Landscape Rake Build

[GuglioLS]

I s'pose this is better than my method of drawing some lines on there (using a convenient can or lid of something), whacking the big chunks off with a cutoff blade on a 4 1/2 inch grinder and then finishing it with a flap disk. ---- all this precision is interesting to watch and results in an absolutely beautiful product, but...well...I guess that you do have to justify your equipment investment!

Pretty cool Larry!!

Mike

LOL - Thanks Mike, Precision machining? hahaha, are you kidding me? I'm off by at least a couple of thousandths!
I'm with ya on constantly justifying all that shop equipment. My wife is constantly making quilts to justify all her sewing equipment! Do you have any idea how much a quilting machine costs? let alone all the other specialty machines and material see "needs"? My little mill / lathe / drill combo unit pales in comparison While she quilts upstairs in her sewing room, I machine downstairs in the shop......we get along real well that way...it's perfect Marital bliss

Larry

 

[Renze]

While she quilts upstairs in her sewing room, I machine downstairs in the shop......we get along real well that way...it's perfect Marital bliss

Larry,

Is there a special trick about finding a wife like that, or are you just lucky ??

 

[GuglioLS]

Larry,

Is there a special trick about finding a wife like that, or are you just lucky ??

Not "just" lucky it was like hitting the lotto- Just ask her!
Renze, did you hear your "credits" in that last video? I sure do appreciate the idea for the die, it worked great. What's good about making that, is now I have it for all time to use on future projects.


Larry

 

[tlbuser]

For that ridiculous amount I can buy my own powder coat gun, powder paint, make my own 7 foot oven to bake it in AND have money left over, sheesh. I've got an old steel tank, it's about 24" dia and 8 feet long. Do you think if I put the parts inside, heat the walls of the tank with a weed burner I could get the air temp inside up to 400* ? How crazy does that sound? That 96 cent rattle can paint job is sounding real good about now. H/F sells a powder coat gun and powder paint, how much paint do you think I will need?

For steel, 250 -300 F is usually more than sufficient to get the powder to melt. Remember steel heats uniformly and retains it for awhile. We use an IR temp monitor on the piece and when the powder looks uniformly wet and shiny, cut the heat off and let cool (quenching would be a bad thing ). It's pretty easy once you do a piece or two. IMO, aluminum is a bugger to get right though. I just did an intake manifold on trade and had to do it twice. I was using extreme chrome with a topcoat and it turned gray had to blast it down and start over, second go around I used top coat from a rattle can and it turned out great.

1 lb. of powder should be plenty for your job. Prep is key to any good finish!

Eastwood's sell a powder coaters handbook which is fairly good reading on the subject. Check Powder Coating, Equipment, Systems, Ovens, Powder Booths, Guns, Powders, Supplies too.

 

[J_J]

MJ- thanks or the kind words, at first I thought no way was the press going to bend that metal bar like butter.

Here is a pic of the TPH mounting arms, not sure what the correct technical term for those two pieces are. In any-event those are what need to be bent on the press. Please someone let me know if the geometry look correct for a TPH? Any suggestions before I start cutting, drilling, milling a radii at the top link, then bending?





Larry

Larry,

You have already built a nice bending unit, but here is another one by shopoutfitters.com, plus it has micro adjust, and repeat bends.

Shop Outfitters Metal Bending Tools Tube and Pipe Bending

 

[GuglioLS]

For steel, 250 -300 F is usually more than sufficient to get the powder to melt. ...........snip

Great info, OK here is a (dumb?) question - what happens if say you heat the metal first, attach the electrode, then start spraying hot metal? Would that work? I am imagining me being able to heat all the parts up with a weed burner, use my IR temp gun, when it gets to 250 - 300 *F then spray it. Is that a bad idea? Has anyone ever tried that? Sounds like an experiment in the making or don't try this at home?

Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

Larry,

You have already built a nice bending unit, but here is another one by shopoutfitters.com, plus it has micro adjust, and repeat bends.

Shop Outfitters Metal Bending Tools Tube and Pipe Bending

Thanks J_J,

Hey it didn't take long for those guys to steal Renze and I's invention. Looks like a very well made unit though. 495.00 for the basic unit and 195.00 for the precision angle depth adjuster. Mine cost about 5 hours of scrounging, cutting, drilling, welding, milling, and heat treating. Plus the time to upload and post all about the redneck precision metal bender If I were in metal bending production that would be the ticket for sure. Thanks for finding and posting that link, it's pretty cool
Larry

 

[mjncad]

Matt (mjncad) -

I got a quote from a powder coat company in Albuquacky. I sent them pics of the project with the major components, here is their quote:

THE PAINT SHOP
PAINTING & POWDERCOATING
1441 CANDELARIA NE
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87107

1 EA.
26X20X13 HARNESS
1 EA.
4X4X48 SQUARE TUBE WITH POST
1 EA.
5X4X84 TUBE WITH ROD

MASK AND POWDERCOAT YELLOW $225.00


They must be nuts or something or think my pockets are bottomless. For that ridiculous amount I can buy my own powder coat gun, powder paint, make my own 7 foot oven to bake it in AND have money left over, sheesh. I've got an old steel tank, it's about 24" dia and 8 feet long. Do you think if I put the parts inside, heat the walls of the tank with a weed burner I could get the air temp inside up to 400* ? How crazy does that sound? That 96 cent rattle can paint job is sounding real good about now. H/F sells a powder coat gun and powder paint, how much paint do you think I will need?


Powder Coat Gun

Yellow Powder Coat Paint

Larry

That price sounds about right given the size of your project. Since I've never done any actual powder coating myself, I can't even begin to guess if your idea for a home made oven will work or not. I just don't have the place to even try and powder coat my own stuff, so I let Roadrunner Fabrication and Powder Coating do the work for me.

TLB has a good suggestion about checking into Eastwood's products. I get their catalogs; but haven't ordered anything from them.

If you build your own powder coating oven; I hope you start a thread on it!

 

[mjncad]

Larry,

Is there a special trick about finding a wife like that, or are you just lucky ??

Three men are discussing the merits of being married or having a mistress. The first guy says being married is the best as you have a loving wife to come home to, who listens to your problems, cooks for you, etc. The second guy says having a mistress is better because of the mystery, the romance, the sex is more intense, and so on. The third guy says, "You're both wrong. It's best to have a wife and a mistress." The other guys ask if he's nuts or what. The third guy answers with, "If you have a wife and a mistress; they both think you are with the other one, and you can go into the shop and get some real work done."

 

[J_J]

Thanks J_J,

Hey it didn't take long for those guys to steal Renze and I's invention. Looks like a very well made unit though. 495.00 for the basic unit and 195.00 for the precision angle depth adjuster. Mine cost about 5 hours of scrounging, cutting, drilling, welding, milling, and heat treating. Plus the time to upload and post all about the redneck precision metal bender If I were in metal bending production that would be the ticket for sure. Thanks for finding and posting that link, it's pretty cool
Larry

Larry,

Would you be willing to make several more of those bending units, at a reasonable cost?