Hi Wayne, I’ve got buckets all over the place and never think to use those gasket parts I think for some applications (low heat), you could cut them to the length needed and glue them together with high temp silicone. Thanks for the tip.
Pepe,
That is real close to what I was thinking. Although you draw much better than I. I was also thinking about a brake shoe spring or two? I’m just not sure how much pressure is needed or what is too much. I guess that’ll come with experience and some trial and error. I was thinking of using a rod and sleeve for the guide but I like your idea with a bolt for an adjustment. When I was over at Mike Larosa’s yesterday, I noticed he used a small trailer spring for the arm to span over the lid.
Hi Bill,
I think a brake spring is way too much spring. I used a 6" or so section of spring from a door closure and it works well. I have a cup at each end to contain the ends of the spring. They are drilled out to the rod diam. I would estimate the pull needed to latch my lid is about 6-8 pounds. Door closures are under a lot of tension, be real careful opening them up. Trailer springs should be good for the arm, but I’ve never welded spring steel. Ask Mike about that.
we have used a small block chev valve spring in that roll in the past
Thanks Pepe and Arvid.
Pepe, Mike used it just like you said, as an arm, not welded.
I put the gas inlet tube (2’ diam) together and installed it on the filter housing. Pictures show how I laid it out and kept it square and straight. Love those magnets for mock up. Did a test setup and I still have a 4’ x 4’ foot print. Gas diffuser has many holes and the extension necks down nozzle like to a 1’ diam hole. I’m planning to to use lid fasteners like Dan Cox’s. I started some gaskets Dan Cox style. I have rectangles and squares that I will cut to fit. I’ll post a filter medium loading diagram soon. What a gorgeous day here, sunny, light wind, mid 50’s, river roaring in the background, no traffic.
Hey Pepe;
Looking mighty fine. Won’t be long now before you are out in the warmer weather showing us that baby running. Dan
Thanks, Dan. Yes, we now have ground with patches of snow thank goodness. The soil is still frozen at the 1 foot level. Last Apr 27 I was planting potatoes. Those forged bolts you used to secure your filter lid certainly are pricey, ouch! I’m going to use regular eye bolts, heat them to fit a 5/16" bolt and tack weld them shut. I have a 16" filter so I’ll need a bunch to secure it air tight. I need to build up the filter edge also for a rope gasket. I may use a narrow flange. Time consuming.
Pepe
I have to confess Pepe, I did not build that part. It was like that on the container when I purchased it. The filter and the condensate tank were one piece when I got it, the bottom of the old condensate tank was one end and the top of the filter(part you are making) was the other end. Saved me a lot of work coming in a useful configuration for sure. Your eyebolts should do just fine, good luck. Dan
I got a piece of 1/2" square stock to form a lip on my filter. I measured the circumference and added an inch. I lined it up as best I could (this is critical for it to meet itself) even with the top of the filter body and tacked it in place at its mid point. Then I heated it red hot and sloooowly bent it to the curve making sure it stayed flush with the top of the filter body. I was working with a 3" long red hot section keeping the torch moving over the entire 3" and slowly advancing as I felt the bar bend. Keep steady pressure on it you’ll feel it move. Watch how it follows the curve, slow is the word. I bent 6 “-8” of it and tacked it down. I finished one end and started down the other side. I cut the overlap to fit, heated the last inch really red hot and pulled it into place with the clamp. Then I welded the lip underneath to the filter body. As Bill pointed out keep the heat on the thicker metal to avoid burn through. I need to grind a few spots where the shell sticks up maybe a 1/16". It’s a nice flat lip now, which I will seal with a flat lid and high temp silicone in place. Next, onto the flat lid with flip up clamps to seal it down. Auto darkening lens bit it, so I had to go to the burgh. Ran out of acetylene, too, but the guy’s only 4 miles down the road. Actual stay right at it time about 1 1/2 hrs. Uhh, yeah, I know, do the lip before the inlet pipe, right. lol.
Wow! Make do with what you have. Turned out very nice Pepe!
1 Like
it’s good to see i’m not the only one that needs to build a ring rolling machine.lol thats hard crafty work there but it"s what it takes to make a nice flange surface by hand.
nice job
1 Like
Thanks for the comments, guys. Bill, I got the MEN bug way back and have been a DIYer ever since. It’s amazing the resources available on the curbs in America. And of course I can’t forget my Seabee motto, “Can Do”! Dan S., I have plans for a roller and am on the look out for gears. I might even try a chain drive if I can’t find gears. I built a simple cone bender for my hour glass hearth. Takes some practice to get it bent smoothly. My first ones weren’t too smooth, more like 30 sided!
I am in desire for a roller too Pepe. Are the plans yours or would you be willing to share the plans? I’ve been in a look out for a used roller but can’t seem to find one. I want to be able to roll 14 ga. sheet steel and also rods. I haven’t really worked with metal until last August. I have always been in woodworking. Now that I started with metal , it’s like it opened a whole new world for me and I really enjoy it.
Bill, We have parallel lives. I did building and remodeling most of my life, but since VGW I have become a steel worker and love it! Yes, a whole new world.
The plans are someone else’s. Check out this guy’s plans. Really a silent tutorial, but pretty good for ring rollers.
This guy is pretty good also.
Worked on my eye bolts today and also got the 16 hinge brackets cut out and ready to drill. Pic 1 and 2 Used this left over tapped pipe for a setup jig for bending. Pic 3, 4, 5 Heated the bolt and bent it to fit the bolt pin. Then I cut it flush and realigned it. I measured the cut off piece and cut all the bolts to length and finished the bending. Pic 6, 7 I laid the finished bolt on my full size drawing and designed the hinge brackets. Tomorrow I’ll weld on the brackets, cut out the lid with slots and see how it fits.
Pepe
All I had time for today was drilling holes, ratcha fratch. I made up one unit for a fit. The angle cut fits over the weld under the lip. It seems to swing into place OK. Tomorrow will be a weld up day and cutout the cover. I will adjust the fit using the esna type lock nut.
1 Like
Looks good Pepe.
I’m a bad builder, I never make drawings.
Thanks Bill. I use 1/4" grid/graph paper, it makes drawing full size pretty easy. Erasing is a lot easier than grinding off and restarting. Once you start drawing you will learn to trust the drawing concept. I didn’t start off drawing and wasted a lot of time and materials. Take my hinges for example. You can put the compass point in the center of the hinge pin and the pencil on any part of the hinge and swing an arc to see exactly if that part will hit any other part in its travel. It will help make you a better builder. Time at the drafting table/drawing board is never wasted, it just feels like it, lol. Then you can modify the drawing without a grinder. I finally got my lid hold downs installed. I made a cutting jig for my torch (OK, I didn’t draw it). Adjust the leg (the hole is threaded) and lock it in with the nut ( the nut is under the arm) so your tip is about a 1/16" to 1/8" above the plate. Use the correct cutting tip, pressures and speed for the material thickness. Keep the tip straight up and down. This is the best circle I have cut so far. I cut it before I thought of the leg and I had trouble holding the tip distance. Ok, don’t rub it in, lol, I’ll get better. I hope to get the slots cut today after Easter dinner. Hmm, good luck on that one, Pepe!
Hi Guys.
I tackled the lid slots and fasteners today. I think they turned out well. I’m getting closer to moving the setup outside. I ran out of flat gasket and the store hasn’t gotten their shipment yet either. Oh well, at least I can get my outdoor wood processing area set up. Oh yeah, I’ve had these huge washers sitting around for 20 years and had no idea where I would ever use them. Yes, I never throw anything away. Well, almost nothing.
Pepe
