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[NoPistons!]

I'm sick of not having the tools i need for a job.

I have friends asking "BOOST MY CAR HMT STYLE"  (they lurk, dont post much) or hook me up with custom intercooler outlets b/c you had yours done like that...

All kinds of stuff that i know i can do but dont have the tools to.  I have atleast 3 friends who's shop i'm free to providing they are around (got alot of shit welded this spring actually) but i'd like my own stuff and my own little building to work out of.

My friend andrew's shop was built out of old refrigerator trucks, old trailers and a random garage door.   The concrete cost more than the whole thing.  His dad said $300 total was spent and that was the concrete and the wiring.......

I want the following:

Cheap mig (something that will last 2-3 years atleast)
Cheap tig (something that will last 2-3 years as well....)
Bench grinder
Oxy torch rig
Engine hoist
engine stand
DIY cheap-o shop
Chop saw
handheld band saw
sawzall
air compressor and air tools
Gear wrench metrix and standard full socket sets
Big ass breaker bar
Brake and cylinder hone
Tap and die set
Bad ass rotary tool
Whatever it costs to run 220v sockets to run my equipment........  Most will be 110, not sure about the welders/chop saw though.

[NoPistons!]

Oh, i'm sure i can pick some of this stuff up used but i'd prefer to go with harbor frieght or some other discount place for my welding equipment....

My buddy josh has a tig and mig at his father's shop and both units are roughly 2 years old and see work atleast 15-20 hours a week!  He just had to throw that up after i told him i wanted a miller syncrowave 300 and hb was crap.  Put my foot in my mouth on that one.

[crxvtec91]

Good luck, just on the first 2 you can easily be over your budget.

Hf can aid in the list though.

[NoPistons!]

Yeah.

I looked at giant tech as far as tig/stick/plasma combos go.  I dont need that but it seems like it would be perfect for exhaust/charge piping, and body work.  1 year warranty too so that's nice.

It's not designed really for thick shit but for what we'd normally use them for (auto), it should be ok.  Has a 1/4" thick limit on welding and i dont think anything i'll weld will be that thick aside from flanges but that's where the mig comes in if need be.  $449-500 shipped for this unit.  Has dual 110/220v

Mig wise:

http://cgi.ebay.com/HOBART-Handler-140-MIG-Flux-Cored-Welder-500500-R_W0QQitemZ390054926680QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Welding_Supplies?hash=item5ad115d958&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

This looks fine.  I want to do steering knuckle kits for FR cars.  Pretty much people wanting to get the most steering angle possible out of their drift cars.  It seems to be picking up locally and i'm doing custom knuckles on mine.  My friend Daniel welded his with a gas mig and tested his weld with a 5 lb sledge to make sure they wouldn't budge.  Also, i want to do cages and braces so this might be the ticket.  Again, even if i only get a years use out of it, it WILL pay for itself.  Companies like PBM, Battle version, and GP sports sell knuckle kits from $250-600.   If i do 4 or 5 sets charging only $150-160 plus shipping to the customer........

I have people asking me all the time to weld their diffs up for them.  I've done a few and people pay for em.  Up to $200 for a complete unit and $50-80 to weld the open into a full lock spool depending on how they want it (boxed in or just basic welds).  The demand is HUGE for this now. However, i can't deliver b/c like i said, i can't always say "hey, i need to use your shop" to my friends.  They're skeptical about doing work for anyone but themselves anyway.  Small thinkers where i live.

I love capitalism.

I did find an argon hookup.  Not sure if i need the oxy torch all that much.  I did find a 7" chopsaw bnib for $70 shipped and a 14" chopsaw for $150 shipped.  3,500 rpm max on both but it will cut 1" box tubing, and piping like budda i'm sure.

Anyway, i was looking for a 110/220/240v gas generator so my power bill doesn't end up through the fucking roof.   All i'm finding is shit for rv's.  Like 120/140/240v

Any ideas where to go there?  Looking to pay around $500 for one as long as i can hook my equipment to it i dont see it being a big deal.

[NoPistons!]

Hopefully, when all this legal shit regarding my grandparents estate goes through i'd like to build on to the property we're at.  Lawyers are finalizing arangements now after 6 years. 

We have a 20x20 "driveway" that i'd like to extend 12 feet back.  The 12ft extention is going to have a closed storage space for tools, etc.  The 20x20 slab is going to be garaged in diy building style.

I'm going to purchase a carport kit and just box it in myself.  If anyone has any recommendations here, i'm all ears.  I'm going to leave the total budget for the whole project at $5500 to $6500 keeping everything diy.  I have no life so i dont mind doing it myself.  I can lay concrete and i love building things.  My brothers also are handy with tools and building construction!

So, hopefully in the first six months of next year i can make this happen.  I'm just sick of working at the mercy of the elements and haven't thought until recently to just add onto my house instead of purchasing a run-down gas station and the land it's on.....

Still though, i'd like to find a nice generator.  I can run 110 voltage out to the shop/storage unit myself for florescent lights and standard power tools but the generator has to run the compressor and my welding equipment.

[CSaddict]

You are better off using the $2500 on a used Syncrowave TIG , HF bandsaw, used Millermatic or Lincoln MIG and an angle grinder.  If you can at least get that stuff for $2500 you will be ahead of the game.

[chris]

You cant even buy that stuff at harbor freight for that budget



Maybe stealing the stuff is your best option

[civiceggturbo]

powcon 300st and harbor freight mig welder or you could get a suitcase wire feed for the powcon and make it into a smt, so you could have your welding setup for around 1k

[Lowerit]

if you go for used craigslist stuff you may be able to get 1/2 of what you want.

Fuck all that shit...  All you needs

Mig
Saws all
Open shoe grinder
Drill
assorted tools.

[Toysrme]

You are better off using the $2500 on a used Syncrowave TIG , HF bandsaw, used Millermatic or Lincoln MIG and an angle grinder.  If you can at least get that stuff for $2500 you will be ahead of the game.

+1
forget a metal/car working startup for $2500. make it $5000 and youll do great. if you can save / get backing for $2500, you can get it for $5000.
i have no qualms about cheap shit, but cheap shit it cheap shit. you're not going to get anywhere against guys like CS and wier with crap - when there are 150 others trying to do what you're doing just in the general honda community, not counting other circles on the internet.

just going to be another douche that comes up, plops down money and it never pays for itself + time & interest.

[danz]

get a mig, and an angle grinder, and maybe a bench grinder and vice.

done.

[7808]

good thing you found an argon hook up, thats gona save you at least $20-$40