Nice big shop! hope you fill it with fine tools fine wood work and fine cars.

Here's a tool scare story for you and Mike.Back in the sixties till mid seventies I was half owner of a machine shop. We had a contract to sharpen cutting tools for the Goodyear conveyer Belt plant in Marysville Ohio.The plant manager told my partener (he had worked there at one time) that the contract for the wooden spools that all their belts were shipped on was up for bid. We bid and got the contract which was a big contract.

We took in a third person built a pole building on his small farm and started buying industrial wood working equiptment.One tool we bought at auction was a very old five station sticker with a cabnet full of moulding cutters. As it was so old that it was flat belt driven we converted it to seperate 3 phase ele. motors for the three stations we needed and the power feed.

The spools were built from yellow pine 2x8's radiused at one edge each with a tounge and gruve so when four were air nailed together the spool had rounded coners and a square hole in the center for the belt winder shaft to fit into.

We machined cutters out of high speed steel and went into production (We bought Southern Yellow pine by the train car load).Yellow pine which the contract called for is hell on tools and we found that buy speeding up the cutters we got a better cut and they stayed sharp longer. The problem was that this old stricker was not made for the rough use we were giving it and would throw cutters! a pound of sharp tool steel coming off at high RPM's is no joke they went through the metal siding of the building like it was paper and we would find them a hundred yards out in the field.At the time being young we paid it little mind as it was a very strong money maker and we stayed out of the path of the flying tools which pretty much went in one direction...........

William Rogers.......

William,

Great story. I was afraid that it was leading to a tragic ending. A large high speed shaper is an intimidating machine. I have an ancient, cast iron, 1/2" shaper. You can't get too many cutters for it any more, except if they have small enough outside diameter, you can use a bushing.

I got all the 1/2" cutter shapes I could find before they completely give up on making them. Between it and a router I make do.

I got the framework of a heavy workbench finished and in place last night. I have some old pallet planks that are five quarter Oak and in pretty decent shape. I started resawing to 1" last night. Once they are all resawn, I will then run the clean edge through the surface planer and then groove the edges for a spline. I expect this to make a really sturdy bench top. I expect it will look pretty nice too.

Have a great day,

VOILA!!!!!!!!! I have an OPERATIONAL TWO POST LIFT!!!!!!!

I hope to get a picture tonight before going to the dinner tomorrow night.

Now I have to get all my tools and equipment out there. That is a large job since I have no help.

My tool box goes first, then my workbench cabinet, then the wheel balancer, tire machine and recovery machines. The air compressor is there and wired.

I hope I don't pee in my pants I'm so excited.

Have a great day,

I was going to say, "where's the pics??!!"

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1995 E320 smoke silver / parchment

First let me say that I've always respected your 'down to earth' replies and comments since I've belonged to this great forum...thanks. I also turned 55 this year and I can fully empathize with your "creeper mentality". I have pretty much relegated most repairs to others, but if I had a shop like yours I would get back into the DIY for sure!! I just wish I had that much room to garage all three of my Benz's at once (alas, one of them is rotated outside on a schedule. I'm not sure where you are in Texas, but in neighboring New Mexico I know how important it is to keeps these cars out of the sun....I'm jealeous. And a lift too...damn!!

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1996 SL320 97K miles
1996 C220 130k miles
1992 500SEL 170k miles <---sold
1986 300E 216k miles <---sold

I'm in far NorthEast Texas, but it's still hot enough to be murder on a car that is left outside.

Have a great day,

Was just talking to a fellow that restores MG's about 2 and 4 post home shop lifts . He said was wise to do some research and to stay away from the real cheapies.

Had a friend in FL that had the old gas station type lift in his shop he also had a big lathe a bridgeport ,plasma cutter you name he had it.I went to his shop one day and he was spraying two part auto paint without a reperator or any protective clothing so I doubt he is still on the planet.......

William Rogers.........

He is probably not on the planet in one way or another. I've known a few auto painters over the years that went nuts from the fumes. Sort of a drug addict, or glue sniffer. They definitely end up in outer space.

Yes, there are some lifts out there to stay away from. There are several that are really cheaply made overseas and they imply they are USA made. This has driven down the prices for all of them. Mine was sold by AmericasPrideOnline, but is made by Gemini in Fort Worth, Texas. I've been by their plant.

It is their low end model, but plenty strong and good enough for my purposes. It is rated at 9,000 pounds and I expect the heaviest thing I will ever put on it will my 4WD Ford pickup that weighs about 5,000.

The support and people behind the unit are really great too. I don't recommend companies or products unless I really believe in them and they treat me right. These people AND their products really earned my recommendation.

Have a great day,

These pictures are from my camera phone so the quality isn't very good, and please excuse the "construction clutter."

Have a great day,

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It's now time to start moving my tools and other equipment. I have to go out of town this week, so I hope I can at least get my tool chest moved over next weekend.

Heres's a shot with the car all the way up. I wish it had about 2 more inches of lift. If I were about 5' 10" I would not have to stoop. There are places underneath right now where I have to stoop.

I got a tall fuel drain and a transmission jack on Friday while on the way to the Dinner.

Have a great day,

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Very cool Larry. I knew I should have taken the time to swing up to the house for a visit today. When I passed through Sulpher Springs I almost called the house to get directions. I spent the morning with Greg and Randy out at Greg's place in Elgin where Greg and I watched Randy work on his parts car . Maybe my next trip to the Great State will afford me enough time to get out to your place.

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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

I'm bumping this thread because someone wanted pictures of my lift. I tried posting them, but the system refused, saying that they were already posted in this thread.

Since I'm here, I guess an update on the shop some five years later would be appropriate.

It is now pretty stuffed. I've built lots of shelves, piped air drops with black pipe, added a sixty gallon compressor to my old 30 gallon compressor with both feeding the air plumbing system. This gives me adequate volume for painting.

I've added another work bench. I've added a MIG welder and built a large cart for it and my stick welder. I've also added a bead blasting box and built a welding table.

The woodworking tools are pretty much in place, but I have a 78 Ford, Short Bed 4X4 truck apart for restoration. My wife and I bought it new and she wants it done. This is taking up the wood shop for parts storage, so I hope I can get this project done and get the whole shop back in usable condition again.

I try to keep the lift accessible so that it is always ready for maintenance and emergency repairs.