Can someone tell me how to make a shell for a broken arm centrifuge.?
I do not have too much space in my studio and I was thinking to set
it up outside somewhere in the garage maybe. Is that Neycraft cent,
some kind of portable machine.? I mean. it could be stored when not in
use.? Thanks in advance Marco in San Diego CA
I have the Neycraft model. Love it. I have three “C clamps” that
hold mine to a corner of a bench when needed. When it is not in use,
I hang it on the wall out of the way. It has mounting holes in its
base but I choose to use it as a more portable unit so it does not
take up as much space.
In sunny Albuquerque, with the smells of fresh roasting green chili
is in the air. Phil Scott
Hi Marco; You can make a pretty good shell for your casting machine
from a 55 gallon steel drum. You need a sabre saw or an circular saw
with an abrasive blade or one designed to cut steel. Make sure you
wear ear protection, because it’s going to make a lot of noise. Put
a heavy layer of duct-tape on the cut edge so you don’t slit your
wrist on it. You’ll need to bolt a heavy square of thick wood,
perhaps a couple thicknesses of 1 inch plywood on the bottom to
weight it and to bolt down the machine. Fill the bottom about 2
inches deep with sand.
David L. Huffman
Thanks Phil for the about clamping your Neycraft to the
corner of your bench. One Question, does your bench have to be
bolted to the wall or floor? Mine is not and I have no way to bolt
it. it is a heavy bench. Would it be safe to use the Neycraft
clamped to an unbolted bench. thanks-Alma
I did this with a spin caster. What I did was I bought a premade
round wooden table top in 1 inch pine from Home Depot. Then I got some
18 inch metal (steel) flashing I cut a piece to fit then folded the
top down so as to make a smooth edge and nailed the other edge to the
table top. Then I used an electric drill and a pop rivet tool to tack
the ends together and the same tools to attach folded metal handles.
Once this was done I centered the spin caster on the wood, drilled
holes and bolted it down with lag screws. When I’m not using it I move
it off to the corner of the garage and put wooden shelves on top then
stack other things on top. Geo.
I made a surround for my centrifugal caster that is similar to the 55
gal. drum that David H. described. I couldn’t get my hands on a metal
drum that size so I went down to my local sheet metal supplier and
bought a long rectangle of sheet metal. I formed it into a drum shape,
drilled some holes and bolted it together. Then I took a tin snips and
cut slits into the bottom about every two inches and turned that
little lip out and then drilled 6 holes spaced around on that lip and
bolted it down to a large square of plywood. If you’d like the
dimensions and guage of sheet metal I used just ask and I will go down
and do some measuring. It was very cheap and easy to do with just a
drill and tin snips. NET
I have made several portables using a 55 gal. drum cut to a usable
size. Mounted on 1/2" marine plywood. Handles have been added to
plywood base in the vertical for transporting. And in the horizontal
for hanging on the wall for space. Made covers out of sheet steel and
aluminum. Added hinges and hasp for storage and safety. Use your
imagination and your needs to decide what will work for you. Steven @Steve_West
itsmuch easier to get a round water container from a farm supply
handles on galvanized and ready to mount the caster into the type I
mean are the ones ued for stock waterers aboiut 36 " and a foot deep leon k
Dear Annette, I have used the same approach to making a casting splash
shield except that instead of using one long strip of 24" sheet
metal, I cut it into two equal lengths and then bolt it together
before completing the circle. In this way you can dismantle it and
transport it without having to deal with an awkwardly long piece of
sheet metal. Furthermore, I bolt it down to the base with three 90
degree angle brackets rather than cutting the sheet metal. As for the
base, I make a very sturdy 18" high square platform table and then
cover it with galvanized sheet metal before securing the casting unit
and the splash shield. I use three quarter inch plywood for the top
and 4x4" legs. The entire unit is braced by a continuous surround of
1x12 inch pine which is secured solidly to the legs with 2" wood
screws. The wind-up casting motor is secured to the base with
carriage bolts. ( An off balance centrifugal arm is a very powerful
force and can wreak havoc if it comes loose ! ) Ron at Mills Gem, Los
Osos, CA
It is better if it is bolted to the wall or anchored somehow.
Mine, at the moment, is not and I still get good results. It
does wobble a lot more because it isn’t but it still works very
well. If you have a heavy bench you are better off. Phil
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My only criticism is the choice of galvanized steel. If (when)
you spill molten silver or gold onto this, you may find it stuck,
melted into and partially alloyed with the galvanizing zinc! You
can pluck it off, but that little bit of zinc that peels off with
it will change the alloy for the worst so you’ll have to sell it
for scrap. On the other hand, if you use UNgalvanized steel it
won’t be affected at all, except for some dirt or rust that will
float out as slag in remelting.
Another suggestion: get a piece of old garden hose the length of
the circumference of the splash shield, and cut a slot the full
length of it so it can be pressed on the top sharp edge of that
sheet metal; it makes a comfortable wrist rest while steadying
the torch or melting probe.
Alan Heugh
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A round galvanized wash tub works quite well. No cutting, and even
includes handles! Bolt the centrifuge in the botttom with a piece
of plywood on the outside that is slightly larger than the tub
bottom. You may clamp the assembly to a bench with the revealed
flange of plywood.