# Show off your shop built machines



## sprucegum (Feb 5, 2016)

Because I am cheap and have limited resources I have over the years put together quite a few pieces of machinery , mostly from junk that I had on hand. Some have been dismal failures others I use all the time and would hate to give up. I thought it would be fun to show off some of my contraptions and to see things others have built. I will get out to the shop later today and take a picture of something and post it and I hope to see some pictures of what others have done. Not talking about chisels, mallets, and such. Those are all nice and take skill to produce but I would like to see moving parts.


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## Sprung (Feb 5, 2016)

This could be a fun one to watch - subscribed! I've been planning to build a drum sander for a few years now. This might actually be the year I get to start on it - I hope.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Feb 5, 2016)



Reactions: Agree 1


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## sprucegum (Feb 5, 2016)

Here is my lathe that I put together in 1989 or 90 maybe both since winter is the shop season. It is made from ash timbers, to old drill press heads from the local scrap yard and a motor and pulleys from who knows where. Not real accurate or smooth running but it will turn close to 6' between centers. I don't use it much since I got my little Nova middi but I have turned peppermills tool handles and even a pair if knitting needles on it. Doubt that I spent more than $50 in money on it, wasted plenty of time on it.

Reactions: Way Cool 9


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## justallan (Feb 5, 2016)

I'll be watching this one.


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## sprucegum (Feb 5, 2016)

justallan said:


> I'll be watching this one.


Don't just watch show off your inventions.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## justallan (Feb 5, 2016)

I've seen that darned bowling alley buffing machine pretty near every time I go out in the shop and it's not changed the least bit.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## sprucegum (Feb 5, 2016)

I have 4 more if you count my apple grinder made from a Furnace blower.

Reactions: Like 1


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## sprucegum (Feb 7, 2016)

Am I like the only cheapskate tinkerer here?


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## justallan (Feb 7, 2016)

Not at all, Dave.
My problem is that I get half done with things and get side-tracked. I have most of a sand blasting cabinet finished, I'm building a tow behind bush hog because my 4-wheeler has a nicer ride than my riding mower, I've just about got the parts I need for a 4' wide slabber mill, and on and on.
When I worked for the paintball gun shop part of my job was building idiot proof jigs for doing 2nd and 3rd ops on parts that we produced on the CNC's and other automated machines.
Now if I were to win the lottery......................................................

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Tony (Feb 7, 2016)

Dave. Very good idea for a thread!! I don't have anything that I built, but it's not because I am not cheap. I have very little time to spend in the Shop so what I do get I spend trying to make things, not tools. I would prefer to, one of the things I've wanted to build for years was a trendle lathe. At some point I guess..... I've always admired people that do build their own tools, I'll be watching this with pleasure. Tony

Reactions: Like 1


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## sprucegum (Feb 7, 2016)

Tony said:


> Dave. Very good idea for a thread!! I don't have anything that I built, but it's not because I am not cheap. I have very little time to spend in the Shop so what I do get I spend trying to make things, not tools. I would prefer to, one of the things I've wanted to build for years was a trendle lathe. At some point I guess..... I've always admired people that do build their own tools, I'll be watching this with pleasure. Tony


Sometimes I feel like I spend more time making jigs and tools than I do on real woodworking. I started doing it out of necessity and just never stopped. I just built a steady rest for my lathe. I could have gone online and ordered one but I looked around the shop and found enough stuff to build one without making a trip to the hardware store. Usually when one of my power tools dies I strip it for parts before tossing it. Cords, switches, bearings, and such come in handy.


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## justallan (Feb 7, 2016)

Now THAT is something that I do. I'm very guilty of not tossing stuff out before I get it torn apart. Just from trips to the local dump I have boxes upon boxes of brand new parts that range from plumbing and electrical hardware to power tools, air tools, ETC.
We have several junkyards on the ranch I work for and more times than not I can find the parts or materials to fix our trucks and tractors rather than buying new stuff every time.
Generally my co-workers just stay out of the way because they have realized that it's useless to argue with me after I say I can fix something and they've learned that I generally can and do what I say.
One of my past co-workers once somehow knocked the fuel filter/water separator of his tractor, wrecking the crap out of the inlet, outlet, and both bowls seats, everything aluminum. I had to use my mig welder (before I got my spoolgun) and build everything back up, seal cracks and then go about re-milling new seats, drilling inlet and outlet ports, tapping the ports, ETC.
That thing was on the tractor the next day and ran perfect. I laughed because they used the tractor for a few weeks without the boss even knowing and he'd ordered one.
I think stuff like that is the only reason I still have a job.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 2


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## Tony (Feb 7, 2016)

I do that as well. I've got piles, boxes and stacks of parts from old machines. I'll repair things all the time, I just don't build stuff from the ground up.


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## sprucegum (Feb 7, 2016)

justallan said:


> Now THAT is something that I do. I'm very guilty of not tossing stuff out before I get it torn apart. Just from trips to the local dump I have boxes upon boxes of brand new parts that range from plumbing and electrical hardware to power tools, air tools, ETC.
> We have several junkyards on the ranch I work for and more times than not I can find the parts or materials to fix our trucks and tractors rather than buying new stuff every time.
> Generally my co-workers just stay out of the way because they have realized that it's useless to argue with me after I say I can fix something and they've learned that I generally can and do what I say.
> One of my past co-workers once somehow knocked the fuel filter/water separator of his tractor, wrecking the crap out of the inlet, outlet, and both bowls seats, everything aluminum. I had to use my mig welder (before I got my spoolgun) and build everything back up, seal cracks and then go about re-milling new seats, drilling inlet and outlet ports, tapping the ports, ETC.
> ...



Around here a farmer that can't wire stuff together it get by till the new parts come may as well throw in the towel, I'm sure ranching is no different.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Dennis Ford (Feb 7, 2016)

This is a great thread for me, I love to build things.
I will start with my lathe:


 
This is the band sharpener I made for my sawmill blades:


 
This is my homemade sawmill cutting its first real log:

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 9


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## woodtickgreg (Feb 7, 2016)

Dennis! All of that stuff is very cool! Way to go brother.


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## sprucegum (Feb 8, 2016)

now that is some cool stuff


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## sprucegum (Feb 8, 2016)

Dennis Ford said:


> This is a great thread for me, I love to build things.
> I will start with my lathe:
> View attachment 96808
> This is the band sharpener I made for my sawmill blades:
> ...


That lathe is a beast, is it all fabricated or did you use some salvage stuff? The threaded rod on the tailstock is a great idea. Motor looks undersized though can't be over 5 hp

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Dennis Ford (Feb 8, 2016)

The motor is not as powerful as it looks; rated at only 1.5 hp 1160 rpm but it does have a 1.15 service factor. It is a strong motor and I have not been able to get it more than barely warm with an VFD rated for 2 hp. 
The lathe is all fabricated, some of the steel was salvaged. The threaded rod on tail-stock is 1/2" 10 tpi acme threads.


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## sprucegum (Feb 8, 2016)

Dennis Ford said:


> The motor is not as powerful as it looks; rated at only 1.5 hp 1160 rpm but it does have a 1.15 service factor. It is a strong motor and I have not been able to get it more than barely warm with an VFD rated for 2 hp.
> The lathe is all fabricated, some of the steel was salvaged. The threaded rod on tail-stock is 1/2" 10 tpi acme threads.


Motor looked bigger than that, 1160 rpm I thing would be a good speed for a step pulley speed control. I have a 1725 on mine and the high speed is pretty fast for most stuff and the low speed would be better if it were a little slower. Blade sharpener is great must have taken a while to get that cam just rite. The mill looks like a great job also, I came close to buying a Turner mill that uses car tires for band wheels like yours. People that have them like them, supposed to get longer blade life, I guess because the wheels are large and they tend to run cooler.


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