POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

[woodchucker]

My project of the week has been organizing. I've emptied totes and boxes and cases and coffee cans worth of stuff and made it fit with some room to spare. This is all machine shop stuff, automotive is on the other side. Almost there.
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Is that a school lab soap stone table in the corner?

 

[Eyerelief]

Had a material delay so couldn't work on the shop today. Shop dog and I put the mini Sanford surface grinder back together. Had been cleaning and painting in the evenings after the triple digit temps subsided. I had about a third of a can of Hammerite light blue hammered paint. Looks like the company has stopped producing paints so there is no more unless you want to buy off the bay for $125 for a 12 ounce can. I tried Rustoleum but they have stopped their blue and green hammered paint as well. What I had left turned out to be real close to the original color. In this picture, I didn't paint the front cover over the wheel where it reads "Sanford". I also didn't paint the spindle port cover. It is a little stained but as it was, I ran completely out of paint.


The motor was originally gray so I went back with gray. Didn't paint the motor mounting bracket underneath. It was greasy but it too cleaned up OK.

I had removed all of the electrical so that I could freshen it up. While the wires were out, I took all of the castings, soaked them down with engine degreaser and power washed them at the car wash.

Everything that didn't get power washed soaked in the parts washer for a day.


Having a gib on the Z is a really nice feature. I took the screws in just a little. It is smooth across the entire range of travel. When I picked it up it would not reach the top 2" or the bottom 2" of the Z travel. Just loaded up with lots of history. All of the other ways cleaned up and looked good in my opinion with plenty of hand flaking remaining from edge to edge.

After I put it all back together, I dressed the wheel and took it for a spin. Still seams to be out about .0006 front to back across 2". The previous owner had installed a plate between the chuck and the table and I did not note the orientation. It was off the same amount before I started. Before I grind the table I am going to check out this plate to see if it is flat. I might just remove it, I don't really see what it is bringing to the party unless it is sacrificial, but it does not appear to have ever been ground.
The only change I made was getting rid of the original power cord and the cord from the switch to the motor. The motor cord was cut and repaired so it needed to go. The original power cord was 6'. Mine is 17'.

 

[pontiac428]

Is that a school lab soap stone table in the corner?

It is indeed institutional grade "lab granite" from Germany. I think it's an old Koettermann. The property book for one of the laboratory buildings I worked in was closed out for disposal, so I made sure it didn't go to the dumpster.

 

[Boswell]

My project of the week has been organizing

Looking real good.

 

[Just for fun]

I picked up a Horbal Freight service cart the other day for my new D-Bit grinder and I will put my 8" grinder on it also. Anyway, it was a little low for what I wanted. So, I decided to change things around a bit, and I also installed a piece of left over lumber for the top. I think it might be a little high now at 39" but will be easy to trim the legs on the lower side to lower it a bit. I'm thinking 36" will be about right.

 

[Gaffer]

@Just for fun very cool! Is the US General in distress?!

 

[Suzuki4evr]

Some would just use washers and call it a day... but me?? noooooooooo... I have to waste over and hour making this so the bolt is flat with the surface...

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Will smooth out the sides just a little bit.. while waiting for the ACME letters to arrive. And might as well get rid of the rest of the paint...

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I did the exact same thing when I built a camlock for my lathe tailstock.

 

[dkemppai]

Nothing in the shop. But I did make a blood sacrifice to the wild blackberry patch.

In return I was gifted 30qts of wild blackberries.



This is only part of the haul. Kids helped the wife put them in the freezer as I was busy picking.



Sadly, it hardly made a dent in the patch. Going to call some friends to come pick the next few days. The berries aren't the best they've been, as it was pretty dry the last couple of weeks. But there is a lot of them out there this year. Guessing well over a hundred quarts of it was picked clean.

Going to sit down and lick my wounds, over some fresh wild blackberry cobbler.

 

[ChazzC]

I picked up a Horbal Freight service cart the other day for my new D-Bit grinder and I will put my 8" grinder on it also. Anyway, it was a little low for what I wanted. So, I decided to change things around a bit, and I also installed a piece of left over lumber for the top. I think it might be a little high now at 39" but will be easy to trim the legs on the lower side to lower it a bit. I'm thinking 36" will be about right.

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39” may be high for your 8” grinder (typically stand-up work), but could be good for the D-Bit if you’re on a stool.

 

[wachuko]

Now back to Ocala… Will spot weld tomorrow…