New shop! (was: Multiple buildings, ...)

[extropic]

@rabler

Nice rack. Just add shelves, inside the triangle, to hold short raw stock drops. The unit will have a very low CG in no time.

 

[rabler]

@extropic
Great idea. If not drops, other lathe accessories.

 

[rabler]

Most of this week has had high temps in the 90's, so work in the new shop has been slim. Tracking shows the mini-splits should arrive next Monday, so hopefully by the end of next week there will be AC in the shop.

I did pull the RPC out of the barn shop this week. And I bought a real safety on/off switch to use on the line into the RPC, rather than just the breaker in the main circuit breaker panel. Yeah, it is a three pole switch and I'll only use 2, but the only 2 pole switches of adequate capacity were more expensive than this one. It is a 200A disconnect which is larger than I'll need, but that isn't a safety issue and again, best cost/availability.


The RPC is a 20HP, using the original motor out of the Monarch 612, which now has a 10HP motor. The idler will most likely end up in the blister/room that houses the air compressor. Rightmost is a Siemens breaker panel, holds 4 three phase breaker. This will all need to get hooked up with conduit and appropriate wire. Then run more conduit on the surface of the walls to machine locations. For single phase 120V and 240V circuits I went with the idea of running plenty of outlets. For the few and much less portable three phase machines, it'll be specific connections to those machines.

 

[rabler]

Still working on the 3Φ electrical install, and the air compressor. The good news is the mini-splits arrived yesterday afternoon, and as of now I have the 24000 btu (2 ton) general shop unit working. That's not a lot of cooling for 2200 square feet, but it quickly takes the edge off the temp in there. Installing the smaller 9000 unit for the office is less critical so it will get done at a more leisurely pace.

 

[woodchucker]

Still working on the 3phase electrical install, and the air compressor. The good news is the mini-splits arrived yesterday afternoon, and as of now I have the 24000 btu (2 ton) general shop unit working. That's not a lot of cooling for 2200 square feet, but it quickly takes the edge off the temp in there. Installing the smaller 9000 unit for the office is less critical so it will get done at a more leisurely pace.

Edge and probably humidity. It may not get you cool, but if the humidity drops, that's a big PLUS in my book. I don't mind dry heat. I hate when I am stuck to my clothes and they are stuck to me. I can work all day in dry heat.. not long in wet heat... I'm like the witch... I'm MELTING.

 

[rabler]

Edge and probably humidity. It may not get you cool, but if the humidity drops, that's a big PLUS in my book. I don't mind dry heat. I hate when I am stuck to my clothes and they are stuck to me. I can work all day in dry heat.. not long in wet heat... I'm like the witch... I'm MELTING.

I've been running a small dehumidifier in there, which certainly helps but it isn't really big enough to make a large change in the humidity. Plus I keep forgetting to empty the bucket. That and a fan have enough to keep it where I can tolerate working out there if it isn't too physical. But if I start going up and down ladders, the heat has wiped me out ...

 

[woodchucker]

I've been running a small dehumidifier in there, which certainly helps but it isn't really big enough to make a large change in the humidity. Plus I keep forgetting to empty the bucket.

doh

 

[rabler]

The mini-split for the bulk of the shop is in and running. The mini-split for the office still needs to be hooked up to the compressor outside. They do make compressors that will handle multiple indoor units. But I'm using a 24000 BTU for the main and 9000 BTU for the office. To run a 24000 BTU unit on a multi-unit compressor would actually require a compressor big enough to handle 3 indoor units, which would then cost as much as the separate compressors. This way with completely independent units there is some redundancy, and slightly better efficiency. For the $33 more, I purchased the Wifi control module for the main shop unit. Which means I can pre-cool the shop without going out there using my iPhone, or perhaps more importantly, turn the AC off at night from the house if I forgot to turn it off before leaving the shop.




I have a 12000lb capacity telehandler reserved for rental tomorrow. That should allow me to move the K&T Milwaukee 3K and the Monarch 612, as well as get the granite block onto the stand, with help from @Dan Krager . Earlier today I moved the 3K into position to pick it up, using three skates, a toe jack, and my tractor. Painfully slow as I get off the tractor every foot or so of movement and check everything, here are two pictures taken one step apart. Unfortunately I didn't get quite the same spot to take both photos.

A 12k telehandler weighs about 34000 lbs. Not cheap to rent, especially when you add delivery/pick up. Enough that I did think about buying a 14k tilt deck trailer. But the cost of that trailer long term might be problematic.

 

[NCjeeper]

Man that mill is sexy.

 

[rabler]

Man that mill is sexy.

You should see it spinning a 6" face mill through a block of steel ...