Project Logs

Collapse

• Shanghaied, or, rather, Shenzhened

  matthewjohn.erickson • 02/23/2014 at 19:12 • 0 comments

  In the initial design, I was planning on using 1" hose as the discharge line for the debris cone.  I ran into 2 problems: 1.) 1" solenoid valves are EXPENSIVE, and so is all the hardware involved with that tube size. 2.) ​1/4" solenoid valves are cheaper, but once you add in all the fittings for ganging 4 of them in parallel, you guessed it, it gets EXPENSIVE.

  Time for plan B.  After purchasing the tank of CL, I realized that the tank outlet is only 1/2" NPT.  Thus running a 1" line out of it makes little sense.  Yes, I realize that a 1" line will result in less pressure and velocity drop as compared to a 1/2" line, but I figure I should still be able to get enough through a 1/2" line to do the job.

  So I went online to look for 1/2" solenoid valves.  Wound up digging around on Amazon for them just out of convenience's sake.  Found plenty in the $20-$35 range, which was great for the budget.  Winning!!

  Only one problem.  They ALL were shipping from either Hong Kong or Shenzhen, which meant about a 15 day wait time at the least.  Only problem is that we start shooting in a week and a half.  Crap.

  After spending a couple days being really depressed about this and trying frantically to come up with another solution, I decided to work on the other half of this project, being installing OBA (on-board air) in my 1986 Toyota pickup.  One of the locations we're shooting on is waaaaaay up in the mountains.  No electricity, no air compressors.  Since I don't feel like standing there with a friggin bike pump thrusting away for 20 minutes every time we do another take, I decided to move up the timetable on the air compressor project on my truck.  In the process of hunting components for the OBA project I came across a solenoid valve. 

   In 1/2" inch size.  

  With twice the orifice diameter of the other ones.  

  And it ships from the US!!!

  Less than $40. Ordered it yesterday and it ships on Monday.

  Whew.  Now I just hope I'm not burning up all my good luck before we even get out the camera.
  

• The first step is always the hardest.

  matthewjohn.erickson • 02/23/2014 at 18:48 • 0 comments

  After hunting around on Cragslist for a week or so hunting for the perfect tank for the perfect price, I realized time ​was starting to be of the essence and that I had to get started gathering the materials since the final design would be strongly influenced by what materials I could actually get my hands on.

  Contacted a couple listings, got a response back from one, met up a day later and bought myself an air tank.  $15 for a 5-gallon tank in good working order.  In retrospect, that's about as close to perfect tank/perfect price as anyone is likely to get.

  Boom.  First step taken.
  

View all 2 project logs