free4rms
freely admits to licking rocks
My little pet walrus
Member since January 2007
Posts: 839
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Post by free4rms on Jan 6, 2009 8:33:48 GMT -5
I think I may have posted this tip a long time ago, but I think it is worth repeating. I came up with an idea how to keep your hands a little warmer when grinding cabs in a cold garage or shop during the winter. Now, I am in S.C. and our winters are a joke compared to the northern and western states, but I still think this might at least help somewhat. When grinding, the wheels are spinning so fast that they draw air from behind the wheels and propel that extremely cold air forward right onto your hands when you are grinding. Add water to the air and it really gets cold fast. So, here is the tip: buy a hair dryer that has the hottest air setting you can get (they vary, believe me). You can get them for a buck or two at a Goodwill store. Rig up a stand of some sort to hold the hair dryer and point it so that it will blow hot air behind the wheels you are working on. This will really change the temperature of the air blowing on your hands and help keep them warmer. I don't know how much this will help in sub freezing temperatures, but it has to help some. I use a drip feed water system on my cabbing machine, and using very hot water helps keep things a little warmer, too, but this is probably something obvious. Anyway, I hope this helps keeps some hands warmer.
Vance
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Post by Titania on Jan 6, 2009 9:14:50 GMT -5
When I'm cabbing, I use water as hot as it will come out of the tap. I also have a 200 watt aquarium heater in the pan to help keep the water temperature up. I use the Marineland Stealth heaters, since they have a plastic outer shroud (won't break if a stone hits it) and are completely submersible. You do have to make sure the water level in the pan completely covers the heater, though.
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highplainsdrifter
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,266
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Post by highplainsdrifter on Jan 7, 2009 11:09:11 GMT -5
Last night I had just finished an Opticon treatment on a couple stones and left my latex gloves on when I went back to the wheels. Surprisingly, it kept my hands warmer. I also use hot tap water when I start. I think the evaporation of the water off your hands is what tends to make them much colder.
HPD
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UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Jan 7, 2009 12:30:09 GMT -5
I do not have a problem with cold hands. I am lucky enough to have a heated shop for cutting, and a room in the house for grinding.
One thing I can offer here is an idea. On my grinder, to help disperse an even spread of water, I attached a cheap 2 inch paint brush to the guard just above the grinding area. This was to reduce splash as well. It works great. One of the first things I noticed is it blocked the wind and spray created by the stone.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jan 8, 2009 12:55:22 GMT -5
I like the brush, have to try that.
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Jan 9, 2009 11:09:52 GMT -5
Pix please
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UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Jan 11, 2009 1:48:51 GMT -5
Simple but affective. The grinder is torn apart at the moment. Making a new guard for it and mounting a diamond blade. Here is my wet belt sander. Same concept. I just cut the handle off. I had to bend it out so I could take the picture. Normally it rides against it enough to push bristles down each side. Then used a piece of plumbers tape to secure it.
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Post by akansan on Jan 11, 2009 13:16:57 GMT -5
Interesting! I have sponges attached to mine that block the overspray.
I'm going to have to try the blow dryer trick. I also have a shop set up in my house, but I'm still having the cold hand syndrome from the cooler air/water evaporation. I even work right over a heater vent!
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Jan 11, 2009 22:16:53 GMT -5
Thank you UtahRockHound, exactly as I pictured it.
How is brush life?
Dr Joe
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UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Jan 13, 2009 14:11:55 GMT -5
Thank you UtahRockHound, exactly as I pictured it. How is brush life? Dr Joe . On the belt, a long life. The one pictured is around 5 months old. On a stone, they wear down quick. Not a problem though as they form to the stone and still do the intended job.
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UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Jan 13, 2009 14:17:10 GMT -5
Interesting! I have sponges attached to mine that block the overspray. I'm going to have to try the blow dryer trick. I also have a shop set up in my house, but I'm still having the cold hand syndrome from the cooler air/water evaporation. I even work right over a heater vent! The sponges sound interesting. I have not tried that. One thing I did notice with the brushes, and I would think the same with sponges, is you can turn down the amount of water because they spread it out, and less water is needed. If you running a drip from a can instead of a pump like I do, that will make a big difference in how long you can keep going. I only made one drip system, then discarded it for the cheap fountain pumps. I like not having to stop every stone and replenish the water. If I were to use the hair dryer idea, the thing that concerns me is safety. You can buy flexible aluminum hose like a a cloths dryer only smaller, and get the hair dryer as far back from the water as I could. It only takes once to put you in the hospital.
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Post by Tweetiepy on Jan 13, 2009 14:41:53 GMT -5
Would the hair dryer last for long periods of cabbing? - mine stops after about 5 minutes. (it,s a crappy one)
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UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Jan 14, 2009 11:11:42 GMT -5
Would the hair dryer last for long periods of cabbing? - mine stops after about 5 minutes. (it,s a crappy one) That would be the normal. They are not made for sustained use.
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free4rms
freely admits to licking rocks
My little pet walrus
Member since January 2007
Posts: 839
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Post by free4rms on Jan 16, 2009 8:46:33 GMT -5
I just have to comment on Utahrouckhound's idea of attaching a paint brush (w/cut off handle) to the guard above the wheels on a grinder. I tried this myself and it works really well! This is a superb tip, in my opinion. I bought some cheap staining brushes (the ones with white bristles), cut off the handles, and taped the brush to the guard above my grinding wheels, with the tip of the brush laying directly against the wheel. This does an excellent job of dispersing the water across the entire wheel and like Utahrockhound said, it really cuts down on the wind blowing on your hands from the wheel. Used in combination with the hair dryer blowing hot air behind the wheels on the machine and hot water in the drip feed bucket , my hands stayed nice and toasty warm. Thanks for this really great tip. By the way, when I use the hair dryer to blow air behind the wheels on my grinder, the dryer is about 6 inches or more away from the machine and absolutely no water, mist or spray ever comes anywhere near the dryer. So I see no electrical danger there. But, be your own judge.
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