Cruiser and Machine Shop

 

In 2001, I fulfilled a longtime dream of building for the first time adequate space to work on Land Cruisers and other interesting machines. We have owned a 20-acre farm in Central Oregon (near Bend) for a number of years and this will be our permanent home when I retire in 2003. The photo to the left shows the shop building on the right and the "Cruiser Barn" on the left. The shop has 1800 sq. ft and the barn 2400 sq.ft. I built two structures so that I would not have to heat space largely devoted to storage (Central Oregon winters can be cold). The second story of the shop also serves as my office and as guest quarters. It might also serve as the "dog house" when my loving wife decides that my hobbies have indeed crossed over the line to mental illness, and I am no longer welcome in our home.

The shop area is divided into space for my metalworking machines and space for one project vehicle. The image to the right shows the "machine shop" space featuring a JET Milling Machine and a JET Lathe (follow the JET links for more information on these machines).I had an older and smaller mill and lathe previously, but the new machines are fantastic to work with. I was first exposed to mills and lathes as a high student taking shop courses, and have continued to enjoy metal fabrication. It is extremely satisfying being able to build almost anything needed for a Cruiser project. The shop also has a central workbench that I made by cutting up four old oak desks (for the drawers) and then added a new stainless steel top.

The image to the left shows a portion of the machine area and the project bay. In the corner is a bathroom, closet-like storage area, nut and bolt bins and furnace. There is also a small overhead storage area that also provides a home for the hot water heater. The upstairs has full bath facilities. The air compressor is a Campbell Hausfeld model CI071080VMS compressor. This is a two-stage, cast iron compressor with a magnetic starter and an 80 gallon tank. It is rated at 7.5 HPand delivers 27 SCFM @ 90 PSI. I typically run it between 120 and 150 PSI. I selected this particular compressor because I have only single phase power, and this appeared to be the most powerful compressor I could find that would run on single phase. The compressor provides air to the shop and to the adjacent barn. I also have an outside valve that allows me to run a portable sand blaster outside.

The image to the right shows the project vehicle bay. Toward the far wall is the welding area equipped with neat machines such as a Millermatic 250X MIG welder and Hypertherm Plasma Torch. Perviously I had a Millermatic 185; the upgrade to the 250 was very much worth the money for me. In addition to being able to weld a wider range of steel, I can now weld aluminum as well. A more recent view of the welding table with big vice and small press is shown here. The large exhaust fan really helps to keep the air in the shop breathable when welding or cutting, and it goes a long way in cutting down the dust film that is produced by welding. The center of the bay has a 3 ton chain hoist mounted on a steel I-beam that runs from the wall on the left to the center of the workbench. This hoist is absolutely invaluable in lifting and moving everything from transmissions to complete drivetrain or frame assemblies.

Completing the panoramic view of the shop, the image to the left shows the central workbench, the lathe in the background, a JET horizontal/vertical bandsaw and a 20 ton hydraulic press. I might be criticised for buying import machines, but in my opinion for a hobbist such as myself, the price vs quality differential for US made machine tools (e.g., Bridgeport mills) versus the Asian knock-offs makes the imports the only affordable route to follow. I do use very inexpensive products such as the press and chain hoist from Harbor Freight. For the more expensive machine tools I have elected to purchase the JET products. Of all the Aian imports, I believe that the quality control and the customer service are the best.

The image to the right shows a portion of the 40'x60' storage barn. It is a pole barn construction with a concrete floor. In this image is shown my FJ40, one of the FJ45s, Junior (my M416 trailer) and a portion of my car-hauler trailer. This next summer I plan to frame in the back corner where the FJ40 is parked to make a paint booth. Bopefully, by that time i will be ready to start body work and painting of the FJ45 trail truggy.

 

The barn also houses a small workbench with an abrasive chop saw and my bead blasting cabinet. In addition to the cabinet, I have a portable 100lb. capacity sand blaster that is used to clean large parts such as the frame and body of a Cruiser.

 

 

The latest addition to the shop is a 24' x 12' paint booth that I built in the corner of the Cruiser barn. Is a bit on the redneck side (note duct tape holding the air filters), but it is a big improvement over trying to paint in my shop. The lights are sealed, explosion-proof units that Grainger lists for $2600 a piece. They remodeled a portion of the UO Chemistry building a few years ago and the contractor was going to throw these lights away. My buddy Senkovich offered to dispose of them for free.