Welcome to MyGarageWorkshop.com!

My Garage Workshop is a site for my various hobbies, including my homemade CNC machine, Reprap 3d printer, metalworking on my Enco 3-in1 machine, woodworking, aluminum casting, electronics, and more that I do in my garage in Florida

Please check out my blog posts below. On the right there's a list of my most popular posts, or using the menu you should be able to find all that I have on here. if you have any questions - feel free to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Check out my photo galleries  :)

Jamie

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Category: CNC Projects

Here's my journey of building a Reprap 3d Printer. Took about two weeks to get to the point where I was printing and I am still tweaking things to get good prints but it's working well enough to share :)

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Category: Blog Posts
I have been following Ron Thompson's Reprap build and I tried to resist the temptation to build one myself, but it's just too cool :) So I have ordered a Reprap Prusa kit and will start my build shortly! So stay tuned for a build log from me too! Don't know what a Reprap is? It's a 3D printer - meaning it prints 3D plastic parts! Check it out...
Jamie

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Category: Blog Posts
Well at least I'm getting to it every month! :) I would like to post more often and I really should - Ok I'll try harder next time...

What's been up? Well I took a new full time job, so my afternoons in the garage have halted... Everything has to pretty much happen on the weekend now, but that's OK - keeps me more focused!
This past weekend I finished up a "Wishing Well" project for my niece who is getting married. Of course I had to involve the CNC machine somehow so I made them a sign that they can put on the wall or mantle later on :) The well was made using regular ole woodworking techniques and the sign was designed in Vectric Aspire.
 
Another small project I've been working on has been some Disc Golf Tags. I guess the players wager these on different holes on the course and the guy that has the most tags has... well he has a bunch of tags (and bragging rights) I don't get a chance to do aluminum "parts" much so it's nice to reassure that I can make stuff in aluminum :)
 
Speaking of aluminum - here's a hint at a big project I've been working on with Daryl from Texas Steel Props and Armory. It's going to be a replica Xena Chakram! It measures like 10 inches wide and about half an inch thick - without a doubt it's the largest aluminum piece I've made! Look for a post on the whole project soon!
 
I think that's a pretty good update! so that's it for now - hopefully I'll keep my promise and will update before next month! :)
Jamie

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Category: Blog Posts

I took the opportunity of the long weekend to get some much needed reorganizing done. I built some new shelves, split my "ultimate workbench" in two pieces, and did some general organizing and clean up.

I loved the workbench but it's really just too big for my garage and since I didn't put any casters in the middle, it was sagging and so rendered the middle part for using the chop saw useless. So I basically cut the thing in two and I'm using the one half still for the table saw, and the other half is now an "Assembly" table.

Since I was losing the storage that the workbench provided, I decided to build myself some new shelves, really taking up the whole available space on the wall - it's WAY better now and the shelves were pretty cheap to build.

Without further ado, here's some pictures of my newly organized workshop :) (it won't stay this clean for long!)

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Category: Metalworking Projects

Here's how I made my own bandsaw bearing guides from aluminum tubing and regular skate bearings - for like $20 :)

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Category: Blog Posts

Time flies when you're forgetting to update your blog ;)

Well it's August and last update I mentioned my router bearings going in my CNC router, so I've gotten a new router and I am back up and running with a few jobs behind me. Although the new router I got makes more noise than the last one, I think the bearings are already on their way out! So I ordered replacement bearings for my orginal one and I'm going to try my hand at swapping them out.

In other news I am making my own bearing guides for my bandsaw - I was looking around for some and they are just way too expensive at Rockler or Woodcraft - I mean $170 for some bearings? Ridiculous! So I'll be making my own - I already have a ton of bearings and with all the machinery I have it should be a piece of cake :) I will post an article when I am done! I need to start making some Christmas presents and I need my bandsaw cutting straight for some of the ideas I have.

I also am starting work on some Holloween animatronic ideas - no full blown robots (yet) but some stuff that should be pretty cool - again I will post up pictures when I am done :)

Ok that's it - stay tuned!

Jamie

 

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Category: Blog Posts

Here's my monthy blog post that's supposed to be more often than that! :)

If you haven't noticed, I redesigned the site, and in the process I "broke" a lot (probably all) of the links that Google has for the content. So I put two things on the right hand side of the site, the "Most Popular" and the "Latest" - in those lists you should be able to find what you were originally looking for... If no, then you can use the search tool - while it's not the greatest if you're generic in your search you should find what you want... and lastly you can This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I can point you in the right direction (especially if it's for something that's in the downloads - I might have to re upload it for you)

You also may or may not have noticed the new "Community" menu link - I've added a community app and a forum for discussions. In the Community you can post your own pictures and have your own discussions and such, please give me some feedback on that feature :)

I also added a "Store" where I will be selling off some of the extra stuff I have and also selling CNC'd items such as signs and letters and whatever I can make to make a few bucks for my workshop habit ;)

In other news... My CNC machine is currently down... The router's bearings are shot and I need to get a new router - preferrably the same one I had (Hitachi M12VC) because I have the Precise Bits Collets for it and I just like the variable speed and overall quality of the router. So if you have a line on one (other than eBay - I'm all over those) let me know! :)

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Category: Blog Posts

It's already June and here I am not posting on the "blog" again LOL - I've been busy with my latest project - making a power drive for my Enco Mill Drill Lathe. As usual there are set backs and things don't always go according to plan, but we'll get there!

CNC Tools Application
In other news - I've been working on a CNC "panel" program that will allow the user to pick a bunch of G-Code files and have them offset to be cut out on a panel without changing programs. The app is underway and I've started collaborating with another developer that's interested in the same idea.

We are using Google Code - where we can store the source code, have discussions, submit Issues, etc. If you'd like to get involved - even by throwing out some ideas for features - check it out! It's a closed project so I'd have to add you to it before you could edit anything, and you'd also need a Google account :)

http://code.google.com/p/cnctools/

Check it out and maybe even just do a little beta testing for us ;)

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Category: Electronics Projects

Using a Parallax Propeller Proto board and a Pololu Stepper Driver - I've built a home made power feed for my lathe / mill / drill - Check it out!

  1. Timing Pulleys
  2. Latest 4th Axis
  3. April Updates
  4. Aluminum Tilting Furnace
  5. Videos are Down
  6. Solidworks
  7. Threading and Yard Work
  8. New Blog Format
  9. RC Helicopter Part
  10. Wobbler Engine Test

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