After moving from my 36x56 garage in Wisconsin to my little 20x24 garage here in SDak I'm running out of room FAST. I bought a storage shed to hold all the junk I don't need but I still need more room. Or, at least a better way to cram all my junk I need for gunmaking in the garage.

The big things that I have to cram around include:
B-port style mill 9x42
9" Southbend lathe
floor model Southbend drill press
large vertical bandsaw 18" Grob
7x12 horizontal bandsaw
6x18 Mitsui surface grinder
Hardinge horizontal mill
36" blast cabinet
60 gal vertical compressor
18x24 surface plate
8" Shape-Rite shaper
6x48 belt sander
2x42 belt sander
6" bench grinder
parts washer
88 stock blanks
stock duplicator (when finished)
3 ton arbor press
tig welder with chiller
work bench
reloading bench

Plus all the mountains of crap that goes with the above machines.

After all this is packed & stacked I still need to find room for a new 13x40 Kent lathe.

If anyone has any pics or tips on how to more efficiently accomplish this they would be much appreciated!

HHHEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!

gunmaker

Load it all onto a truck, and ship it to my house.

Just a few suggestions that may or may not be appropriate depending on your situation:

Put the reloading bench elsewhere ... bad thing to have co-located with a welding rig. At the VERY LEAST keep NO propellants in the shop!!!

Put the air compressor outside just to reduce the internal noise level. Plumb airlines in with 1/2" copper (NOT black pipe) to multiple use areas with quick disconnects to make it widely available. You might build an outside lean-to or shed next to the shop wall to house the compressor and put the blast cab and air filter for it there was well. Getting a blast cab out of the shop will reduce the dust considerably.

Buy one or more very high quality (in several sizes) hand tightening drill chucks on arbors that fit your milling machine, and dunk the drill press.

Arrange storage for your wood in a different place. If that is not possible ... go up with it, that is, overhead.

Lotsa luck with your problem. Most folks would be happy to have it

I'm just finishing my 25'x40' shop so whatever doesn't fit in your shop just ship it down here. For your planning puposes, I already have a new lathe, a 9"x42" mill, blast cabinet, 80-gallon compressor, Powermatic belt/disc sander and 8" grinder, so no duplication, please.

In fact, anyone who reads this: if you have spare tools you need stored just ship them to me! Just no duplication, please.

Gunmaker

Haven't you ever heard of Ferlach (sp) Austria or Gardone, Italy where they have these guilds of gunmakers that are in business for theirselves but they also collaberate and work with other gunmakers and share tools and shops.

Seems to me that you, Timan, and Mr. Soverns could get one shop together for all of your stuff. Maybe even take over that place down there a little bit north of the Super 8 in Sturgis that has a sign on it that Says Dakota Arms.

My first thought was for you to buy a 20 foot container to put stuff in, you could even put seldom used tools in there and just use them there if need be. The compressor could go there and you just run a line as mentioned. If you can't have this next to the other building you could bury the line.

For storage I use industrial metal storage shelving, you can put a lot of heavy stuff on it. Don't feel bad, I have a 40X60 and I can't walk around easily there either! <G>

I would be tempted to put all the non-precision machines on wheels and store them between the stuff that really needs to be stationary. Them mills can often be back-to-back to save some room, it sticks out from the wall a bit more but it is more conducive to being out of the way when you're not using them.

Mike
Didn't think much about the reloading thing. I did locate them kitty corner across the shop from each other. Probably otta keep the powder inside untill needed. I did store the primers as far away from my 110# anvil as I could! The compressor & blast cabinet have to be inside at least for this year. Wish they weren't. The lean-to might be slated for next spring. I think I talked my wife into letting me store the blanks in the back porch. Bill Soverns has also offered to store my blanks. Permanently. I like & use my drill press so much it's hard to part with it. I'd sooner part with the 9" Southbend & Hardinge mill.

John
Thanks for the offer, but I just finished moving everything 900 miles and not really looking to run them another 900+. If you've got too much room you could ship your 25x40 up here & I could send my lunchbox, I mean 20x24 garage to you???

22wrf
Timan is looking to consolidate his shop to his own garage.......much bigger than mine I might add. He's tired of driving uphill both ways to work. Bill & I live in Newell, about 45 minutes from where Stu works with an additional 20 min to Stu's house. A common centrally located shop would be a drive for everyone. Some day maybe........Just not this winter.

gunmaker

Oh, it's not too much room; I use the space to workout on the uneven bars between jobs.

"22wrf
Timan is looking to consolidate his shop to his own garage.......much bigger than mine I might add. He's tired of driving uphill both ways to work. Bill & I live in Newell, about 45 minutes from where Stu works with an additional 20 min to Stu's house. A common centrally located shop would be a drive for everyone. Some day maybe........Just not this winter."

I have driven through Newell many many times. The wind is so strong there that if your going in the right direction you don't need to run your engine to drive down the road!!!!!!!

You might contemplate adding on or possibly an enclosed porch. I know that may not be the thing to do right now as I imagine the weather's about to get nasty, but would extending your shop out a bit be out of the question?

Get it in there. Get it hooked up to the electron hoses and go for it. Add on in the spring. Do a quick and sturdy lean too this fall.
Stu

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
Oh, it's not too much room; I use the space to workout on the uneven bars between jobs.

You could get bar stools that vary in height so the workout on the uneven bars would be easier.

I have moved all dirty operations outside the shop, but under a car port:

1) grinding
2) compressed air cleaning
3) table saw
4) band saw
5) jointer
6) hack sawing

Then back in the shop I still cover the mill and lathes with sheets to keep off the dust and rust.


The mill, middle sized lathe, table saw, jointer, band saw, and metal bench are all on wheels and can be moved around.