The shop project that landed me in bed...

[wow]

I promised to post on this, so here goes. BTW, I am posting this in the middle of the night without all the pictures I want to add, so check back later to see the pictures if you are interested.

SPOILER ALERT #1 - there's *no* woodworking and not much Festool involved, so if that puts you off you can stop reading now.

SPOILER ALERT #2 - the injury came about from spending too much time on my feet on concrete, not from any mishap. I try to be safe in most things, and this was no different. I just overdid it.

The problem: I needed a way to pull the battery out of my stock picker (forklift) safely for cleaning and other reasons. I didn't get a picture of the MESS that it was when I took it apart, partly because the rollers were 'welded' in place with detritus from the battery boiling over due to improper charging before I got it. We're jumping ahead here as I had the battery cart assembled far enough that I could use it at this point. I had to use a come-along to DRAG the battery out of the compartment. Then it took everything my 20-ton shop press has in order to press the roller shafts out of the frame and free up the rollers. I couldn't even get the roller pins out using the shop press - I had to drill them out before I could press out the shafts. Fun!

Here's a couple pictures of the ends of the battery roller frame from inside the picker AFTER I spent 2 days cleaning it up:

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And an 'after' picture with the frame finished with POR15 and the rollers reassembled and installed back in the frame. I was able to salvage the rollers and shafts, but I used new washers and new roller pins:

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So the problem is that the battery weighs 975 lbs/442 kg. It was obviously important to 'do it right' when dealing with that kind of weight. I spent considerable time debating how I wanted to build the cart.

I started with a 4' section of heavy duty roller-conveyor that I got (CHEAP!) from a local material handling business. The rollers are a bit rusty, which won't matter to my application since it's going to be exposed to battery acid anyway!  [eek] So far that's the only thing has cost me any money.

I had originally planned to make a stationary unit to just roll the battery onto, but Mrs. WOW convinced me that I would be sorry if I did that because sure as shootin' I would want to move it around for one reason or another. As usual, she was right.

Because it was the weekend I spent some time at HomeDespot looking at casters, but they had a very limited selection and anything that would handle the weight was ludicrously expensive. Discouraged, I came home and searched my caster bins not expecting to find anything but - what do you know - there were four swiveling, locking casters that were PERFECT.

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I measured 'em up and got busy in my CAD program. Here's what I came up with:

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The dimension are not all there since I am working with materials I have on hand and am 'fine tuning' it (read: making it up) as I go along'. But you get the idea.

So here is what it looks like right now, ready for paint:

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[tjbnwi]

I thought it was all the time spent assembling and packing the First Aid Systainers that got you. (makes a getter FOG story)

Tom

 

[wow]

I thought it was all the time spent assembling and packing the First Aid Systainers that got you. (makes a getter FOG story)

Tom

That *would* be a better story, wouldn't it? Unfortunately it's not the truth...

 

[tjbnwi]

I thought it was all the time spent assembling and packing the First Aid Systainers that got you. (makes a getter FOG story)

Tom

That *would* be a better story, wouldn't it? Unfortunately it's not the truth...

As if that matters. We've all read novels. [wink]

Tom

 

[teocaf]

oh, i think it's more likely a combinations of things that got landed you in bed, rather than just the one thing you mention.  just by casually reading some of your posts over my coffee in the mornings, i can glean that you seem to be burning the candle at both ends.  you've mentioned several times staying up for 2 days at a time, endless worries about all kinds of seemingly trivial things, etc.
i would say that your body is trying to tell you to chillax dude and try to figure out new ways to work smarter, not harder.  i realize that's easier said than done, but take care of yourself and get well soon.  best wishes

 

[wow]

oh, i think it's more likely a combinations of things that got landed you in bed, rather than just the one thing you mention.  just by casually reading some of your posts over my coffee in the mornings, i can glean that you seem to be burning the candle at both ends.  you've mentioned several times staying up for 2 days at a time, endless worries about all kinds of seemingly trivial things, etc.
i would say that your body is trying to tell you to chillax dude and try to figure out new ways to work smarter, not harder.  i realize that's easier said than done, but take care of yourself and get well soon.  best wishes

Yeah, my orthopedic Doc said somewhat the same thing. I think his words were to avoid the 'explosions' of activity and try to pace myself a little more.

I have certainly been pacing myself during my recovery. I am up to spending ~3 hours at a time in the shop, then I take a break for several hours and ice my foot then elevating it. No more than 2 stints in the shop in a day. And when I *am* in the shop, I try to sit as much as possible to keep the strain off.

Thanks for the good wishes! I think I'll head out to the shop now for the first stint of the day...

 

[wow]

Edited original post to add missing pictures. I will be posting more later when I get it all painted and put back together.

 

[Kevin D.]

I may have missed something that was mentioned in another thread, but I'm assuming it is a foot issue. I myself have been overdoing it on my feet lately and had a recurrence of Plantars fasciitis from 20 yrs ago happen recently. Got some proper directives this time from a Podiatrist rather than a GP, and it was gone in a week. Years ago, it took over a year to resolve itself.

 

[iamnothim]

DUDE !!!

 

[wow]

I may have missed something that was mentioned in another thread, but I'm assuming it is a foot issue. I myself have been overdoing it on my feet lately and had a recurrence of Plantars fasciitis from 20 yrs ago happen recently. Got some proper directives this time from a Podiatrist rather than a GP, and it was gone in a week. Years ago, it took over a year to resolve itself.

I had Extreme Extensor Tendonitis - couldn't walk or even stand for over two weeks. Horrible pain! I am recovering now, thanks.

 

[iamnothim]

DUDE !!!

 

[wow]

So remember that I said it was ready for paint? Even though the strength is probably fine, I decided that I didn't like the amount of flex in the handle. I added some angle supports, THEN painted it:

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I rounded over the corners in an attempt to potentially save my ankles...

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I mentioned minimal use of Festool products? There was exactly ONE Festool tool used - the RO90:

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The Granat sandpaper holds up amazingly well on steel. I did the entire cart with this one disc:

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I then pulled the rollers out of the conveyor so I could clean them up:

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One down, MANY to go...

 

[iamnothim]

So remember that I said it was ready for paint? Even though the strength is probably fine, I decided that I didn't like the amount of flex in the handle. I added some angle supports, THEN painted it:

The Granat sandpaper holds up amazingly well on steel. I did the entire cart with this one disc:

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Wow !
You saved $0.60 in sandpaper, but didn't that cost you $30 for a new pad?
Just asking.

 

[wow]

So remember that I said it was ready for paint? Even though the strength is probably fine, I decided that I didn't like the amount of flex in the handle. I added some angle supports, THEN painted it:

The Granat sandpaper holds up amazingly well on steel. I did the entire cart with this one disc:

[attachthumb=4]

Wow !
You saved $0.60 in sandpaper, but didn't that cost you $30 for a new pad?
Just asking.

Your point is valid, iamnothim.

This was my first use of Granat paper, so a bit of an experiment and learning experience. The attempt wasn't to save 60¢ or $1 on paper - it just kept working as I kept checking it so I decided to keep on using it. The tear occurred just as I stopped, so the pad is still perfect.

In the future I'll stop long before the sheet becomes this worn, but I'm still happy that I know how dang-near indestructible the Granat discs are!

 

[iamnothim]

I'm stripping furniture.
My Granat sheets don't seem to last that long.  I will forget to look at the corner of a delta piece until it's folded up and I realize I've been sanding with the pad.  1/3rd of my second  pad is already gone.

The discs are OK for removing paint.  The brilliant might be a touch better.

 

[wow]

update on the project. Spent the weekend (on and off) working on it. Lots of 'down' time while the paint dried, which allowed me to pace myself and hopefully not re-injure anything.

The last picture I posted above showed the rollers out of the conveyor with one cleaned up, and the rest a rusted mess. I finally got them all cleaned up. Here they are about halfway through the paint process after being wire wheeled, Roloc'd, and the ends media blasted:

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I don't have a blast cabinet, but I've been meaning to build one. I have a start on it that you might recognize (hint, it's upside down from it's normal position) so I cobbled this together so I could use it TODAY:

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Re-use, recycle, repurpose! Worked just fine for what I needed. It still lost 50% or more of the media I threw at it, but most just dropped to the ground within a few feet. Well, except for the 2 POUNDS or so that ended up in my hair, my eyes, down my shirt, etc...

OK - enough teasing. Without further adieu:

Side View:

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End view

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The colors are designed to match my Crown Picker in color. The rollers are silver, the main body is 'Dark Grey' and the roller frame (upper portion) is what Crown calls 'Bright Beige'. I like it! Total cost was under $100, not counting my time.

Finally!!! One project is DONE....

 

[RC]

I'm stripping furniture.
My Granat sheets don't seem to last that long.  I will forget to look at the corner of a delta piece until it's folded up and I realize I've been sanding with the pad.  1/3rd of my second  pad is already gone.

The discs are OK for removing paint.  The brilliant might be a touch better.

I assume that you have noticed that you can rotate the triangular pads velcro insert and use all three corners before you have to toss them?