New toy, must see...

[ForcedFirebird]

Some assembly required








But here's my baby...







The first machine is a 4 axis lathe/mill combination, the second is a mill. The shop is almost complete. Electric, air and water need to be run to these, and we can start using them.

Some others already hooked up and working, though...

[SappySE107]

Where am I moving to again?

[ForcedFirebird]

Where am I moving to again?

Where it's nice and warm year round - Sunny Florida, baby!!!

Things are finally stsrting to work out. It took almost a month to get the Mori-Siki here. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get a 20,000lb plus machine from Illinois to SFf, and set into place. After three riggers (giant forklifts) and a crane, we finally found somebody with forks big enough to set the Mori-Siki in place. The last rigger was capable of over 20,000, and still lifted the back tires off the ground when he first started lifting.

The machine also has an auto bar feeder, and a chip conveyor. We are possably selling the bar feeder because of room and electric (requires 440v). This means you put a 10' bar in one end and the parts spit out into a container, and the chips/shavings go into a 55gal drum on the other end. 3" max on the bar feeder, with 6 different size options. The bar feeder drum weighs over 1000lbs alone (not including the stands).

Our next problem is we are near the max for the electric panel, and are probably going to have another one pulled.

What you haven't seen yet is the media blaster, welders, acy/oxy tanks, 90gal compressor with fittings routed to each machine, etc , and we even have an office with a wall-banger A/C unit . The neighbors are sheet-metal workers, another neighbor is a welder, and we have access to brakes and presses as well.

[bszopi]

440V, or 480V? I mean, 440V is possible, but not common. On a setup like this, I would want as much as possibly running 480V/3ph to let you minimize the panel loads as much as possible.

Oh yeah, did I mention I'm an electrical systems desginer by day?

[ForcedFirebird]

440V, or 480V? I mean, 440V is possible, but not common. On a setup like this, I would want as much as possibly running 480V/3ph to let you minimize the panel loads as much as possible.

Oh yeah, did I mention I'm an electrical systems desginer by day?

You are absolutely correct! I automatically think in 220v home use (I'm a GC )

[bszopi]

Kinda what I figured, but you never know. Oh, and I actually went to school to be a GC (Construction Science & Management to be specific), but ended up on the other side of the table when it came to getting a job. I can't complain about working in an office though... Although there are some days I wish I was out getting my hands dirty in the field.

[SappySE107]

well lets all move to florida!

[bszopi]

Been there, done that... Really just wasn't fond of it. Of course, I lived in Orlando, so that may be one of the reasons.

[ForcedFirebird]

Although there are some days I wish I was out getting my hands dirty in the field.

With real estate and construction the way it is right now, I've gotten rid of all the full time employees. It's now just my partner and I (dad), but I'm the one who passed the test .

The wife is in wholesale mortgages, and the company she was working for closed their doos the three weeks ago Mon. She had he kidney removed due to cancer the next day! Good thing is she gets severance (60days) and we are still covered under ins (four kids, we need it). We are making less than 1/2 the money we were two years ago . In this bizz, it's feast or famine . I do mostly insurance restorations, and renovations. All the land is developed here, can't get a house for less than $250k (and that's lower-mid class hoods or a condo).

well lets all move to florida!

C'mon down! We can race all year here! Chack the temps in greater Ft Lauderdale area right now .

BTW: Those are reflections of palm trees in my near-perfect paint job on the Firebird

[X11_STE]

bszopi, I agree O town sucks. I just drove through there once an didnt see a damn thing I liked. I think I stay hidden in one of fla's last hidden treasures, THE FOREST!! Where the raccoons play patti cake with your butt cheeks while you sleep.

[ForcedFirebird]

bszopi, I agree O town sucks. I just drove through there once an didnt see a damn thing I liked. I think I stay hidden in one of fla's last hidden treasures, THE FOREST!! Where the raccoons play patti cake with your butt cheeks while you sleep.

I grew up in Bradenton. When I moved there the population was 250,000 in the whole county (1989). Now I live in Broward with a population of 1.3 million people.

[X11_STE]

I grew up in Bradenton. When I moved there the population was 250,000 in the whole county (1989). Now I live in Broward with a population of 1.3 million people.

Bradenton is still very sparse. Drive down the the freeway you can literally see for miles!!! Lived in every town between Ft Laud & N. Miami Beach. Yea, way too many people there. I am living in the Withlacootchie Forest or as the locals call it, the lickhercootchie forest. Come for a visit and you'd swear that you were in Mayberry, RFD. Very layed back, nice.

[ForcedFirebird]

Bradenton is still very sparse. Drive down the the freeway you can literally see for miles!!! Lived in every town between Ft Laud & N. Miami Beach. Yea, way too many people there. I am living in the Withlacootchie Forest or as the locals call it, the lickhercootchie forest. Come for a visit and you'd swear that you were in Mayberry, RFD. Very layed back, nice.

It's grown a lot in the past few years, it's becoming quite a large city with the development of Lakewod Ranch. I built 48 homes in 1999 there, when I was shell contracting. I moved down here in 2003.

[X11_STE]

Hhhmmmm, I was thinking around the drag strip, it was pretty desolate around there a coupla years back

[ForcedFirebird]

Hhhmmmm, I was thinking around the drag strip, it was pretty desolate around there a coupla years back

Still is out there, but building West of I75 is becomming popular. When I moved there, ther was nothing East of 75, but Shroder Manatee sold a few hundred thousand acres to developers, and went and bought himself a helicopter . The owner's land streched from the river to south of University in Sarasota, and 5 miles west of 75.

You ever been to Myaka city? I still don't know how it's a cuty with one blinking yellow light

I graduated from Bayshore High School in '94, before the new school was built (the old one was a converted middle school, and we had tons of portables).