StumpXJ
Well-known member
I have been job hunting since August without much luck, but luckily have had a few big projects around the house to keep me busy during my down time. The big projects are all but finished, so I have been having bouts with boredom.
Last week or so I stepped on, and consequently destroyed, my little plastic dustpan that I use out in my shop. No worries, my 300 pound frame put it out of its misery pretty quickly. It did not suffer long.
I have been using cardboard chunks, magazines, or just about anything thin and flat since then to scoop up trash and dirt as I sweep. I had enough of that today.
I present, Stump's DUSTPANzilla
Cutting out the steel after I got everything layed out like I wanted it, just used a cutoff wheel and some patience. The steel is 16 gauge scrap I had laying around.
Cutting out all of the speed holes, and other visual delights.
Starting to bend up the sides and rear.
Checking the fitment of the corner before welding it up.
Got the pan itself welded up and smoothed out, so next up was the handle. I like the pans that allow you to pick the pile without bending over, so I went that route. I found a piece of 6061 aluminum 3/4" square solid stock I had in the metal pile, and put a few bends in it using my big vise, and the afore mentioned 300 pound frame. Then, not to be outdone by the pan's speedholes, I proceeded to cross drill a bunch of 3/8" holes, and contersink them for no other reason than I wanted to.
Drilled and tapped three holes, and viola'... the two pieces become one.
At this point, I could have called it 'finished', but I still had half the day left to kill....
So, I decided that the square stock hurt my delicate paws when using the dustpan and should be addressed. Found some more scrap aluminum, this time its 6061 1/8 wall alumium tube. It just so happened to be a press fit over the square stock. I threw it in my little lathe, and made a few cuts to make it more-bad-*** than a regular old piece of tube.
Just in case no one has ever seen a lathe work. (gimme a break, I was bored)
Doing a few more cuts with a parting tool to give me a little grip for those unusually large and heavy piles of dirt.
All finished, and ready to be "installed" (with a 3 pound rubber sledge hammer)
I felt the need to add some outrigger supports to stabilize everything. Totally not needed, but what the heck?
I used some hollow extruded anodized aluminum tube, about 3/8" in diameter, and put it through the lowest speed hole in the handle. Bent it a few times, cut a slot in each end, and used a couple fancy titanium (nothing but the best for my dustpans...)bolts, and blue anodized aluminum nyloc nuts.
Here she is, about 5.5 hours later, in all her glory.
Last week or so I stepped on, and consequently destroyed, my little plastic dustpan that I use out in my shop. No worries, my 300 pound frame put it out of its misery pretty quickly. It did not suffer long.
I have been using cardboard chunks, magazines, or just about anything thin and flat since then to scoop up trash and dirt as I sweep. I had enough of that today.
I present, Stump's DUSTPANzilla
Cutting out the steel after I got everything layed out like I wanted it, just used a cutoff wheel and some patience. The steel is 16 gauge scrap I had laying around.
Cutting out all of the speed holes, and other visual delights.
Starting to bend up the sides and rear.
Checking the fitment of the corner before welding it up.
Got the pan itself welded up and smoothed out, so next up was the handle. I like the pans that allow you to pick the pile without bending over, so I went that route. I found a piece of 6061 aluminum 3/4" square solid stock I had in the metal pile, and put a few bends in it using my big vise, and the afore mentioned 300 pound frame. Then, not to be outdone by the pan's speedholes, I proceeded to cross drill a bunch of 3/8" holes, and contersink them for no other reason than I wanted to.
Drilled and tapped three holes, and viola'... the two pieces become one.
At this point, I could have called it 'finished', but I still had half the day left to kill....
So, I decided that the square stock hurt my delicate paws when using the dustpan and should be addressed. Found some more scrap aluminum, this time its 6061 1/8 wall alumium tube. It just so happened to be a press fit over the square stock. I threw it in my little lathe, and made a few cuts to make it more-bad-*** than a regular old piece of tube.
Just in case no one has ever seen a lathe work. (gimme a break, I was bored)
Doing a few more cuts with a parting tool to give me a little grip for those unusually large and heavy piles of dirt.
All finished, and ready to be "installed" (with a 3 pound rubber sledge hammer)
I felt the need to add some outrigger supports to stabilize everything. Totally not needed, but what the heck?
I used some hollow extruded anodized aluminum tube, about 3/8" in diameter, and put it through the lowest speed hole in the handle. Bent it a few times, cut a slot in each end, and used a couple fancy titanium (nothing but the best for my dustpans...)bolts, and blue anodized aluminum nyloc nuts.
Here she is, about 5.5 hours later, in all her glory.
