinch.

When you do the floors, you'll probably want to run it up on those cinderblocks, too.  That will help keep out moisture.


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## Brento

Shotgun said:


> When you do the floors, you'll probably want to run it up on those cinderblocks, too.  That will help keep out moisture.


That is the plan. Im doing the floors tonight.


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## Brento

Well tonight kicked my ass. After work i started with painting the concrete block and the floor. I may get away with doing one coat on the wall. Definitely need to do two coats on the floor for the strength.


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## jwmelvin

Looks great to me.


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## Brento

I got up this morning to check the damage and see if how much of a second coat i will have to do. Looks pretty good. Floor will need a second coat for sure due to the wear it will take in general.  One section i am not happy with though as it did start to peel and crack.


For anyone curious what epoxy paint i am using it is this.


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## Shotgun

Brento said:


> I got up this morning to check the damage and see if how much of a second coat i will have to do. Looks pretty good. Floor will need a second coat for sure due to the wear it will take in general.  One section i am not happy with though as it did start to peel and crack.



Any moisture in the concrete will cause peeling and cracking.  And it is HARD to get all the moisture out.

Also, if you're going to put down a second coat, it needs to be done within 24hrs.  Sooner if it is hot.  Epoxy doesn't "dry".  It "cures".  Instead of a volatile chemical evaporating and leaving particals behind,  epoxy is made of long molecules that interlock and bond together when you mix the two parts together.  For a second coat to work, you need to get it is place while there is still molecules in the first coat that are free to lock with the second coat.  If you miss the window, the second won't be able to lock into the first.  You'll need to scuff sand the first, to give the second something to hold onto.


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## Brento

That was the only section that did it and it isnt at an immediate area to be done so i may sand that down and redo that section another time. I am doing my second coat tonight so i wont be missing the window. This isnt a 2 part Epoxy so i prob have some wiggle room to do the second coat but still is the plan to do tonight.


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## brino

It looks great, Brent!

-brino


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## Brento

Thanks Brino. Update coming once i get settled in for the last hour or so of my night.


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## Brento

Ok so tonights adventure was to do a second coat of epoxy. It was a hell of a lot quicker tonight then last night. I guess because of not having to lay it on to soak in. I think it came out great. Here are some photos right after i was finished. I can get a few photos in the morning when it dries up.




The paint that is peeling up i left out to mess with at a later date. I plan to scrape it all loose scrub it and clean it. Then i will paint over that area along with the next section i do. I will be doing sections in this garage as it is also used for active storage. Now i have to wait for a looong 72 hours so i can finally FINALLY set my machines down to their resting places. In the mean time Saturday i will start by shuffling the garage around again. (My wife is gonna love me) so i can bring my tool box into the garage and give her the section in the house for her storage.


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## Brento

Not a lot being done tonight. Plotting out my wiring and making a list. HD is doing a 0% finance deal on their credit card so i will be taking advantage on buying most of everything i need for this project. Right now i am stuck as to wiring for my mill. Was told it was 110 but the plug is confusing me on what it could really be. Tmr i will start adding ip price and hours invested into the project for a cool little information thing for others.


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## Alcap

Did you use the primer recommended for concrete?  https://www.behr.com/consumer/produ...-premium-concrete-and-masonry-bonding-primer/


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## Brento

Ehah nope the stuff i used was already self priming so i just used that.


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## Alcap

The epoxy you used is the same as I used in my garage , scroll down and you’ll see the primer listed . It still might not have helped your peeling anyway this is the first time I’ve used this water base garage floor paint . So far I’m happy with it , 2 years now , it is wearing where I drive the Kubota on , our drive is asphalt millings with lots of grit coming in on the tires . Youll be glad you painted it


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## Brento

It has only peeled in that one section and i think there is something on the concrete. I will be 100% honest with everybody. I did not follow the directions to a T. I basically swept the wall and too little ledge down and vacuumed the floor up. I didnt do the etching or anything they say to do. I wasnt ready to spend crazy money on the floor due to the fact my floor is pitted and has broken spots already in the concrete. I didnt have the money or the time to try and smooth anything over. Its a garage shop that even though my wife wants to park her car in (never going to happen due to the **** we have in there lol) will never see heavy weight on it for the most part. Once the machines have been sat down they wont be moved either. When i saw the primer in the epoxy paint i said well perfect a 2 for 1 set up. My main goal was a fresh start on the ground, brighten it up, and help seal the moisture out.  I hope no one takes this as a hack job. I am trying not to cut corner where needed.


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## Brento

Not a lot done today as i was hoping to do. Hit up the ol HD and got 400$ of materials. Tomorrow is the big day! After that i will be emptying the garage again to bring a tool box in and put a storage rack where the toolbox was. I will also be moving things so i can start painting the ceiling and the wall. After tomorrow only 2 coats of paint are all that is stopping me from wiring up the machines!

Hours of Labor: 17
Cost: 765$


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## Brento

Today was moving day. So i went to work and grabbed the engine hoist and brought it home.


Didnt get any pictures of doing the unloading. But i got them down and set to the ground.
	

		
			
		

		
	



They are perfect height let me tell you. I am 5'1" and the sit at the perfect working height. After i got the place painted and electrical running i plan to give these machines a bath before i use them and level them. What is a good degreaser for the machines to help pull off any crusty chips and what not?

Unfortunately I could not rejoice for long.
	

		
			
		

		
	



Back to cluttering the machines so i cant use them! Time to let them sit for another 2 years. KIDDING. The panel box is on the left wall in the picture. So before i can run the wire i will be painting the left half of the garage. So for the next week i see more late night rolling away! If only it were possible to do the ol Mr Bean trick and put a paint can in the middle of the room with an m80.




Half of the garage is empty. Now to let the dehumidifier suck out the moisture from the day and we will be ready for the Epoxy on Wednesday. May patch that little hole with some filler cement before i do the paint as well. Back to the HD possibly lol.

I may have another update tonight if i start the painting on the drywall. Until then this will be my daily update.

Cost: 765$
Hours of Labor: 21


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## hman

That's really an amazing contrast between the paInted and unpainted areas!  Hope you get it done soon, and get to enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Regarding cleanup ... for smaller parts, I've used an oil drain pan and a jug of orange Zep as a poor man's dunk-and-scrub parts washer.  The spout on the pan makes it easy to return the used Zep to the jug with a funnel, and usually with a strainer.  I don't have room enough (or frequent enough need) in my shop to justify getting a "real" parts washer.  The Zep is probably pretty good for on-machine cleanup as well.


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## Brento

Thanks Hman. I dont plan on taking anything apart as its in pretty good shape. Just needs a good scrubbing before i use it.


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## Shotgun

Brento said:


> Thanks Hman. I dont plan on taking anything apart as its in pretty good shape. Just needs a good scrubbing before i use it.


If you use a degreaser like that, you'll want to oil the parts well afterwards.

I've found that a rag soaked in motor oil works wonders.  Wipe it on to dampen everything, wait a few minutes, and wipe it off with a clean(er) rag.  Finish up with a rag that is actually clean.


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## Brento

I plan to do a oil over on both machines before i really use them. I will ofcourse run them to get the power going


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## Brento

Well today was a little rough to do anything after the heat today. But i had to soldier on. Tonight i did a coat on the ceiling and wall. Its hard to tell if it is making it brighter but i am sure it is. Especially once i hit the concrete.

Before
	

		
			
		

		
	



After



Cost: 765$
Hours of Labor: 22.5


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## brino

That's going to be sooooo convenient having that panel in the shop!

I had to cut drywall thru the house to pull 6AWG out to my shop.

-brino


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## Brento

Yea that is where the main panel lives. I also have alot of space so for now i wont be doing a subpanel. Plenty of room if need be though.


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## Shotgun

Brento said:


> Yea that is where the main panel lives. I also have alot of space so for now i wont be doing a subpanel. Plenty of room if need be though.


Might I make one suggestion?  

One day you're going to do something in your shop that ends with saying, "Ooops.  That's not good."  I'm thinking that you don't want it to involve live wires.  Run any new circuits in metal conduit, and rig up a protective cover for the ones that are exposed now.  Even something as simple as a box from scrap wood will do the trick.  It's a pain, but its cheap insurance.

In high school, I worked as an electrician's helper.  One of the jobs I worked on was re-wiring a house that burned, because the home-owner ran some circuits himself.  He held the romex in place by putting roofing nails through it.  

Not saying anyone here is that <you choose the term>, but . . .


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## brino

Brento said:


> I also have alot of space



That's a "problem" that will solve itself!

-brino


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## Brento

@Shotgun yea all those wires back there are from when we went to a 200A service. I plan to cover that up. But i also plan to run more wire soon to the basement and its going to involve cutting the ceiling out so when that project gets done then i will address that. I have some wire tracking that i will run along the top of the concrete to hold the wires and then it has a snap on cover


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## Brento

The update for today. Short and sweet. Did my second coat of wall and ceiling paint. Tmr comes the joyful fun part of painting the concrete. That will be a good 2 hours.



Cost: 765$
Hours of Labor: 23.5


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## Alcap

Are you “filling” the block or just painting ? I’ve never had good luck without filling , years ago was a cement type that went on with a still brush , Sunnydry I think was the name . When I did my block garage at this house I used this https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-5-gal-Block-Filler-2X-Primer-293248/206873415. It’s made by Zinsser


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## Brento

No i am using the Behr Epoxy paint. The first coat i just lay it on very heavy to get a good base and help seal it. Which is why it takes so long. I sit there and dab a brush into alot of the corners and parts the roller cant get to and fill it in. The difference between the painted and non painted was pretty good. I run a dehumidifier in the garage to help any moisture get out. The paint is to seal what i can and give it a nice clean look.


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## Brento

Tonight was a doozy. Had to lay it on thick again. Of course the color has a little bit of a mismatch from when i got the 2 gallon jugs and the 5 gallon. I knew it was gonna be off when i read the old number at 900N and the number 900 on the 5 gallon. Its a garage so i will deal with it. Tmr i will move everything away from the mill and run my second coat of epoxy pain all the way down and around the mill so i can get rid of the wheel marks from the engine hoist and dollies. I will say. The 3 dollies i got from harbor freight 2 years ago held up great with those machines sitting on them.
	

		
			
		

		
	





Oh i also got a new light in the garage. One of those LED tri-folds. As you can see it helps brighten the place up!

Cost: 765$
Hours of Labor: 26
And one jug of mismatch paint


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## hman

You're off to a clean, very good looking start.


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## Brento

I am so close Hman. This weekend ill have electric run and then i can set up 3/4 of the garage. I will only have a small section left to finish painting.


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## Alcap

Isn’t it amazing how painting the walls and floor make it sooooo much better  !  Having your ceiling done completes it !


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## brino

Looking great Brent!

-brino


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## Brento

It brightens the hell out of the place too. And with the LED light its even better. Now if i got my way, just imagine what Osha Orange would do for that floor lol


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## Just for fun

Looks very nice,  lots of work!


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## Shotgun

It's taking a while to get done, but over next year you'll be continuously thanking yourself for doing it, and you'll not care two twits that the color is slightly mismatched.

I'm wishing I had painted my peg boards white before I had started hanging stuff on them.  Now that I've seen how much brighter your shop is, I may pull stuff off my peg board in sections and repaint it with leftovers that I have.  The wife has like five different buckets with slightly different shades of off-white.


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## Brento

Probably getting tired of seeing updates every day lol. Tonight i finished painting the left side of the garage completely. I also painted over by the mill to get rid of the marks from when i was setting it into place. Now to let it sit until Saturday to cure a little bit and then the wiring starts! My DRO was on sale on amazon from 269.99 to 235.99. Plus i had another 30$ in credit. So after tax i will be getting it July 7th for 230$
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082F5DN1...abc_ASMEE2JG12X4P207A4Z0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It is basically the same one everyone gets from bangood but its already the sizes i need for the travel my mill has so i should be pretty good. That will be fun to hook up as i will have no clue what i am doing lol




Cost: 765$
Hours of Labor: 28


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## rwm

That looks great! You need more lighting! 
Robert


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## Brento

@rwm already have that covered. I am putting a 4ft double LED over the machines so that will light up back there.


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## Brento

Quick question for anyone tuning in.  What does everyone use for the ball detent oilers. My mill has one for the spindle. Could i get away with using a eagle oil can? Would i need a special tip?


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## extropic

The standard Eagle oiler should be fine.


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## brino

Brento said:


> Probably getting tired of seeing updates every day lol.



Not at all! I like to see the progress.........especially when I cannot seem to make any progress on my own projects.




Brento said:


> What does everyone use for the ball detent oilers.



It depends if they are flush or stick-out like zerk fitting for grease.
For the flush ones I use an eagle and try to push the ball with the tip and give it a couple pumps.
For the "stick-out" ones I put a piece of tubing over the oiler tip that fits tightly around the fitting, a few pumps fills the tube and the pressure forces some past the ball.

-brino


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## Brento

I will have to check and see i thought it was almost flush like a zerk fitting


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## Aaron_W

I use one of these Goldenrod oil cans. A local hardware store carries them, but they are available online from many vendors including Amazon.

Oil cans 

I have an 8520 and the point on these works well with the ball oilers on it. They are fairly cheap so I have a couple in the shop, some with the hard spout, some with the flex spout.


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## mattthemuppet2

looking good. You'll need more than 1 4ft light and that tri-fold thing though. LED lights throw sharp shadows, so even thought they're brighter you often end up with stuff in deeper darkness than before. A set of 6 or 8 single 4ft 20W LED tubes from Amazon is a great idea. They daisy chain so you can run them all off a single light bulb socket. A friend of mine did that for his garage at my suggestion and he has lovely even glare free light all over with no appreciable dark spots.

Trust me, more less bright LED lights is much better than fewer brighter ones.


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## Brento

You got a link?  Always willing to look. The 4ft one i will be wiring just about directly above the machines.


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## mattthemuppet2

here you go


			https://www.amazon.com/Barrina-Integrated-Fixture-Utility-Ceiling/dp/B07PG3RLH7/ref=sr_1_57?dchild=1&keywords=4ft+led+shop+light+40W+frosted+5000K&qid=1619653317&refinements=p_72%3A1248909011&rnid=1248907011&s=hi&sr=1-57
		


lovely white light (not too blue, not too yellow), very even illumination (he has them evenly spaced over the ceiling of a 2 car garage) and just the right amount of brightness. He bought a light socket to mains plug adapter and runs them off that. Took him no time to install them either, they're so light that the clips just screw into the drywall on the ceiling. If I were doing my garage from scratch, that's what I'd buy and I'm really picky when it comes to lighting.


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## Boswell

While these are no longer available, similar ones are. I put 16 of these on the 16' tall ceiling of a 17 x 30 garage and they have provided great lighting.


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## mattthemuppet2

yeah, that would give an amazing amount of light. Lots of different ways to go about it - have a ton of lighting and call it good, have a good base amount of light and add task/ machine specific lighting or have 2 or 3 separately switchable circuits. My shop is a mix of the last two: one main circuit for the whole garage with a decent amount of light, a separate circuit for the work bench and lathe and individual lights for the mill, drill press and vise if I need them. Everybody's shop and light needs are different though, so it's good to have a think about it beforehand.


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## Brento

Started out today with running wire runners along to the back of the mill. I then roughly measured the wire needed and ran them to the back. A lot of time was taken running the runners. I then shifted everything over to the left side and where things belong. No more shifting most of the garage around!! Later tonight i will finish the 110 wiring and tmr we shut the house down to wire everything up!  For the mill i have a higher rating light switch to use as a shut off when i am not using the mill and the same to the right for the lathe. I need to go to HD tonight to get the metal covers. The plastic just isnt working well.






Hours of Labor: 35
Cost: 765$


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## brino

That's just way too clean!

So close to getting it dirty....as it should be.

-brino


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## Brento

My floor didnt stay clean long. Sad about that. But this week will be the final week of painting and then finally FINALLY i can bring home my saw and set up everything the way it needs to go.


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## Brento

Aaron_W said:


> I have an 8520


I see there is about 6-8 ball fittings on the head of the machine do you use spindle oil for everything?


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## Brento

Machines are alive!  Incoming post after a quick shower!


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## Just for fun

Looking good Brento!


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## Brento

Today i started out with finishing my 2 electrical boxes that needed to be finished. Then i shut my house down and my dad did the electrical panel to finish the wiring. After that i checked all of my boxes for the correct wiring and all were ok. Then i turned my lathe breaker on flipped the switch and tested the lathe. Ran both directions so i shut it down since it needs a little lubrication i didnt want to run long. Next was the mill. Flipped the breaker, flipped the switch and turned the controller on. Lights green and i turn the mill on both directions and change the rpms. Ran good so i shut it down due to the same reason as the lathe. Tried the power feed and also ran good. A lot to go still before those machines are in shape to run and cut. I want to clean them lubricate them level them and indicate the mill head in. That will be done as soon as i finish the rest of the painting. Slow process but sucks when you dont have storage anywhere else. Anyone know where i can get a lathe belt and stitcher or get one made?




I also have a view with the main garage light off and just the 4ft light on over the machines. I think it will be plenty of light especially since i do have a lamp for each machine as well.




The last thing i did today was dig out the drain in the middle of the floor and put a garbage bag in it and filled it with some concrete. Now to cure for a few days to finish the floor.
	

		
			
		

		
	






The rest if the day will be straightening up and moving the stuff around for painting the final stretch of the garage.

Cost: 779$
Hours of Labor: 37.5 + another 2 later as i straighten up

BONUS MATERIAL:
View attachment IMG_3961.MOV

View attachment IMG_3962.MOV

View attachment IMG_3963.MOV


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## DiscoDan

If you ever work with the garage door open and you need light oh, this is a interesting product that I will probably be putting in my garage Workshop.









						Single Track Garage Door Lighting System | Garage Door Lighting
					

Our Single Track Garage Door Lighting System is an adaptive low voltage LED system that is designed to seamlessly work with any sectional garage door. Contact now!




					garagedoorlighting.com


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## Brento

I get a lot of humidity so i prob wont work alot with the doors open but that is a neat system.


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## hman

DiscoDan said:


> If you ever work with the garage door open and you need light oh, this is a interesting product that I will probably be putting in my garage Workshop.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Single Track Garage Door Lighting System | Garage Door Lighting
> 
> 
> Our Single Track Garage Door Lighting System is an adaptive low voltage LED system that is designed to seamlessly work with any sectional garage door. Contact now!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> garagedoorlighting.com


VERY interesting system!  But I think it's probably a bit overpriced.  They want $300 for a single door system.  You can buy just about all the parts for under $100.  Given that you have to do the installation yourself in any case, it seems to me that the "value added" in buying the parts as a kit is NOT worth $200.

You can get the LED strips from Amazon (search for LED strip lights white).  Look for 12 volt DC, and avoid any that claim to be waterproof or dimmable.  They're under $15 for a 5m (~16 1/2 foot) roll - enough for two strips on an 8 foot garage door.

You can also get 12 volt DC power supplies from Amazon, for example:


			https://www.amazon.com/YUNBO-Adapter-Supply-100-240V-Transformers/dp/B07K19MTKM/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=Z5TEECNW89PS&dchild=1&keywords=12+volt+dc+power+supply&qid=1624831359&s=hi&sprefix=12+volt+dc%2Ctools%2C213&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMkhKWjE5NUo4MjQ0JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzE0Njk3TFlHOEJISlFYSFIxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NTMwMDUxQUJVN1dOQVI1NDY4JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
		


The description given at garagedoorlighting.com says the lights come on when the door is fully opened.  To duplicate this action, you'll need to mount two spring contacts to the garage ceiling or on one of the door tracks, arranged so they make contact with two metal contact plates on the door when it's fully opened, to send in the 12 volts.  The use of "open" contacts is safe and legal with the low voltage involved (unlike line voltage).

Alternatively, I suppose you could devise a loop of wire that runs between the garage ceiling and the door opener arm, to maintain contact between the power supply and the LED strips.  You could then use a manual switch between the wall and the 12 VDC power supply to turn the LEDs on and off.

I really like this concept, and may decide to add it to the 16 foot door on the front of my own shop.  Blocking light from the shop ceiling has been an occasional irritant when working at night with the door open.


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## mattthemuppet2

I'd angle the mill so that the table is at 45deg to each wall. You never know when you need the space to hang something off the left side of the table.


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## Just for fun

hman said:


> VERY interesting system!  But I think it's probably a bit overpriced.  You can get the LED strips from Amazon (search for LED strip lights white).  Look for 12 volt DC, and avoid any that claim to be waterproof or dimmable.  They're under $15 for a 5m (~16 1/2 foot) roll - enough for two strips on an 8 foot garage door.
> 
> You can also get 12 volt DC power supplies from Amazon, for example:
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/YUNBO-Adapter-Supply-100-240V-Transformers/dp/B07K19MTKM/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=Z5TEECNW89PS&dchild=1&keywords=12+volt+dc+power+supply&qid=1624831359&s=hi&sprefix=12+volt+dc%2Ctools%2C213&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMkhKWjE5NUo4MjQ0JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzE0Njk3TFlHOEJISlFYSFIxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NTMwMDUxQUJVN1dOQVI1NDY4JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
> 
> 
> 
> The description given at garagedoorlighting.com says the lights come on when the door is fully opened.  To duplicate this action, you'll need to mount two spring contacts to the garage ceiling or on one of the door tracks, arranged so they make contact with two metal contact plates on the door when it's fully opened.  The use of "open" contacts is safe and legal with the low voltage involved (unlike line voltage).
> 
> Alternatively, I suppose you could devise a loop of wire that runs between the garage ceiling and the door opener arm, to maintain contact between the power supply and the LED strips.  You could then use a manual switch between the wall and the 12 VDC power supply.
> 
> I really like this concept, and may decide to add it to the 16 foot door on the front of my own shop.  Blocking light from the shop ceiling has been an occasional irritant when working at night with the door open.



I agree hman!  I like the idea but it's only been a minor irritant in the past.   I have enough room for what I bring in the shop that I plan on hanging a 4' light just below the door when it is open.  I have a 20' section of aluminum irrigation pipe that I will hang from either side of the door so it hangs just below the door when it is open.  Then hang the light from that.


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## hman

Hmmmm ... my shop door is very tall, so that's a very viable alternative!  Thanks.


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## Brento

mattthemuppet2 said:


> I'd angle the mill so that the table is at 45deg to each wall. You never know when you need the space to hang something off the left side of the table.


I have heard positives and negatives with doing that. Positive bc of like you said. But negative because if you need to work on something from the back of the machine then you can hardly get to it.


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## Brento

No pictures tonight but i forced myself after working all day in the heat to do a coat of paint on the last section of the garage. I had to get another gallon of the paint i use for the sheetrock bc i wanted to make sure i had enough. Blasted through a lot of paint. If i could have done it different i would have used a primer first and then used the paint i am using now. Especially before we moved in. Sometimes you cant just plan everything out.

On the plus side. If i push myself for 3 more nights i will be done painting and i can arrange my shop any way i want it as i will be done with all of the painting. But tomorrow is another day.

Cost: 821$
Hours of Labor: 41.5


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## mattthemuppet2

I dunno, I've not need to stand behind my machine while using it  As long as you leave a foot beyond each end of the table when it's at its extreme of travel you should be fine.


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## Brento

Well the heat has finally broke. I was dead Tuesday so i took that night and last night off. Today i got back to painting. I finished the ceiling and the upper wall. Now for the concrete! I tried to peel up most of the epoxy that was cracking at that one section. Tomorrow night i will take a quick grinder at it and then i will do the first coat.

Tonight i also started cleaning my lathe since i could get to it over the mill. I want to start off with a cleaner slate without tearing it apart and repainting. I did the table and the back gear cover as well as the front of the stand. I dont want to do the bigger things until i have the time to oil and lubricate as these cleaning towels have a good amount of water in them. They do clean great though. They are called Tub o Towels.






Cost: 821$
Hours of Labor: 43.5


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## Brento

Last night i did not do much just scrubbed a section of the peeled area with a steel wire brush to clean the area up more. This morning i started by doing a vacuum job on the last section of unpainted flooring and then stapled the garage door opener back up on the wall. I did a one in a million and stapled right in the middle of the 2 wires. Dont know if i could do that again if i tried. After that it was time to roll away. I think i am finally getting a hang of this painting. 





Tomorrow when i do my final coat i will stitch in and clean up the ends where i have painted before and give it a a finish coat along the areas. If i could id do my second coat later but idk if it will happen. We will see!

Cost: 821$
Hours of Labor: 46.25


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## MtnBiker

Looks great so far! Will be a proper work shop.


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## Brento

Today i divorced that paint roller! Did my last coat of epoxy on the concrete. Although there is still just one section that just wants to peel up in the corner and a section in the middle of the floor. I am thinking to maybe use kiltz paint to go over the 2 spots? The corner section i almost want to say screw it because i will have my material rack in front of it and it is an inside wall not an outside wall. Its still just a garage so it doesnt have to be perfect but i would like to get a single coat of epoxy over that section to have a fully sealed floor.  No pictures todays but i do have a picture from yesterday when i did the first coat of the peeled section.


Cost: 821$
Hours of Labor: 47.75


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## Brento

Today i have been taking care of that pesty location that keeps peeling. Scraped the peelings off and painted a behr primer sealer on the area to help bond. 2 coats and now i have 1 coat of epoxy on. In another hour i can do another coat and if all goes well i shall start putting my shop together again tmr night.

Cost: 850$
Hours of Labor: 49


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## Brento

Well since my last update i had a lot of heat and then took a mini vacation with my wife for our 5th Anniversary. When i got back i just had no ambition to get back into the shop until today.

Today i lagged my material rack to the concrete wall and bought some pvc pipe to organize all of my material i got. Boy it took a couple hours but i got it. I then organized the shop a little again. Next i will be cleaning my machines up so i have a fresh start on them.

Cost: 890$
Hours of Labor: 55


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## rwm

That stock rack is very nice but not near BIG enough!
Robert


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## Brento

No it isnt big enough. Idk what i am gonna do if i need to get bigger stuff. Ill figure it out then.


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## Shotgun

I love the idea of that rack, though.  I have shelves that I built up from 2x4s and plywood.  I'm going to go up one side with sections of pipe, now that I've seen this.  I've got rods taking up shelf space that could be much better organized with the tubes.


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## Brento

Id love to build onto the walls but to find the studs is a nightmare


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## hman

I've tried various methods of finding studs -
1. Look for nail depressions in the drywall.  Sometimes works in a shop or garage, hopeless on finished house walls
2. "Woodpecker method" ... drill a series of 1/16" holes about 1/2" apart, marking those that don't go thru to air.  Usually not acceptable for house walls.  Once you've found one stud, you can hope they built the wall correctly and look 16" away for the next one.
3. Classic "grope and hope" single LED stud finder, swept across the drywall.  Sometimes works OK, other times it's nearly worthless
4. Horizontal multiple LED bar sensors.

The first one I bought was from Home Depot:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Whole-Stud-Detector-ESF5001/302738348
It "kinda" worked, but was a real dog to use.  You had to hold down both of the relatively stiff switches to turn it on or keep it on.  So whenever you wanted to mark the wall with a pencil and let go of one switch, the thing turned off.  And it took about 10 seconds to restart, slowing the process down very frustratingly.

Then I bought "the good one" -





						ProFinder 6000+
					






					www.precisionstudsensors.com
				





This is a real gem!  Turns on instantly, one button in the center, nice wide LED bar, deep sensitivity, even a place to store the pencil.  WELL worth the money!

I don't recall where I bought it.  It's availalble on eBay for $66.40








						Precision Sensors Professional Stud Finder NEW  | eBay
					

ProFinder 6000+ makes finding studs quick and easy. Easy: The wide LED display has 13 LEDs that show you the center and edges of studs simultaneously. It will even show multiple objects simultaneously.



					www.ebay.com
				




There are similar units (Franklin Sensors ProSensor 710) made by another company.  I don't know how handy they are.


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## DavidR8

I use rare earth magnets to find the drywall screws/nails. I found ordinary magnets were not strong enough but rare earth magnets jump out of my fingers when they get close to a nail or screw head.


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## hman

Hmmm ... Hadn't thought of that one!  Sounds like a great solution for finished walls inside the house.


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## Brento

When they did the walls in the garage they layed out slats going across the wall so cant find the main studs so easily


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## hman

Ouch!


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## DavidR8

Brento said:


> When they did the walls in the garage they layed out slats going across the wall so cant find the main studs so easily



I had a house like that. 
Reno’ed the kitchen and I hung the cabinets on one wall I could not find the studs. 
When I reno’ed the bathroom that shared that wall I discovered why; all the studs had been cut off at the sill plate and the new stud ‘wall’ was pieced together with 2xs of random lengths. 
Oh how I loathed working on that place.


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## rwm

Thank you for posting this. I was struggling with my old crappy stud finder today. I really need a good one. 
Robert


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## Brento

Dont get me wrong the walls are all studded 16 on center but i guess they wanted to close the wall out a little more? Idk its an old and sometimes you make do with what you had.


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## francist

DavidR8 said:


> I use rare earth magnets to find the drywall screws/nails


This is a very good method and is almost foolproof. For lathe and plaster walls I take it one step further and build a small stack of magnets — maybe and inch or so long — and then holding it like a pen gently between the fingers it’s possible to pick out the pull from the two small lath nails behind the plaster. For really deep penetration (more than 5/8” say), a 3/4” flat rare earth magnet suspended from a fine string like a pendulum works well too. By hanging the magnet from the thread there’s a lot more sensitivity but it can be liable for false triggers though.

-frank


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## Ryan Lou

Great !


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## Shotgun

I got an app on my phone.  It uses the phones compass to detect disturbances in the ether caused by the screws, but that "strong magnet" trick sounds like the bee's knees.

Another good give-away, is that boxes for outlets and switches are mounted on studs normally.  That helps you find the first one, then hope the rest are 16" on center.  The building codes here allows walls that are not load bearing to be 24" on center, which screws everything up.


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## Brento

Well i put most of the boxes in and kind of poked and prayed id find something sturdy. I also ended up using the drywall threaded nuts to make some stuff sturdy


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## Brento

So its been a while!  Ive been really slacking this past month! Yesterday i picked up my Kennedy roller for the final piece of the puzzle for my shop (for now). I spent prob 4 hours organizing my tools and cutters to get set up. What i may do if anyone is curious is take a youtube vid to show how i am set up at this point drawer wise.

Tonight i started on cleaning the South Bend. I took the tailstock off and apart to clean up and there was quite a bit of chips inside the barrel so i took it completely apart and cleaned it all out lubricated everything and back together. Next was to clean the apron. To do that i decided i wanted to take all of the slides off to wipe it down and start fresh. Not alot of chips but some old grease needs to be cleaned up tmr when i start again. I am however not pleased with how the owner i got it from painted the lathe. He painted over the gib screws and got a little messy and got a little on the ways. I believe this was a rush paint job when he got sick and was getting ready to sell his stuff. Still was a great machinist but some stuff i am a little surprised about.  Tmr i will finish cleaning everything up and put the slides back together.  Over the winter i may take it all apart and do a good cleaning of the apron.  And other parts like replacing felts.

I do want to ask if anyone knows if i could take the saddle off of the lathe without removing the apron?  I would like to clean the ways on the saddle but i dont want to take the apron off at this time.





Cost: 890$
Hours of Labor: 62.5


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## Brento

No pictures but today was another success. I cleaned up the lathe the most i can and cleaned the whole carriage minus the apron. Tmr i have to go to the store for some setscrews. I want to cover the follow rest holes and the taper attachment holes. Tmr i will also put the carriage together and then i just wait for my rebuild kit for the felts. Time to tackle the mill. That should take a night and a half.

Cost: 1165$
Hours of Labor: 67


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## DavidR8

Looking good!


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## matthewsx

Brento said:


> No pictures but today was another success. I cleaned up the lathe the most i can and cleaned the whole carriage minus the apron. Tmr i have to go to the store for some setscrews. I want to cover the follow rest holes and the taper attachment holes. Tmr i will also put the carriage together and then i just wait for my rebuild kit for the felts. Time to tackle the mill. That should take a night and a half.
> 
> Cost: 890$
> Hours of Labor: 67


I admire your accounting, I'm afraid if I did the same it wouldn't be so pretty....

John


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## Brento

Well actually i should add be adding like 140$ to that since i got the rebuild kit and such. I figure the money i spend up to the shop being done should be added to the list minus tools at this point


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## Brento

Well folks i have one machine finished. The carriage has been completely gone over. About 90%. I have about .025 of backlash in the crosslide screw and nut and maybe .005-.01 in the compound. I see that i would like to make a mark on the left side of the crosslide to establish an angle for the compound. Should be easy to do i am sure. I also cleaned the tailstock pretty good as well. I see a project coming in the future to give that some more travel as well. In the winter i am going to take a part off at a time and clean something else but for now i think she is pretty good to go. I have a rebuild kit coming from ebay so i can put wipers on the carriage. But for now on to the next machine.



I started cleaning the mill up so it is clean and not greasy i got to the knees and that is where i stopped tonight. Tmr i will pick back up on taking the z way wipers off to clean them off and start fresh. Not looking forward to the base though. It has some caked grease on that so it should be fun.

Cost:1165$
Hours of Labor:70.5


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## Brento

Well gentleman and ladies out there as well i hunkered down again tonight. Today i got my rebuild kit for my lathe 2 days early so i came home and soaked the felts for the wipers and put them on the carriage. Stored the rest of the felts for later as i do my next section.


It was time to finish the mill my night started with grossness of a filthy table and chip tray.



After a little scraping (with no T-slot cleaner) and some brake clean as a grease cutter i cleaned up the table and the chip tray. As well as the cabinet. Stoned off the table and all that is left is some lubrication for everything leveling and then tramming the head in.



For some of you that have a Clausing 8530 mill, can you tram from forward to back at all if you are off. All i can see is tramming in from left to right with the rotation.

i also have to level the Lathe and i am not looking forward to that at all. One step at a time i guess!

Cost:1165$
Hours of Labor:


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## Aaron_W

Brento said:


> I do want to ask if anyone knows if i could take the saddle off of the lathe without removing the apron?  I would like to clean the ways on the saddle but i dont want to take the apron off at this time.



It looks like you have done what you wanted to do, but for future reference it is not hard to remove the entire carriage. Just remove the tailstock, then run the carriage down to the tail stock end. Remove the tail end bearing housing for the lead screw, use some cord to support the lead screw on the inboard side and then you can just run the carriage right off the end of the lathe. On a lathe that size the carriage weighs probably 75-100lbs. 

When I moved my Logan into the basement I removed everything but the head stock casting and QCGB, I even took the spindle and gears out of the head (had to do it to separate the motor anyway). This removed a significant amount of weight for the move. I have found it is a lot easier to disassemble (and reassemble) most of these machines than many would suspect. 

With the carriage removed you have easy access to the underside of the carriage and backside of the apron for cleaning and replacing bits so well worth the effort vs trying to stand on your head and look at these parts while on the lathe.


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## Brento

@Aaron_W  during the winter i plan to take the gearbox and the apron off to a clean and rebuild.


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## Brento

So tonight i did not get a lot done. Not much left to do. I am waiting on oil for the mill to oil that up. I found in the cabinet of the mill the feet have a hole drilled in it but no threads. I am thinking of drilling them and tapping them. My problem is if i level the mill like that i may screw up my floor. My other option is i bought plastic shims from HD in the beginning of the project for leveling and i may use them instead.


Does a mill need to be level? I know its not like a lathe where there is twisting involved.

Next side of things i checked out my Starrett no.98 and got it calibrated using the mill table as i know it was nice and smooth no bumps and a decent control to flip the level around. I decided to check the lathe and see what i am in for on Sunday and this is what i find.




Now i know that is not level BUT i have no twist in the bed. I know twisting in the bed of the lathe is usually the concern over the lathe being level. I have made an executive decision to leave it how it is and do a few test cuts and see how it reads from there.

Cost:1165$
Hours of Labor:77


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## extropic

A picture of your mill feet might help. It's common to use swivel pad feet with a nut under the mill and a nut on top.


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## Brento

I can get a picture later. idk if im gonna get a pad under the mill feet unless i pick it up again and i dont really want to but i can maybe tilt it with a prybar or something to slide something under. My thought was at first a long set screw with maybe a soft end piece so it would not dig into the ground as much. In the picture i send you later i will also show you that i am stuck with a height requirement as well bc inside the cabinet i dont want to sit to high and make the bas uneven


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## Brento

This is one of the feet inside the cabinet. It was also brought to my attention from a friend of mine that with the mill weighing in at 720+ and only a 1/4-3/8" of thread that it may not be strong enough. Which leads me to your idea. Maybe make a foot and use a 1/2 threaded rod with two nuts as you said. It will be on of my projects. But in order to do that project i need to level the mill out a little so in the mean time i am going to use these shims to make it sturdy. The feet will be my first project after i make the Tnut for my lathe post. How thick should the foot be? I am thinking of using a plastic block on the bottom of the foot i make to give a little cushion to not beat up the floors perhaps.


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## Aaron_W

My understanding is levelling a mill is more of a it can be nice thing than something that really matters. I guess there are times where being able to put a level on your work can be useful, oil and parts won't run down to the low end, but it seems like it would have to be pretty out of level for that to be an issue.
Mine is pretty level, but not perfectly level and I haven't found it to cause any issues any issues worth raising the mill to put leveling feet under it (only real issue I've found is knowing it isn't perfectly level  ).

Mine came with a set of DIY leveling feet made from 3/8" carriage bolts, but I forget to install them before reassembling the mill, and can't be bothered to raise the mill to install them. The weight shouldn't be an issue for 1/4" or 3/8" rod as it is divided by 4 so less than 200lbs ea, and the rods of the feet are only going to be about 1" long and the weight is directly over the top of them, where the rods will be their strongest.


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## Brento

@Aaron_W the thickness of the existing foot is only 3/8 of an inch. But i will make a better foot to work with in the future.

Tonight i lubricated my mill and trammed the head in i am out a though on the Y but to adjust that is not going to be the easiest so i will live with it for now. In the future i will shim the ram base on the head to maybe bring it in a half a thou. I set up my new screwless vice as my bigger vice that came with the mill needs to be cleaned and gone through. The fixed jaw is out about .0005-.0007 up and down. I checked the bottom oh the jaws and that was a half a thou at most along the whole length of the vice. Tmr i need to drill some 9/16 holes to fit my hold downs that came with the vice over my hardware. Then to mill my T slot for my lathe. I also screwed up and had to reorder a new MT2-ER20 holder bc the one i order a year or so ago was M10 threads. Imagine my face when i found that out! After tmr i believe my journey to make my shop will be complete! If everyone enjoys the updates then i will revive and continue next time i do an addition to the shop. I know i have a Granite top that i may use as my surface plate but i will have to put it up on the mill and see what my readings are on it.

Until next time i say this shop is done after about 80 hours of Labor and almost 1200$ i say this was a great and fun journey. I only hope now that i can get some more projects on the list to do and maybe a few paying jobs!


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