If I'm gonna be a dog why intentionally choose Chihuahua!?!

[salinas212]

And no, nothing wrong with Chihuahuas beyond their diminutive size for my purposes of expression. Decided today to break free, stop holding back and bury myself headlong into this! Went to our sponsor today and ordered some things. Hose brush even tho prolly unneeded I just 'want' one. Even if I only use it once or twice a year to remove minute foreign snitleys I'll have it. Hose caddy for much the same reasons. Even if only to see if it can be improved upon or made lighter with tubular/anodized aluminum alloy, C4130/C4150 cromoly, chemically pure or 4ALV Titanium tubing. See if it can be made more useful, dynamic or if adding a spherical or thrust bearing might improve upon it. Even purchased a Tap Pap mask to use it with since I've already innovated a knock-off for hanging/selecting my F20 and DW FFM's. Maybe even a multiarm unit with several masks at-the ready nightly... lazy-suzan carousel style I have access to several race car & metal working shops, machine tools and loads of scrap exotic metals to choose from along with decades of machining race car parts and I feel like playing again. Might even send my F20 mask liner CAD drawings out to have a couple steel rule dies made as I'm sick to death of hand-cutting these things every time one gets soiled instead of hand washing it. Have I mentioned I'm feeling good? No I mean really, REALLY good! I just need/want a project and this area pulls at me!

[Stom]

Hose caddy for much the same reasons. Even if only to see if it can be improved upon or made lighter with tubular/anodized aluminum alloy, C4160 or chemically pure Titanium tubing. See if it can be made more useful, dynamic or if adding a spherical or thrust bearing might improve upon it.

Good to see someone who knows that there are different kinds of bearings for different loads. Way too many people don't know when they should be using thrust bearings

I'd love to see a tricked out hose holder, lathed from a billet? Maybe an overhead track system to allow for easy lateral movement?

But, as much as you may be joking, I gotta say that over head hose management is *huge* part of what makes my masks work well when they do. While some of the designs could be improved, the concept in general is a serious winner.

[salinas212]

I'd likely opt for stock tubing diameters wherever possible tho I'm quite adept at a manual lathe with DRO. I can also walk over to a 3-axis CNC mill but 5-axis gets confusing to me at this age. Having access to a small diameter tubing mandrel bender, metal brake and programmable chop saw doesn't break my heart either

[Stom]

I'd likely opt for stock tubing diameters wherever possible tho I'm quite adept at a manual lathe with DRO. I can also walk over to a 3-axis CNC mill but 5-axis gets confusing to me at this age. Having access to a small diameter tubing mandrel bender and metal brake doesn't break my heart either

Ooh, the mandrel bender sounds rather nice. I kind of assumed you might have access to a large mandrel bender. It didn't occur to me you might have one for small diameter tubes. I suppose you can save the lathe work for any couplings you need for a take down model

[salinas212]

small diameter mandrel benders for the IMSA/Camel Lights/Spice/F1 & Indy car 'hard' brake lines. Large for exhaust systems on closed wheel road racing and SCCA National cars. I want this to be challenging but not stupid-spendy. Basically I just want to PLAY again!

[palerider]

r made lighter with tubular/anodized aluminum alloy, C4130/C4150 cromoly, chemically pure or 4ALV Titanium tubing.

If you're going to do it... do it right... carbon fiber.

[salinas212]

Trust me, I would if I could but good as CF is it struggles with sharp bends and cutting with glued slip-joint bends is painstakingly slow. Besides, my bed won't be weight-taxed until upwards of 400-500lbs and even with steel I don't think it'll see 10lbs even with a 'loaded' 10+ station mask carousel.

[palerider]

Trust me, I would if I could but good as CF is it struggles with sharp bends and cutting with glued slip-joint bends is painstakingly slow. Besides, my bed won't be weight-taxed until upwards of 400-500lbs and even with steel I don't think it'll see 10lbs even with a 'loaded' 10+ station mask carousel.

Well, I figured... if you were thinking titanium. (I've got a titanium crowbar... love that thing).

[salinas212]

Ti's a wonderful material and far easier to machine and work with than people would have you believe... although still 40% heavier than aluminum. One thing I've wondered since day one is why these machines don't use a well-designed velocity stack with integral filtered inlet. I noticed pics you posted earlier today they use them internally but not at the single most important/crucial point, ie; inlet. What it does for induction, laminar flow, boundary layer disturbances and bernoulli effect et al can be staggering! Its the first thing on my to-do list! And having that cast in CF is absolutely a consideration! I'd love something that'd suck the icing off a birthday cake from the opposite nightstand!

[chunkyfrog]

I have TWO hose brushes.
The big one was "supposed" to work in skinny hoses (the only kind I use)--nuh-uh!
The small one DOES work, but I rarely, if ever, use it.
The big one pulls dust bunnies out from under the fridge.
(I release them into a nearby wilderness)