Shop improvements that have changed your life

patooyee · May 26, 2015

Beerj said:
Completely serious question, what's the difference between that and just running a metal blade in a regular circular saw?

A regular circular saw will spin about double the rpm. This one also collects the shavings as it cuts.

grcthird · May 26, 2015

Beerj said:
Completely serious question, what's the difference between that and just running a metal blade in a regular circular saw?

On big difference is the guard that catches all the metal instead of it hitting you in the face. Also rpms are 3700 instead of 5000 on most 7 1/4 saws. This saw uses a blade with teeth, not an abrasive blade. And yes aluminum is fine to cut with it. :dblthumb:

onepieceatatime · May 26, 2015

Re: Re: Shop improvements that have changed your life

grcthird said:
On big difference is the guard that catches all the metal instead of it hitting you in the face. Also rpms are 3700 instead of 5000 on most 7 1/4 saws. This saw uses a blade with teeth, not an abrasive blade. And yes aluminum is fine to cut with it.

We used to have to replace ours about once a year because we would use them so much that we would wear a hole in the guard that collects the shavings and they would start shooting up at your face. We used them A LOT though. And we never cut AR with them either. We didn't do a whole lot of AR but when we did we had to break out the torch. Make sure you have good hearing protection when you use them because they're fawking loud!

Beerj · May 26, 2015

al1tonyota said:
From the looks the full cover over the blade? Speed is the same and has depth adjustment.

patooyee said:
A regular circular saw will spin about double the rpm. This one also collects the shavings as it cuts.

grcthird said:
On big difference is the guard that catches all the metal instead of it hitting you in the face. Also rpms are 3700 instead of 5000 on most 7 1/4 saws. This saw uses a blade with teeth, not an abrasive blade. And yes aluminum is fine to cut with it.

I could see that. I just run an abrasive blade in mine. Makes a hell of a mess and is loud but man, it cuts fast. The guard gets really hot though.

sandw · May 26, 2015

x2 on the metabo

smurfy90 · May 26, 2015

85toyo said:
A really big Port-A-Cool. Best thing in the shop.

I have often thought about doing cool cells like its in my chicken houses. water trickles down over a wax cardboard grid and the fans at other end pulls a cool breeze.

http://www.reevessupply.com/

blacksheep10 · May 26, 2015

For the light question I have T5 4 lamp high bays, 2 lamp T5 HO under my mezzanine, and and am getting LED to fill in spots from here:
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/4ft-led-shoplight-shoplight-led/prod16460030.ip

customcj7 · May 26, 2015

blacksheep10 said:
For the light question I have T5 4 lamp high bays, 2 lamp T5 HO under my mezzanine, and and am getting LED to fill in spots from here:
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/4ft-led-shoplight-shoplight-led/prod16460030.ip

Another vote for the T-5 High bays with 4 bulbs. I have 4 in my 30x40, all in one line across the 40' span. They light it up like you can't imagine. They are plenty. I've only ever needed more light when I'm way up in the underbelly or deep into the engine bay.

Another thing for shops: Heated floors. Before putting in concrete, invest in the pex and run it throughout your floor. Mine does NOT have that, and I a buddies does. I went to his shop when it was freezing, and it was great. His costs for keeping it heated are so much lower than mine, and mine is better insulated. I can deal with hot as balls as long as I have a fan blowing, but when it's so damn cold you can't move your hands, screw that.

jordan7118 · May 26, 2015

customcj7 said:
Another vote for the T-5 High bays with 4 bulbs. I have 4 in my 30x40, all in one line across the 40' span. They light it up like you can't imagine. They are plenty. I've only ever needed more light when I'm way up in the underbelly or deep into the engine bay.

Another thing for shops: Heated floors. Before putting in concrete, invest in the pex and run it throughout your floor. Mine does NOT have that, and I a buddies does. I went to his shop when it was freezing, and it was great. His costs for keeping it heated are so much lower than mine, and mine is better insulated. I can deal with hot as balls as long as I have a fan blowing, but when it's so damn cold you can't move your hands, screw that.

Does he heat his shop only through in-floor radiant heating? Or he has an additional source of heat?

rajincajingt · May 26, 2015

blacksheep10 said:
When I got my 2 post lift, also life altering.

this,

i have also seen the light (pun intended) and will install lights int he floor under the 2 post lift facing up... incredible.

jccarter1 · May 26, 2015

customcj7 said:
Another thing for shops: Heated floors. Before putting in concrete, invest in the pex and run it throughout your floor. Mine does NOT have that, and I a buddies does. I went to his shop when it was freezing, and it was great. His costs for keeping it heated are so much lower than mine, and mine is better insulated. I can deal with hot as balls as long as I have a fan blowing, but when it's so damn cold you can't move your hands, screw that.

Radiant heat in the floors is the best thing you can do it is cheap to keep a shop feeling great also it is coming from the concrete so it is just fills the shop with a warm heat without any noise or fans and you never have to lay on a freezing concrete floor

grcthird · May 26, 2015

I doubt most of you would want to spend the money on it, but a floor scrubber zamboni machine is so nice to clean up a dirty floor with. Ran over both my bays at work in 10 minutes this morning and they were nasty.

Chuck19 · May 26, 2015

Two post lift with out a doubt was the best investment I have made beside my shop! :dblthumb:

TBItoy · May 26, 2015

Re:

Pallet racking to get stuff up off the floor

patooyee · May 26, 2015

Re:

TBItoy said:
Pallet racking to get stuff up off the floor

I have two 2-post lifts and most everything everyone has already listed. But without a doubt, the single best investment /.tool I have ever purchased was my fork-lift. I would sooner go without any other item in my shop than my fork lift. It is a lift, a mobile work bench, a back saver, a ladder, a trailer-parker, anchor-point, and a million other things I can't even think of at the moment.

TBItoy · May 26, 2015

Re:

patooyee said:
I have two 2-post lifts and most everything everyone has already listed. But without a doubt, the single best investment /.tool I have ever purchased was my fork-lift. I would sooner go without any other item in my shop than my fork lift. It is a lift, a mobile work bench, a back saver, a ladder, a trailer-parker, anchor-point, and a million other things I can't even think of at the moment.

we have 2 of this style at work (stand up, warehouse style) they will lift 3500lb and sideshift, tilt, and extend (awesome feature).

when I build a shop big enough to warrant, I'll have one also.

jccarter1 · May 26, 2015

I don't know if it is really a shop improvement but I lathe is something that is wonderful to have in a shop I use it all the time I have a mill as well but I just don't find my self using it as much as I thought but the lathe is so handy

al1tonyota · May 26, 2015

jccarter1 said:
I don't know if it is really a shop improvement but I lathe is something that is wonderful to have in a shop I use it all the time I have a mill as well but I just don't find my self using it as much as I thought but the lathe is so handy

I'm not even gonna lie lathes scare the **** out of me!

joho75287 · May 27, 2015

+1 on decent 18V battery 1/2" and 1/4" impacts. Worth their weight in gold. I don't even use my compressor anymore except to air up tires.
I put T5 lights in my shop when I moved in...nice and bright!!
Shop fridge was also an awesome craigsbay $200 investment...debatable if it helps or hurts productivity :drinkers:

customcj7 · Jun 1, 2015

jordan7118 said:
Does he heat his shop only through in-floor radiant heating? Or he has an additional source of heat?

Actually he has a smallish heating unit with a heating coil and fan for direct heat when it gets really cold, but he only uses that when in the shop for safety. But if you go in his shop in winter, in full clothing and start wrenching, you will roll up your sleeves. And it's so nice getting on the floor and not freezing your backside solid laying on it.