Quality Shop Time

[Downeaster]

Spent the bulk of the day in the shop.

Removed, disassembled, cleaned, lubed, reassembled and reinstalled the 3 jaw chuck on the lathe. The jaw action was notchy, and the reason was apparent: beaucoup dirt, grease and chips inside the chuck. Scroll was filthy, jaw tracks were full of dried grease. All better now.

Then I made a set of soft copper jaw covers for gripping easily marred stuff like soft aluminum or brass.

Third project was to make a new set of jaw inserts for the ancient Craftsman 5" vise that came with the welding table I bought off Craigslist 3-4 years ago. Been gonna do that for a while, just never got a round tuit. Original inserts were hardened (file just skidded off them...) but it had been used for welding and beating on stuff so they were all beat to shit and the screws holding them to the vise jaws were worn out or plumb missing. Cut new ones to rough size out of scrap mild steel then milled them to finish size and drilled the mounting holes. Just waiting for some screws from McMaster-Carr to mount them.

I think tomorrow's project will be to put the new horn in the Corvette. I don't believe the wimpy "meep-meep" horn that it has now is original, probably got replaced by the wrong horn. Downright embarrassing sound. Makes a VW Beetle sound macho...

Depending on how that goes, next project will be to pull the driver's seat out so I can remove the doorsill kick panel and lube/free up the E-brake handle.

 

[olewahrhorse]

Spent the bulk of the day in the shop.

Removed, disassembled, cleaned, lubed, reassembled and reinstalled the 3 jaw chuck on the lathe. The jaw action was notchy, and the reason was apparent: beaucoup dirt, grease and chips inside the chuck. Scroll was filthy, jaw tracks were full of dried grease. All better now.

Then I made a set of soft copper jaw covers for gripping easily marred stuff like soft aluminum or brass.

Third project was to make a new set of jaw inserts for the ancient Craftsman 5" vise that came with the welding table I bought off Craigslist 3-4 years ago. Been gonna do that for a while, just never got a round tuit. Original inserts were hardened (file just skidded off them...) but it had been used for welding and beating on stuff so they were all beat to shit and the screws holding them to the vise jaws were worn out or plumb missing. Cut new ones to rough size out of scrap mild steel then milled them to finish size and drilled the mounting holes. Just waiting for some screws from McMaster-Carr to mount them.

I think tomorrow's project will be to put the new horn in the Corvette. I don't believe the wimpy "meep-meep" horn that it has now is original, probably got replaced by the wrong horn. Downright embarrassing sound. Makes a VW Beetle sound macho...

Depending on how that goes, next project will be to pull the driver's seat out so I can remove the doorsill kick panel and lube/free up the E-brake handle.

My shop needs a good cleaning too. Do you do windows? What year's the corvette? Pics?

 

[Downeaster]

My shop needs a good cleaning too. Do you do windows? What year's the corvette? Pics?

I purposely eliminated windows in the shop for two reasons: Easier to heat, keeps snoopy people at bay.

Vette is a 1990 C4, 6 speed. Not a powerhouse, but fun to drive.

 

[Downeaster]

BTW, @ 23° in an unheated garage, the "replace the horn" project is on hold...

 

[gggGary]

Just tossing this in here.
Installed a 220V unit heater.

it's got 3 wattages selectable by a switch.
I kludged it onto my existing 220 circuit that runs the lathe and Mill. THAT circuit is already a kludge. I've got a not being used 30A 220 circuit for the Prius charger. Guess I gotta get extended over by the heater. With garages all sheetrock/painted, adding wiring not so fun/pretty. But it was very nice working on the Buell Uly oil starvation problem last night in some warmth even with near zero outside temps. Shop started at 45F but was up to near 60F after an hour. Doors to wood stove open, fan on also,
Bonus: MIGHT have seen the smoking gun on the oil pressure issue last night, more sleuthing today.

 

[Downeaster]

Just FYI, full soft copper is a pain in the ass to machine. No fun to thread either...

 

[bosco659]

Just tossing this in here.
Installed a 220V unit heater.
View attachment 340940
it's got 3 wattages selectable by a switch.
I kludged it onto my existing 220 circuit that runs the lathe and Mill. THAT circuit is already a kludge. I've got a not being used 30A 220 circuit for the Prius charger. Guess I gotta get extended over by the heater. With garages all sheetrock/painted, adding wiring not so fun/pretty. But it was very nice working on the Buell Uly oil starvation problem last night in some warmth even with near zero outside temps. Shop started at 45F but was up to near 60F after an hour. Doors to wood stove open, fan on also,
Bonus: MIGHT have seen the smoking gun on the oil pressure issue last night, more sleuthing today.

I wanted a heater like that in the garage but I only have 30A @220V. Iirc the heater I was looking at needed a 40A breaker.

 

[gggGary]

I wanted a heater like that in the garage but I only have 30A @220V. Iirc the heater I was looking at needed a 40A breaker.

This one has three watt settings 3000, 4000, 5000. Currently ;^) holding in on a 20A 220 breaker on the 4000 watt setting.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKN19D5W?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Need to get it wired over to the 30 amp circuit for peace of mind. OR I could make toast on the current 12 gauge wires?
Got shanghaied into doing the front brakes on the neighbors old Virago. It made it up the hill and into the garage but the brake was dragging pretty bad.
Oil pressure fix on the Buell Uly seems to be a failure, It went back in the shed while I lick my wounds and decide on the next course of action.

 

[bosco659]

Iirc my wall heater is 4000W. I run it on a 20A breaker with 12GA wire. Even with sustained use, the wiring doesn’t get warm at all. The heater I was thinking about was maybe 8,000W? I’ve tried those toaster sized 5,000W construction heaters and the output was disappointing (I think it’s a fan speed issue). The wall heater I use has a really good fan in it and blows the air around well. It was a heater we used at the cottage before installing a mini split, so it’s getting long in the tooth. As back up I found a new replacement in the local buy and sell and it’s ready to go in if this one dies. I’m fortunate to have found a wifi, digital thermostat that directly switches up to 20A current without extra relays or electronics. This heater with diesel heat plus two overhead infrared heaters (if needed) keeps me toasty warm even in the coldest weather.

 

[olewahrhorse]

Just tossing this in here.
Installed a 220V unit heater.
View attachment 340940
it's got 3 wattages selectable by a switch.
I kludged it onto my existing 220 circuit that runs the lathe and Mill. THAT circuit is already a kludge. I've got a not being used 30A 220 circuit for the Prius charger. Guess I gotta get extended over by the heater. With garages all sheetrock/painted, adding wiring not so fun/pretty. But it was very nice working on the Buell Uly oil starvation problem last night in some warmth even with near zero outside temps. Shop started at 45F but was up to near 60F after an hour. Doors to wood stove open, fan on also,
Bonus: MIGHT have seen the smoking gun on the oil pressure issue last night, more sleuthing today.

Good luck on the Buell...I have a Buell 1125cr myself...Just waiting for all the known headaches to kick in!

 

[olewahrhorse]

I purposely eliminated windows in the shop for two reasons: Easier to heat, keeps snoopy people at bay.

View attachment 340935

Vette is a 1990 C4, 6 speed. Not a powerhouse, but fun to drive.

Nice...I'd like two more speeds and AC for myself...