Must Have Shop Items

[Industrial Toys]

I built a 10hp ROTOCON with lots of help from a friend. To me, a real pain in the azz starting and stopping that thing. I did make the mistake of buying a huge 3 phase Lincoln MIG and feeder, and hence need for the Rotocon. Maybe in a shop where machine tools are being run all day. I guess it's still nice to have 600 3 phase in all the buildings for test purposes.

Stuff for the shop. Recycled cotton rags, old cans and plastic containers. Any old piece of hose or plastic/metal pipe. There is ALWAYS something to connect or bush out for temporary prurposes.
Scraps of wood or plastic for shims, banging or drilling.

 

[sodamo]

Eric, keep the faith. My first shop was dug out under the covered deck, half the deck. Of course it would drip between the decking at times and because it was dug down would be muddy at best, standing water if it rained enough. A very basic piece of plywood for a work bench, not electric unless I strung an extension cord. A couple of power tools, skill saw, drill type, but i could keep a tool box and have about 25sf work space. No major projects, but still nice to have to tinker on something.

I have better space now. Also totally off grid power.

 

[flyerdan]

Just revisiting this as someone did a post about a light bulb - having some common bulbs on hand seems like a good plan. Maybe it's just me, but I have a bulb drawer where part-outs, moving freebies and garage sale misc. boxes contribute to. Anything to avoid a special trip for a part. Someone also mentioned a junk pile, that is good to if you can manage it. I've got a spring drawer that has come through on more than one occasion. I mentioned helicoils way back near the beginning; ebay has kits for both metric and SAE for under $30 each, less than a one-size kit at NAPA if you'd have to run up there at 6:30 on a Saturday evening.