This file is one of the Wolfstone archives of the Halloween mailing lists. You can find out more, and reach the entire collection here: http://www.pobox.com/~wolfstone/_r/HalloweenArchive.html This particular archive deals with "tools" topics. This includes: o brands and models of tools o vacuum forming tables It does NOT include related topics: o specialized tools, like airbrushes and foam cutters Some of them are missing headers - sorry. - - - - - Subject: Re: Vacuum forming Table From: "David C Hayworth" Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 21:00:40 -0400 Sue, Sorry for the late post, but I'm just getting through my emails after being on the road. I've made a couple vacu-form tables. I have found = that a shop vac works just fine and would be cheaper and easier to use than a pump. The website on Mark's Monster List, http://www.studiocreations.com/stormtrooper/vacuumtable/index.html, is a very good site to look at. Also, if you are looking for large sheets of plastic try Triangle Plastics, (919) 598-8839, in Raleigh, NC. I ordered several 4'X8' sheets of 0.060" plastic from them a few years ago to make a Boba Fett costume, using my vacu-form setup. Email me if you have any questions. Good Luck, David Hayworth ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue McDonald" To: "Halloween List" Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2001 9:42 PM Subject: Hall: Vacuum forming Table > Kurt said: > > If I may, I would refer you to Lindsay Publications. They reprint many > old manuals on several subjects, including home vacuum forming. Also > metalwork, steam engines, toys, science... lots of things to keep the > home engineers happy. :) > > http://www.lindsaybks.com > > = -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------- > > Thank you for this site. I ordered the book Gingery's Secret Building > of a Vacuum Forming Table. I see that the parts will be pretty > inexpensive. I have already been to Harbor Freight's site and checked > out their vacuum pumps. My hubby just got a new welder and his lazy > "aspirin" brother brought back the acetylene tanks back so I am set to > make the framing. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Vacuum forming Table From: Date: Tue, 01 May 2001 10:21:50 EDT A long time ago, I saw a homemade vacuforming table at a robotics hobbyist = show in Austin TX. I haven't seen anything like it on the web. I'll try = to describe it to everyone in case it gives you some ideas. The bottom was a flat wooden box about 2 feet square by 6 inches tall. = Covering the top of the box was a layer of perforated board (sometimes = called peg board). I'm sure there were some braces under the perf board, = since it is somewhat flexible. The shop vac was attached to pipe fitting = in the side on the box. The neat thing about the vacum table was that it had the heating element = attached. On the side of the box was one of those stands used in = laboratories, to hold beakers and bunsen burners at different heights. It = was either weighted down, or attached to the box. Attached to this stand was a metal frame that held the plastic. The = plastic was placed between the 2 sections fo the frame and held in place = with binder clips. The frame could be moved up and down on the stand, and = fastened into place. Attached to the top of the stand was a heating element. The heating = element looked suspiciously like an electric charcoal lighter for a = charcoal grill. This was inside a rectangular domed metal reflector. So here's how it worked. The plastic was put in the frame, the heating = element was turned on, and the frame was slid up the stand to sit a few = inches under the heating element. You watched the plastic heat up and = begin to droop. The guy doing this would poke it from underneath with a = pen a few times, as if testing the flexibility (try doing that with the = plastic in an oven!). When the plastic was soft enough, the frame was = slid back down the stand, and pressed over the object on the vacuform = table. The shop vac was turned on and ....slurp... the plastic was = vacuformed! The whole device was about 3 feet tall and 2 feet square. It seemed to = work pretty well. Has anyone seen anything like this before? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Vacuum forming Table From: "Tim D" Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 14:35:43 -0700 The first, and I think only, vaccu-form table that I ever used was in this basic configuration, except that it was a commercial machine about 6 feet wide and 18 feet long. It had three 1.5HP vacuum pumps that drew down = three 4-foot diameter spherical vaccuum tanks to 27 in-Hg. Machine had an array of coil electric heating elements that were controlled in zones with = timing relays. The plastic was held by clamps to a steel frame that was lifted hydraulically up under the heating elements. When the plastic was soft = the frame was powered down onto the mold and the 2" solenoid valve opened to pull the part. The table then electrically rolled out from under the heaters and the frame lifted up to pull the plastic from the mold. The workpiece was then removed from the frame and a new piece of plastic = clamped into place. The table was then rolled back under the heaters and the process repeated. The machine required a 208V 300A 3-phase electrical service, half the power in the building when operating at full power. It was originally used to make swimming pool slides. We used it to make animatronic figure body shells out of butyrate and props out of ABS and other plastics. I made all of the base shells for the little shell creatures in "Enemy Mine" (1985) using that machine. -The Enchanter - - - - - Subject: Re: Re: Re: Vacuum forming Table From: Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 18:39:56 EDT Hi Scott: Yes, I've seen one almost exactly like you've described -- in fact, I = built it. I was in a high school Plastics class and we had a number of people = interested in making molds of things so they could make resin copies. I = don't remember where I saw it, but I had seen plans for something like = what you've described and I asked the teacher if we could make one. He = told me to go ahead. Basically, ours was made out of particle board and consisted of two = boxes, one that fit over the other. We drilled a hole at the base of the = inner box for a shop vac nozzle and cut a notch in the appropriate side of = the outer box. For the support area, we made an interlocking set of thin = strips of wood, over which we stapled metal window screen. Our frame at = the top of the outer box was just more wood with a hook and eye catch to = hold the plastic securely into the frame. Our heating element was an old popcorn popper that we removed the pan = from, exposing the heating coils. This was suspended over the box on a = piece of steel pipe that had a threaded bottom and went into a steel = recepticle cover that was screwed onto the base. We originally planned to = mount the heating element at the top of the pipe, but we found that it was = better to have it loose; that way, if a part of the plastic cooled before = it fully formed around the part being molded, all we had to do was lower = the heating element to the plastic, warm it back up, and watch it wrap = itself around the part. We also found that, as far as the plastic went, cleaned out bottles of = laundry detergent worked wonderfully. They weren't quite as nice as the = "correct" plastic to use, but they worked. And, of course, we were on a = pretty limited budget, just using stuff we found around the shop. When it was finished, our little homemade vacu-former worked quite = well and a number of people were able to make custom molds with it. (And, = in a strange twist of irony, I didn't get any credit for the time I spent = making this because, as the teacher put it, "it wasn't made of plastic." = Jerk.) - - - - - Subject: Love of Tools From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2001 18:46:41 -0700 I was thinking about tools today as I shamed and bullied my husband into replacing the damaged fiberglass roofing on the dining room deck. It did not have enough nails in it to keep the wind from ripping off half of one of the panels. Well we replaced the 8' panels with 12' ones. Anyway, my husband made a remark about how he was so impressed with the way I handle all the power tools in the shop. I was thinking if I had to rank the tools like I used to do the boyfriends, how would they rate? I am extremely lucky in that ALL the tools I get to play with are commercial grade for contractors. My husband, his brother and a nephew were into the remodel and new home construction at one time and I was lucky enough to inherit a shop with all the toys in it. Of all the tools my favorite one is the radial arm saw. My husband almost messed himself the other day when I used it to rip a short piece of 2x4. I was just lucky it did not kick up on me. I don't mind the table saw so much but the noise makes it rank almost to the bottom of the list. On the bottom of my list is the skilsaw, I absolutely hate it. This is not to deter anyone from using theirs but I hate the horrendous noise and I have a problem because I am left-handed and I am sure that all of these are right handed skilsaws. Right above the skilsaw is the power sander. If you read my last post regarding my encounter with it, you will understand why. Sometimes, I get jealous of others on the list because of their talents to which I am lacking. The ToyGuy is the spray foam guru, Keeba is the Empress of Tombstones, Carl and his gator, the Iron couple and their talentsjust to name a few. I guess I am going to have to just be happy with my limited woodworking and fix-all skills. I can give Maggie a little piece of advice...three things when you decide to use your saw...(1) keep the phone handy for 911 (just teasing), (2) wear protective ear and eye gear and don't let anyone look over your shoulder if you are nervous using it. I would say to make sure that you keep your mouth closed because sometimes (like I found out with the table saw) it will collect all the saw kerf from your work. Sue - - - - - Subject: Dremel Magic From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 20:15:18 -0700 My husband thinks that I have waaay too many toys and that might be true since I used the dremel for the first time today even though I received it and a compressor on Dec 25th about two or three years ago. I have played with the compressor. I have that flexible extension cable so that it is more like a fat pencil. I was outside playing with it on the white booger styrofoam to practice for the real McCoy. It is kind of cool. I was trying out all the different bits and stuff...wow, I think I can finally try a better tombstone. My next problem was when I went to print out an epitaph, I did not have the Caslon type...shoot, I thought I had everything? Well, the husband got out the CD and woof are there a ton of those types on it. Took me 15 minutes to scan through and get what I wanted. Unfortunately, tomorrow is thursday and I have to actually go to work tomorrow PLUS I have to go get my driver's license renewed. I was kind of getting to like the last picture from 8 years ago. Have a few more pounds and grey hair for this picture. For anyone who has been afraid to try out your tool toys, don't be. Actually they are better than people because if you direct them correctly, they will do everything you want without a whimper or a whine. Sue P.S. Yes some of them whine but thats what earplugs are for. - - - - - Subject: Re: Morganna's Money From: "Nez" Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 14:56:07 -0400 Honey...you should see me with a chain saw!! It's a sight to behold!! = And I'm deadly with a dremel tool.... Hauntingly yours, ~Morganna~ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue McDonald" To: "Halloween List" Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 9:53 PM Subject: Hall: Morganna's Money > Morganna covered in grease with a socket set....gets me so excited that > I have goosebumps...lol. Congratulations on getting the money from the > EX. - - - - - Subject: Tool Graduation From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 20:34:30 -0700 Glad to see someone else gets off using a chain saw. I am not allowed to touch ours anymore. The neighbor got made because I trimmed the branches hanging down in my back yards. I know the law. Well, I am about to graduate to my new tool. The router. Heck I did not even know we had the little router. I knew about the router table but not the other. Tomorrow is a new day and I need a new toy so we shall see. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Tool Graduation From: "Ann Gratis" Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 19:20:25 -0400 I'm new to using power tools and absolutely love my drill! I saw a jigsaw = and a reciprocating saw on sale this week and was wondering if I should get = both or is one better than the other? Whitefang - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Tool Graduation From: Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 19:38:38 EDT Get both!! Actually a jig saw is good for halloween props, a reciprocating = saw, or sawzall, is more for remodeling and demolition work. I just bought an ultrathermic cutting torch that will cut through any = known material - titanium, steel, concrete, etc. Even cuts underwater. I have no = use for it but it's pretty cool. I think i will save it till i get = married, then if i ever get divorced i can cut the car in two and give her half! -Jon In a message dated 8/4/01 7:26:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time, WhiteFang@telocity.com writes: << I saw a jigsaw and a reciprocating saw on sale this week and was wondering if I should get = both or is one better than the other? >> - - - - - Subject: Recip VS Jigsaw From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2001 17:47:52 -0700 I have used both and tend to lean towards the recip saw if it something big or cutting down a wall like I have always used it for. Love that tool because I swear if you ever want to cut up someone? That one will go through metal like a hot knife through butter (with the right blade). The jigsaw on the other hand is better for tight places and slower work and tight turning on designs. I have the roto-zip...think the phrase "piece of what?" fits it. What a waste of money that was (atleast for me). I need a more testosteron-ated tool. Sue Ann Gratis wrote: > > I'm new to using power tools and absolutely love my drill! I saw a = jigsaw and > a reciprocating saw on sale this week and was wondering if I should get = both > or is one better than the other? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Tool Graduation From: "WebMistress" Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 20:21:47 -0700 (PDT) I buy my hubbie lots of power tools for Xmas ... at least ones I can use = for Halloween. Last year he received a router, I haven't taken it out of = the box yet :) I'm still in my drimel mode. Webby --- Sue McDonald > wrote: >Glad to see someone else gets off using a chain saw. I am not allowed >to touch ours anymore. The neighbor got made because I trimmed the >branches hanging down in my back yards. I know the law. Well, I am >about to graduate to my new tool. The router. Heck I did not even know >we had the little router. I knew about the router table but not the >other. Tomorrow is a new day and I need a new toy so we shall see. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Tool Graduation From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Sun, 05 Aug 2001 08:48:58 -0700 I am truly impressed with the women with tools on this list...brings a tear to my eye. Sue WebMistress wrote: > > I buy my hubbie lots of power tools for Xmas ... at least ones I can use = for Halloween. Last year he received a router, I haven't taken it out of = the box yet :) > > I'm still in my dremel mode. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: air compressor From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2001 07:13:04 -0700 I was just at Sears last thursday and according to the salesman: Sears will guarantee all hand tools for life BUT all powered tools have to have an extended warranty purchased for them to be replaced. They tried to sell me a two year warranty on the Makita cordless drill. I started laughing. Told them if they wanted to sell me a 20 year warranty for the same price I would take it but two years is just the break in period. Sue Rick R Mortiz wrote: > > Isnt Craftsman as a brand a good idea to begin with..Doesnt it fall = under > the regular Craftsman warranty (if it fails we replace or repair it = free)? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: air compressor From: "james maguire" Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 14:44:44 -0400 Here's the lowdown on Sears: You are correct in that The lifetime guarantee only applies to CRAFTSMAN hand tools. Look at the labels - not everything bears the craftsman label. Now as far as other products - officially they don't carry the same unconditional warranty. In practice ANYTHING from Sears does. I worked for = a company that had a contract agreement with them and we regularly got = screwed by the guarantee. Here is how it works: Buy your power tool and feel free to abuse it as you wish. Openly = disregard any product care or safety issues until your Sears product breaks. Take it back to the store and tell the sales clerk you want to return it for a new one. If he says no, ask for the department manager. If he says no, ask for the floor manager. If he says no, ask for the store manager. If he says = no, ask for the regional manager. If he says no, ask for the contact info of = HQ. At some point in this process you WILL encounter an individual authorized = to override whatever policy you broke, and you WILL get your shiny new power tool. Phobos http://www.phobos-deimos.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "ScaryGerri" To: "Halloween List" Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 12:35 PM Subject: Re: Hall: Re: air compressor > They told me that was only for hand tools...No power tools included. - - - - - Subject: Re: Re: Yellow Handled "Craft'? Knife From: "Justus" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 19:09:16 -0000 No, these are a simple little cheap knife that used to be sold everywhere = a few years ago - actually, it's cutting ability is not the best. There = seem to be two kinds - one has an "angled" edge on one side (not serrated) and = it actually cuts. The other will go through cheese with sufficient hand pressure. But, I still want some - the kind with the angled side. Please let me know if you see them (generally sold in a plastic tub) and I'd appreciate the company name so that maybe I can find some that way. = Thanks. Katie Subject: Hall: Re: Yellow Handled "Craft'? Knife > Are you referring to Box cutters? Most municipalities forbid their sale = to > minors and many forbid their sale outright. Ask a sales clerk for assistance > at your local hardware store. - - - - -