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I asked this in another tool thread but didn’t see a response. Any shop vac recs? I’ve got a Lowe’s gift card (so Shop-Vac, Craftsman, Kobalt, etc.) and am in need of a new one. Looking at the stainless 5-10gal, 5hp range and hoping to get out the door for less than $100. Much less and I can pick up a new torch, too. Also, should I just wait for the next sale, too? I’m thinking the next big one is soon... Edit* no El Jebus fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Apr 25, 2019 |
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Apr 25, 2019 17:59
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if you can hold out for fathers day that's probably your best bet for another deal opportunity i dont think there's a whole lot of variation between most shop vac brands, pick a size and hope the hoses arent too lovely.
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Apr 25, 2019 18:03
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Is something like this a really terrible idea? The filters are rated to 125 psi and my compressor only goes up to 116, so it checks out to me. Probably not OSHA approved but safe?
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Apr 25, 2019 18:09
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Tres Burritos posted:Is something like this a really terrible idea? The filters are rated to 125 psi and my compressor only goes up to 116, so it checks out to me. Probably not OSHA approved but safe? moisture traps go on the outlet so it wouldn't effect the compressor safety at all. It might lower your PSI at the end of the hose though. Also where does that guy live that he gets a gallon of water out of a 20 gallon compressor? Are Husky compressors just poo poo?
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Apr 25, 2019 18:26
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Verman posted:They are much harder to come by these days even in the northwest. Seattle has lost a few just in the last year. Oh really? I've always got mine either at the Spirit station near Wedgewood/Meadowbrook or at the marina in Kenmore. I just snagged some from the marina this week.
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Apr 25, 2019 18:28
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JEEVES420 posted:moisture traps go on the outlet so it wouldn't effect the compressor safety at all. It might lower your PSI at the end of the hose though. What if I put a trap like that between the compressor and a tank? I bought some harbor freight tanks and the drain situation on them is sub-optimal. I was hoping I could dry the air between the compressor and the tanks so that they don't just explode one day because they drain lovely. Is that super dumb?
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Apr 25, 2019 18:54
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Tres Burritos posted:What if I put a trap like that between the compressor and a tank? I bought some harbor freight tanks and the drain situation on them is sub-optimal. I was hoping I could dry the air between the compressor and the tanks so that they don't just explode one day because they drain lovely. Is that super dumb? If you have a ton of moisture then the traps are good, if not then don't worry about it. Just drain your tanks after every use. I have a HF compressor that has been running strong for something like 12 years. But I don't have any moisture issues. I also just realized I didn't drain it last night and we have had a ton of rain past few days 
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Apr 25, 2019 19:10
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Falco posted:Oh really? I've always got mine either at the Spirit station near Wedgewood/Meadowbrook or at the marina in Kenmore. I just snagged some from the marina this week. In the last three years (since buying my dirt bike and mower), I feel like the stations in the area offering ethanol free gas has dwindled to nearly 50% of what it was. Now when I go ride, I just fill up on the way to wherever we're going when everyones bikes and spare cans are in the truck. I usually only use a half tank or maybe a full tank of gas in my bike for the day so the full spare can comes back with me and into the mower.
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Apr 25, 2019 19:11
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Mr. Mambold posted:Ethanol is a real dumb idea that was supposed to be a good idea environmentally, then ironically turned into a horrible idea environmentally, but now it's entrenched politics. Even though pure gas is more at the pump, mileage tests have shown it's 20-25% more better mileage than ethanol blends. ..... More better? 
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Apr 25, 2019 19:44
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angryrobots posted:..... More better? Yes.
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Apr 26, 2019 03:32
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What type of fuel was tested when they were getting 20-25% difference? Like a E90 flex fuel? Surely not an E10 compliance blend...
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Apr 26, 2019 03:52
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Yeah ethanol burns less energetically than petrol per unit volume, but it certainly has some energy. It doesn’t actively hamper the petrol constituent. There’s no way E15 (85% petrol, 15% ethanol) get results less than 85% as good as pure petrol. Platystemon fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Apr 26, 2019 |
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Apr 26, 2019 04:25
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The havoc it wreaks on carbs and fuel systems in general makes it not worth a drat considering its basically a political handout.
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Apr 26, 2019 05:09
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:The havoc it wreaks on carbs and fuel systems in general makes it not worth a drat considering its basically a political handout. As a vintage bike aficionado I can confirm. 
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Apr 26, 2019 16:34
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edit- ok, it's like 4-5% https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml Mr. Mambold fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Apr 26, 2019 |
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Apr 26, 2019 16:48
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Ok, for some reason I thought Ethanol free gas was available all over the place. My biggest problem with ethanol is that it attracts water, and most gas cans and other lids on small engines are designed to have an air vent which will slowly absorb water vapor.
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Apr 26, 2019 19:22
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:As a vintage bike aficionado I can confirm. Mind weren't that bad but were still pretty awful after a few months of sitting. I shouldn't have let it sit that long anyway but the ethanol gas made the problem so much worse. It also helped strip half of the tank coating off and clog every filter and line along the way. On the plus side I could remove and reinstall the carb assembly in like 30 minutes from shear volume of practice.
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Apr 26, 2019 20:29
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:Mind weren't that bad but were still pretty awful after a few months of sitting. I shouldn't have let it sit that long anyway but the ethanol gas made the problem so much worse. The worst though is when the gas eats the rubber o-rings and such in the carbs so fast that you literally can't take them back apart after you've run gas through it because they're likely ruined. Better get that float height and air screw right on the first try and pray they never need adjusting. Also, probably better not to buy NOS rubber carb parts/kits because they'll just get completely hosed whereas viton rubber o rings are at least tolerant of alcohol and carb cleaners. https://www.polymax.co.uk/blog/nitrile-vs-viton-what-is-the-difference/
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Apr 27, 2019 01:47
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Mr. Mambold posted:edit- ok, it's like 4-5% Although that page does say that flex fuel is between 15% to 27% less economical. Someone who knows M.A.T.H.S. better can say whether the mpg inverse ratio is what is exacerbating that number or not.
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Apr 27, 2019 13:22
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Looking for a recommendation for an electric hedge trimmer and an electric weedwhacker. Yard's small enough that I don't particularly need gas and would rather deal with an extension cord than with the mediocre performance of battery-powered tools.
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Apr 27, 2019 17:00
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My Milwaukee M18 string trimmer kicks the poo poo out of every plug in trimmer I've ever had, and is easily on par with the gas ones I've used. I have an Earthwise cheapo pole mount wired hedge trimmer and it works fine. If I ever kill it, though, I'll replace it with a Milwaukee. Going on seven years of light use with no problems so far.
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Apr 27, 2019 17:52
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Phanatic posted:Looking for a recommendation for an electric hedge trimmer and an electric weedwhacker. Yard's small enough that I don't particularly need gas and would rather deal with an extension cord than with the mediocre performance of battery-powered tools. 80v electric string trimmers are on par with gas ones. Lowes and home depot will let you try it for 30 days and return it if you do not like it. Pricing is something like $200 for an 80v trimmer $95 for the add on hedge trimmer attachment Or $80-120 for a plug in string trimmer (look for one that is dual lines at 0.080 size string) $50-100 for a plug in hedge trimmer $30-40 for a 100 ft 12 gauge electric cord
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Apr 27, 2019 18:47
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If you have a small yard, you can join the Cult of Ryobi for ~ $100. I've got a half acre + counting easement and a single 18v battery goes the distance and more. And it's very lightweight.
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Apr 27, 2019 19:17
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The Gardenator posted:80v electric string trimmers are on par with gas ones. Lowes and home depot will let you try it for 30 days and return it if you do not like it. Voltage isnt the whole story for how much power a tool has, it just determines how thick of wires are needed in the tool and the minimum number of cells in a battery pack. 20 cells in series will be able to produce the same power as 20 cells that are in a 10s2p configuration (half the voltage but is able provide twice the amps).
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Apr 27, 2019 19:30
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Mr. Mambold posted:If you have a small yard, you can join the Cult of Ryobi for ~ $100. I've got a half acre + counting easement and a single 18v battery goes the distance and more. And it's very lightweight. I own a first generation 40v Kobalt(lowes) string trimmer and one of the irritating features is the motor is right on the lower end of the tool. What makes that irritating is the vent holes for the motor get clogged with grass and other crap that I have to clean out. The newer gen 40v kobalt tool has the motor at the top with the battery, but if I'm going to buy a new one, I'll go with the 80v since I have the 80v kobalt blower. Looking at Ryobi, it seems they have a similar design change, either in generation or price point. The $100 Ryobi in 18v or 40v has the motor near the bottom and the $150 models have them up at the top. I've had black n decker cheap rear end electrics where I ignored the grass build up and the motors have eventually burned out.
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Apr 27, 2019 21:16
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The Gardenator posted:I own a first generation 40v Kobalt(lowes) string trimmer and one of the irritating features is the motor is right on the lower end of the tool. What makes that irritating is the vent holes for the motor get clogged with grass and other crap that I have to clean out. The newer gen 40v kobalt tool has the motor at the top with the battery, but if I'm going to buy a new one, I'll go with the 80v since I have the 80v kobalt blower. All the Dewalts are set up like this too. I would have loved to stay with the batteries I already have, but that just looks like trouble waiting to happen. Ended up going with the Ryobi 40V instead.
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Apr 27, 2019 23:59
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IOwnCalculus posted:My Milwaukee M18 string trimmer kicks the poo poo out of every plug in trimmer I've ever had, and is easily on par with the gas ones I've used. Same here. I have a bunch of trimming to do (I can use up most of a 9a/h battery per wacking session), and Ol' Red has never let me down. Even the bump feed works 95%+ of the time perfectly. One huge upgrade is to throw the string (.085) it comes with in the garbage and upgrade to some decent .095 line. I've been pretty happy with the 'Rino Tuff' line from Home Depot. Make sure whatever trimmer you get can handle the thicker lines; it makes a huge difference.
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Apr 28, 2019 14:16
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How does everyone feel about power steamers for getting rid of awful stubborn wallpaper? We’re dealing with that seems like two layers of it, the bottom layer seems to be some kind of vinyl stuff. We’re doing the regular scoring/spraying to no avail. We’ve also tried using 409 to spray which does work but again does not penetrate to the bottom layer very well.
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Apr 28, 2019 16:32
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Spring Heeled Jack posted:How does everyone feel about power steamers for getting rid of awful stubborn wallpaper? We’re dealing with that seems like two layers of it, the bottom layer seems to be some kind of vinyl stuff. We’re doing the regular scoring/spraying to no avail. We’ve also tried using 409 to spray which does work but again does not penetrate to the bottom layer very well. Score and steam works like a god damned champ. Be prepared it's a tedious fucker that involves dripping hot rear end water on you a general unclean feeling after dealing with 30 year old wallpaper.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:24
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B-Nasty posted:Same here. I have a bunch of trimming to do (I can use up most of a 9a/h battery per wacking session), and Ol' Red has never let me down. Even the bump feed works 95%+ of the time perfectly. also apparently square profile line cuts less cleanly but more powerfully than circle or oval profile so if you've got tough stuff to cut get square. Or so I read.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:29
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Spring Heeled Jack posted:How does everyone feel about power steamers for getting rid of awful stubborn wallpaper? We’re dealing with that seems like two layers of it, the bottom layer seems to be some kind of vinyl stuff. We’re doing the regular scoring/spraying to no avail. We’ve also tried using 409 to spray which does work but again does not penetrate to the bottom layer very well. Wallpaper is the devil. Steamers are a godsend, as are Paper Tigers. Keep at it, you will emerge victorious. That being said, remember that you will be putting a shitload of humidity in the air. My family was renovating my grandma's house during the winter after she passed. I steamed in one room while my brother in law painted in another. We came back the next morning and his paint still wasn't dry yet. Speaking of wallpaper from hell, I hope you don't find nail pops under the wallpaper. I was all set to leave after a night of electrical work in the master bath (I've posted tales of my grandpa's handiwork in the Crappy Construction Tales thread), I leaned up against a wall to text my wife that I was coming home and felt nails in my arm.
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Apr 30, 2019 03:55
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This is the depth stop on my new drill press: It didn't ship like that, but I noticed while in the middle of hogging out some mortises that it had bent. Likely I applied too much force to the thing -- I'm new to using drill presses and also tried to do some carpentry while exhausted yesterday, probably not the greatest of combinations. I kind of bent it back into approximate shape with some pliers, but it's obviously not flat, and worse, it's flexing a bit every time the depth stop bottoms out. It wouldn't surprise me if it's made from cheap steel. Anyway, it needs to be fixed. I haven't done much metalworking at all; is this something I could plausibly fix on my own? I'm thinking, like, get a short section of square stock sized to fit over the depth gauge (i.e. big enough to fit, but small enough to stop the nuts that are used to set the depth), drill holes through two sides aligned with the screw holes, slide over the depth gauge, stick a screwdriver through the holes to screw into position. Square stock ought to be a lot more rigid than this thing. The biggest problems I can see with this plan are a) buying like 2" of square stock, and b) getting the screws into position so they can be screwed into place.
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May 4, 2019 00:05
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Edit: hahaha I’m an idiot
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May 4, 2019 05:08
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:This is the depth stop on my new drill press: drat you really yanked on that thing. Drilling through the steel would be a little annoying but you could make any simple piece to fit. I'd make it easy and drill through a bigger piece and then cut it off if I had some. Also usually you can find replacement parts online.. I decided to replace a plate on a table saw I borrowed and scratched up once pretty badly with a nail I had missed. It was $15 and easy piece of mind. I think your part is 114 X1848114 DEPTH STOP BRACKET from https://cdn0.grizzly.com/partslists/w1668_pl.pdf I imagine its cheap
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May 4, 2019 05:31
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On the one hand, you're right that ordering a new depth stop would be the easiest solution here...on the other hand, if this broke once then I'd be worried about a replacement breaking or otherwise wearing out again, even if I know not to hulk out on my drill press any more. Plus the design of the stop just kinda bugs me, since it relies entirely on the stiffness of a cheap bit of 1/8" steel that's only supported at one end. Honestly the biggest issue I foresee with fabricating a replacement is I don't have an angle grinder to cut through metal with, so I'll have to do it by hand with a hacksaw. Good point on drilling before cutting, though; I'm absolutely the kind of guy that would make that mistake. "OK, I have the piece cut down to size, now I just have to hold it steady while I drill two precise holes through it...gently caress." Thanks for the advice! Edit: on reflection, there's no reason why this needs to be made out of metal. A wooden stop would be much easier for me to make, and would work just as well. TooMuchAbstraction fucked around with this message at 16:23 on May 4, 2019 |
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May 4, 2019 15:01
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:On the one hand, you're right that ordering a new depth stop would be the easiest solution here...on the other hand, if this broke once then I'd be worried about a replacement breaking or otherwise wearing out again, even if I know not to hulk out on my drill press any more. Plus the design of the stop just kinda bugs me, since it relies entirely on the stiffness of a cheap bit of 1/8" steel that's only supported at one end. Alternatively you could just adjust the little tape measure sticker thingy and then just try to keep an eye on the depth stop while using it to make sure you're not bearing down on it past your set depth.
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May 4, 2019 19:05
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I just threw together a new depth stop block over the weekend. It took two attempts and maybe 90 minutes of work, mostly because the two screw holes were 10mm apart and the pan-head screws I got had heads with a >10mm diameter. I couldn't use the original screws because they were too short, and would leave me with only a few mm of wood to hold the block on. Anyway, it works, or at any rate works better than the old block did. Different question: I'm considering taking a course at The Crucible, specifically looking at the welding courses. The thought process behind this is basically "welding sounds fun", I don't have a particular application for the skill in mind right now. What would y'all recommend -- MIG, TIG, or go do something else entirely? I'm looking for recommendations specifically for "which sounds more fun to do a weekend course in", not so much for long-term practicality of the skill. If the course is fun enough then I can look into additional courses or buying tools, but it needs to pass that first bar.
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May 6, 2019 05:17
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Different question: I'm considering taking a course at The Crucible, specifically looking at the welding courses. The thought process behind this is basically "welding sounds fun", I don't have a particular application for the skill in mind right now. What would y'all recommend -- MIG, TIG, or go do something else entirely? I'm looking for recommendations specifically for "which sounds more fun to do a weekend course in", not so much for long-term practicality of the skill. If the course is fun enough then I can look into additional courses or buying tools, but it needs to pass that first bar. I took a metalworking course at a local art studio and absolutely had a blast. For welding, we started on oxy-acetylene then SMAW (stick welding) then MIG. Learning to do it on gas was pretty ideal because you really learn how the molten puddle moves around, and with practice you get some very nice looking welds. It's really not that great for the home gamer though, since you'll probably keep running out of gas at the wrong time and keeping a bottle of acetylene is maybe a little sketchy. SMAW is super flexible, but no one seems to want to learn that. So, I guess of your choices I'd start with MIG as long as the instructor is good and doesn't let you get away with bad welding techniques. I wouldn't start with TIG, it's a little more like gas welding but with the extra fun of starting up an arc and trying not to screw up your tungsten electrode. SMAW equipment is cheap to acquire and cheap to run which is probably one reason I like it so much. I got the HF inverter welder (sooo cute!) and keep to the small diameter welding rods and it runs like a champ for my little projects. I can't build bridges but I can do tons of motorcycle-scale stuff. Later I lucked into a free MIG (actually FCAW, or flux-cored arc welding) and keep eyeing up the regulators to get some shielding gas going because boy howdy does it make a loving mess with flux-core wire. It's a little more of a money pit than the stick welder that way.
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May 6, 2019 20:29
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Thanks for the insight! I'm slightly hopeful that my experience with soldering and with torch-fusing silver wire will be kind of relevant here; at least the principle of "metal moves towards the heat; heat both sides of the joint evenly" ought to still apply. But it's gonna be a learning process regardless. From what you said, it sounds like basically TIG is more technically complex and limits you to using only fairly expensive gear (needing the shield gas and keeping the tungsten tip in good repair), MIG is intermediary, and SMAW is cheap but small-scale and has more cleanup work?
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May 6, 2019 21:38
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| # ? May 19, 2024 18:23 |
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It depends a lot on what you want to do. TIG is great for small stuff and a very flexible process. You can weld just about anything with the right TIG setup. It’s also very clean process, but harder to master and the gear is more expensive if you want to weld multiple materials. Stick was what built the world we live in and you can weld plenty heavy stuff with it (battleships, for instance. I worked with a guy in a shipyard during college that had stick welded 16” thick plate when they refitted the USS Missouri back in the 80s) but it is much slower and dirtier. If you just want to weld up mild steel stuff in your garage, stick is what you want. Old Lincoln buzz boxes are all over craigslist for cheap and nothing ever happens to them. Do be aware of the duty cycle on smaller machines. Flux core is basically just stick but faster because you don’t have to change electrodes all the time. Learning stick will teach you to strike and hold an arc which will be useful if you later learn TIG. Oxyfuel welding is really a pain and slow and doesn’t really make great welds, but having an oxyfuel setup lets you use a cutting torch (and cutting torches ARE AWESOME) and also braze mismatched materials. Also puddle management with oxyfuel stuff gives you a good basis for learning TIG. MIG is really easy to learn and makes a nice clean weld but can be a bit more particular about setup with shielding gasses and balancing wire speed and amperage. Equipment is also going to be a bit pricier than a basic stick setup. I would start with stick/SMAW as it best teaches the fundamental principles of electric arc welding. If you can stick weld you can MIG weld after about 3 minutes, but not vice versa. Note that none of the above should be done in a shop filled with sawdust.
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May 6, 2019 22:08
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