Thread: My workshop

Fantastic write-up Jan. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Phil

Certainly an efficient use of such a small space Jan.

I do like that Ames. I've never really looked at the smaller lathes offered by the Americans. Might be time to start looking. The one advantage the Swiss stuff has is the availability of accessories, if you can afford them.

Bob.

edit: I see you have a Hembrug FR1 mill in your collection. They are an unusual looking machine. What's it like to use? And Jan, what was that other wonderful toolroom lathe just inside the red door to your shed? Is the bed projection an add-on or is that standard?

Hi Jan, that certainly is a good use of space. Looking forward to seeing the next installment of the shed.
It is amazing how much equipment can be installed in a small place.
Regards
Kryn (a fellow Dutchman)

Jan a great looking workshop somewhere to get way from the days hassles and enjoy. Congrats on marriage it changed your life for sure.


I recently bought an ML7 mines more 1970's tho also in great condition and now they are back in business parts are easier to get.

Heating any work area is hard more so with lots of metal around as it stays cold for ages. What about an oil heater something you could turn on and set a timer for allowing it to warm before you enter.

Awesome workshop well done, don't think I could ever keep it that neat. LOL

Great setup Jan.

Here's the two (left and right) photos of your workshop merged so we can see them together.
JNworkshop.jpg

Nice little shop and a place for everything.

Top job on the photo Bob.

Dave

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Certainly an efficient use of such a small space Jan.

I do like that Ames. I've never really looked at the smaller lathes offered by the Americans. Might be time to start looking. The one advantage the Swiss stuff has is the availability of accessories, if you can afford them.

Bob.

edit: I see you have a Hembrug FR1 mill in your collection. They are an unusual looking machine. What's it like to use? And Jan, what was that other wonderful toolroom lathe just inside the red door to your shed? Is the bed projection an add-on or is that standard?

Hi Bob,

The Ames is a pleasure to use.
It does have its quirks, like every machine:
The crosslide has to be clocked out to be exactly parallel to make sure you don't get unwanted tapers on your material.
Also, you don't have a leadscrew, so everything is done manually.
But because my jobs are normally one-offs, it is just a matter of planning the jobs before you begin.

I am used to lathes with bronze bearings, with the need to keep everything perfectly oiled.
The Ames has a headstock with roller bearings. This means that I am able to start working without having to check the lubrication first.
The lathe is very rigid and it's a precision machine, so if I want to work to close tolerances, this machine will let me.

The toolroom lathe that was shown in my pictures of last year is a Smart&Brown model L.
I found it in May 2012 via Marktplaats (the Dutch Ebay), where it was offered for € 75,= including tools.
As you can understand, it didn't take me long to decide to buy it.......

There were some things to consider though:
1: The total weight was more than 300 kg
2: I had to hire a small 2-axle open trailer to hook up to my Opel Astra.
3: I had to do it by myself......
4: It was a 150 km drive to the north of Groningen to pick it up.

Don't ask me how, but I managed to load the lathe on to the trailer and after driving 150 km with a unusual heavy load I got it off the trailer and into the shed without accidents....

Mind you, every machine in my workshop has arrived here in the same way.
The AI-Hembrug shaper and the Smart & Brown lathe had to be moved standing upright, the rest of the machines could be moved lying flat in a trailer.

It is amazing what you can do with a few stout wooden beams, a block and tackle and a home made hoist.

Here are some pictures of the S&B:

100_1084.jpg 100_0998.jpg 100_1003.jpg

100_1000.jpg 100_1001.jpg 100_1002.jpg

100_1083.jpg 100_1086.jpg

S & B Cross Slide 28-09-12 008.jpg S & B Cross Slide 28-09-12 024.jpg S & B Cross Slide 28-09-12 025.jpg

(Can I consider this a tool gloat???)

I had my doubts at first, when I saw the bed extension in the original advertisement.
But it was made by somebody who knew his business, there was absolutely no height-differences with the rest of the lathe.
It is defenitely not original, but the quality is great.

Most people would be very happy with this lathe, including the extension.
I liked to work with this lathe, there was no excessive wear and the machine was in a good condition.
Only the threejaw chuck was rather old and worn, but that was easily fixed by mounting another threejaw.
The fourjaw independent chuck was quite good, and there were some collets and the original drawbar too.

There was only one problem with this lathe, as far as I was concerned, it was too big for my workshop.

So after a few months I put an ad for it on Marktplaats, just to see how much I might be able to get for it.
There came a few reactions, and I got an offer for more that six times the price I paid for it....

I decided, that I had to let it go for that price, so now it is hard at work with its new owner in Mongolia...

By the way, this is how I have managed to build up this collection of machines: buy at bargain prices and try to make a little profit in order to be able to buy even better machines.

The Myford lathe and the Ames lathe are probably going to move somewhere in the future too.
Not because I don't like them, but because I have other lathes in my collection that are able to give me the same performance while taking less room:

One of the first lathes that I bought is a Mikron T90:

Page Title

It was incomplete, and looked quite poorly, but it has a lot of potential:

Mikron 1.jpg

This one is in storage right now, although I have already been able to restore the headstock back in perfect working order.
The crosslide is not original and I am looking for an original one.
For me this is a project that may take some years yet, but finally this will be the main lathe in my workshop.

For smaller work and threadcutting this lathe is available:

100_0374.jpg Draaibank.jpg

I don't know the maker, but I was told it was built as a project on a technical school back in the sixties.
I bought it from the janitor, who never used it himself.
With a center height of 110 mm and 30 cm between the centers it is capable of doing quite serious work.

For extra fine work I also have a small Dutch lathe , a Geja:

GEJA-1.jpg GEJA-2.jpg GEJA-3.jpg

Tony has a page about it on his site:

Page Title

Okay, enough for now, next time I will continue with the description of the workshop.

Jan

Originally Posted by BobL

Great setup Jan.

Here's the two (left and right) photos of your workshop merged so we can see them together.
JNworkshop.jpg

Hello BobL,

Thanks for merging these pictures, the result is amazing!!!!

I just wish I had as much room in my shop as this picture suggests.

Cheers,
Jan

I now know I have too much crap in my workshop..its 10times bigger and i cant move in it...( well maybe not 10 but it is 6 x 8 m)
but a spare band saw, a spare lathe, 1 deep freeze and two fridges and lots of crap (rubbish) do take up some room

mmm I need to get my act together and follow your example of a neat tidy efficient setup

Originally Posted by Jan Nieuwenhuis

I just wish I had as much room in my shop as this picture suggests.

Waiting for my breakfast to cook - I solved your space and heating problem

JNworkshop2.jpg

Great shed Jan

I think I might follow your lead there...... "but honey my shed is too small so we need one lathe in the kitchen, 2 in the lounge room and 1 in the toilet"

Originally Posted by BobL

Waiting for my breakfast to cook - I solved your space and heating problem

JNworkshop2.jpg

That does look like a great setup.