Printing airlock parts for my dust collector

[ddmckee54]

I did manage to get the invisible duct installed last night, and I replaced the duct that runs down to the CNC router. The one in the picture was just temporary to get the position of the ELL correct. That temporary duct was cobbled together out of shorter pieces of 4" duct.

While trying to install the last duct clamp on the ceiling I also managed to fall off the damned step ladder. I only fell a couple of feet though, so it wans't too bad. In the process of doing that I managed to collect a nice bruise on the heel of my left hand, or whatever that meaty part under you thumb is called. I also bruised my pride, got a shallow cut in the palm of my left hand from the plumbers strapping that I was TRYING to install, and scraped a good sized hunk of hide off my left arm when it collided with the belt sander on the way down. This knocked the belt sander off its' stand in the process. (Good thing I'm right handed becasuse I'm developing an impressive bruise on my left hand.)

At this point I decided to call it a night and went upstairs to clean up the blood and assess the damages, which were all minor - but impressive from the amount of blood. Many, many, many moons ago - my old auto mechanics instructor always used to tell us that if it doesn't draw blood then it's not a good overhaul or install. This is a GOOD install.

Don

 

[awake]

I rarely spend time in the workshop / garage without making a blood sacrifice ... And I too have fallen off just a short step ladder - it is amazing how much kinetic energy one gains by being two feet in the air.

 

[ddmckee54]

Yup, gravity sucks alright.

 

[ddmckee54]

I returned to the scene of the crime last night... and among other things did a root cause analysis of the incident.

I determined that I didn't slip off the step-ladder, the step-ladder slipped out from under me.

Semantics you say - au contaire Peirre. Let me set up the conditions for you. The strap that I needed to install was over the back of the workbench, couldn't quite see the hole to get the screw started. About that time the little voice in my head said "Let's just stand on the bench", and the other little voice said "That's a BAAAD idea", to which the 1st voice said "NAAAH, it'll be fine". The ladder was positioned parallel to the bench, so that I was getting off the ladder - sideways. Ya'll know what happened, Don't EVER listen to the voice that says it'll be fine - he's a troublemaker.

Anyway... I finally got that troublesome strap installed, along with all the screws that secure the ducts to the TEE's and the ELL's. About this time my left arm and hand were telling me that they'd had enough of this crap for one night. And I listened to them, I'm learning. Maybe tonight I can get the rest of the joints sealed up and be done with the work at the ceiling level.

Don

 

[awake]

So it wasn't your fault ... except that it was.

When I fell off a 2' step ladder, it was a very old step ladder with some of the wood broken away. Still good enough, I thought ... apparently not.

 

[ddmckee54]

Andy, 20/20 hindsight is wonderful isn't it?

The work at ceiling height is ALMOST done! All the ducting is in place, and all the joints are sealed. All that's left to do is to pick up some 1/4"-20 bolts that are the correct length to bolt the flanges together. I've got a couple of bolts in place now to keep things lined up, but they're too long. I just keep forgetting to pick the correct length bolts when I'm out and about. I've got a couple of other errands to take care of tonight, MAYBE I'll remember to get the bolts this time.

I continued work on the 3" branch line to the drill press area. You are NOT going to see any pictures of that area until after I've done some serious cleaning. All the horizontal surfaces in my shop tend to accumulate STUFF, especially if I'm trying to get some other higher priority project done at the time. It's a bad habit that I'm TRYING to break - but only with limited success so far. 50-60 years of practice dontchaknow. Then again, maybe it's genetic - my Dad's shop always looked that way too.

This is the first time that I've made a SERIOUS effort at trying to organize the shop. Maybe this clean and organize idea will stick this time. It IS easier to find stuff if it's put back where it belongs, instead of being left wherever you used it last.

 

[awake]

Hah. Since the brunt of my fall occurred on my hind end, "hind sight" might be all too apropos!

And accumulation - very familiar with that. I do have a pretty well organized shop (have to, to fit everything into the space available), but when I'm mid-project, things tend to accumulate everywhere. Then they all get cleaned up and put back, ready to spread out again when the next project gets going ...

 

[ddmckee54]

Last night I started going through some of the "accumulation" of stuff on that bench. It was a pile of fittings that I had purchased for this project. They had been scattered over the various flat surfaces in the shop, until I tossed them all into one pile. Probably because I needed to stand on that flat surface?

I found several 4" PVC 45° ELLS , 4 of them actually, that I had purchased and modified for this project. But apparently I couldn't find them when I needed them so I bought more and installed those parts. Anybody want some slightly modified 4" PVC 45° sewer ELLs?

I also found a lot of 4" snaplock duct parts that I purchased early in this project, and then had a "better" idea. I might be able to use them somewhere... someday... maybe?

Anyway, the bench is a LOT cleaner now, and I haven't even actually cleaned it yet.

 

[ddmckee54]

Last night I got the remainder of the parts needed to install the branch lines down to the blast gates. Including the 1/4"-20 bolts of the correct lengths that I didn't have - so I finally bolted the flanges together. (Including washers and nylocks - nuthin' but the best fer this project!)

I started printing out the 3" adapter rings Tuesday night as I went to bed, it was 4 hours to print 4 of them. The next morning I started printing the last 4 of the 8 rings required. Guess what didn't fit, WAY too small, so I aborted the second batch. When I checked the size of the CAD part it was right, but SOME ******* forgot to scale the part to 103% to allow for shirnkage. OK, scale the part and print ONE as a sanity check. I aborted the print after a few mm, I didn't want to wait for the whole part if it was still wrong. It was a LOT closer, but still too small. After measuring the ring I determined that I needed to scale the part 104.5%. So that's what I did and then started a batch of 3 in the printer.

I checked them and since they were spot on, I then turned the printer loose on the next batch of 3. The first batch got glued in last night before I went to bed. When I got up this morning the next batch was done. I started the printer on the last batch of rings before I left for work, they'll be done when I get home.

Now that I've got all the parts, I'll be able to complete the dust collector branch line to the drill press and other stuff. At least complete it down to the blast gates, I've yet to make the blast gates. I need three of each size, both the 4" gates and the 3" gates. I've got three of the 4" Blast Gate v1.0 laying around. They worked, but they had issues. Mainly the slides were too tight and sticky, and they kept accumulating sawdust in the corners of the gate slide. The sawdust would keep the gate from completely closing, so I gotta fix that. For something that I fabri-cobbled together, out of scraps that I had laying around, they worked pretty well. But I think I can do better this time around.

 

[ddmckee54]

I got a little bit more accomplished over the weekend. but not too much. I now have all of the dust collector branch lines complete up tp the point where the blast gates will be installed. This was the last of them, and they all have the joints sealed now too.

This is the brach that will service the drill press and other stuff. I have been doing some cleaning in this area, that's why I willing to show it to you. The mess that is left is your typical construction type mess. All of the 3" PVC sewer fittings that you see required 3D printed adapter bushings to go from the OD of the 3" snaplock duct to the ID of the 3" PVC fittings.

In the bottom center of the picture is one of the 4" Blast Gates, ver 1.0. I've got a couple of half-vast ideas for the ver 2.0 blast gate, but haven't come up with anything yet that really jumps off the screen, smacks you up-side the head and says "Build me Dummy". I'm pretty sure that the 3" blast gate will involve some printed parts, maybe the 4" too, but like I said, no "Eureka" moments yet.

Don

 

[awake]

Looks good! Feel free to come and set up my garage next.

 

[ddmckee54]

Sure, I"ll pencil it into the schedule. Right after I get the stuff in my yet to be built garage done - priorities dontchaknow.

 

[awake]

I don't know what the problem is. I keep suggesting to people on this forum that they can send me their machines, build me a shop, buy me tooling ... and no one ever takes me up on it. Sigh ...

 

[ajoeiam]

I don't know what the problem is. I keep suggesting to people on this forum that they can send me their machines, build me a shop, buy me tooling ... and no one ever takes me up on it. Sigh ...

But but but I'm ahead of you on that list (shops built and tooled) - - - - (LOL)

(If only - - - if only!)

 

[awake]

But but but I'm ahead of you on that list (shops built and tooled) - - - - (LOL)

(If only - - - if only!)

Aha! There must be someone else ahead of us both, who is getting all the goodies. Okay, folks, 'fess up - who is hogging all of the freebies?

 

[ddmckee54]

Nope, you're both wrong. It's not your positions on "The List" that's the problem, it's the shipping of the tools/tooling. To quote Peter O'Toole from the movie High Spirits, "The postage alone is mind-boggling".

Besides if it's our standing standing on the list... I'm pretty sure "The List" goes by join date and BOTH you guys are way behind me. I haven't seen squat yet, so you guys are just SOL. "The List" must be some kind of pyramid scheme, who do we complain to?

 

[ajoeiam]

Nope, you're both wrong. It's not your positions on "The List" that's the problem, it's the shipping of the tools/tooling. To quote Peter O'Toole from the movie High Spirits, "The postage alone is mind-boggling".

Besides if it's our standing standing on the list... I'm pretty sure "The List" goes by join date and BOTH you guys are way behind me. I haven't seen squat yet, so you guys are just SOL. "The List" must be some kind of pyramid scheme, who do we complain to?

Well - - - my mom is dead - - - - do you have any better options? (LOL!!!)
I'd bet nobody is listening so there isn't anybody who cares and so somebody - - - well he went home blubbering (LOL!!!)!

 

[ddmckee54]

Maybe we should all just hope that when this endless postal strike is over, we'll ALL get a bunch of goodies in the mail?

 

[awake]

Hmm, good thought - there must be thousands of packages of tooling lost in the system. How do I sign up to receive my share?

Now, back to the original topic ... uh ... what were we talking about before going down this rabbit hole??

 

[ajoeiam]

Hmm, good thought - there must be thousands of packages of tooling lost in the system. How do I sign up to receive my share?

Now, back to the original topic ... uh ... what were we talking about before going down this rabbit hole??

Hmmmmmmm - - - you're not 'enjoying' this rabbit hole?

I thought there were a few fun moments.

(Between the absolutely goofy weather and a bunch of other 'goofy' stuff - - - it was good to find some chuckles that weren't the rueful kind! But I feed the digression - - - - down boy down boy - - - bad boy!!! (LOL))