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WHITE GLOVE FANS

Enriching the Beauty of Antique Electric Fans
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enriching the beauty of antique electric fans

WHITE GLOVE FANS

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What goes into a fan shop?

January 11, 2015 Tim Marks

It's not all the time that a hobbyist is able to really cater his shop to the precise nature of what he is most passionate about, but due to the kindness of my wife my fan shop represents just that. 

Beginning around one year ago I put the pencil to paper and drew out what I considered to be my dream shop. With this shop there would be plenty of room for lots of people working on projects, storage space for work in progress (WIP, for any other manufacturing guys reading this), adequate and efficient tool storage, a well ventilated and lit paint booth as well as a dust room to do all my blasting, polishing and grinding within. A new circuit panel was installed specifically for the work shop to ensure power was never an issue and the heart of the shop, my 5hp compressor, was hooked up. 

The shop will never truly be completed and to be honest, it seems as if the shop has become just as much of a hobby to me as working on fans. Each addition to the shop is always customized and detailed to perfection so that it's function in the shop is greater than the sum of its parts. What follows are some pics of my work environment. I hope you enjoy.

View fullsize  A pano shot showing the entrance to the paint room.
View fullsize  Another shot showing the entrance to the paint booth. The cabinets to the left of the door are stacking cabinets that I am refinishing in the same blue color as my Vidmar cabinets. They will hold paint.
View fullsize  The full shop. The center bench is a 9' slab of 2.5" thick rock maple bowling alley lane!
View fullsize  My friend Jordan working in the sand blasting cabinet. This was a harbor cabinet that has been extensively re-worked and modified for optimal performance.
View fullsize  a shot showing the blast cabinet and buffing cabinet within my "dust room."
View fullsize  a bunch of interesting hanging out in the shop.
View fullsize  Steve Gilmore and Rich Becher hanging out and working on their fans in my shop.
View fullsize  We can fit around 10 fanners with their fans in the shop at one time. Not bad!
View fullsize  Using magnets, I attached a 2x4" to the steel beam along my shop's ceiling. I then hang cages from hooks.
View fullsize  My fan "queue." These are all my personal fans waiting their turn for restoration. I've been slowly working my way through by avoiding buying new ones!
View fullsize  Electrolysis in action. Love it!
View fullsize  The bottom of my main work bench. The slab of rock maple weighed about 400lbs and needed a LOT of support.
View fullsize  Work in progress (WIP) sitting in one of my carts used for this purpose.
View fullsize  another cart used to move fans into the paint booth.
View fullsize  Bins setup and labeled with grinding tools. 
View fullsize  A general shot of the main part of the shop.
View fullsize  another pano.
View fullsize  A pano showing the paint booth. The booth itself is about 9x9' and vented to the outdoors. There is an electric heater within it to keep it at a constant temperature for painting.
View fullsize  My trusty table saw. Had it for close to 20 years!
View fullsize  A pano showing the dust room. I pack a lot of tools into this room. It's worth having these mess generators within their own room to keep the rest of the shop clean.
View fullsize  I removed two intake filters and added plexi-glass windows to the paint booth. My wife is much happier being able to see what I'm doing when I'm in there. The paint booth works better with a bit more negative-pressure in it too.
View fullsize  My friend and local fanner, Robbie.
View fullsize  WIP carts stored neatly out of the way.
View fullsize  WIP carts with storage bins on a wall mounted rack.
View fullsize  The most important tool in the shop: the kegerator. 
View fullsize  Two tall Vidmar storage cabinets. Probably my absolute favorite tools. Each drawer can hold over 300lbs worth of tools.
View fullsize  My wrench drawer, neatly 5S'd using foam.
View fullsize  My HVLP paint guns. 
View fullsize  Electrical items stored neatly. 
View fullsize  various clamps.
View fullsize  I'm refinishing the cabinets on the left. The one on the floor shows the final product. These cabinets were purchased on the side of the road and are wonderful. They will hold paint and solvents for the spray booth and will be stacked four-tall.
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White Glove FANS blog

The blogs at White Glove Fans are designed to let you know what projects we are working on, what projects we have finished, as well as to discuss general fan topics: whether its restoration techniques, our latest find at the flea market, or the history of fans.

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