The "Whatever" Project

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Sounds like you need a thermostat for your heater. Was not a snafu, it's the deficient equipment.

This one's on me. It has a thermostat. That can be used or not. Guess what setting I have left it on since I installed it? Go on, guess. I bet none of you gentlemen can guess. No, really you'll never guess...

was I thinking?

You see, it was only supposed to be a one winter temporary solution for the first year in our new house. Then I had planned on having a mini split heat pump system installed. That would have been 2019. There are some very good units on the market these days that can work down to sub zero temperatures ( and not the Celsius 0). But various life issues got in the way. And I planned to leave the electric heater in for really cold days, or to get the garage warmed up more quickly. So I have no one but myself to blame, not that it's going to do me any good...

Oh well, doesn't matter, only leave it on again sometime, anyway

[Russell]

Sounds like you need a thermostat for your heater. Was not a snafu, it's the deficient equipment.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Yep, done there been that. I, too, tried to justify it.

Had to go to the supermarket today around 11 am. It was still warmer than normal because of the snafu. Well until I had to open the garage door...

[DanStokes]

Yeah, I went out this afternoon to go to CVS for a few items, and the garage felt like summer. About 80 degrees. And yes, I shut off the heater this afternoon.

!

Yep, done there been that. I, too, tried to justify it.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

So, you guys in northern climates, with heated garages that you can turn on when you spend some time in the garage on a cold winter day. And, if like mine, you have an insulated garage so the heat stays in the garage. And also like me, you run it for a little bit before going out into the garage to get the temperature to a good working temperature, say 55-60 degrees, comfortable with a shop coat on. And when you're done for the day, you can shut it off, saving $$$.

Yeah, I went out this afternoon to go to CVS for a few items, and the garage felt like summer. About 80 degrees. And yes, I shut off the heater this afternoon.

Yup, I'm still a little bit absent minded . And a few minutes ago I dumped the recycling can in the bin, and the garage felt like early fall, probably still 65-70 degrees out there! Oh well, what can I say? The good news is that everything is nice and warm, and with humidity in low numbers, I think outside relative humidity is around 25 %, things that might have been a little bit damp, are dry now!

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Well there was that time with the lady machinist, the EDM machine and the saltwater aquarium...

But I'm much better now!

I have a rudimentary understanding of machining, been able to use the machinery at every job since (Dan and I both were threatened with a very painful demise by Lennie if we damaged any of his machines), and even established a shop at the lab here in New York. I will never call myself a machinist, I have way too much respect for them to insult them.

I had a similar lathe early in the 80s, put it in my mother's basement, where her hvac guy saw it and kept asking if it was for sale. Stupid me, I finally let it go early 90s. 30 years later and here we are...

So now I get to relive my past, and maybe slowly make some scrap... er, that is parts.

[DanStokes]

I know exactly enough on machine tools to be dangerous but I can force a tool bit thru some metal until the metal looks sorta like what I had in mind. I wish I had a metal lathe and mill (think Bridgeport) and enough tooling to do a little work. I figure there are guides both online and elsewhere to help me with cutting speeds and the like. But at my age probably not where I'll put my efforts.

[Captain]

Looks impressive !!!
and that's about all something like that would be in my shop.....
Never took any Machine Tool Training.....
After Basic Shop in Jr High School, went into the trades side of electrical classes in High School.

But someone had the patience to show YOU how to use one, then ANYONE can.....

Just saying.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Looks great. I have machine tool envy.

Thanks. I'm happy with how the stand came out. Picked up a can of machine gray paint, like you suggested. Once the concrete is done, I'll prime the rest of the stand and get the metal part painted. And I might even use up the paint on the concrete so it has matching gray tones. Or not...

Lot of tinkering yet. There's a gear drive to rebuild and get working. Otherwise it's not a powered traverse lathe. I think a previous owner used it mainly for light milling, as there's a custom made milling attachment for the cross slide, and a hand crank on the feed screw. This gives it a very fine manual feed towards the headstock. So I'll keep those parts and the set-up for making stuff needing milling work, but I also need it for turning, and don't want to have to hand crank for that...

Been slowly going thru the bits and bobs that came with it. There are things that I know what they are, but have never used. And chucks! 5 drill chucks, 3 -3 jaw chucks, and a 4 jaw chuck. I think that one might get the most use.

I still haven't checked out the spindle thru-bore tho. I'm hoping that the bore is 1 inch or larger. Then I can drill and tap radius rods, tie rods and drag links. Otherwise it's back to the drill press and lots of setup time...

So next week, harbor freight and belting, gears, and more of the same...

[DanStokes]

Looks great. I have machine tool envy.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Woo hoo! It's on the bench!
I've got a lot of little things to do to get it running, but this is progress. Now, however, I've got to rearrange the garage and make everything fit in and be usable.
And concrete! I'm going to fill the pan between the bottom legs with concrete for even more weight. I can barely move it now, so I'm thinking that it won't dance around once the Italian heritage comes out.
And drive belts. Thank god harbor freight sells linkbelt. I don't want to take it apart just for belts...

That's all for now!

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Moved ahead a little bit today on the lathe subproject. Got the 4 hold down hanger bolts laid out, pilots drilled, and the lag screwed in! Woohoo, man I'm really cooking with gas now...

Hey, it took all afternoon, after we got back from Maggie's therapy appointment, for the heater to get the garage warmed up. 65 degrees at the back door! Probably a little warmer where the lathe subproject is sitting. T-shirt warm!

Yeah, I'm a slacker.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Keyboard diarrhea...

[DanStokes]

Dyslexia??

Lexdysia?

[Captain]

Dyslexia??