Making Mirrors and Dust Collectors #65 - Pensacola, FL

[Doug_Ford]

Gorgeous work Jimmy. I'm really impressed with your craftsmanship.

[Doug_Ford]

This past Thursday, I met the "man who has it all."

Last week, I drove down to Pensacola, Florida to see my parents and stopped by to meet Jimmy and check on how his build is going. He's the handsome guy in the blue shirt. While I was there, he showed me around his shop and I'm green with envy. Jimmy has every tool most of us have only dreamed of owning. I can't remember everything but off the top of my head, I remember seeing a metal lathe, vertical mill, plasma cutter, english wheel, sheetmetal knotcher, sheetmetal stretcher (and shrinker), MIG\TIG welder (a big Miller), two sandblasting cabinets (one shop-built 8 foot long double- window cabinet that was of first class quality), a soda blaster, oxy-acetylene tanks, a powder coating system, and the crowning touch - AN ENGINE DYNAMOMETER!!!!!! Oh yeah, and even though I didn't meet her, he must have the best wife in the world.

While I was there, I also met Jimmy's son Eddie. Both of them are true Southern Gentlemen. Some of the nicest, most modest guys I've ever met.

His huge sandblaster is in the picture behind us.

Jimmy and Doug.jpg

[smreish]

Doug,
A will attest, The MM community is some of the kindest people I have ever met. Jimmy was just pleasant as pie during our very short meeting. Nice to hear the MM family is growing!

I can't wait to see the community grow.

[Lex]

That sounds like a workshop! Just a dream for me.

[hennie]

Johan you have a workshop.

[Lex]

Not with 'lekka'(the best) machines like that.

[sailfl]

Jimmy,

Your machine is looking really good. I might have to drive for a visit.

[hennie]

Hey, Once the MM is up and running you don`t need more, serious!

[fredjr]

Doug and fellow Builders and users: It was good to meet Doug and show off a little bit. As all of you know it takes years to have a collection of tools. We may not use some of them a lot of times but if I need it I have it or will get it, oh and yes, I do have the best wife in the world. We have been married 44 years this past June and she understands the need for tools.

[hennie]

Jimmy ,me and my wife have a rule for every sent that I spent on tools or toys I have to give her the same value in sents.I have stoped buying tools and toys

[Doug_Ford]

Hennie,

My wife came up with that rule too.

[domino11]

Doug,
Does she know what the stuff really costs?

[Lex]

I use the system of 'buy and hide'. When she saw it 2 months down the line and told I had it for some time!

[hennie]

No Johan that doesn`t work for me the englishman is to sharp for that.

[Doug_Ford]

Heath,

If I use a cash and carry system, I can keep her in the dark. Luckily for me, she doesn't know a hammer from a nail. When she looks out in the garage, all she sees are mysterious looking gizmos and is unable to tell if anything is new.

One day I decided to test her so I quizzed her on the names of some of my tools. I almost wet my pants hearing what she came up with.

Last week, when I was in Pensacola helping my parents, Kathryn was my assistant. Whew, what a frustrating experience. She couldn't do even the simplest things you take for granted when another guy is helping you. For example, carrying the end of a sheet of plywood. She would get on the opposite side of the sheet so we were fighting each other. Or holding a tape measure with two hands so there is a distinct kink in the tape which throws off the measurement. Don't get me wrong, I've got a great wife that I love dearly but in the workshop, she is worse than a hindrance.

[J.R. Hatcher]

Now wait a minute Doug ...... how do you know it wasn't you that was on the wrong side of the plywood?

[Doug_Ford]

Cause I was in front and I wasn't able to swap sides as easily as the person in back.

I figured someone was going to bring that up. I should have known it would be you J.R.

[domino11]

Doug,
I hope our wives never figure out our passwords for this forum. And I will agree with you, women do work quite differently than men.

JR,
Too funny.

[fredjr]

My wife balances the check book for me so,she knows how much I spend. Recently she ask about some motors that I had bought and if her vw had that kind of motor(pr296b2a-sg7.2). I assured her that it did not have that kind of motor and let it go at that.

[hennie]

My wife worked for her dad in the Hardware store so she knows too well what is a hammer and a nail

[KenC]

Hennie, I bet there where you first met your wife

[hennie]

jip

[fredjr]

Hello fellow builders. Its about time for a new post and pictures of my build. It has been a slow go but progress is being made. I have the angle rails cut to height and the the angle grind finished. My first mistake was getting 2.5"x2.5" angle instead of 2.5"x2.0". It took a lot more disc to cut the height down. The angle grind went real good after I figured the skate out. Took only one disc. I used a good size piece of oak and cut a 45 degree in the center for the sandpaper to fit and polished the rails. Got the 8" channel cut to size. Made a guide to clamp to the beam and used an old Craftsman saw with a Dewalt .055" metal cutting disc. Also have worked on the y car. Have it welded and powdercoated along with some other parts. Thanks Jimmy

[smreish]

Great Progress Jimmy!
Thanks for the pictures of the VW's in the background, I love the beetles.

[jehayes]

Thanks Jimmy: I love your idea of the oak with the 45 degree cut and the sandpaper to polish the rails. I will use that on mine! Keep it up.

[hennie]

It makes two of us on those beetles show some more pic`s of the yellow one

[fredjr]

The yellow bug was in for some maintance and is gone now. It is really a nice one. The customer is the original owner. It has gone thru a couple of restorations.

Thanks Jimmy

[fredjr]

More on the build: Have the legs cut and the foot plate welded to the legs . Have the adjusters built to level the table. The cross bearers are cut and drilled for the support board and holes drilled to bolt to the main channels. Some more pictures as we build. Thanks Jimmy

[jhiggins7]

Looking good, Jimmy. Keep 'em coming!

Nice shop too.

[Gerald D]

The first thing that caught my eye in that shop was the 2 trash carts, then the 2 VW wagons, then the 2 sandblast cabinets, and then a bloke welding something together...