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Shop Project

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/21/2015 at 9:24pm
Well, it looks like I may have really done it this time, or should I say, last week when I fell hard in my wood shop while making shelves for the shop downstairs. 
My arm/shoulder has NOT gotten better, in fact the last few days, starting about Thursday, it's been feeling a lot worse. So bad I got almost no sleep Thursday night, and Friday I had to sleep sitting in a chair. Laying flat hurt like #$%
I went to urgent care Friday where they took x-rays - they found the old break from years ago but said they'd need a tech to read them to ensure there wasn't some break or crack the doctor missed seeing.
However, before I left, almost 2 hours later, the doctor said she was "concerned about ............ rotator cuff (sp) and something about the tendon up there. (whatever that cuff thing is, it must be important as that's what Barbara needs surgery on to help take care of her pain)
The doc did some manipulating of my arm and muscle and those were the last things she said - before ordering a sling and calling in a prescription for some drugs.

Anyway, arm in sling for most of Friday, with the storm heading our way Barbara wanted to get the Eagle wagon into the shop. There was a lot of stuff in the way preventing that - like the lawn tractor. Idea - move some of the stuff from the garage into the shop, clear up just enough space to get the mower in the garage, then gt the Eagle wagon pushed back into the shop so it wasn't sitting outside.
It's impressive what she can do and lift sometimes with just one arm, and her arm/hands being less than perfect at that. 
We got the sandblast cabinet moved from the garage to the shop using thick corrugated cardboard from the boxes the new cabinets came in - to soften the gravel drive a bit so the casters would be of at least some good. It took about 10 minutes but we got it there. Then we used the wagon behind the lawn tractor to haul some tubs of stuff down to the shop and slid other stuff around and got the lawn tractor into the garage! YEAH!
So a few tubs of stuff made it into the shop. 1 or 2 of them had alternator parts in them. 
The rear bumper of the truck lines up fairly well with the front bumper of an Eagle when the Eagle is lacking the engine. So - it was tricky on the driveway back there but I got the truck into position, barely was room, in front of the wagon, rear truck bumper to Eagle front bumper and while she watched and guided, I pushed the wagon, which by now had a half inch of snow all over it, with the truck. 
Of course the snow melting snow from that car was running all over - some of it heading right toward the boxes of books sitting on the floor.  There I was trying to use the mop 1-handed keeping water away from the boxes but I got it done. 
Man it's hard to work with one arm in a sling - so it came out of the sling now and then but I still wasn't able to lift anything or use it for any real work. I can't raise it over my head and even holding it out is nearly impossible. 
So I had the Steel Case book shelf pretty much repainted and ready already, mounted wood onto the bottom like I'm doing with all other steel furniture and fixtures to prevent rust stains, help preserve floor finish and make it easier to move around when needed. I got a shelf populated with the TSB books. Not sure where some of the other books will go since it won't hold all of the books I had out there, since I won't have room for the wood book shelf I had out there. Have to rethink the book situation and placement. 
Small work bench is cleaned up and in place, some tubs of stuff are wiped down and on shelves. 
Seeing some real progress now - or was, until I messed up my arm.  The word the doctor used has me wondering - she was "concerned". I wonder what that means? I wonder why it hurts more now than it did a week ago when I first injured it - and why it's not getting better.

Whatever, with the weather now changed, snow, winter here, etc. I've got to scramble to finish up to the point of being able to WORK out there and not just on putting stuff back, but on other stuff!
Now to go look up what a "rotator cuff" is..............
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Green AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/25/2015 at 8:12pm
Hows the arm doing 
Hope it's feeling better
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family  
69 AMX 390 4speed go pack
72 Javelin 360 auto(sons)
82 Spirit (wife's 1st car)still not done
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/30/2015 at 7:19am
Thanks.

I think the naproxen is helping - a little. I still can't raise it or lift with it. What a hassle.

Slooow progress, but progress anyway. Of course the Thanksgiving holiday slowed things a bit - then Saturday was Barbara's family big get-together where there are usually a few dozen kids running around with snotty noses so I look forward to my annual getting sick after that event event.  ;-)

I got a cabinet assembled and mounted on the wall. Remember, that's not as straight-forward as mounting it on a garage wall or the wall in the house would be since there are no "studs" to mount to. There are posts every few feet with horizontal cross braces in the wall. So you mount uprights to those 2x6's in the wall then mount the horizontal mounting rails to those - that allows you to catch the horizontal wall structure AND account for the corrugated steel's shape. You can't mount anything FLAT on a wall that's not flat.

I got the boards laid in the final rack system, save for 1 I need to rip down to 5 3/16" to finish that shelf.
I don't know what is causing it exactly - I knew I had to have sinus surgery soon, and I knew I had major problems in the sinuses - and allergies (reacted to 18 of 36 things they test for) but I ended up wearing masks all weekend I was working as the slightest thing caused extreme reactions this weekend. Luckily I have a couple of decent masks that not only filter particles but also fumes. I woke up Saturday with bleeding sinuses and constant non-stop drip so the masks were a blast to wear and mess with while cutting and sealing the boards for the shelves.
I had wanted to redo the wall shelves where the alternator and starter cores sit, and knew they were loaded with quartz sand and dust from the floor grinding and refinishing so I took the opportunity and removed the alternators and starters from the shelves, removed the shelves, cleaned and cut those boards to use on the new racks and put new wider boards on the wall shelves, well, started that process anyway. Got a decent start, far far from done, though.  That concrete dust was everywhere as was that quartz. It was in and on everything on those shelves.

Barbara helped me move a few more things into the shop from storage outside as the tarps are ripping and wind-whipped and won't hold the rain and snow back very well now, gotta get things moved in even if there's no place for them yet. So the shop is a total mess of stuff piled all over.
Still have the trailer loaded with stuff and half the pile under the lean-to is still out there, as it most of the stuff that was hauled to the garage by my brother's family.
It's a pit, a mess, walk paths to get from one end to the other and I hate it. But it will come together. Maybe time to get rid of some stuff.

Here is the cabinet I finished and mounted the past few days - here there was no conduit or other obstacles to work around so I didn't space the mounting out so far from the wall-  just enough to clear the shape of the corrugated steel. I am mounting them up to make it easier to keep the floor clean, and I can use the space under to store things like car dollies, etc.



You can see the stuff laying everywhere until it gets put away....... these cabinets come with only 3 shelves and extras have to be special ordered direct from the company - no one sells them!



I have moving dollies stored under this cabinet and have started to populate it with stuff but am short on shelves so have to order some. What a pain, but they only sell the shelves direct if you need extras. The 6' wide rack is ready except to cut one more board to finish the second shelf down, and to seal the upper 3 shelves, the lower ones are sealed (I'm applying wood sealer - things slide more easily and grease and oil won't soak in quite as badly or quickly. That takes a lot of time).



Yeah! The Eagle wagon is INSIDE once again - for the day I finally get time to work on it.
The Javelin will have to sit outside once I get things mostly in the shop. There simply won't be room to keep it inside as I'll have the blue project SX4 moved in once other things are inside and put away. Bummer, but no place to put it. The 70 is in the garage packed in like a sardine in a can with my SX4 and since I drive the pickup in the winter, it needs to go inside, too - I hope.
Barbara says I have too many cars..............  gee, I never knew that was possible?
(Those wheels go on the blue project SX4, they aren't mine)




Moving things into the shop yesterday we ran across my piston pin hone set.



A - Barbara helped me lift this cabinet down from the wall up high - am going to lower the mounting so it's not so high since I won't have a tall book shelf here. But since I won't be putting the tall book shelves back in, where will all the books go? I can fill a 72" tall book shelf.
B - one more board to cut then this rack will have all the wood in place for shelves. Finally!
C - even have things sitting on the steps for now until I can get things put away finally.
D - technical service bulletins - but where will the other 4 shelves worth of books go? I have at least 4 or 5 more "paper boxes" of books left to put away.

Notice all steel things are up on treated wood blocks to protect the floor, keep the steel from rusting and staining the floor - and to make it easier to CLEAN under things! I hated all the DEAD BUG CORPSES laying all over when we moved things out. Gross! Yuck!



Steel Case brand book shelf sanded down and painted with textured paint, looks like new but only a fraction of the size I'll need for all the books I already have  - still in boxes waiting to be put on shelves.
Plus I'm getting a complete set of Motors tech books - not the type you usually see but a type I've never seen before loaded with all sorts of tech specs and much much more detailed information than is in the Motors books I have or have ever seen. This was some sort of edition different from the others. There's enough of them to completely fill all of these shelves, covering something like 4 decades of all cars.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/01/2015 at 6:58am
My bloody sinuses are so screwed up now that I have to wear the appropriate mask when doing almost anything. I suppose the decades of exposure to asbestos (brake work all those years), chemicals/solvents, paints, farm chemicals and so on ain't done me any good.
So up in the wood shop cutting and planing and sanding I have to wear a good dust mask and run the filter system and downstairs applying the sealer I have to wear the carbon filter mask to take out the sealer effects from the air. Doesn't help that the infrared heat seems to do something with the sealer aromatics and it makes the shop have a weird smell after a while, really strange.

Masks in place, I worked some on the shelving again last night.
The east rack (the 96" tall x 72" wide x 24" deep unit) is done. All boards in place, sealer applied.
It will be ready to load "stuff" on by tonight or later depending how my head and arm.
I also got started putting the wall-mounted alternator/starter core shelving back in place with new boards. I used some of the shelving parts Dad gave me when the store he worked at closed down and they were tossing stuff in the dumpster. That allowed me to add two shelves below what I had already. Still won't quite be enough but it will be a big help. I'm making them just a bit longer than the original 48", too - so perhaps each shelf will hold just 1 more thing (or make it less likely that what's there falls off!)

The only original rack that went back in is the one in the SW corner where the Eagle engine and interior parts were stashed, otherwise most things are "new". And that brings a problem into play - the SW shelving or rack is still the 4' wide it always was but the cabinet I mounted on the wall next to it is 36" wide and not 24" wide as the wood kitchen cabinet was which was there. That moves the long engine bench (and where I did plating) down to the north a good 12". Hmmmmm, if the solvent tank goes back into place to the north end of that bench, there will be absolutely NO room for the alternator test bench I had setup between the solvent tank and the shorter alternator/starter/wiper motor work bench.
So on the west wall, I'll be lacking at least 12" as far as being able to put the alternator test equipment back. Also the powder coating oven isn't going back in the NW corner.

The east well faces similar, actually worse problems. I originally had a 48" rack there, it's been replaced by a 72" wide unit. I also have a 36" x 72" tall cabinet there. That means the tall book shelves and the cabinet all the NOS alternator small parts were in won't fit back there again.
The old setup on the east wall was the 48" wide shelving, the alternator parts cabinet, then the short metal book shelves with 2 wood cupboards sitting on that, then the tall wood book shelving.
The new east wall is the metal 36" wide cabinet, the 72" wide shelving, the short metal book shelves......... and that's all there's room for.
the east wall won't hold the tall wood book shelves or the blue metal alternator parts cabinet.

That leaves 3 large things with no home/place to put them - alternator test stand, tall wood book shelves, blue metal alternator parts cabinet.  Some of the stuff that's in the latter may go into small plastic covered tubs or bins on the shelving, sort of like fuzzface/Dave talked of.
Oh, the powder coating oven but that will sit just under the stairs on casters.
Not sure on all the books - I may have to get really creative there.

Then I still need to find places for the mill/lathe, valve equipment, boring bar and equipment, and more.

Ugh - I suck at space planning, it makes my head hurt. I should have hired someone to figure out where things would go.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/09/2015 at 6:57am
Not much progress lately - my shoulder being screwed up so I can't lift or move thing (yeah, what - a month later, still hurts like (insert word that forum would block here) and my sinuses and throat I found out yesterday are worse than originally thought. Surgery, and now after a procedure where they looked into the pipes and all show growing damage, thus growing concern, about the constant sinus drainage AND reflux.
I also visited Dad, who is still really hurting from Mom's death. He's going nuts there alone and being in the house hurts. He can't stand to go into the room where she died.

I did try to get a few things done - good thing, too. The stuff I have stacked on the trailer and covered with a tarp - some of those boxes got wet and soaked and a couple of boxes of NOS parts were hit hard, boxes and packages ruined and parts starting to rust. Ouch. Some of the really old Rambler parts were hit hardest so I scrambled and with Barbara's help just started moving things off the trailer and into the shop in piles all over. So now it's really hard to walk in there, stuff everywhere with a couple of paths to get from one side to the other. But - getting closer to being "back in business" as far as being able to work in there, too.
Once I get "stuff" moved away from the west wall and the large bench cleaned up again, it can go back into place, then I can get the solvent tank back in and do some minor things. I still need to get all the NOS and other alternator parts in the shop again. The alternator tools and test stuff is all still very buried, but at least closer.
It's going to be tough to arrange all the new equipment in there - and find space for some of the other since I changed shelving units and cabinets.
At least things that could be damaged are now off the trailer. All that's still on it are things in tubs or otherwise sealed, or immune to weather.
The engines are still under the lean-to as is the solvent tank and the bead blast cabinet. That's fairly well protected for now anyway until we get another snow storm.
Not sure-  maybe I should find a way to store the engines in the lean-to somehow? I know the transfer cases and some transmissions will have to go on a rack out there as there just won't be room for those inside now. Maybe the engines can be prepped and covered and kept up against the shop wall out there, at least under a roof. There's a 401, 360, 343 and 258 I have to find space for so maybe that's the best bet.
In any case, a vehicle has to sit outside - it's got to be either the truck (hate to do that to a 2011 with the nice cover on the back. Exposure to sun and weather isn't good) or the 73 Javelin, and I hate to do that since that car has no weatherstripping and even a gentle rain gets inside the car and trunk, not to mention the hood isn't changed over yet so any rain gets into the air cleaners and sits on the engine.
Neither option is good.   I can drive the truck in the winter, but that 73 - LOL, you don't want to take it on wet streets even as if you hit the throttle just a tad too hard it goes sideways.. badly need a limited slip under that thing. It's worthless on wet roads, plus I don't want to rot it with our winter crap.   I suspect the poor truck will sit out again this winter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ollie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/29/2015 at 1:18pm
What's the latest progress Bill? Been awhile since u posted

Not stealing your thread but I have been doing a lot of shop improvements myself since I have the Rambler road worthy...

Pics...http://www.ollie.phanfare.com/7050870

Keep having AMC Fun,
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dltowers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/29/2015 at 5:15pm
Bill....
May I suggest this "2 Story Tool Box" to compliment your new Shop Project....

Original Owner, 1974 Javelin:
360ci,2v,727TC. Motorola Multiplex with 8-Track.
G4 Plum exterior with 421Q Black Uganda Interior. Purchased on July 16, 1974 from Hooker AMC, Sherman, TX for $4500.20
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/06/2016 at 7:33am
Originally posted by dltowers dltowers wrote:

Bill....
May I suggest this "2 Story Tool Box" to compliment your new Shop Project....



Wacko

!!!!!!!!!!?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!
I have enough trouble keeping track of things now! LOL - I'd have to do like these big stores do, keep a database of things as far as column and row of drawer that xxxx tool or part is in!

On the other hand, I think I'll add that to my next Christmas wish list and see how far I get!
I did get a VERY nice high-end block plane and a set of spare planer knives for my planer this last Christmas so this is only a small step up from that, right?!??  HA.

What's the latest progress Bill? Been awhile since u posted

Not stealing your thread but I have been doing a lot of shop improvements myself since I have the Rambler road worthy...

Pics...http://www.ollie.phanfare.com/7050870

Keep having AMC Fun,
Ollie

I'm glad you asked! 
NOPE, I'm  not really - it's horribly embarrassing, the lack of progress is bad enough but the mess is absolutely, well, I hope not too many folks actually even look at this thread and see this messy disaster. It looks like a 4 year old was in there for a week. I'm not proud of it at all.
But then with family stuff, holidays and now fighting the weather, things have slowed down a lot.
I guess it's time for a lack of progress report anyway and you DID ask.

I had promised my wife I'd have the wood floors done before spring this year - that's been 2 years in the making. Uh, no progress there, either, other than getting the closet all but done in the bedroom I laid floor in a year ago. We're both very happy and impressed with how it turned out. Just a door to hang and trim to finish and then back to the shop more often.

As things are getting brought back in, or at least before they are put into place, etc., things are getting cleaned and if it's tools or equipment or that sort of thing, they are getting cleaned, repaired - for example, the solvent tank. What a mess. The solvent was about 3 years old, the tank was filthy and I'm NOT having things with steel legs on the floor to leave rust marks or gouge. So things like benches are getting treated wood skids and the solvent tank, in order to be able to more easily clean and service it, got casters.
I'm making anything that doesn't absolutely need to be stationary mobile with casters, and stationary things like benches, shelving units and such, gets treated lumber skids.
So the solvent tank got drained, cleaned thoroughly, the pump removed and cleaned out (wow, the mud/sludge in there was crazy) and last night I had it tipped up and put casters on it.
New solvent goes in when the tank is in place along the west wall - don't want to think of moving it with solvent in it. Talk about expensive these days! I'm sure much of it is EPA, disposal fees and so on, but a couple of buckets of solvent sets a fellow back pretty good these days.
I hope tonight or tomorrow to have enough stuff moved out of the way to put the tank in place and refill it. THEN I can start cleaning parts again!
The blast cabinets (1 bead blast cabinet, a smaller one, and 1 for other media, more aggressive, a larger one) need to go back into place.
My issue with those is the DUST and crap that fills the air and then settles on cars and benches and tools and all the parts stashed on shelves.
I need to find a better way to keep the dust down. Eventually I'll enclose the lean-to and make a room just for blasting cabinets and powder coating - sealed so the dust and powder can't get to the cars, tools and parts but for now, I must be able to blast and not have all that abrasive and just plain dirty dust all over the shop. So open to ideas there, but on a budget please!!!!!!!

The good, if we want to call it that, I guess it's not bad so it must be good, right? Barbara said "bad weather is going to settle in, how about I help and we just get all the remaining stuff back into the barn so it's not outside and then you can work on it in there". That meant the shop would be standing room only, stuff stacked on and around cars, piles of stuff on piles of stuff, but it would be inside.
So she helped and we got everything crammed back inside except for 2 engines that are still under the lean-to (a 1970 360 and a complete 258)
That means there are two narrow ways to get from the door to the far corner of the shop and you turn sideways to get there.
But it's inside. No more stuff stacked on the car hauler under a tarp (which, by the way, leaked and soaked some boxes of NOS parts and really ticked me off) and no more stuff under a tarp under the lean-to for wind and snow and rain and ice to get to.
It will take about 15-30 minutes or so to make space for the solvent tank along the west wall as that's stacked with tubs and boxes of parts and stuff right now, then I'll have to move a car to get the solvent tank over to the wall from the middle of the shop.

I used one of the shelving units or "racks" I had in the shop before to make a spot for some of the transmissions and transfer cases and that sort of thing out under the lean-to against the shop wall. I find snow does make its way to that rack so I'll need to make some simple covers or doors on the shelving/rack to prevent that, but rain can't get there at all. Just wind-driven snow so that should be simple to protect against. I had used one of the rack ends and cut it in half to extend another rack upward to a bit over 100" tall, so had a spare end - and used that to extent the rack under the lean-to for wheel and tire storage OFF THE GROUND, away from mice, and away from direct sunlight.  That worked out slick. Even Barbara was impressed and she's picky as @#$% and a perfectionist. IF she liked it, it's ok.

My goal is to get the solvent tank in place, filled and working, get the blast cabinets in place and hooked up again and find a way to evacuate the dust and such so I can use them, and with the small bench in place and ready, and some of the alternator and starter tools found, I can get back to work and just put the rest of the stuff back and I can or get time, etc. But I've GOT to get back to work on the starters and alternators!
It will be inconvenient as @#%$ for a while, the shop will be a messy disaster (I can always blame the North Koreans, I guess) but I have to do whatever is needed to get back to those restorations.

Any time anyone wants to come over and help clean up parts, sort through bins and tubs, or just supervise and determine or decide how things should be organized, come on over, I'll furnish food and drink. I can't organize, plan or decide how to best place things. I'm not an organizer so any help even if not muscle but only supervising and organizing, I welcome it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll do the "doing" if someone else wants to do the planning and organizing.

Tires and wheels, with space for larger items stacked or leaned along the barn/shop wall. This is a spare rack and parts left-over when I extended another rack upward.



This is the rack inside that I extended upward buy cutting one rack end in half horizontally and welding the halves onto the top of the ends of this rack. Most of the stuff on these shelves is just there to get it off the floor and out of the way. The spare Eagle axles, for example, will go up high, the starters have been moved to other shelves. The two transmissions and block and heads will stay here, however.



The stove/oven is all cleaned up again. It will remain on the dolly so it can be moved as needed. I am going to extend the 50 amp circuit over to this area from the NW corner where it is now, which is right next to the breaker box. The trick - the cost of the copper to get it up the wall, across the TALL 15' ceiling the 30' width of the shop, then back down to a 50 amp outlet. Once things are cleaned up and more organized the stove will be better off over here anyway and on casters, can be moved for access to the things behind it. I normally unplug it when not in use. OK, so I'm paranoid?
The top burners and burner pans are in the house to be cleaned and scrubbed. The oven is used for powder coating, the top elements used to heat plating solutions and so on.



This is what I mean by a mess - here's a partially disassembled 401, my MIG covered in plastic to keep it clean, and the solvent tank on dollies before I put casters on the tank legs proper. The tank is cleaned, emptied, dried, the pump cleaned up, etc.
The eagle wagon is in the shop and sort of back in its corner, the tarp is on it originally to dry it off since it was snowing when we moved the last of the stuff in and the tarp was a bit wet, but I'm considering using the tarp to cover and protect the car from scratches - on the other hand, these plastic tarps don't breath and I'm having second thoughts due to it possibly holding moisture against the car, under the car, etc. in our WET spring weather.
Oh, and I need to get the steel wheels on the wagon so I can get that last slotted wheel - seen on the right front. I understand those wheels could be correct for my 73 Javelin, but they are in bad need of restoration and the trim rings are a disaster. They look COOL on the wagon, but I need them worse on the Javelin so am likely to find another decent set of aluminum sport wheels for the wagon.





Transfer cases, transmissions, springs and axles on the rack under the lean-to.



Stacks of tubs of parts to go through and put on shelves, stack of intakes and seat parts waiting to be cleaned up and put away......



The stuff along the far wall has to move as that's where the solvent tank will go. The wheels here will go on that project SX4, the steel wheels from that SX4 will go on the wagon, the slotted wheels from the wagon will be restored and go onto the 73 Javelin.
Solvent waiting to go into the tank when it's in place......
The 401? Who knows, maybe find another Eagle to put that in........... HAHAHA.



I need to find a good place to keep the torch, you can see the blast cabinets waiting to be cleaned up and put into place, a twin-grip to finish up, and alternator test stand. The alternator tester will likely be dismantled and reconfigured totally differently because I've found half the functionality just doesn't work. A lot of the wiring internally is bad, external leads are cracked, some of the switches and other controls don't work well, and some parts of it simply don't work. The only really necessary parts are the clamp part that holds the alternator or generator being tested and the removable unit which works standalone outside of the stand anyway. And the parts of that which get used are only the field rheostat and the load control to test max output. Otherwise an oscilloscope is one of the best tools one can use on an alternator anyway.  I can save a lot of space, cut the weight by 1/3 (it takes an engine hoist to move it) and remove all the stuff that doesn't work and make it more versatile, smaller, lighter, etc. I need space, and since half of this doesn't function, it will get revamped, reconfigured before getting put onto a better stand.
Need to find a place for the press and other stuff in the picture, too!



By the time I get all the service bulletins and other AMC books and stuff in here, this is FULL. So I had two large boxes of books and manuals I have no space for since the other book shelves (seen in picture ABOVE) won't fit along this wall now with the bigger cabinet and longer shelf rack. Hmmm, and I have 3 more 3' shelves of books coming soon from another shop, parts of their equipment I'm buying out. So, I have to revamp my office in the house and make room for an entire book shelf unit of books dating back into the late 1950s.



Ah, the other large cabinet I mounted on the wall, and a view of the SW rack/shelves. The parts on the very top will stay, the transmissions, block and heads on the bottom shelf will stay, the rest will get re-arranged. the starters on the second shelf up have already been moved to the other shelves on the south wall where the starter and alternator cores are.



Hey, I DO have some things put away on the shelves they belong on!
Transmissions, heads, a 258 block, torque converter, etc..........



This corner is where the oven used to be. No more! I want this corner OPEN, the breaker box accessible, no stuff will be stacked or stashed here. I have started to populate this rack with tubs of parts and have the Eagle headlight bezels hung up in place on the north end of the rack.
I do need to move one or more of the shelves up or down to make better use of the space but that's a minor detail.



And finally, the wall of cores.......... and the shelving to the left holds wiper motor cores (in the bins with purple handles) and things to be worked on/restored (in the numbered tubs/bins)
There's jugs of distilled water (for the plating processes), some NOS alternators (boxes on left end of high shelf) valve grinder (green) armature lathe (red), MIG (blue, in foreground), the copper pipe is my compressed air line. Note the shelving unit is on treated skids............. it's easier to get them leveled up that way. I also am using strapping to secure the very tops to the shop walls (my wife's suggestion, secure them so it's not possible for them to tip for any reason, especially on these narrower or less deep shelves as they are only 17" deep where the others are 24" deep. It made her nervous.)




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/07/2016 at 7:06am
Whooo-hoo! I made a tiny bit of progress last night - carefully negotiating the walkway from house to shop through the ice-covered ground and stepping stones and sidewalks, I did get the solvent tank moved to the west wall, casters are fully installed, and solvent in tank.
However, to protect the wall behind the tank and to keep the tank spaced a bit away from the end of the large work bench, I'm adding wood "buffers" or "bumpers" to the back of the tank (so it doesn't smack against the wall since it's on casters now and movable) and to the left end to keep it spaced from the bench so the lid doesn't get tangled under the bench top and so on.
That should be finished in another half-hour or so.
It's sure nice having the ability to clean parts again, new solvent (15 gallons, OUCH, that shot the budget for the month for sure), clean tank inside and out and I can easily move it for future cleaning of the tank and the floor under it!
I used cast casters so any solvent drips or spills wouldn't hurt them - I was unsure as to what impact months or years of solvent proximity might have on "rubber" or "hard plastic" casters. So, the caster wheels being cast gets me back to having something hard and "rustable" on the floor - I may need to find something to put UNDER the casters to keep them from eventually getting rusty and/or staining the floor, that sort of thing.
Geesh, my OCD or whatever you wanna call it sure leads to a lot of work and having to think too darned hard. My brain hurts.............  (I'm sure fans of a certain old British comedy will figure that one out)
BUT - having plans on actually using the shop a whole lot more in about 13 or 14 months, doing real work, more work, more things, I've got to get it right this time. One shot at it, it's got to be right and work for me for years to come. I've already been asked about engine work, transmission work and other things besides the electrical systems restorations. After about 30 years, I'll be getting back to what I love, what I was trained for, and what the shop teachers all said I was a natural for. (I'm bored with IT work and frankly, things are changing so much where I work, it's just not fun, it's all stress)

Having the tank finished, solvent in place, allows me to get rid of 3 5 gallon cans and the dolly they sat on, and some space in the middle of the shop to WALK and get to other stuff.

If'n anyone looks at the photos (as if anyone even really reads any of this) and has suggestions on how to store things, where to place things and so on, let me know. Just because I have something on a specific shelf or in a specific way doesn't necessarily mean I like it or feel it's ideal.
I'm not a good space planner. I can't even figure out a better way to arrange the living room in our house, must to my wife's dismay. 
Oh, heck, 27 years today!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pit crew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/07/2016 at 10:50am
Originally posted by billd billd wrote:

If'n anyone looks at the photos (as if anyone even really reads any of this) and has suggestions on how to store things, where to place things and so on, let me know.
Your right Bill, no one reads this thread.  Wink

73 Hornet - 401EFI - THM400 - Twin Grip 20
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