Glue Chip Work Area

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Posted by John Grenier on April 14, 2003

We are setting up to make glue chip glass and sandblast etch/carve signs in a space 12x15 we have a good size sandblast cabinet, big enough to hold 28"x42" piece.
The question is a layout for the work area and also for a design of the box the glue and glass to chip in. I remember years ago at Ricks he had a long narrow cabinet with lamps inside for heat. Can anyone offer any details. Or publications.
Thanks
John

Mike Jackson

I've had this piece ready to scan for a few days, but since you asked, I went ahead and jumped on it. This drawing and text was done by Rick, himself. I am sure he would love to know it was shared here.

Mike Jackson

D. Bernhardt

I think we,ve forgotten the most important part...the cardboard template of a shapley ladies leg set against the glass viewing area. I'm not really sure how much it affected the chip but am sure it was important in the amount of attention you spent at the booth!

Rick Sacks

Initially Bro Glawson had an air conditioner connected to his chip box to remove the moisture. He found that it was not needed all the time, but it sure pulled the water out.

Mike Jackson

Hi Rick,
Yes, I remember the air conditioner. I also remember this thought..."Oh man, you mean I am going to have to go back and build one of those things, too?"

Rick was always trying to figure out how and why things worked, or didn't work. That was one of the examples. He figured that the air conditioner would work like the mountain winters, removing moisture, but over a period of time found it wasn't really that necessary. I was at one meeting where he had discovered he needed one of those lab spinners to mix the two gold solutions together just prior to pouring his Angel Gild. Of course, I bought one. The next time I went out, I noticed him mixing manually again. He said he found the spinner was not really than necessary. (I still use mine. I DO think it makes a difference).

I suspect other people could remember similar instances of him adjusting a process one year, after you had adopted the previous year's technique.

Mike Jackson

Danny Baronian

How about a dehumidifier? After other attempts to ward off moisture, Rick was convinced a dehumidifier would do the trick. He had talked about making a small walk in cabinet to try, and at the last Conclave said he was going to incorporate that into his new sand blast room.

Since that was never completed, it's someone else's turn to see if that will work.

Danny

Rick Sacks

I never used the air conditioner, but did trade for a big dehumidifier with one of the local dope growers that was getting out of the business. I had that in my chip box until one time Rick was visiting and pulled this humidity meter from his pocket and looked at it while standing near the wood stove. He said "you could chip right here." We tried it, and it worked without any box, just leaning against the wall by the stove. Size became a non issue at that moment.

John Grenier

Well, it seems that I sort of opened an uh box here, anyway I heat my shop about nine months a year here in the wild of the U.P. with hard maple so at least I got the humidity thing covered.
Thanks All
John

Vance Galliher

hi john,.......i just build my heat box a few weeks ago. i used mdo and the size is 12"x37"x82", the top is hinged to the back and has 4-250w heat lamps that are attached to the under side...the front is cut 16" from top , and hinged to lower section (the 16" section which swings down also has a 8"x36" window covered with plex to see inside)......i measure the heat for 1 1/2 hrs and it gets to about 150 degrees.....the first time i used it i didn't wait long enough for glue to totally cure ( i let sit overnight, but it takes longer).after about an hour in the box my pieces had sagging glue and some had flowed off into the bottom......so don't put in box until glue won't leave a fingernail mark.....vance

Danny Busselle

John.. you only need it to be 12" DEEP Here is a Key to mine I used LUAN on the back sides and side panels of front the reason was sweating to bring out the water. "RICK" had meantioned it and It works Better than the one at BDFG a must have is the temp and Humid I have 4 heat lamps but have only used 2 and another musrt is a small fan to push the air around. what you are looking for is 100+ to 105 with LL in the Humidity. that's like Death valley. 4 to 5 Hours is all it takes and you can feel the and see the moisture come through the LUAN pertty "HIP" also window. Good Luck keep me posted.

Vance Galliher

danny, what is luan ? and "LL" ?.......i think i'll add a small fan for circulation also......i would love glue-chipping to be hassle free......vance

Robert Beverly

Vance

Luan is an inepensive laminated plywood from south america. It has a much less dense core than your harder mdo varieties...

I built my cabinet more vertically to accomadate larger peices and use less floor space. I created the "cabinet" from full sheets of plywood with 4' x 8' back. 3' depth and large doors on the front. Then with shelves placed into it that are removable. The lighting were bulbs attached every 2' for a total of 4 up each side. I placed an inexpensive circulating fan(home depot cheapy) on top left side of the cabinet and thru a 4" hole on the lower left of the cabinet for complete circulation. For shelves, I ran 2x4's along the depth of the side and created removable chicken wire shelves at various heights. I beleive this to accomadate more peices than any other design I have seen out there.

Hope this helps!

Danny Busselle

John.. you only need it to be 12" DEEP. Here is a Key to mine I used LUAN on the back sides and side panels of front the reason was sweating to bring out the water. "RICK" had mentioned it and It works Better than the one at BDFG a must have is the temp and Humid I have 4 heat lamps but have only used 2 and another musrt is a small fan to push the air around. what you are looking for is 100+ to 105 with LL in the Humidity. that's like Death valley. 4 to 5 Hours is all it takes and you can feel the and see the moisture come through the LUAN pertty "HIP" also window. Good Luck keep me posted.