Finger Press Brake Cylinders

I was fortunate to find the data plate on one of the cylinders.  It was nearly impossible to read but with the right lighting the camera did a decent job of picking it up.

Converting air quick connects for propane use

From Discord

dustyToday at 2:20 AM

Did some more digging on propane seals

https://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.cfm?SM=none&SC=Propane

Neoprene is OK for static propane use aka not on a car/truck etc

McMaster has seals which works on at least some of these connectors. Measure prior to ordering. https://www.mcmaster.com/neoprene-rubber-washers

McMaster-Carr

Choose from our selection of neoprene rubber washers in a wide range of styles and sizes. In stock and ready to ship.

Part No 90133A036 is said to fit some quick connects

pack of 100 for $12.43

There are better materials for use with propane but I have not searched for them

---

dustyToday at 2:35 AM

FWIW I have been switching over to Milton high flow airline fittings https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001O2ZGQ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 So MAYBE (have not checked to see if McMaster has washer that fit) $12 for the couplers and $12 for the washers (ignoring shipping) and you have 2 propane quick connects that should last a life time.

Lead Ingots

Cast two lead ingots that just fill a small fixed rate shipping box.
They will go to a friend in trade.





Tabber see,s to have an attraction to everything bad for her.

DIY refractory coating experiment fired from Process Peek 20

Traded an air compressor for this finger press brake

A new tool for the shop.   I am not sure if this is a factory, cobbled together, or fully shop built unit.  It looks like what one might build with a plasma cutter.

It has twin rams on the main brake.  The secondary setup on the right looks to be more of a press but has a set of dies resting on a length of pipe.

Two years ago we bent up a rectangular cruciable with this too.  The cylinders need rebuilding.  Leaks.

What am I going to do with it.   Maybe its a tool looking for a purpose in my shop but I am expecting that it will.   If memory serves the corners on the cruciable had a decent radius for sheet metal work.  Thinking about a new electric burn out / tempering  / casting oven.

I arrived early.

And while moving things to make room for it I toppled my drill press and broke the table arm.







-

First real cast

First cast is a set of smaller. 4 inch, poly-v pulleys for the master mill.  1 to 1 ratios should give me usable milling speeds.

The front one was cast in a shorter flask which may have been a mistake.   There maybe flaws in the hub.   But there is lots of meat there at may it can be machined off.

Small very light weight foundry using ceramic blanket and statanite

The lid is always the hardest.   Found an old galvanized steel feed pan.

The body is from an old shop vac.  Apparently some where in its life water has frozen and bulged out the bottom. 

The burner hole was cut with a hole saw.  Maybe not a good idea in that it grabbed because it breaks the 3 tooth in the work rule.  Have yet to check the saw for damaged teeth.  Did bend the pilot bit.

Attached the base with standoff's cut from old iron natural gas pipe.  The base is from a convection oven.

Roughly laid out three holes with the divider.

May need to tweak level a bit but it will work and that's what counts.

Added hooks to the lid.


















Replaced the blanked in the body and cut the burner hole in the blanket.  Sharpened the pipe end and used it to cut through the blanket using a twisting motion.  Easy!

Still need to put the hooks on.

Ready for first firing.   Maybe its best to coat the bottom of the furnace first.  Its the hardest to coat and requires the thinnest satanite.  I think I may have had it too stiff on the lid.  Ran over the lid with a wet brush, maybe that helped bond it.

Used the 3/4" naturally aspirated burner from the test furnace.

After firing.   The outside of the lid and top of cylinder did not get hot enough.  Will try it with stand offs.

Click twice to see the videos.

aaaaa

Melted some aluminum scrap to test the furnace.  First muffins.

Pictures of lantern style angled cutoff tool.

Smelko Foundry on sand

"The grain size (AFS GFN) number we suggest for aluminum ranges according to the size and complexity of your casting. In really general working (job shops) we would usually start with a #130 sand. The two most common sizes we make ALUMINUM blends are #115 and #130 (while for IRON they are always much coarser, as in #60 -#80) To this we add 4-5 ingredients, (mostly comprising of a total clay addition in the 4.5% - 7% range to give sand strengths for molding)… then a couple other carbonaceous additives to make casting surface finish as good as possible!"

"other carbonaceous additives" = sea coal and wood flour, based on one guy who just bought the ingredients from them instead of buying it pre-mulled.
See above about possible concerns with using organics though.
Their sand is awesome, that much I know from my own experience.
And their clay is mostly if not entirely calcium bentonite. Ie. Not what's in kitty litter or Quik gel. :(

A panoramic view of the garage, now wood shop & foundry building.  A cleanup is in progress but to make it really happen I need to get some less interesting projects finished.

First up is a drawer with a busted bottom.  The bottom is MDF.  First I glued the dovetails back together then laminated an 1/8" sheet of plywood under the broken area.



A quarter round to support the edge because the patch is below the groove.

Weights were not enough to flatten the patch which was a bit warped.  Additional clamping to the left.

The drawn bottom is still fuggly.  I will suggest a sheet of card stock in the bottom.  Its not like this is fine furniture.   Had I replaced the bottom it may have well destroyed the MDF and fiber parts of this drawer..  Good enough.

Experimeted with refilling a fire extinguisher.   Most of the originall powder was still there so I topped it off with baking soda.  Put in a bit too much baking soda and not quite enough air.  Mostly want to see if it will leak down.  If so I will try blowing out the valve.

We purchased 2 new ones but it would be nice to have this used one as a backup.

Compressors Compressors

 The compressor head and 220V motor are not original.  But it seems to work well. Took it up to 125 PSI.  I generally run my compressor to max out at 100 PSI which is easier on the unit.  But not good when using air tools.  Maybe set this on up for air tools and use another for lower pressure needs.

Obtained another junked compressor with 1.5 TECF motor.  Wired for 115V.  Changed the front bearing.  Did not look much at the compressor but it seems find.  Did not get an image of it as it arrived.