Is that your actual workplace, Havi? It appears you do steam turbine repairs? I used to be in the biz. Coolest place on earth: the old Allis Chalmers works in Milwaukee, an 1800's brick mega-building loaded with everything to manufacture steam turbines and generators, big city water pumps, etc.



Bob, that's for sure a great shop! I also deal with control panels (for PLC's) and have thought about salvaging some old cabinets for storage. They used to go straight to the dump.

 

BobJ I love your new shop! and those shelves are awesome, plenty deep enough for anything and everything.

Josh

 

Just a picture I plucked off the internet. Easily moved out of the way using a Ford truck and tow strap, lol.

 

You just can't beat new! Radiant heat 30 to 40 percent more efficient than forced air and no deafening roar. I just wish my shop was as clean as it was eight years ago when it was new. I am sure glad my banker still lets me use it.

 

Man you don't want to know what those things cost. You could probably buy Snap-on tools in a box that big for less. Ask Bob about what they cost.

Later Man...

 

[quote=bobj49f2;6957361]I build and install control systems for industrial machinery. The boxes you see when you go into a manufacturing plant and have all the lights that blink on and off and make the machines go up and down, in and out.



In the '80s I worked in the Controller business providing PLCs to the Auto Industry in Michigan (Spot and Seam Welding). Our manufacturing was on the West Coast but I had to travel there every month. In the winter they had this stuff called snow...... It was less than satisfactory.......

 

Not only snow, but with the added bonus of cold!!

 

Great mill Havi---Have not seen a ''collet'' mill before,and have rebuilt machine tools for 20 yrs.,and was past board of mdna.
Bought /sold/rebuilt mach.tools for same 20 yrs. and miss some aspects of ownership,but steel mills down and so much new mach tools flooding market....rebuilding got to be less feasible.
Is this your shop? I come from an old mach shop family and had 4 shops at same time.
What kind of product do you make...or are you a general mach shop?

 

I don't fab the physical enclosures myself, most are off the shelf items my vendors have. Some are custom which I have built by a small company just to the north of me.

The nice thing about this move is the new building is only four blocks from my old shop, which was really fortunate because the work load I had at the time didn't allow me a lot of time to move. Add to that that the new building wasn't finished on time, my bank loan offer was expiring. I got the offer right before everything hit the fan with all of the bank trouble and I don't think I would have be able to be approved for another loan. On top of all this we had to do all of the moving after work and on weekends in 20º, or less, temperature, windy conditions, it wasn't the most fun thing. I have to give a lot of thanks to my wife and two boys for all of their help. We all froze our butts off.

I've been fortunate also in the fact that I have been able to find locations within a few miles of my house. A funny thing I heard once on the radio was a discussion with a person who helps business's with their planning. The guy being interviewed said many times he's called in to help decide the best location for a company's new building. He said he would do all kinds of demographic studies as to where the best work force is located, where the best markets for the product of his clients are and where other helpful infrastructures are in place for the business. He said 9 times out of 10 when he has a meeting with the company's managing team and present all of his research the owner of the company will look over the data, reach for a map, take out a compass and set it for 5 miles of map and stick the point in the location of his house and make a 5 mile circle and tell the guy that's where he wants the new building to be. I believe this because most of the places I've worked for are within 5 miles of the owner's house.

Ross,

Allis-Chalmers? Man, that's a name from the past! The went out of business when I was in my mid teens. I can remember going past their plant in West Allis and seeing a sea of orange tractors. You'd never think they , like the other huge manufacturing companies in the Milwaukee area like AO Smith,would be gone, their plant covered half of the city. Now part of it is a shopping center and office complex. The other part is a Sam's Club, a health club and other miscellaneous retail businesses.

 

Congrats Bob. That looks like a lot of storage. But you know what they say... no matter how large the shop it will never be large enough. Now go buy some more parts!