RE: Tools used - was [PSUBS-MAILIST] Bill Gifford's Project

["Alec Smyth" <Asmyth@changepoint.com>]

My two cents... don't buy something until you need it. 

Cent #1: One of the tools I bought was a plasma cutter. I tested it when it arrived and it worked fine. But I didn't actually have to use it for a couple of months (until about 2 days after the warranty expired)... and when I did, I found it quit after 5 minutes and has never worked again. That one cost me about $200 per minute.

Cent #2: I bought a surface grinder on day one, due to a pre-conceived notion there would be lots of flat surfaces that would have to seal neatly. In a previous life when I was making injection molds, this was the one tool I didn't have and needed to sub-contract all the time. Guess what? Now I have one, I've hardly used it!

For me, the critical list is a lathe, mill, bandsaw, welder, rotary table, compressor, and a shop crane. The first three items in particular should be as big and heavy as you can lay your hands on. Two key home-made items were the sub dolly and a home-made, motorized rotary table large enough to mill circular objects the diameter of the pressure hull.

But you know what? None of the above are as important as a very patient wife.

:)

Alec

  

-----Original Message-----
From:	Steven Mills [mailto:barycenter@earthlink.net]
Sent:	Sat 5/24/2003 11:55 PM
To:	personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Cc:	
Subject:	Re: Tools used - was [PSUBS-MAILIST] Bill Gifford's Project

Thanks Carsten !

That's great...I'm going to start a list and workup for an
ideal workshop.  Hopefully, there will be more input
from others along the way.
Did you or have you been keeping a journal since you began
this project[s]?

[ you are a "submadman"  !   :-)  ]

--Steve


>From: Carsten Standfuss <MerlinSub@t-online.de>
>
> > Some of you veteran builders ; what tools did you end up buying
> > initially that you didn't have at the start. What tools did you add on
> > along the way during the building process?
> 
> Hi Steve..
> 
> I purchase new and additional to my home-tools : 
> A new small stick welder, a new commercial MIG welder, 
> two electric grinder one for fine cut, and one for grinding, 
> a table drilling machine, some half douzend work lights.
> I change the house electric in the basement one one port to 
> 3 phase 380V AC for the welder. All tools designed as
> commercial units. 
> 
> I build :
> Two heavy trailers to move the sections, some bigger and smaller
> rollers to turn the sections during the welding process. 
> One open shelter-hangar.
> 
> I use additional rent or get temporaly for free: 
> One shipbuilding hangar about 65 x 200 feet together
> with the two hangarcranes each 5 tons. One heavy lorry. 
> One forklift. One car-trailer to carry heavy goods. 
> 
> I finished (in 3 years) with grinder plates for some hunder bucks, 
> 3-4 overalls, one set of saftey shoes, two douzend handgloves, 
> welding wire for some hundert bucks for steel, steel+stainless steel, 
> stainless steel, one grinder, two driling machines, some 
> douzend protection glases for the welding harthead etc..etc, etc, 
> ohh.. and one CAD computer.. 
> 
> For the first two years I have the figures here : 
> For material : 26000 Dollar 
> For tools    :  4300 Dollar
> For others   :  2700 Dollar 
> 
> Other items are: sound insulation of the garage, cables, eletric, gas,  
> fax unit and fax paper, pictures, bier during work etc..
> 
> 50-60 % is done - regards Carsten
>

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