The machine shop is the 3rd largest committee with ~900 square feet, the soon to be new chair @Photomancer had some good ideas for machine shop layout that I thought I would try to draw up, any thoughts on this drawing?
The main idea being remove forklift, hast, all the current stuff behind the HAAS, and put the equipment shelves(24" deep) that currently back up to the pillar to be where the plastic table and aluminum chop saw is currently located (between haas and hatchers door). Additionally everything else behind the HAAS would be removed (there is 4 feet from haas to wall, could potentially put some of the bolt drawers(18" deep) there instead of current table of scraps). With all the storage up against the wall might also consider rotating the work bench so that its short side is up against the pillar, something like:
Current layout:
I like the idea of putting the less accessed stuff behind the HAAS. My only concern is the drillpress interfering with lathe operation. Maybe switch the drillpress and the table on the far bottom right?
I completely understand the issue of not wanting people to pass through the shop, but way too often the traffic lane in front of the project storage has people, projects, and a ladder in it, making passage through a near impossibility. It may behoove us to have a dedicated passageway through the middle of the shop.
Would it be possible to have a walkway that doesn’t pass within 4 feet of any tool? Might be easier to rotate project pallet storage and make walkway in front of project storage a couple feet wider.
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Yeah, nearly anything to alleviate the lane there would probably help some. What needs to happen just as much is that we need to be vigilant in telling people that it’s not ok to mull around in the walkway, nor let their projects impede into that area.
there is such an open space between the tables and hallway that no sign is going to work. It is just a natural open walkway then. Why not shift the center two tables plus toolbox to the right forming a non-trump wall. That opens the center for us while still leaving two entrances/exits and keeps people from just walking in.
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If the two lathes will be sharing tooling, then it would be nice to have them both close to any tooling or tool boxes that would be common. Right now that’s how the Haas and Bridgeport are located.
I would be concerned about this suggestion. I can’t tell you the number of times I have shoo’ed people out of the machine shop who have waltzed on through there in flip flops, without safety glasses, while hot chips are being flung around. People don’t seem to understand that they don’t need to be the ones operating a machine in order to be injured by it.
I can’t tell exactly what else goes into the layout, but what about putting lathe 2 where “granite and drill press” are shown, and put granite and drill press against the south border? This would fit with the suggestion of @nicksilva to make the area less of a convenient thoroughfare while still retaining safe access/egress for machine shop users.
There is little tooling that could be shared.
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Brandon some things for the updating the proposed reorganization, until some things are actually sold we can’t start doing some things:
- We will end up with one lathe, the larger one, not two. Once the “new” lathe is operable the old Colchester will disappear.
- Once we get the Cold cut saw operational (when that occurs) Metal Shop will accept the Vertical Band saw, not until then. So that will disappear. @dallasmagna Is this still a correct statement
- Where is the Pantograph?
Along the wall will be cleared and the tall metal cabinets will be moved to that wall and go as far as they can until they reach the end of the HAAS - when I measured today it worked.
The cabinets with all the fasteners will be behind the HAAS. Their width and the distance to the back of the HAAS at the air intake (narrowest point) when I measured, was almost exactly 36" which is the minimum we can have, we will need to remeasure to be very sure. It might mean changing the handles, it is that close. Above those cabinets, I’d like to put in about an 8" cabinet shadow board for certain tools. This will use the space and eliminate a surface for people throw junk onto.
The Tool box with all the HAAS tools needs to be next to HAAS, pretty much where it is. It allows the operator quick access to the tools and provides a surface to set them on while working.
The granite table should be moved all the across to the other side people don’t place tools etc. on top of cover. The plate needs to be accessible that an open area.
Cold saw needs to have at less 8’ of clearance to one side of it and probably at least 4’ on the other so when long stock is put into there is room for metal sticking out. So if a 10’ foot is put in saw there is clearance a 2’ and 8’ piece can be put be protruding. If a 10’ is cut into two 5’ x 5’ there will be room on both sides. This will probably be easier once the vertical band saw is gone and that heavy table moved down just a it.
This is a good starting point for ideas and I’ll schedule another Machine Shop Committee so in early December so we can get everyone’s buy-in. DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY if you decide to actually start doing things in advance without me approving it first.
Thank you.
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Can’t we keep them both? Along the lines of the “manual machines are easier to use” discussion in the meeting last week. There are some times when I’ve arrived and both the Bridgeport and the Colchester were in use. I can understand if we just don’t have the room, but with the order picker gone, it seems like we might have space for it.
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As I stated at the meeting, I will rely on the committee to see what it wants to keep both or get rid of it as originally planned.
Some other considerarions are power drops for etc machines. Not just cost of drop but will electrical panel support it.
It does have a number of chucks new lathe does not.
Just as a point of clarification, I meant the middle of the entire workshop, not the metal shop necessarily. It’s definately a desire path, so fighting it vs working toward a mutually beneficial goal to all is what I’m advocating.
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To get a better visual I moved some of the stuff from behind the haas onto a pallet, it was mainly aluminum sheets and some scraps
Everything is on the pallet, I can move it back to behind haas if that would be helpful
2 of the 55 gallons drums were empty, 1 was partly fully of scraps, 2 blue ones were labelled propylene glycol and mostly full, the black drum is full and unlabelled
This is what is in the two cabinets, it would be good for committee to have some kind of metric of what to keep vs what to try and sell when starting to go through the cabinets in the future
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The blue barrels are on-hand for aluminum/metal chips generated from machining. Also the collection of spent coolant.
As to reorganizing the cabinets, as what needs to be done with what will have to be done with some caution. Bryan informed me parts for the cold-cut saw and “new” lathe are in the cabinet.
I scheduled two meetings on the 1st and 8th so as many Machine Shop members can have their say and input as to what they’d like to keep and the layout. If before that, (hopefully this week) there is a cart and several people, at least three, we can move the cabinet (when empty) with the chucks, indexers, and rotary table over against the wall. But these tools need to be stored in cabinets not shelves. Labels or even laminated photos can be placed on the door so show what is inside.
Thanks for clearing that area. I’ve been out of state this week.
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Got the shelves moved over, most things that were in shelves are on tables and still need to go back in shelves, there is lots of organizing to do
It is possible to get new gantry to above Bridgeport, but not easily
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Brandon got to use his new Gantry … very happy fellow!
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Why is the parts washer missing the lower panel?
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Had to slide it over a foot to get gantry in, it consists of a 55 gallon drum and the plastic unit itself, so you have to slide both at same time to move it without disconnecting anything
It’s just slightly to the right in the picture.
There will be only one lathe. Once the the “new” one is operational the other gets sold.
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