Tool weight is a problem in my small shop. In this picture you can see how I split my 660 lb. milling machine into two 330 lb. sections to raise and mount on a table.

The Workshop (Version 3)

I'm really excited about having a workshop I can call my own, it is part of my American Dream along with the sporty car and luxury scuba diving vacations. Like most of my endeavors, I try not to go just half way. However, there are limits to my budget and this should explain my reason for going with cheaper imports for many of my tools. As I describe the elements of my shop I will include some of my justifications and considerations that I used, plus any positive and negative experiences.

Secondary to budget, three other important restrictions have been availability, size and power.

Availability: I live in a tech corridor, with very little blue collar manufacturing. As such there are no businesses catering to metalworkers here and few quality used items go up for sale locally. Yes, I'd love to own a Bridgeport mill, but I've given up trying to find one that will suit my needs and budget.
Size: Although I have ground level access to the shop, there's no way to haul items over 800 lbs or wider than 30" into it. These constraints really limit the classes of machinery I can own. My 660 lb. milling machine was a seriously inconvenient item to move.
Power: The house has 200 amp 1-phase service. I don't fancy having converters to "generate" 3-phase power, thus I've limited my choices to 110v and 220v motors only. So far, no problem.

The Workshop (Version 3)

The Tools

More Information