So its been ages since I last posted. Last year was a very busy year for me for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the blooming shop. I worked a great deal as a traveling tube welder, earning money to pay off debt and buy tools. I got engaged and subsequently married to my understanding wife. I applied and was ultimately rejected from medical school for a second time. Most recently, I purchased a CNC milling machine. An old bridgeport series 1 cnc mill. I must confess that my love for this machine is seconded only by my love for my wife.
one of my nine groomsman
The best man!
The shop is now essentially complete. Isaac bought a lathe, which was the last remaining piece of equipment. I don’t know how we ever got by without machine tools. I look forward to this next year as one full of projects. Speaking of projects, I built my wife a coffee roaster for her birthday. Its not done yet, but I’ll post a video anyway.
Painting takes a patients I lack. Someday I’ll produce perfect finishes every time.
And everyone’s been asking me to post pictures of the recently built english wheel.
Isaac’s frame served as a test piece for my new powder coating system. I built a booth to surround the oven because unbaked powder would soak up contaminants from basement air. No wonder with exposed slats of insulation hanging over the spray area. Behold the final product.
I’ve been absent for months now, welding pipe in Louisiana and Texas. Having saved enough to get my shop off the ground, I’ve spent the last few weeks building tools and developing an environment conducive to efficient work flow. The last of the tools should arrive this week, so I can start on my first ground up project soon. Isaac’s bike and Robert’s vera sit on my workbench now demanding attention. Isaac’s bike simply needs painting and powder coating, while Vera, like Robert, bears wounds from a fresh accident. She’ll need a new tank, tail piece, paint and powdercoat. I estimate 10 days on vera alone. After that its off to ebay for poor vera. I’ll post pictures shortly. In the meantime, here’s a video on Falcon motorcycles latest creation.
The expensive cnc mandrel bender in the beginning of the video is unnecessary for non production work. A simple tubing bender like any JD or baleigh industrial models will work. Of course, the welder is a must.
