What's in a pro's shop?

[X child]

While most of us won't be pro modders and maybe we won't make our cases from scratch. I'm curious what some of the pros have in their arsonal of tools?

[ZeD]

While most of us won't be pro modders and maybe we won't make our cases from scratch. I'm curious what some of the pros have in their arsonal of tools?

Drill Press
Band Saw
Table Saw
Scroll Saw (The only good Dremel)
Bench Grinder (Buffer)
Paasche paint gun
Foredom shaft tool
Microtorque rotary tool

Plus hand tools
Drills, lots
Jigsaw
Orbital sander
Heatgun
tap and die set

Also good to have
Bending brake
powder coating equipment
anodizing equipment

e.t.c.
Clamps
t-square
straight edge
hole saws
large drill bit set
polishing compounds

I know Im forgetting alot but thats the gist of what a good shop should have in its arsenal

[X child]

Basically what I figured but I had to ask just to be sure, plus there's stuff there that I don't have a clue what it does. :) Really been thinking about getting a drill press and band saw. A bending brake would be really awsome, you could make some insane shapes with that thing.

[ZeD]

as long as those shapes are composed of bends

[JesDer]

While most of us won't be pro modders and maybe we won't make our cases from scratch.

You can make scratch cases without a lot of tools. It just makes things a little harder.


Scroll Saw .. the only good Dremel ?!? :P Nothing can replace my Dremels !! .. ok .. so my scroll saw is also made by Dremel.

[X child]

I just wanted to see what would make it easier. ;) My present case is scratch built, although I did steal the 5 1/4, 3 1/2 drive cages and the piece from the back that the motherboard attaches too and the cards are screwed into. I originally had planned to make everything but I got lazy and short on time so I started hacking into my old case. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll get some pictures up. Once I get my switch panel made and the PSU in I'll post some.

[X child]

as long as those shapes are composed of bends


Isn't that what a bending brake is for?

[JesDer]

Isn't that what a bending brake is for?

Yes ... But I think Zed thought you wanted to make nice curves. That is not what brakes are for.

[Malatory]

For small sheet metal break you can make it yourself (isn't that what we really wanted to do anyways).

http://how-to-plans.com/shop_equipment.html

[ZeD]

I just wanted to see what would make it easier. ;) My present case is scratch built, although I did steal the 5 1/4, 3 1/2 drive cages and the piece from the back that the motherboard attaches too and the cards are screwed into. I originally had planned to make everything but I got lazy and short on time so I started hacking into my old case. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll get some pictures up. Once I get my switch panel made and the PSU in I'll post some.
Just because you used some parts from your old case doesnt make it any less of a custom build, show it off, lets see the pics


For small sheet metal break you can make it yourself (isn't that what we really wanted to do anyways).

http://how-to-plans.com/shop_equipment.html
Thats great, too bad ya need welding equipment to make what you could have bought for less than the welding equipment it would have taken to make it in the first place. On a side note I hate buying plans online, the plans are NEVER the same as the picture your looking at, and you only find out how much you don't really like it after you pay for it. totally sucks

[X child]

Isn't that what a bending brake is for?

Guess I can update the things on Zed's list I don't know what they are. LOL!

I'll get some picks up directly, just got back from the beach today so hopefully this week I'll get my new PSU in and get some pics up. Cable management is horrible right now.

[ZeD]

Yes ... But I think Zed thought you wanted to make nice curves. That is not what brakes are for.
Bingo

[Guttenaffe]

Add an English Wheel and most any other sheet metal working tool out there to that list.

Examples:
all types of grinders
Powered Nibblers (real good thing to have)
lots of GOOD files


If your in it big time maybe a Laser Cutter, CNC, or WaterJet

[ZeD]

not many pro modders will use an English wheel but it might not be a bad idea to have around, powered nibblers are cool but if you have a jig saw its not really needed. However I have had my idea on the Microlux powered nibbler only because I like cool toys like that.

[Guttenaffe]

English wheel is awsome tool and becomin one of the lost arts because of the power hammer :(

If you want todo sheet metal fab learn the wheel, then the power hammer :D

[X child]

Is the English wheel the thing that Jesse James, custom motorcycle guy, uses to make gas tanks?

[ZeD]

Is the English wheel the thing that Jesse James, custom motorcycle guy, uses to make gas tanks?
yes, although its been a while since I've seen the show I know custom bike shops use english wheels to make tanks, fenders and seats for bikes. Now all I have to do is get a nice rigid chopper frame, and S&S motor and an english wheel and make one. Sold my bike and Im antsy to get or build another. Paul wanna help?

[JesDer]

Is the English wheel the thing that Jesse James, custom motorcycle guy, uses to make gas tanks?

I remember seeing one of his shows a while ago where he used a power planishing hammer to make a gas tank. Actually he started it by hand hammering it as an example of how they use to do it before they had a power hammer :)

[Gordy]

I've been a few metal fabrication factories over the last few months looks at laser cutters with envy along with cnc machines of all kinds.

I just want a workshop and to stop using my office hehe :D

[Guttenaffe]

Most places I've seen use the power hammer, except for that OCC show, that Rick guy does everything by hand or at least the part they show on TV, that I've seen.

I want to get into the machine shop at my school :D but I'm to cheep to take all the other classes needed. I think that you can take "personnel interest" classes that will let you skip the prerequisites, but the class/classes don’t count for credit.

[Aristo]

[QUOTE=I want to get into the machine shop at my school :D but I'm to cheep to take all the other classes needed. I think that you can take "personnel interest" classes that will let you skip the prerequisites, but the class/classes don’t count for credit.[/QUOTE]

Wouldn't we all :) Too bad most teachers/classes require you have some clue what they're talking about before jumping on those tools... Nasty things happen when you're not careful :(

CAUTION: GRAPHIC PICTURES LINKED BELOW!!!
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/electrical_incidents/burn_examples.html

[ZeD]

Thanx Aristo, those were lovely, it brought back memories from when I narrowly escaped with my life after being electricuted with about 50,000 volts, yes volts, enough to move a locomotive. (Because it was a transformer on a set of rail road tracks that blew about 2 feet away from me and the electricity arced right into me) I was able to walk away with just a few burns. I had 80 doctors in the hospital room scratching their heads wondering how the hell I wasn't turned a puddle of melted flesh and bone.

[Aristo]

I'm no expert in electricity, but when I was in a osha class they teach that volts don't make much difference, but Ampres is the one that kills... I'm only speculating but I think you lived because the amps was lower than the ristance your body provided thus allowing you to esape with your life... burns happen due to discharge of volts, how bad depends on the amps.

BUT!!! to say the least you're one tough bastage to have lived through that :)

[Aristo]

Also, do you eat a lot of red meat?? have high iron content?? That might explain it too :) Good ol conductor you... No pun intended (trains... guh)

[ZeD]

volts, amperes, whatever, it was enough to move a freight train. Im just lucky to be alive after that. Recently in the neighborhood a young couple got out of their car on a rainy night and stepped into a puddle, they didn't know that there were power lines in the water. A young newly wed couple both were electricuted. Very very sad.

[MrSlacker]

volts, amperes, whatever, it was enough to move a freight train. Im just lucky to be alive after that. Recently in the neighborhood a young couple got out of their car on a rainy night and stepped into a puddle, they didn't know that there were power lines in the water. A young newly wed couple both were electricuted. Very very sad.
when did this happen?? i didnt hear anything about this

[Aristo]

Yeah, you were probably hit with 50,000 volts, but you still didn't pose much resistance to the amps so you didn't die.

For instance, in your house you have 110 and 220 volt outlets, but you may only have a 20 amp fuse on the breaker that will run 6 or so outlets (3-4 computers on a lan party :) ) BUT if you only have a 1.2 amp light fixture on a 20amp circuit, you still have 18.8 amps left to be used.

Now when it comes to the human body, there is about 11.6 (estimate) amps restance you can take before you heart goes into fibrillation, or out of sync with it's natural electical impulse/beat. So in effect, you body didn't consume enough ampreage to kick you into fibrillation, but if you had, you would have popped like a light bulb with too many amps flowing through it.

Now that the science lesson is over, I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say it's a damn good thing you're alive or we wouldn't be having this little discussion :)

PS. I love my cordless dremmel ;)

[Frakk]

wow this thread about modding tools turned into electricity lessons and whatnot :D

[Aristo]

LOL I know, I tried to stear it back on track with my dremmel comment :)

[MrSlacker]

yeah this should get back on topic, but only after ZeD tells me that story :p :D ;)

[Guttenaffe]

250mA will kill you if it runs though your heart. Depending on circumstances takes normally around 20V to pass though your skin.

There is a reason for the old "one hand rule" because the most direct path between your right and left hand includes your heart.
Also remember that you nervous system runs on nA (1/100000000 of an Ampere) and pV (1/100000000000) of a Volt), which are almost un-measurable without specialized equipment.

Most of those images were of electrical burns, As to the machine shop stuff. Depends on what class you are going into and your background. Someone like me would most likely not have a problem around the tools where some other would. I'm real familiar with most tools just do not have the money to buy them.

[Zeus]

rotary tools rock.

Nuff said

[ZeD]

when did this happen?? i didnt hear anything about this
Im sorry, next time you'll be the first to know after I call the ambulance

[MrSlacker]

Im sorry, next time you'll be the first to know after I call the ambulance
thanks.

[toast07]

wow i have all the stuf i need here in the garage and i sisnt know it..lol

[MisterChief]

You see, people wouldn't get injured of they involved more potatos in their mods!:D

Anyways, a good workbench and clean woking enviornment is a must, and being a member of the AMA and building model R/C aircraft has heavily contributed to my work space habits. As an example, I use a large corkboard (bulliten board, about 16x8 ) as a clean, flat, and somewhat soft workbench. All of my tools are assorted neatly, like in many of the other modders' pictures. After I've set up shop in my new house in Fresno, I'll post some pics of my equipment and table arrangement.

Believe it or not, I'm actually planning on buying a small prefab building to house my computers and planes. I've got it all planned out; it's really neat. Maybe I'll get a cleanroom later... :D

[Malatory]

I am in the process of rebuilding my work area as I keep getting upset with people just setting things on the flat surfaces. (Ok mostly me .. but I am working on it). I am adding another 2' X 8' of work bench area. But 4' will be for my mitter saw and the other will be for modding / Vacum system for Carbon Fiber / Fiber Glass, which will be in one of my up and coming mods.

I also just got a new craftman band saw. I need to get a few metal blades for it so I can finish my Mini Wopr Case.

Next purchas for my work area will either be a bending break or Cutting Tourch.

[MisterChief]

Next purchas for my work area will either be a bending break or Cutting Tourch.

Ooh, torches are teh ****zor! :D

[Guttenaffe]

That reminds of me of something to add to the list.

A small butane torch to remove sanding burs and/or marks from Plexiglas edges after cutting and "round sanding."

[MisterChief]

That reminds of me of something to add to the list.

A small butane torch to remove sanding burs and/or marks from Plexiglas edges after cutting and "round sanding."

Gots me one oh those! :D It's about the size small Phillips screwdriver, and I find it really useful, not to mention fun.

[robobot]

Another good thing to have if you're going to be cutting sheet metal:
Throatless beverly shears

Just cut a rough outline with the shears and then grind it down to shape.

[crazybillybob]

When working with sheet metal a Nice Bench vise and a set or two of Sheet metal pliers Vise grip brand example (http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd100034&search=false) are great (I'm currently lacking the bench vise at my new home). Oh and a pop rivet gun (how else are you going to hold that stuff together?)

[5pike]

I'm new to the whole modding scene, I've build a fair few PC's but always just left them as they came. I'm getting a computer in a few weeks and I'm considering making it a bit flashy but I'm not sure where to start. I've heard a lot of people talk about dremmel's (i google image searched it and it appeared to be a small hand held tool with a "circular" saw on one end but I wasn't sure if Dremmel was a brand rather than a particular tool) basically I'm thinking of trying to cut a pattern into the front of the case and then put Neon's or LED's behind it. I have absolutely no clue on how to go about this so any help here would be great, also my budgets pretty low so as far as tools go I don't want to get anything more than I'd need to. So yeah, what tool/tools do I absolutely need, and is there anything else I need to know?

[Malatory]

(how else are you going to hold that stuff together?)

Screws

[crazybillybob]

(how else are you going to hold that stuff together?)

Screws

I Forgot there's the other two stapes:
Duct Tape
JB WELD
:D

pike Check This Thread (http://thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1044) for a link to the Dremel "Rotory tool" Website.

[DarkBioFuze]

I skimmed through the repies real quick But I didnt see anything on etching, (or whatever you may call it) the acrylic Windows? It'd be kinda cool to have computer code etched into the plastic ^_^
I think so anyway

[Crimson Sky]

Every shop needs the current calendar:

"The Girls of Snap-On Tools" ;)

[Aero]

Every shop needs the current calendar:

"The Girls of Snap-On Tools" ;)


noted