Pics of your shop?

[Kev Williams]

From the '3 machines' thread, which we (I) started hijacking a bit, I got to saying I was going to make a video, then Matt responded:

Kev: Please make that video. I keep imagining a bunch of machines, stacked on top of each other to the ceiling, with lots of rivets, Frankenstein bolts, duct tape, and steam chugging along as they are powered by a coal-fired dynamo with a collection of Commodore 64s and various typewriters.

Seriously, I appreciate your wealth of real-world experience and willingness to share it. It's also entertaining. Don't ever stop doing what you do.

I can't get to a video at the moment, but I did grab the GoPro and shot some seriously wide angle pics of the total chaos I call "my shop"... And I'm not sure why GoPro's take such fantastic video but totally suck at photo's..? but oh well, here goes! (and Matt, your're not too far off!)

The Basement:

GOPR0295 (Large).JPGGOPR0296 (Large).JPGGOPR0304 (Large).JPGGOPR0297 (Large).JPG


The Garage:

GOPR0298 (Large).JPG


The upstairs:

GOPR0301 (Large).JPGGOPR0299 (Large).JPGGOPR0300 (Large).JPG


This all started in 1969, and has totally swallowed this poor house! Yes, we live here! (nice commute, and the resale on our cars is REALLY good!)

your turn!

[Keith Winter]

Wow I've got to give you props for great space use! Amazing what you've managed to get in there. Well done Kev! Got a second shot of the area with the LS900 ULS etc is like from the other angle, curious how you access all of those?

[Bert Kemp]

Kev wow How to you find anything, I know you do I can almost match your chaos. I can't match equipment but I come close on the mess and I say mess with all good intentions, I know how its, I'm not organized at all. Will post Pictures later., Have to go visit my sick buddy up north today.

From the '3 machines' thread, which we (I) started hijacking a bit, I got to saying I was going to make a video, then Matt responded:



I can't get to a video at the moment, but I did grab the GoPro and shot some seriously wide angle pics of the total chaos I call "my shop"... And I'm not sure why GoPro's take such fantastic video but totally suck at photo's..? but oh well, here goes! (and Matt, your're not too far off!)

The Basement:

GOPR0295 (Large).JPGGOPR0296 (Large).JPGGOPR0304 (Large).JPGGOPR0297 (Large).JPG


The Garage:

GOPR0298 (Large).JPG


The upstairs:

GOPR0301 (Large).JPGGOPR0299 (Large).JPGGOPR0300 (Large).JPG


This all started in 1969, and has totally swallowed this poor house! Yes, we live here! (nice commute, and the resale on our cars is REALLY good!)

your turn!

[Jack Clague]

Wow.. that is allot of machines in one house..

Will see if i can get a pic of my garage for you, no where near as impressive though

[Matt McCoy]

Oh my. Kev, you live inside a giant robot.

Those pics are amazing.

[Kev Williams]

No Matt, I NEED a giant robot, to clean up this place! Every time I get started, something comes up, never fails. And my days off are NOT SPENT HERE!!! But then, I don't get many days off... One of the BAD things about working at home. Too easy to WORK while at HOME.

[Matt McCoy]

No Matt, I NEED a giant robot...

I don't know how many times I've uttered those same words. It was a big day in my house when we got the the thing that vacuums the carpet. Maybe your house transforms into a Shop-Vac and you just don't know it yet.

Seriously, your house/shop is even more amazing than I could imagine.

[Ron Gosnell]

Kudos to your wife, she's still smiling

Gozzie

[Matt Geraci]

I like the customer lobby... it's very... inviting and "homey"!!!

[Kees Soeters]

Kudos to your wife, she's still smiling

You don't know what's in the coffeemug, she's holding

Kees

[Roy Sanders]

No WAY will I attempt to compete. All though I feel better about my Cluster .... Shop. You win.

I like your space management.

Roy

[Kev Williams]

This isn't a competition, I seriously would like to see pics of engraving shops! I COULD use some ideas!

Please remember I've had a 30 year head-start on most of you! This business started out with that table saw in the middle of the "tornado" room, and a single pantograph not far from the V3400 in the back closest to my camera. My dad used to work for Litton, which canned him in 1970 because my mom refused to move to Texas where his job moved. As severance pay, anything in the building Litton moved out of, my dad could have. Anything. Most of our desks, work tables, the linoleum on our floor, all the florescent light fixtures, cabinets, shelving, the hacksaw, big drill press, several file cabinets- ALL came courtesy of Litton Industries. As this business grew we ended up with 2 large Gorton floor machines (an old 3-U and a new P1-2) and 5 New Hermes IRX-IV pantographs. In 1981, enter the computer age, and all hell broke loose. The computerized machines kept moving in and the pantographs moved out. With every change came the next wave of McGuivering something up to work "for now". But "for now" has never changed. All the maze of temporary ductwork piped to an outdoor dust collector to suck up engraving chips, the miles of air compressor lines, all the worn and broken machine wiring supports replaced with wire ties & rubber bands attached to the ceiling, as long as it does the job I don't change anything. Don't have time to upgrade! If I try, work beacons and that's that. And SOMEDAY this whole operation must go away, and tearing out a bunch of jerry-rigged stuff will be easy. Around 10 years ago my dad's frontal lobe dementia came into play, followed by my mom simply getting older, and from 2008 until they passed a few years ago mine & the wife's time was split between work and caring for my parents. Me & Vick moved in in 2009 because we had to, and with little time left over to play janitor, this place has become a nightmare. My sister had been our office duty & painter for 11 years, but between the recession and losing my parent's SS to medicaid which helped pay the bills, we were several months behind in paying our suppliers and we had less than $100 in the biz bank account. With that, I had to let her take a job my other sister offered her, and that left me to handle all the bookwork, bills, handling PO's, ordering supplies, etc. My wife has taken on painting duties and some of the office chores, but she suffers from chronic headaches & migraines which limits her duties. Then in 2010, more hell broke loose, biz just started pouring in and it hasn't stopped! (knock on my head!) The business is overwhelming at times, trying to keep up with it all. So while I'm not happy about the condition of our "robot", I make no apologies for it. It is what it is... for now at least!

So c'mon, how about some pics and a little history?

[Brian Leavitt]

Boy oh boy am I glad I don't work out of the house! Looks like you've got it all figured out, though.

I'd put up some photos, but we're moving the whole shop down the road this week. Maybe after I get everything set back up at the new place.

[Chris DeGerolamo]

I'll share. Not pictured is the front of the office consisting of a cubicle farm.

[Keith Winter]

Love the "round file" and "employee of the month (again)" Chris!