Workshop Build
- Thread starter halmus
- Start date
Very little progress over the last two weeks. I finally have a day to work on this again. I did manage to get some of the electronics moved in. I've been trying to fit in a few hours here and there before and after work to chase wires for the future electronics.
I've tried to leave the configuration as flexible as possible knowing that I'll probably want to change things in the future to adapt to new equipment and new projects.
I will have to sit down one day and migrate all of my software over to this computer from my laptop. It's Win 7. My laptop is Win 8.1. Enough said? I think I'm going to start a contest here on the most creative way to destroy my laptop. Such is my hatred and frustration with Microsoft's "OS improvements". It's not just that I hate the user interface of the new dumbed-down version of windows, but updates didn't install on the computer for months right out of the box. After 12 hours, yes, not kidding, 12 hours total on the phone with support, the updates finally started working. Two months ago, problem re-appears. Not to mention my disk drive hasn't worked for at least a year. Give me a few days of dedicated hair-pulling and I could probably fix it myself. But, I don't have the time. Some things, like toasters, I just need to work.
Anyway, here's the new computer. Nothing fancy as far as the computer itself but I don't game or do anything resource intensive. Writing code, at least the code I write, doesn't take much.
Most of the electronics in place:
- old stereo receiver hooked up to old speakers throughout the shop -
- PC -
- sweep/function generator -
- Rigol Oscilloscope ( I saw this O-scope recommended on a New Zealand guy's electronics blog. Extremely cheep as far as O-scopes go and does everything I need it to) -
- Power Supply -
I've tried to leave the configuration as flexible as possible knowing that I'll probably want to change things in the future to adapt to new equipment and new projects.
I will have to sit down one day and migrate all of my software over to this computer from my laptop. It's Win 7. My laptop is Win 8.1. Enough said? I think I'm going to start a contest here on the most creative way to destroy my laptop. Such is my hatred and frustration with Microsoft's "OS improvements". It's not just that I hate the user interface of the new dumbed-down version of windows, but updates didn't install on the computer for months right out of the box. After 12 hours, yes, not kidding, 12 hours total on the phone with support, the updates finally started working. Two months ago, problem re-appears. Not to mention my disk drive hasn't worked for at least a year. Give me a few days of dedicated hair-pulling and I could probably fix it myself. But, I don't have the time. Some things, like toasters, I just need to work.
Anyway, here's the new computer. Nothing fancy as far as the computer itself but I don't game or do anything resource intensive. Writing code, at least the code I write, doesn't take much.
Most of the electronics in place:
- old stereo receiver hooked up to old speakers throughout the shop -
- PC -
- sweep/function generator -
- Rigol Oscilloscope ( I saw this O-scope recommended on a New Zealand guy's electronics blog. Extremely cheep as far as O-scopes go and does everything I need it to) -
- Power Supply -
SynDen
Administrator
Staff member
M.A.S.C Club Member
M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
M.A.S.C President
M.A.S.C Webmaster
I'm glad I'm not the only one unhappy with Microsoft. I keep threatening to make the move to Apple. Still, when I was back at the University, a lot of my class mates had to put in a Windows partition because a good number of the software packages we had to work with didn't work on a Mac. I'm too busy right now to make the switch so I guess I'll continue to use Windows and complain about it.
I finished the final cabinet in the "electronics room". The room obviously isn't just dedicated to working on electronics, but I'm setting it up so that it can be closed off and mostly dust free when needed. The cabinet is only 12" wide and is on rollers so that it can be moved out if needed. It's covering up the double doors but is short enough to roll through them.
I found a door from a company online that's intended to be put up as a temporary dust barrier by contractors. I made it work for this doorway. It's attached permanently at the top but held in place along the sides by magnets. The doors are held in place in the center by magnets as well so you can walk through easily and they seal behind you. When I don't need it, I can roll it up and stow it above the doorway.
I also built and hung the white-board. It was a lot cheaper DIY than buying a couple from an office store. 5' x 3'
I found a door from a company online that's intended to be put up as a temporary dust barrier by contractors. I made it work for this doorway. It's attached permanently at the top but held in place along the sides by magnets. The doors are held in place in the center by magnets as well so you can walk through easily and they seal behind you. When I don't need it, I can roll it up and stow it above the doorway.
I also built and hung the white-board. It was a lot cheaper DIY than buying a couple from an office store. 5' x 3'
This room is mostly done now with the exception of hanging up a few things and moving tools/parts/equipment out of the basement and into their future home.
Next week I start on the other room. Things to be done there: miter saw bench, table saw off-feed table, compressor stand to level it out, compressor air lines, and a giant cabinet against the wall. That cabinet will be built around the drill press, router table, and band saw which will all be on rollers. I don't use those as much so it will be nice to have a place to roll them away and clear up the floor. This is the general idea of what I'm going for:
Next week I start on the other room. Things to be done there: miter saw bench, table saw off-feed table, compressor stand to level it out, compressor air lines, and a giant cabinet against the wall. That cabinet will be built around the drill press, router table, and band saw which will all be on rollers. I don't use those as much so it will be nice to have a place to roll them away and clear up the floor. This is the general idea of what I'm going for:
Progress has been slow. We've had a lot going on with the new adopted puppy (2 year old puppy). I had to finish a few sections of fence for the dog. Priorities, I guess.
Plans have been altered slightly once I actually started building. Still, it's matching the SketchUp plans pretty well.
Eventually, I'll run the compressor lines around the shop. That will be one of the last steps once everything else is in place.
The router table isn't ideal here, but it's out of the way and is low enough that lumber coming off of the table saw shoots over it. It's on rollers so I can move it out when it needs to be used. Of course, a ridiculous amount of storage for small and large fasteners and other miscellaneous hardware.
I won't make a lot of progress this weekend. My truck is full of junk that needs to go to the landfill and I haven't been able to go with all of the recent rain. I don't want to get stuck at the landfill with all of the freshly turned earth (mud). I need to pick up more lumber before the last set of large cabinets can be built. I have a few small cabinets to make for the drill press and band-saw.
Plans have been altered slightly once I actually started building. Still, it's matching the SketchUp plans pretty well.
Eventually, I'll run the compressor lines around the shop. That will be one of the last steps once everything else is in place.
The router table isn't ideal here, but it's out of the way and is low enough that lumber coming off of the table saw shoots over it. It's on rollers so I can move it out when it needs to be used. Of course, a ridiculous amount of storage for small and large fasteners and other miscellaneous hardware.
I won't make a lot of progress this weekend. My truck is full of junk that needs to go to the landfill and I haven't been able to go with all of the recent rain. I don't want to get stuck at the landfill with all of the freshly turned earth (mud). I need to pick up more lumber before the last set of large cabinets can be built. I have a few small cabinets to make for the drill press and band-saw.
These will probably be some of the final photos unless someone asks to see more. I have a few aesthetic changes to make and a few final things to hang up and/or organize as I bring home some of my electronic supplies from work. I've been working on a side project there and we don't have the components, wire, and all that needed to make it happen quickly. So, I'm donating the materials to make the project happen.
Anyway, some "final" photos. The compressor lines aren't run yet and a dust collection system is in the back of my mind. Nonetheless, the boss (wife) is anxious for me to move on to other projects. Specifically, start moving on finishing the basement. I can't complain. The basement is where the aquarium is going! I've been waiting for 2-3 years after tearing down my 120 SPS tank in Washington to start on this. If you check out the original posts here, you'll notice a detailed SketchUp 3D layout of this shop project. It turned out very similar. I designed my tank and filtration room 2 years ago in SketchUp. With the room I have to work with in the basement, it should pretty closely match that design. Stay tuned for that thread to start.
Anyway, some "final" photos. The compressor lines aren't run yet and a dust collection system is in the back of my mind. Nonetheless, the boss (wife) is anxious for me to move on to other projects. Specifically, start moving on finishing the basement. I can't complain. The basement is where the aquarium is going! I've been waiting for 2-3 years after tearing down my 120 SPS tank in Washington to start on this. If you check out the original posts here, you'll notice a detailed SketchUp 3D layout of this shop project. It turned out very similar. I designed my tank and filtration room 2 years ago in SketchUp. With the room I have to work with in the basement, it should pretty closely match that design. Stay tuned for that thread to start.
Thanks. I'm really happy with how it turned out.
I forgot to post up a picture of the first aid cabinet. I go through enough band-aids to keep Walgreens in business single-handedly. I also had some leftover trauma supplies left over from my past job. So, it seems like a good idea to stick a few of those supplies here in case of a serious accident. (Cravats, gauze, tourniquet, hem-con). It makes me laugh a little, but if you've got that stuff on hand, there's no better place for it than around all of the power tools.
I forgot to post up a picture of the first aid cabinet. I go through enough band-aids to keep Walgreens in business single-handedly. I also had some leftover trauma supplies left over from my past job. So, it seems like a good idea to stick a few of those supplies here in case of a serious accident. (Cravats, gauze, tourniquet, hem-con). It makes me laugh a little, but if you've got that stuff on hand, there's no better place for it than around all of the power tools.
Thanks.
My wife asked me the other day if the shop had enough room to work in. There's never enough room! I'm always thinking of ways to fill up more space. A dedicated room for metal fabrication. Another room for a large paint booth. Another room for a CNC and laser etching system. I didn't share any of those thoughts with her! I'm grateful to have this space and she's grateful to have a covered parking space back as opposed to our last house.
I do know many of the HD workers by name and they know me.
I don't know if there are any Mythbusters fans out there. I stole their idea of shelves full of boxes in the shop. I know it's not a new idea, but I hadn't paid attention to how efficient it can make your shop when you have such an eclectic mix of supplies. Their collection is much more impressive, but I love the idea of having like items sorted out and stored away. It's just a rationalization for being a pack-rat. If you watch the show, you might notice that one of the boxes has a weird name on it. It's the "easter egg" in the row of boxes. I'm giving a nod to Jamie and Adam with my far left box up there. Most of those upper shelves are pack up and labeled now with the remainder of junk I've collected over the years. The basement is clean and I'm ready to start getting plans on paper to finish it and start on the aquarium!
My wife asked me the other day if the shop had enough room to work in. There's never enough room! I'm always thinking of ways to fill up more space. A dedicated room for metal fabrication. Another room for a large paint booth. Another room for a CNC and laser etching system. I didn't share any of those thoughts with her! I'm grateful to have this space and she's grateful to have a covered parking space back as opposed to our last house.
I do know many of the HD workers by name and they know me.
I don't know if there are any Mythbusters fans out there. I stole their idea of shelves full of boxes in the shop. I know it's not a new idea, but I hadn't paid attention to how efficient it can make your shop when you have such an eclectic mix of supplies. Their collection is much more impressive, but I love the idea of having like items sorted out and stored away. It's just a rationalization for being a pack-rat. If you watch the show, you might notice that one of the boxes has a weird name on it. It's the "easter egg" in the row of boxes. I'm giving a nod to Jamie and Adam with my far left box up there. Most of those upper shelves are pack up and labeled now with the remainder of junk I've collected over the years. The basement is clean and I'm ready to start getting plans on paper to finish it and start on the aquarium!
