Workshop Equipment

[IrishDave]

So I have another thread on here showing my progress getting my own workshop on the go but I need some advice for equipment. At the moment I have a decent mig welder and a 355mm chop saw to get started I'm also going to get a parweld xti160 mma inverter I also have some hand tools and a 4 1/2" grinder. The advice I'm looking is for a pillar drill, linisher, bench grinder and hydraulic pipe bender. I will also be getting 9" Milwaukee grinder as I've heard that brand is quite reliable

The work I'm going to be doing mostly is architectural and little bit of structural so working with hot rolled ms no more than 10mm

I have seen a few guys on here refurbishing pillar drills and I think that would be really fun to do although I would need you guys to keep me right on that sort of project haha

As for the pipe bender are there none on the market that act like an iron worker would where you could use a foot pedal to start bending and say a digital screen could show you what degree your at or am I just dreaming :3

Any input is very much appreciated

 

[tinman123]

no, your not dreaming about the bender and the lcd display but you would need to put your hand well down your pocket for something purpose built like that lad unless im badly out of touch.

as for a pillar drill, my jury is out on them tbh, i know plenty other people who use them regularly and wouldn't do without but to me a mag drill is a far better machine and more portable too, you can make up a dedicated stand for one and use it like a bench drill with a chuck when you don't need it somewhere else.
and on top of that depending on the size of the mag you buy you can drill bigger holes, 50mm is nice, try that with a modern pillar drill...
i have both here and the pillar drill all be it a cheapo sealey one dose little to nothing.

as for angle grinders, my personal choice is the metabo ones, i have a few of them here including a 9" one, but it has a handy time of it here because i find id remove as much material with a decent wattage 5" grinder as i would with the 9".
i had it out for the first time the other day for the first time in months and after 2 mins i put it back on the bench and used the 5".
as for milwalkee stuff, not for me im afraid, once was enough to get burnt there, there is nothing special about it imo.

i have a 3" linisher here, and its soooo handy, i wouldn't be without it but i was often tempted to change up for a 6" one but never did.
a tool you wouldn't regret buying.

 

[skotl]

9" Milwaukee grinder

((shudder)) - the thought of a 9" grinder, not that it's made by Milwaukee...

 

[IrishDave]

You know what the mag drill idea actually sounds like a better idea with stand made for it etc especially with the portability and the fact you can drill far bigger holes with ease I think I will end up going with that

I use 9" grinders for cutting only to be honest like if the workpiece is on the floor and its 3m handrail I can't really put it in the saw the metabo ones are quite chuncky though well the one I have in work anyway compared to my 4 1/2 " Milwaukee

The automated or semi auto pipe bender can wait then I will settle for manual for now

As for the linisher I've seen guys make they're own with a stand that let's the belt move horizontal and vertical which is nice

 

[Moosevan]

((shudder)) - the thought of a 9" grinder, not that it's made by Milwaukee...

Yeah that!
You should see the scar my wife carries thanks to a blade grenading... wicked cut through sweatshirt and T-shirt & stopped as it touched her collarbone(ish) You better believe how fast her reactions are!

Needless to say, she won't use it anymore...