Setting up Shop

I am SO very grateful to finally have access to a work space. My mother has invested in a property along the front range that's close to my home. We don't have a garage where I live, so my projects have been on hiatus.

With the stay-at-home orders, I was able to take a pause from going into work and invested $600 in a used cargo trailer. Its former life was hauling ATV's around, so I figure I can use/modify it for hauling some steel! 

I also bought myself a horizontal + vertical bandsaw from (ugh) harbor freight. I'm sure this will be upgraded in the future, but once I busted the stock blade on the first cut (and replaced it with a more expensive one) then proceeded to dial in the adjustments and tension, I found that it is a pretty capable little saw!

If you want to get into metal fabrication, your first project MUST be a welding table. I wanted mine to serve as a welding cart as well as a work surface. I bought a 3/16" 4x8' steel table top, about 60 feet of 11 gauge 1.75" square tubing and went to town. 

Overall I'm pretty happy with the table. I'm sure I'll add some features like a power strip and some more mounts for the MIG torch, maybe another welding tank rail system and more, but for now it will allow me to make some very nice trike frames without having to sacrifice accuracy by fumbling with them on the ground like I did in my last welding space.

Anyways, if you've read this, thank you for your interest and support in my work. I'll post updates here and on facebook as they're available! As projects get rolling, I hope to post videos as well. 

My first ECW project is a marketable, affordable rigid trike, to be used as a velomobile chassis. Once I complete a suitable prototype, I'll be making jigs for myself in order to replicate the frame. Once that is completed, I'll develop the coroplast fairing for it, which will also have master patterns made for replication! 

Stay tuned, stay healthy.

- Chase