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To day was a shed day completed a couple of jobs on the wood lathe then switched to the metal lathe. Practiced clocking in then had a go at cutting an 11 degree crown. It was not as difficult as I thought. I used a piece of one inch round bar stock with a 8mm hole drilled in it for training purposes. I am happy to do it for real next time.
I definatelly need a bigger shed its far to crowded in there.

I would love space for a good sized wood working shop.
We have a small cheap wood lathe and it is so pleasing to use despite being a bit under powered and stuck in a shed with two lawn mowers and an apple press.
I have made the odd goblet (started out wanting to turn a wine glass but ended up as more a chalice like Indiana found in the Last Crusade). I just would like more space and time to get to know how to use it properly.

Mattnall wrote:I would love space for a good sized wood working shop.
We have a small cheap wood lathe and it is so pleasing to use despite being a bit under powered and stuck in a shed with two lawn mowers and an apple press.
I have made the odd goblet (started out wanting to turn a wine glass but ended up as more a chalice like Indiana found in the Last Crusade). I just would like more space and time to get to know how to use it properly.

My wood lathe is not a super dooper version Its one of the Axminster models. Its OK for what I use it for. The pen jaws are great for drilling accurate holes in square or round stock.
My problem is lack of space its getting to the point were its actually unsafe. When I am turning I have a metal lathe in front of me my bum is touching the wood lathe behind me.
To my right if I stretch out my hand I can touch the Mill. And there is a Myford ML10 hogging room as well. A large compressor, a chop saw, a band saw, re loading stuff. casting stuff the list goes on.

no matter how much space you have, you will fill it.
I moved from a back bedroom with one bench and a set of racking, into the garage with twin benches, and I can't move. using the lathe last week I was pushing half a dozen sheets of ply and corrugated roofing from leaning on one bench, to the other one, then when I need to use a vice, pushing it back over to lean in front of the lathe. and if I need to get at the shelving in front of the garage doors, I have to move two bin bags of new loft insulation out of the way each time, then replace, as I can't move otherwise. plus now need to wear shoes in there until the shop vac comes back downstairs as I'm STILL doing the bathroom.
I had 7 days off work due to us shuffling our rota a little, I've wound up doing work on the bathroom everyday, but still have so much to do. don't feel like I had 7 days off

bradaz11 wrote:no matter how much space you have, you will fill it.

And the same is true of plug sockets, you'll always need one more than you have in a room.

An old view of part of our workshop. Even we struggle for space and we work out of an old chapel.

Work in progress bench and one of the workers.

Then there is all of the polishing and grinding stuff, the material racks, the surface grinder, the load development area and kitchen. Also the raised section for gun inspections and the granite block and height gauge, oh and the barrel and parts storage. They do say the amount of crap you have is directly proportional to the space available :)

Ovenpaa wrote:An old view of part of our workshop. Even we struggle for space and we work out of an old chapel.

Workshop.png

This might sound weird but I bet it smells lovely in there, I love the smell of machine shops.......and hot tarmac!

A good machine shop should smell fresh and without any sharpness which indicates the coolants are correctly monitored. Tarmac works for me and freshly planed wood and gun oil are two of my favourites, however there was this PA many years ago,no idea what the perfume she wore was but it certainly worked for me.....