Recent work and a couple of pics of the new shop

[Mark A. Kane]

It's taken 12 weeks to get up and running at 80%. Moving has been a real challenge, and I like challenges, but this one has taxed me in the extreme. If I had to do it again I'd take off a month to get things set up (and that still wouldn't be enough but it'd be better than 3 days!). I'll post more pics later but here's a sample of things currently in process.

This is a bench I've dedicated to neck removal. Take heed of that most important tool on this end of the bench.

Here are 3 of 8 in currently. I find it easier to do them in batches, step by step, though they rarely go to plan.

Who needs to waste time with all that fitting and shims when Expando-Foam does the trick:

A happy assistant:

I have everything in the shop on wheels (including me), and have moved the furniture around a lot. 

I'm able to actually go into the shop and work mainly on guitars now, but it is in no way anywhere near finished yet. Here are a few more. Maybe when it's all done I'll do a walk-through video of the shop.

[Luke Single]

Wow looks nice.

[Russell Vance]

HI mark,

That's a good looking workplace;  six months from now I'm sure you won't be able to move in it!

Well done and good luck with your enterprise.  (I will now go and clean my shop).

Rusty.

[Kerry Krishna]

It all looks amazing!  What did you end up doing for electricity for the big tools? 

[Mark A. Kane]

Funny you should ask as I just solved that puzzle. The building is wired 120/208. The 208 enables 3-phase power but there is no possibility of 240. I have a 2HP dust collector and a 2HP milling machine that both require at least 220. The motors turn at 208 but they only run at about 70-80% of their normal speed. I was advised that the motor life would be significantly shortened at 208 as well. Both motors have the capability of being rewired to 120, but the amperage requirement, of course, doubles. This was my first solution, at least with the dust collector. I installed a 30 amp dedicated circuit and ran the dust collector that way as a stop-gap, but I also have a remote switch system I couldn't use, as the remote system ONLY works at 240, rendering it useless, and forcing me to trudge all the way across to the far corner of the shop in order to turn the collector off and on. I also had to bend over each time to do it, a deal breaker and the final straw. Hmmm, what to do? The power company said I needed to hire an electrical contractor to install a large transformer to meet my needs. It was going to be a LOT of $$$, but then I happened across this:

It's a 5000 watt transformer that simply plugs into 120 and enables 240. It requires no installation and has enough capacity to run the dust collector, the mill, and the remote system at the same time. I paid $189 shipped from Bombay Electronics. Now when I need to run the dust collector, I hit the remote switch on the way in and out of the machinery room (the mill, buffer, table saw, band saw and 3 sanders all live in a large room in the back and all are connected to the dust collector; my main workbench is in a smaller room at the front of the space). The collector has time to spool up by the time I reach the machine I'm after, and when I'm finished with the task at hand, the system ducting has a couple of seconds to clear completely in the time it takes me to reach the remote to turn the system off. I'm very happy with this solution, as it was relatively inexpensive, and it saves all that walking and bending over each time I need to collect me some dust, which is about a thousand times a day.

[Len Biglin]

Wow , I envy that workshop ! My god I thought you were joking about the expando-foam , just when you think you've seen everything !

[Tim Mace]

great accomplishment(s) & pics

[Tim Mace]

the floating acoustic is aresome...btw!!

[Mark A. Kane]

That's my Fretking Anti-gravity Guitar Clamp. It will soon be available on late night TV in a commercial starring Vince, the Sham-Wow! and Slap-Chop guy, for the low low price of $19.95 (+S&H). But wait! There's more! I'll throw in an extra anti-gravity clamp, plus the Ronco Cap Snaffler and a dozen Chia Pets. But you must act now!