[TheForge] Shop Cranes was (Yes you do need power)

[Jerry Frost]

markets change all the time. I think when the current 
housing boom slows and sub-prime loans start taking 
their toll we'll be able to pick up some good used 
equipment for pretty reasonable. Not that I'm hoping 
anybody loses their shirt but if you borrow till your 
payments are more than you make. . .

I put a hot water garage heater in the basement but it 
never comes on; the boiler keeps it plenty warm. I may 
put that heater in the machine shop room.

I ran into the same thing 10 years ago looking for a 
lathe. I found some good old American ones used locally 
but couldn't afford anything for them from a shim kit 
to tooling. Just the gear box oil sight glass for the 
Cincinnati I found would've cost more than $100! Of 
course it came with the gasket. Yeah, like I 
wouldn't've just cut a piece of plastic to fit instead. 
Still!

I ended up with a brand new 13" x 40" gear head Jet for 
less than the shim and bushing set would've cost for 
the Cincinnati. I have a Jet horizontal vertical band 
saw and I'll undoubtably end up with a Jet mill when I 
get that far too. <sigh>

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/

From: "Jerry Smith" 
<jerry_smith at anvilsandinkstudios.com>


> Frosty,
>
> 2 Years ago I could have gotten a Bobcat, 1 year out
> of the rebuild shop for 5K, now I can't find anything
> like that.
>
> I have a gas radiant heater in the basement, it
> requires no blower to heat the house, sort of like a
> gravity furnace from the old days. It uses less gas
> than the furnace does and keep the house toasty, it
> just take a 3 hours to warm the house up..
>
> My shop is a lot of new and old stuff, I have a Bed
> Knife Cutter, nearly a milling machine in quality, 
> but
> a great grinder. I do have a knee mill, it is a Jet
> with DROs, it was cheaper than than buying a
> Bridgeport and having it rebuilt or finding a Kent
> that was in good shape or one of the Italian ones.
>
> I have a couple of things to do yet tonight,
>
> Take care and thanks,
>
> Jerry
>
>