wind protector box for casting

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Kokodog
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Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:07 pm
Location: on to of a wind swept ridge

wind protector box for casting

Post by Kokodog »

well, living on top of a wind swept ridge has pros and cons

and one of those cons is the wind blowing too much that it cools your melt and moulds to the point of not being able to cast a decent bullet for days on end ( I do all my casting outside )

so I decided to make a wind protector box to enable me to cast on most days

the quick easy way would have been just some plywood/OSB and add a light inside, but adding a light means drawing more amps on the circuit and of course more amps means spinning the meter faster and my electric bills are already too high most months so clear material became the order

It have been at least ten years since I purchased any kind of plexiglass and WOW !! prices have gone up !!


I will list what I used in case anyone wants copy my design

26 in. x 8 ft. Polycarbonate Roofing Panel in Clear
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-26-in ... /100021329


24 in. Horizontal Plastic Closure Strips (6-Pack)
[in hindsight I probably could have gotten away without using these, but they are a nice touch to the box]
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-24-in ... /100067957


2 in. Fasteners (50-Pieces)
you will have a few left over as long as you only use them on the top of the sides and the roof
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Woodtite-2-i ... /100095071

3” coated deck screws - phillips drive [I used 2 @ every joint, but take note that I had leftover deck screws of the 5 lb. box that I had purchased for other projects]

1-5/8” coated deck screws - phillips drive

I used my M12 hex drive impact to run all the fasteners, a 1/4 nut driver for the washered fasteners and I always use the Milwaukee shockwave #2 phillips bits, these bits bounce out of the screw less than any other bit on the market and are priceless when you need to keep you head when things are going wonky

2) 2x4x8 pressure treated studs, rip lengthwise to make 4 - 2x2x8’s, cut each down to 4 pcs @ 24” and clamp together and cut end even across, measure @ 21”, mark and cut the other end so that you have 4 pcs cut to 21” equally (if you have a chop saw w/ a stop you do not nee to do this step)

you will need 12 of these 21” pcs to make the cube, and I added 4 more to the bottom (as ribs) of the cube to support my sheet metal pan that everything sits in in case of spills

I used a double corner clamp to make all the joints so that they would be square, if I had not this would look like total crap

http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D4145-D ... rner+clamp

I initially cut the clear 8 ft. Polycarbonate Roofing Panel @ 48” to fit in the back seat to bring it home from Home Depot (I took the Milwaukee 28 volt saw but left the battery on the charger at home so I cut the panel in the parking lot w/ a pair of EMT shears & tied the 2x4’s to the side of the car - my truck has been down for a long time)

I attached one end of the 48” piece of panel to the side and then cut w/ the saw w/ a fine tooth blade, then did another side & cut leaving a short scrap that will become the front shield you see me holding in place in the last pic, the other 48” piece I did the same but left the extra as a overhang of the roof at the front of the cube to help protect from rain

when I can find a exhaust fan I will install it to help draw smoke & lead fumes out the top & away

the box is by no means “tight” but serves as a break from the wind that blows at various speeds every day here on top of the ridge



Image



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you can see the roof overhang in this pic
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if you look close you can see the support ribs under the pan
Image


holding the shield in place
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plant.one
Silent But Deadly
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Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI

Re: wind protector box for casting

Post by plant.one »

the only real flaw i see in your design is you put the corrugation in the wrong way on the top.

i would have wanted the ridges running side to side so that the fumes vented somewhere other than right in my face.


i smelt outside, but cast indoors - with an exhaust fan immediately behind my pot. works great and keeps the fumeyness to a safe level since everythign is getting sucked right into the exhaust fan and out the back window.
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