Big Barn’s Retirement Farm Shop

Big Barn · Apr 18, 2019

dragoneggs said:
So you just tacked the slats? How do you remove them, plasma gouge?

Also can you show a little more detail on the debris collection/clean out system? I’m working from my iPhone so screen size is working against me.

Yes the slats are just tacked. They can be easily removed with an angle grinder mounted cut off wheel.

This table was built four or five years ago and still has the original slats because I always do this:

Here’s a few shots of the table bottom in “ejection” mode.

Ready for the night janitor:

TMGT · Apr 18, 2019

Do you have the same problem where it seems the might janitor is always on vacation?............

Big Barn · Apr 18, 2019

TMGT said:
Do you have the same problem where it seems the might janitor is always on vacation?............

Yeah, strange fellow. Good with kids and animals though, and apparently he’s quite harmless.

dragoneggs · Apr 18, 2019

TMGT said:
Do you have the same problem where it seems the might janitor is always on vacation?............

I always wondered what 4shorts had on his better half? Seemed she was the bookkeeper, the receptionist, scheduler, and overall boss... yet he somehow had her cleaning up the shop too!

Big Barn · Apr 18, 2019

ovrszd said:
I think this thread has went very well. No arrogance that I noticed. Everyone sharing ideas.

Few years ago I built a brush guard/skid plate for my M9540. Posted a thread about it. Ended up building 8 of them. None were identical. So I totally relate to your "King of One Offs".

Feel free to post a link to it, Richard.

Big Barn · Apr 19, 2019

Oxy-Fuel Torches

I’ve always had an oxy-acetylene set on the farm. Even before my first buzz box welder.

Nowadays plasma cutters excel at cutting ferrous and non ferrous metals but there will always be a place for oxy-fuel.

Here’s my rig with homemade cart and bottle clamps.

Flashback arrestors

Quick attach couplers for fuel and (inert gas in photo)

Cutting attachments and torch tips

Homemade attachment for handsfree use of torch when heating or?.

Cutting I beam (could have used plasma but felt like using O/A)

And for those pesky bank vault doors.....

Another cool item I have is an exothermic lance which operates by feeding high pressure oxygen through a carbon steel cutting rod.

It has been featured in several movies involving cutting through bank vault doors. While it can be done, my opinion is that it would be highly impractical as the shower of sparks it creates would most likely incinerate the paper currency beyond recognition.

It’s also used for demo work as it will slice through steel beams and concrete. Not positive but I think it can also be used for underwater demo and salvage.

Torch

Closeup of rods.

Precision cutting of seized excavator pins (this one NOT my photo. Google image)

Rustyiron · Apr 20, 2019

Terry I believe your tool collection and shop is probably the best metal "hobby" shop I've ever seen. :thumbsup:
("hobby" meaning not your livelihood) I will be using this thread as inspiration to get organized as I've just added my first metal lathe and a vertical mill, those larger items require a dedicated space and electric that I need to make space for.

Gale Hawkins · Apr 20, 2019

Rustyiron that is a good point about his shop and that these larger items need to be prepared for ahead of time. I missed a nice 13" South Bend lathe this morning but where I wanted it has a leak and no 3 phase power yet. The son has been on my case about not waiting until we have a place read before we move in a 1600 pound lathe.

I did find a 3 phase solution however.

Big Barn · Apr 20, 2019

I’ve had lathes come and go over the years.

This Canadian Made one a friend dropped off as a gift. It was just too big and sat around for awhile until I cleaned it up, got it running and gave it back to him

This one another friend grabbed at a garage sale for $7.

It looked a little better cleaned up

This import mini was on Craigslist cheap and I couldn’t resist. I cleaned it up and resold.

Lots of tooling too.

These little Unimats come up for sale quite often. I’ll buy them if cheap enough. They’re easy to clean up for resale. I think I’ve bought and sold four now.