imee made

That looks so great!!!

To each their own. Layla doesn't mind

Not sure what that means but thanks? Lol

Thank you so much! Yup she's warming up to it now ☺️

Automotive paints have very specific ratios because of their unique chemistry, so it's important that you follow the manufacturer's guidelines as you did when you painted your vehicle.However for this application, we specifically chose NOT to use automotive grade paint because it was out of our budget. Keep in mind that this is a budget friendly solution, so the results are not as good as automotive paint. With that said, the ratios were derived from others who have used the same Rustoleum paint with a spray gun. The most important ratio is the 4 parts paint to 1 part Hardener. The reducing portion seemed to have little effect on the appearance of the paint. For this type of paint you can use pretty much anything (besides water) to thin the paint. We chose Mineral spirits because it's odo…

Automotive paints have very specific ratios because of their unique chemistry, so it's important that you follow the manufacturer's guidelines as you did when you painted your vehicle.However for this application, we specifically chose NOT to use automotive grade paint because it was out of our budget. Keep in mind that this is a budget friendly solution, so the results are not as good as automotive paint. With that said, the ratios were derived from others who have used the same Rustoleum paint with a spray gun. The most important ratio is the 4 parts paint to 1 part Hardener. The reducing portion seemed to have little effect on the appearance of the paint. For this type of paint you can use pretty much anything (besides water) to thin the paint. We chose Mineral spirits because it's odorless, no other reason. You can use Acetone or paint thinner if you don't mind the smell. The 4:3:1 ratio worked out great for us and it was about 90F, no humidity. Later on you see on Step 10 that we used less reducer to get a thicker consistency because I was getting too many runs with the first coat (possibly because I couldn't paint fast enough) but it laid down perfectly fine with the 4:2:1 ratio. Our experience with the type of spray gun we used and the paint, there is plenty of room for experimentation, so based on your environment and weather conditions you can try out the 4:3:1 ratio and adjust from there.I hope this answers your question.Thank you!

Thanks for the tip! We used a catalyst hardener typically used for farm/implement paint which is also an oil based enamel. From our limited research, the mixture holds up relatively well to UV, of course not as well as proper automotive paint, but good enough for our intended use.

Thank you! That's a great question!As soon as we were done spraying, we filled the container with mineral spirits, screwed it back onto the gun and shook it around, then poured it out. We did it a few times until the mineral spirits was relatively clear. Then we filled up the container with mineral spirits and sprayed the gun until it ran out so it can clean the internal components. We did this a few times too. Finally we soaked a rag with mineral spirits and cleaned the nozzle.

Thank you for the tips!The gun we used is a HVLP model. We understood its main intent is for household projects, but we chose the gun specifically mainly for the affordability since we didn't already have a compressor large enough to handle a proper automotive spray gun.

Perhaps you missed it, but all of the ratios and paint source details are explained in the instructable.

Thank you!!

It's a 12 volt fan. We are using a Jackery 1000 solar generator to power all of our electronics on the van, so we have a 12v distribution panel that the fan is wired into.

Peat moss isn't too expensive and a little goes a long way. However sawdust is definitely more economical. Thanks for suggesting a baffled or foam filled tank that seems like a great route!

Yes, for this I use 100% Argon gas when welding. No worries! Feel free to ask away, I honestly don't mind and love to help. learning is always encouraged!!

Thank you! I agree, I could have went into more details for the backing and rest plate.The hinge is just a solution to adjust the tracking of the belt. Since the whole assembly can be a little off plane, using a bolt to dial in the pitch of the tracking roller helps keep the belt centered in relation to the pulleys.

Thank you! It's a budget TIG welder from Harbor freight, which unfortunately they don't sell anymore. but here's a machine that's similar to what I'm using: https://amzn.to/3i59So2

Thank you very much!

Thank you! Just my 2 cents on your list of constraints:1. Yes, assembling in a mirror image would solve the problem - essentially working from the back side of the grinder so the belt direction is upwards.2. Harbor freight has an inexpensive router speed controller like this: https://amzn.to/3iTVIHz which might work, but I don't have first hand experience with that3. You can build everything with plywood using the templates provided. Some dimensions may need to be adjusted to account for the added thickness. Another solution would be to mark all the welded joints and ask a local muffler repair shop to weld the pieces for you. I've asked a few shops throughout the years before getting my own welder and most of the time they are more than happy to help if they're not super busy.Good luck on…

Thank you! Just my 2 cents on your list of constraints:1. Yes, assembling in a mirror image would solve the problem - essentially working from the back side of the grinder so the belt direction is upwards.2. Harbor freight has an inexpensive router speed controller like this: https://amzn.to/3iTVIHz which might work, but I don't have first hand experience with that3. You can build everything with plywood using the templates provided. Some dimensions may need to be adjusted to account for the added thickness. Another solution would be to mark all the welded joints and ask a local muffler repair shop to weld the pieces for you. I've asked a few shops throughout the years before getting my own welder and most of the time they are more than happy to help if they're not super busy.Good luck on your build!

Thank you for the kind words! It's definitely a fun project to tackle. It's not too cumbersome and the pay off is so good.

Thank you very much! Yes there are definitely a few alternatives to achieve the same function. Glad this was able to spark some inspiration :)

The cost of the pulleys are definitely the bulk of the project budget. There are also many alternatives, I just linked to the pulleys I used and it serves as a reference in case someone (such as yourself) wants to go down a different path, at least you'll know the general dimensions of the pulleys. I've seen people use skateboard wheels used as pulleys and also plywood by using a hole saw to cut several discs from a sheet of plywood, then glue and stack them together. Thanks alot for checking out our Instructable though, I'd love to see what your solution for the pulleys!

Thank you very much! It was a lot of fun to build

Thanks for checking it out!

For sure that's the preferred way! We're actually working on the van at a local Makerspace, so there were limitations on using an angle grinder inside the shop since woodshop, textiles, and other maker areas are around us and they weren't too keen on having sparks flying from the top of the van.

Thank you! This was definitely an ambitious project, especially since it was our first time really working with carbon fiber. Glad it's inspired you to work on your own carbon project, good luck!

Such a great write up!

Thank you! Haha if you notice on the video, the PID controller is off when I reach in to pick up the crucible 😅. Definitely going to upgrade to have a proper door and safety shut off switch!

Yes! We looked into a propane foundry at first and after some deliberation we decided an electric one suits our needs best since its silent, we can use it indoors (i.e. our garage) and the footprint is contained within the foundry and not dependant on an external propane tank. Thank you very much for checking out our project!

Thank you! For sure this can reach 1100C.This setup using 120 V will reach 900C within 20 mins in a linear fashion, but once it hits 900C the temperature rise begins to flatten and its takes about another 15 mins to reach 1100C. There's definitely heat loss from the top of the foundry because we didn't make a properly latched door which most likely contributes to the inefficiency at higher temps.If you can make it with a 240V source, it could definitely do 1100C way more efficient. All the electronics we listed are dual voltage besides the power plug, so it should be the exact same build process.

Thank you so much!

Thanks for educating us! Will definitely keep that in mind when we get optimize this foundry!

It can be any shape your heart desires. We chose this to minimize cutting and use the amount of bricks we had at the time.