The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Month: November 2018

  • Badger Propel Air Fittings: DIY Cork Washers

    The tiny sandblaster turns out to be a Badger 260 with miniature Propel threaded fittings on the air line:

    Badger Propel air fitting - DIY cork washers
    Badger Propel air fitting – DIY cork washers

    Foreseeing a Propel washer getting lost in the confusion, I punched a few from a cork sheet and trimmed them to half-thickness. The little brass hole punch isn’t good for more than a few whacks, but that’s all I needed. My cork is crumblier than theirs, but I got a few decent-looking washers and, with a bit of luck, won’t need any of them.

    Maybe I should make a soft gasket from a thin plastic sheet?

  • Monthly Science: End of the Cheese Slicer Epoxy Coating

    The corrosion growing on our long-suffering cheese slicer finally ruptured its epoxy coating:

    Cheese Slicer - epoxy coating split
    Cheese Slicer – epoxy coating split

    Most of the epoxy remains in good shape, but it’s obviously not the right hammer for this job.

    Having recently spotted my tiny sandblaster, I think I can clear off the corrosion and epoxy well enough to try again with good old JB Weld epoxy. It’s not rated for underwater use, so I don’t expect long-term goodness, but it’ll be an interesting comparison.

    Bonus: the slicer will start with a uniform gray surface!