What a year, basement "shop" slowly coming togethor

[loosvelt]

Hey guys,

With a job promotion, new house, and baby girl all happening this year I haven't been able to creep on here as much as I would like. Plan to start getting back into the thick of things. While I have been focusing on getting my basement "shop" (almost and insult to real shops to call it one) in order and building some knives and cigar cutters, I hope to kick up some briar dust again soon.

When all you can afford is townhouse (Northern Virginia sucks) this is all the shop space I can muster! Thanks for looking!

I missed all you guys. After looking through some new posts, I realized I forgot what smart asses you all are.

-Nate

[Tyler]

Nate,

We'd love to see the pics, but the URL in the [img] tag need to link to a .jpg file. So the URL will look something like:

http://www.whatever.com/images/photo.jpg

[Leus]

The image source URL is okay, the problem is that the image is hosted in a forum that doesn't show images unless you are logged in. You should try hosting them somewhere else.

[loosvelt]

Ah, I was wondering why I could see them and no one else could.

I will try another way.

[loosvelt]

Let's try this again....



My new knife filing jig i designed, simple and works well

[imghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JzGglF9Wx-k/TubGcI0-w9I/AAAAAAAAAAU/ltrMn0WfsJk/s1600/Shop2.JPG][/img]



Metal cutting bandsaw and 2 x 42 belt grinder



Assembly bench, tools, surface plates, and a knifemakers vise



Works in progress



Most of my pipemaking gear is not shown in the pictures. I use that 1/2 motor with one of kurt's sanding disks for fine shaping, and have a self centering pen vise for drill stems.

I have two big problems with my shop, space and dust. Shop Vac with a HEPA (soon to add dust deputy) and a HEPA air cleaner works ok, but not like venting to outside.

Perfect world, I will add a small mini mill (for making folders), a 2 x 72 belt grinder, and a metal lathe (pipes and knives). I can't fit all three though, so I will have to make some hard choices.

Thanks for looking

[KurtHuhn]

Nice! You just have to want it enough, and somehow you find a way to do it.

The metal lathe is definitely a useful tool, but not as much for knives as you might think - unless you're getting into machining your own button locks and pivots. In that case, it's awesome.

The other two, however, are far more useful to a knifemaker.

[loosvelt]

Yeah Kurt I would use the lathe for pivots and standoffs for frame and liner lock folders (and pipes of course).

I am seriously thinking about taking a year in the wife's dog house for this bad boy.

http://www.twuertz.com/ TW-90 2 x 72 belt grinder......the lamborghini of belt grinders.

[KurtHuhn]

But, why get a Lamborghini when a Dodge pickup with massaged exhaust and intake is so much more thrilling?

http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/

The KMG. If you're not going to build it yourself, it's the Gold Standard.

[Alan L]

Since I've got both a KMG and a Dodge pickup with hemi, am I officially the lamborghini of rednecks?

[KurtHuhn]

Yes - my allusion exactly! My Dodge is massaged at both ends, and I built my own KMG clone. We are definitely Lamborghini Rednecks.

[loosvelt]

If the dodge could do horozontial as well as vertical then I am in. But as you can see I have a space issue. Otherwise I would just get two kmgs, be about the same price.