Big Barn’s Retirement Farm Shop

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Wow, a very good read. Lots of knowledge and toys. Enjoying it.

BB, I'm guessing the grass doesn't grow much under your feet. You sure are organized.

Being an old machinist by trade, I am the last Mohican in the shop I work in. It is OK with me. I get about 50/50 sit down/stand up time. I even get to change my own coolant out. I do some small side projects when I'm not too busy. Most of the work I perform is relatively small. Some of it is close tolerance.

It sure is handy having a shop if your working on equipment.

We have a 15" manual lathe at work, and we bought a nice Bison/Polish 6 jaw scroll chuck for it. It has a little over 2" thru hole. That thing is sure handy for grabbing thin wall stuff that you don't want to turn into the shape of a wankel rotor.

I keep all my grinding and sanding stuff in a different room than our machine shop. I don't want grinding dust in the shop. I do blow chips off of my machines, but not dust.

Because I've got full use of our shop at work, I've not been motivated to build up a shop at home.. I only have a 30x40 barn, and it's full. I do have a 15" lathe in it, but not hooked up. No 3 phase.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Cherry Picker For Sale | Niftylift

Locally when someone states they are going to rent a cherry picker I think of the two wheel trailer version shown above. The name Shop Hoist or Engine Hoist name works for me. We need to move our 2 ton HFT lift to the shop when the cardboard dries out this week since next week we will be making calls and doing a trade show in Minneapolis MN for our property insurance adjusting software. The last time I was there it was a Super Bowl weekend and 8F degrees with snow flurries. I like the south in the winter and the north in the summer. When the kids went with me often we would cross into Canada so they could say they had driven outside of the USA.

My diesel mechanic has spotted a nice truck mounted (lineman cherry picker/bucket truck for like 5 grand but we think we would seldom need it and everyone would want to borrow it.

 

[the old grind]

The apple orchard next door has a dandy towed man-lift that's pulled behind the tractor and runs of a PTO pump. I've only seen it in use when someone's putting Christmas lights on the house or trees.

I just like my toys. With only a few more elms to trim & drop and one huge poplar at the other house (block away) I hope to finish with and find a new home for my perry-chicker later this year. btw, ground observer (Millwrights are out friends) isn't just for OSHA rule respect. It sucks to bump the Safety Stop while in the bucket and not have someone close by below to reach into the cab and restart the engine. (V-10, not PS) Also best to have a cel-phone on the ground to dial 911 vs one that falls & breaks if & when I do.

 

[Big Barn]

I bought an ex rental Genie articulated manlift for the farm years ago. Used it for half a dozen years on various jobs around the house and maintenance yard. Rented it out for a few months which more than covered repairs and maintenance.

Fortunately I got it cheap enough so that when the day came to sell I actually made money. I miss it as it was a handy thing to have but just too much money tied up for a mere “convenience”.



Still have my telehandler for changing light bulbs though....

 

[Big Barn]

btw, ground observer (Millwrights are out friends) isn't just for OSHA rule respect. It sucks to bump the Safety Stop while in the bucket and not have someone close by below to reach into the cab and restart the engine. (V-10, not PS) Also best to have a cel-phone on the ground to dial 911 vs one that falls & breaks if & when I do.

What????? You DIDN’T like shimmying down the boom that first time?

 

[Big Barn]

Wow, a very good read. Lots of knowledge and toys. Enjoying it.

BB, I'm guessing the grass doesn't grow much under your feet. You sure are organized.

Being an old machinist by trade, I am the last Mohican in the shop I work in. It is OK with me. I get about 50/50 sit down/stand up time. I even get to change my own coolant out. I do some small side projects when I'm not too busy. Most of the work I perform is relatively small. Some of it is close tolerance.

It sure is handy having a shop if your working on equipment.

We have a 15" manual lathe at work, and we bought a nice Bison/Polish 6 jaw scroll chuck for it. It has a little over 2" thru hole. That thing is sure handy for grabbing thin wall stuff that you don't want to turn into the shape of a wankel rotor.

I keep all my grinding and sanding stuff in a different room than our machine shop. I don't want grinding dust in the shop. I do blow chips off of my machines, but not dust.

Because I've got full use of our shop at work, I've not been motivated to build up a shop at home.. I only have a 30x40 barn, and it's full. I do have a 15" lathe in it, but not hooked up. No 3 phase.

Kyle. Thanks for dropping in. Feel free to post interesting or unusual jobs or setups here!

 

[Big Barn]

My diesel mechanic has spotted a nice truck mounted (lineman cherry picker/bucket truck for like 5 grand but we think we would seldom need it and everyone would want to borrow it.

And what could POSSIBLY go wrong....?

 

[ovrszd]

Re: Big Barn痴 Retirement Farm Shop

You ever loop two tow ropes together using the loops on the ends??? Do it wrong and you'll probably end up cutting one of them..... Costly mistake...?br>
Friend of mine showed me this method. Works like a champ and easy to get apart.

Another hijack Terry.

 

[Big Barn]

You ever loop two tow ropes together using the loops on the ends??? Do it wrong and you'll probably end up cutting one of them..... Costly mistake...?br>
Friend of mine showed me this method. Works like a champ and easy to get apart.

Another hijack Terry.

View attachment 604989

I’ll say it again. No such thing as a highjack on this thread, Richard.

I’m keeping that tow rope pic. What a great idea!

Here’s a tip for chain management.

BB chain storage area


Short length of chain with GRAB hooks on each end.



Photo showing it in use to shorten chain.



Other 999 uses left to your imagination.

 

[ovrszd]

I'll trade ya my rope trick for your short chain trick!!!!