A Gift for Bart

#metalcasting #powdercoating
I was recently sent a parcel with a large number of brand new milling cutters by Bart Harkema ‪@bartharkemametalworks2299‬ I wanted to repay the favour by making a cast aluminium and powdercoated sign for Bart's workshop.
In this project I use a hybrid 3D printed/MDF pattern and K-Bond sand to make the casting. The powdercoat was challenging with three different colours being used to replicate the sticker that Bart sent me,

[@MickHealey]

Superb gift there Mark. It's such a pleasure to watch a craftsman at work.

[@grntitan1]

I’ll admit I couldn’t see how you were going to bring all that together. I am completely impressed at the final product.

[@Preso58]

Don't be fooled. I often have only a vague plan of how it's going to turn out. Each morning, my wife and I walk 4 kilometres through the bush across the road from our house. It takes us about an hour and during the walk it gives me the opportunity to turn a problem over in my mind and I can usually trouble shoot a process and come up with an amended plan. The process for removing the white powder coat only became evident on about day 4 of the build. Before that I had no idea how I was going to do it. Regards, Mark

[@joell439]

Mark - you are the BEST !!!!!

[@bartharkemametalworks2299]

Bedankt Mark! (yes Bedankt was correct way to say thank you in Dutch) I didn’t expect anything in return for the cutters. I think I will speak for many of us that it would be sad to see when you run out of cutters and you can’t continue with your work. And I had more than enough. This gift is the most beautiful handmade gift someone has ever made for me. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into it. And even making a video about it. I know how much time that cost. 10 sec of sanding in a video is most times a few hours work in real life. I impressed with your craftmanship. From 3D computer work to quality casting and multiple colors powder coating. 18:04 also put a smile on my face with the ‘internal’ voice speaking ‘cheers Mark you’re getting good’. Getting the letters without the digital file was already a challenge. Then matching the colors from a small sticker. Fun fact, I was not 100% happy with the stickers because the green was to light. So I’m glad you picked the darker green because that was perfect! I real life it’s even better then on the video. The casting is very good and the paint came out great. I will give it a nice place in my shop and I’m sure it will enjoy looking at it for many years. Thank you Mark! Cheers! Your getting good! Ps. about the cutters, let me know if you ever need more ;-).

[@Preso58]

Thanks Bart. It was my pleasure to make the plate for you. I enjoyed the challenge and it taught me a new skill. I got lucky when I found the typeface for the text. It was proving to be quite a challenge to match up the curves on some of the letters. I have been holding off using the new cutters but it's nice to know that they are there when I need them. Another viewer corrected my pronunciation of your surname. Sorry about that. 😁 Regards, Mark

[@BackyardTechnician]

Nice gift for Bart

[@mrtnsnp]

Can confirm that "Bedankt" means "Thank you".

[@Preso58]

Thanks. I have been called out before for inappropriate translations. My pronunciation of Bart's surname has been corrected though. Regards, Mark

[@d00dEEE]

Absolutely lovely. I thought for sure that the inside of the small A was going to give you grief, but no issues!

[@Preso58]

I know! My expectation was that I was going to have to make that casting at least twice or I was going to have to some remedial work on it after the casting was removed from the mould. However, crisis averted! Regards, Mark

[@outsidescrewball]

awesome video production, build, gift…appreciate the amount of time,effort,craftsmanship

[@stevensexton5801]

The sign turned out extremally well. Nice job Mark.

[@squelchstuff]

What a gorgeous, and thoughtful return gift Presso. Thanks for taking us along for the ride on what turned out to be a very professional finish.

[@leop9021]

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant!

[@nicholasviney5975]

What a gift, he is going to be very happy with that

[@mrc1539]

That came out beautifully ! Nice job Mark , you never cease to amaze me with you many talents .

[@LittleRestorers]

Great job on the powder coating 👍

[@andywithers592]

That’s an amazing gift. Such a big heart. I watch other machining channels where viewers send parts and tools and often enough, the recipient can’t remember the name or where they’re from. This is beautiful.

[@Preso58]

Thanks. It's nice to be able to repay favours but I also enjoy the challenge of working outside my comfort zone. That three colour powdercoat was new for me but, toilet paper to the rescue, again! Regards, Mark

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Oh Mark, that was “astonishing” from start to finish. I am speechless. 😮

[@Preso58]

Thanks. I had fun making the plate and it pushed me out of my comfort zone. It's always satisfying to get a result that you were not expecting without some pain. Regards, Mark

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Inspiring stuff Mark! Gorgeous result

[@modellingmark]

That came out a treat! Your videos are always a pleasure to watch. Educational as well as entertaining.

[@Preso58]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Regards, Mark

[@brandt-heiss]

Wow, what a great Work. It seems you do all the work just with your left Hand, so experienced you are. Absolutely stunning Work. Greetings from Bavaria. brandt-heiss

[@g.tucker8682]

Remarkably generous gestures from both of you gentlemen. Thanks for sharing.

[@joewhitney4097]

Mark, The plaque turned out really nice. Bart should be very happy with it. It's so fun to watch your process of making these types of castings and bringing them life. Thanks for sharing.

[@jsteifel]

Thanks for taking us on that journey. Well done.

[@ronkellis769]

So impressive! My girl friend was asking "How is he going to revel those letters?" Me "I'm waiting to learn!". I am always impressed at the obviously off camera "lessons learned" you pass on. It helps ratchet down the skill envy just a notch or two. Still knowing it's a level I'll never attain. Was a truly great project and thoughtful gift!

[@Andrew_Sparrow]

I was like Ahhh!! ;)

[@Preso58]

Most skills are empirical. You start at a low base and build your knowledge through failure and repetition. I have the advantage that I am old(er) and I have had plenty of chances to learn from my mistakes. For what it's worth, when I was teaching, I found you could look around the room and pretty much work out which students were going to be the best learners. They were the ones with a natural curiosity. They wanted to know why a process worked and not just how to do it. If you are curious enough to have a failed project and find out why it failed you will learn a lot more than just abandoning the attempt. Regards, Mark

[@howder1951]

Beautiful job Preso ,very nice work with the powder coating, a flawless technique. Cheers!

[@kjangmy]

Very well done Sir. You have way more patience that me 🙂

[@KarlBunker]

Awesome project!

[@codysp]

That turned out awesome! Nice work! 👏

[@broglet2003]

Very impressive, Mark. Thanks for sharing.

[@alanremington8500]

Simply beautiful !

[@624Dudley]

Superb! 👍

[@patrickshaw7983]

That's a great gift. The attention to detail is amazing, as ever. Cockatoos are a noisy bunch.

[@Preso58]

The cockatoos have been especially annoying for the past three or four weeks. Normally they are fairly benign but the possum has riled them up for some reason. Regards, Mark

[@thebiggerbyte5991]

A beautiful gift, Mark. It turned out so well. I am sure Bart will be pleased with the exchange. :)

[@Preso58]

Thanks. Actually, I just received a lengthy comment from Bart and it was nice to hear that he approved of the colours even though I had to choose the cyan from a sample on the computer screen. Regards, Mark

[@martinu2725]

Looks great Mark, hope Bart liked it, the multi colour powder coating was impressive

[@Preso58]

Thanks. It's nice to know how to do the selective powder coat. I am sure I will be using that technique again. Regards, Mark

[@scottjones7279]

Work of art, thank yo for sharing

[@nigeleaton5715]

Beautiful work!

[@Blackcountrysteam]

Bart will be well chuffed

[@merc7105]

Ok, that was impressive.

[@Tonioostendorp]

Verrry cool!

[@1miniin]

Another cool video.

[@robertpearson8798]

Interesting process, I learned a bit about powder coating. I’m sure you’re well aware but others may not be that in the days before 3D printing those letters would have been painstakingly made out of wood by hand and the fillets applied by hand as well. I worked with a man who was a traditional pattern maker and the things he could do were astounding. He could spend weeks making a wooden pattern for something like a plastic detergent bottle and work to tolerances of thousands of an inch.

[@Preso58]

I agree with the observations of the traditional patternmakers. I was in a bar in Cambridge, England and the walls were decorated with all sorts of industrial artwork. Most of the stuff on the walls was very large and intricate wooden patterns. The colours were very striking and I annoyed my wife by spending a lot of time inspecting the patterns and how they were made. It must be something of a dying trade though. Regards, Mark

[@davidbean6383]

Great job Mark. That takes powder coating to a new level!

[@brentallwood4264]

Great video Mark. That's a really crisp finished product. Top darts.

[@Preso58]

Thanks Brent. Metal casting can be very rewarding but failures are common and given that most of my projects are one offs, the risk of failure (and humiliation) is very real. Regards, Mark

[@Rustinox]

I watched Bart's video where he opens his package with the plate. His son was very happy too. And I think I know another KZbinr that received a similar plate :)

[@Preso58]

Evidently, Bart's son wasn't a fan of the Vegemite though. Only the best KZbinr's get a Preso plate. Regards, Mark

[@rexmyers991]

Another masterpiece! I am so impressed with your wide range of skills.

[@trollforge]

Very cool Mark!

[@user-zu8hh7tf3v]

What a thoughtful gift! It is worth all the cutters twice over. Something personal from your craft, amazing!

[@MattysWorkshop]

Gday Preso, I’m blown away with how that’s turned out, I didn’t know how you were going to do the different colours on the one casting, Bart will be super happy with this mate, great job, cheers

[@Preso58]

Thanks Matty. I didn't know how I was going to do a three colour powdercoat either when I started either. 😁 Regards, Mark

[@mskog01ify]

Great work, exploring the possibilities of powder coating !

[@Preso58]

I can highly recommend the powdercoating process. There are some up front costs but after that it's a relatively cheap way to get high quality and durable finishes on metal parts. Some of the powders being made now are truly impressive. Regards, Mark

[@anmafab]

This is so damn good! What an awesome gift and such a well presented process ❤

[@glennstasse5698]

That is a beautiful gift! I’m sure Bart will be delighted to have it in his new shop. Terrific!

[@Radiotexas]

VERY impressive my friend! It is very cold here in central Texas! Too cold to work in my unheated shop!!! Enjoyed the birds and the possum! I hear they make a great stew (the possum)!

[@Preso58]

I won't be lining up for any possum stew but I have had bad thoughts about how best to eliminate it. We are in the middle of a particularly oppressive heat wave and there is a cyclone forming off the coast so we may be in for some "interesting" weather. Regards, Mark

[@generessler6282]

Hah! It's promised to be -9F here in sunny North Carolina, US. Wish we could average your temps with ours. Brilliant and very kind project. Thanks.

[@hilltopmachineworks2131]

It has been snowing all day here in the SW part of Virginia.

[@Preso58]

I have been watching some clips of the freezing weather you have been having. It sort of seems like fun until you see cars just sliding down hills because ice forms between the tyres and the road surface. That's beyond our comprehension here. Regards, Mark

[@rogerdeane3608]

Beautiful job Mark.

[@markwatters6875]

G’day mate. Another quality Presso Sign, top job 👍. There is a heck of a lot of work and patience in them. Thanks for the video. Have a good one 👍🇦🇺

[@MyLilMule]

Such a wonderful and thoughtful gift. You are quite the crasftsman.

[@Steviegtr52]

That turned out beautifully Mark. You should be proud of the gift you have. Steve.

[@wrstew1272]

Great to see you out in the shop! Wonderful return gift, I’m sure that your skills and tooling allow you to produce one offs that few people have the ability. Bang On Job ya done did Mr. Presling!😊

[@Preso58]

Thanks. That casting was one of the dream jobs. Everything fell into place but it's not always like that. Regards, Mark

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Well done Mark, that was brilliant. The finished plaque looked like one of those cast iron with baked enamel signs and I think it was perfect. You could have painted the mould and sent that as well to hang inside his shop. I bet Bart was well pleased when he got it. Cheers mate, Stuart.

[@Preso58]

Thanks Stuart. It does have that vintage baked enamel look about it. The powder coat was a challenge and I did have several rehearsals but the best thing was how clean the casting came out. That almost never happens! Regards, Mark

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

@@Preso58 Yes, I was amazed at how good the casting came out too. You had me guessing how you were going to do three layers of powder coat but your solution was brilliant. Well done mate.👍

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

Amazing work Mark

[@Preso58]

Thanks John. I had an awful time after I posted the parcel. The tracking said it landed in Amsterdam on the 17th December and was in customs for nearly two weeks. I started to wonder if some overzealous sniffer dog had found the Vegemite and it had violated some sort of biosecurity laws. Regards, Mark

[@ronaldbollinger440]

Great work and thanks for sharing the tips and tricks!

[@Preso58]

Glad you enjoyed it! Regards, Mark

[@sheph7]

Very impressive work. Over the years I have watched you do castings you have really refined and improved your technique and results. Perfection on 1st. attempt!

[@Preso58]

I know! That almost never happens. I will probably have a run of rubbish castings now. Regards, Mark

[@WayneCook306]

Well done Mark great job.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@blfstk1]

Extra Good Show Mate: Way more than normal. I love it when you do casting. Good plan and pulled it off first time. Way good. Bart ought to love it. Vegemite is a nice touch. 90F where you are. It's 19F where I am and projected to get down to 9F in the morning. I'll trade my 9F for your 90F. Hope the possum didn't get the birdies.

[@Preso58]

We just got the news that we are in for a cyclone up in the north of the state and a high intensity heat wave in the south. What fun! The possum does seem to come off second best in the cockatoo wars. We have seen some new footage of the freezing weather in the norther hemisphere. It sort of looks pretty but I am sure it's both dangerous and unpleasant. Regards, Mark

[@blfstk1]

Weather!!!One of those things we have no input on. You do the best you can to endure. Got all the way up to 22F this morning. Started out at 11F. Glad the birdies won.@@Preso58

[@jackfromthe60s]

Superb effort.

[@RobertBrown-lf8yq]

Mark….. great gift mate 👍 It encompasses the skills, the knowledge…. and most importantly.. THE TIME . And the giving of one’s time is the epitome of giving ( IMHO). Bart will be over the moon . Thanks for sharing Robert

[@Preso58]

When I retired from teaching, I never looked back. I knew exactly what I wanted to in my retirement and it has worked out well for me. I am never bored and having the time to pursue my passions is a blessing. I once read that people who put in long hours juggling work and family life (like I used to) are in "the engine room of their careers". It's a good description of what it's like. The rewards come later but you have to do the hard yards to get there. Regards, Mark

[@RobertBrown-lf8yq]

@@Preso58 Ditto 👏👏👏👏

[@ronkellis769]

Very well put!

[@johnmolnar2957]

What a great gift . That's a pc that I'm sure he will treasure forever . I wish I had half of your talent. Cheers

[@mce1919A4]

Nice work. Thank you for sharing this.

[@tomthumb3085]

A really great gift Mark. I’m sure that Bart will appreciate and cherish it. Thanks for sharing your skill.

[@bitingmidge4981]

That's a really nice project in all respects!

[@onehot57]

Great job Mark! Always look forward to your videos, looks like you have the aluminum casting figured out.

[@Preso58]

I feel like I am over the worst of the rookie errors when it comes to casting. Regards, Mark

[@HP_rep_mek]

Beautiful signwork! Great video showing all the different jobs creating a cast sign🙌

[@soundmaster1966]

What a lovely idea, Mark. All the best and a happy new year for Bart and You🤗🍀👍🏻Cheers Ulf

[@traindriverluke]

Another awesome job. Great to see you doing some casting work!

[@Preso58]

Thanks. It's nice to do casting work when it goes trouble free like this job did. Other times it can be heart-breaking when you open the mould and find a disaster. Regards, Mark

[@HaxbyShed]

What can I say - wow! So many skills, experience and techniques went into that. I can see why people get into metal casting. It seems very absorbing and rewarding. Cheers

[@Preso58]

When a casting turns out first time it's bliss. When you are on your third cycle of mould making, metal melting and revealing failure you vow you'll never do it again. This one did turn out well though. I think I am getting somewhere now. Regards, Preso

[@CothranMike]

@@Preso58 As to bliss I concur, as to actually leaving the trade [or hobbies] for some it is not an option. Look at the problems we have seen pointed out by WHF in the work they attempt with failure(s) - and still he pounds sand! Great, good, and, good enough work as ideals to achieve. Edited to add, he loves his new work more than his old job and knows folks of a like mind. Support in force of course.

[@kimber1958]

Very well done. BROVO

[@theromihs]

Amazing workmanship, Mark! The finished product looks amazing!

[@scottjones7279]

I was amazed while I was in Australia when I saw trees full of what Americans call exotic birds, beautiful sight

[@Preso58]

We are a bit spoiled in that way. If you ever travel to the arid centre of Australia you may see huge flocks of wild budgerigars. We call them budgies but most people know them as a cage bird. Regards, Mark

[@levitated-pit]

very cool!

[@thehobbymachinistnz]

That came out really good Mark, I'm sure Bart will be happy. I like watching you do the sand casting, you make it look so simple. Also, those racking and pattern removal tools that you made work a treat and lower the chance of having to re do the casting.

[@Preso58]

I had to make that pattern removal tool because my hands are too unsteady to lift the pattern manually. I once met a man who was a paraplegic and he had made not one but two 1/4 scale steam traction engines. I asked him how he was able to get such large engines made in the sense that it would be difficult to work with such thick material and such heavy parts. I wasn't referring to his unique situation as in having to do everything in a wheelchair but he went on to explain that you just adapted everything in the workshop to suit your "new" needs. We sort of take it for granted that you are always going to have the same dexterity, the same visual acuity and the same mobility but when that changes I think we are very good at adapting. Regards, Mark

[@WillemvanLonden]

Harkeemah, sounds great to hear an Aussie pronounce a Dutch name. But actually it is: Harkuhmaah, with the stress on Har.

[@Preso58]

Oops, my bad! Thanks for the heads up. Regards, Mark

[@markfoster6110]

Thanks again . Bring back great memories of my woodwork and metalwork school days ! Thanks again

[@Preso58]

Those were my happiest times at school. Regards, Mark

[@markfoster6110]

@@Preso58yes learned to sharpen drills . Still have a foot stool . Wonderful time still using those skills from 50 years ago ... The pleasure of working with your hands . Don't see many people doing much now days . Don't know what they are missing

[@sayeager5559]

That turned out perfect, beautiful. Its 3 degrees f here in Kentucky. Cheers!

[@Preso58]

Oooh! My brain can't comprehend temperatures that cold. That's sort of life threatening. Stay warm. Regards, Mark

[@dansvec5411]

Yet another nice piece of work! I always learn something watching you work

[@robertwalker7457]

Very professional. nice trick with the date roll too.

[@Preso58]

Worked like a charm! Regards, Mark

[@foxwhiskey]

Very nice, Mark ! And a lot of work. I'm sure Bart will be proud of. Such as Rustinox !

[@Preso58]

Thanks. Those cast nameplates are always a challenge and no two are the same. Depending on the typeface and the metal being used they all have tend to need different approaches. Regards, Mark

[@guye7763]

Very impressive. !! Despite the pterodactyls in the background.

[@MyMiniHomeWorkshop]

Fiddly as all get out, but a fantastic result, well done. I've been doing a bit of lost foam casting for a project, never tried sand casting, the lost foam is a lot less mucking around, but I'd have no chance of casting something like that with it. 👍

[@Preso58]

I would like to try the lost foam method. I am sort of waiting for the right project to come along. Regards, Mark

[@iteerrex8166]

Nice gifts 👍 Would love that 32°. We just got out this arctic blast, which kept us in the -20°s for a week. But still nothing like it was in Canada. Poor them, they were in the -40°s 🥶

[@Preso58]

We have seen some news reports about the snow and ice and the problems it causes. I was watching a video showing the process for snow removal from aircraft wings. We here in Australia have little comprehension of what that sort of cold must be like. Regards, Mark

[@timogross8191]

i scratch off brims with the sides a rectangular HSS blank, it does not bite in. Works quite nice to remove brim or Elephant foots,

[@Preso58]

Thanks for that. Great tip. I hope my "senior brain" can recall it later. Regards, Mark

[@CothranMike]

@@Preso58 He has it right, the reason for any other tool's inability to not dig in is the dead flat guiding surface, ground a trimmer with a 4° swarf-cut on a 12 in wheel, honed with a diamond flat for trimming UHMW plastics as a part of deburring and cleanup.

[@CothranMike]

Around 33:00 minutes in answer to your implied question, in case no one else mentioned it, re the inability to get the charged powder to stick is a lack of earthing - try to use a screw into the metal to ensure a clear grounding. Currently it looks like the backside of the plate may have a bit of a coat irregularities and is not making it easy to earth. Since you are elevated on 4 screws your grounding area is limited to those contact points, any three of which can be faulted without problems in fact the head diameter and any dome or pan headedness [is there even such a word] have limited the grounding potential in the 4 screws. Edited to include the time and a further thought. And an addition edit for good luck.

[@Preso58]

Thanks for the feedback. I sort of suspected bad grounding but I recently added a copper grounding rod which runs through the concrete and I clamped a heavy earth wire to that and the other end has a strong clip which I thought would be adequate. However, in hindsight I can now see why it was only at one corner where I was having the issue. Grounding the part can be a challenge sometimes. Regards, Mark

[@Chromevulcan]

At the time I'm typing this, the current temp is 72F and the humidity is at 82%. And we're in the middle of winter. Summertime, it gets over 100 and the humidity doesn't get any better here in south Texas.

[@Preso58]

Yes. it's the humidity that gets you. Today has been awful. 92% at 6:00pm. I have heard that Texas weather can be "challenging". Regards, Mark

[@ligius3]

Nice gift. Why not design the fillet and 3D print it for free? It would also remove the need for a brim.

[@Preso58]

That would be possible. I just didn't think of it at the time. Most of the patters I make are experimental. The idea of using the epoxy came to me part way through the build. I made a small nameplate for my pizza oven way back when I first started foundry work and I painstakingly made all the fillets from wood putty which was then sanded smooth. It took days to get a reasonable finish. The epoxy is way quicker and more durable. It also fills the layer lines in the 3D print. However having an engineered fillet designed in CAD would be way more uniform. I will probably give it a go if I have to do another. Regards, Mark

[@CothranMike]

@@Preso58 You'll still need a leveling film of some type after you set your letters, graphics, what have you. Maybe shellac 1/3 cut, dry, repeat or recut with alcohol as needed. In the past sawdust mixed with powdered shellac and wetted with little dots and dabs of alcohol to flow to form sometimes adding twine, string, or, even small ropes with filled ridges they make handy temporary forms.

[@rufustoad1]

Excellent job Mark. Can you tell me how you estimate the pounds of aluminum that is needed to fill these molds?

[@Preso58]

I cannot. It is purely a guesstimate. However if you model the entire casting in Fusion360 or in my case, Autodesk Inventor, you can assign a material to the model and then use the iProperties to work out the mass. Most 3D CAD programmes have a way of calculating mass, surface area, centre of gravity and volume. Once the correct material is allocated to the model it generates a fairly accurate calculation. When I was teaching F1 in Schools we worked out a way of calculating the mass of the entire model car which had a lower weight limit of 55 grams. With some practice, the students were able to know in advance how close to the lower threshold they could get. With the casting, you would need to add an allowance for the runners, gates and sprues etc but these could be modelled as well. Running short of molten metal is a risk so I usually have a generous quantity in reserve. Regards, Mark

[@RichieCat4223]

Mark, there are videos on using acetone to smooth 3D printed parts.

[@Preso58]

I have used that process but it doesn't work on all filament types. Back when I first started in 3D printing I was using a lot of ABS filament and it responded really well to acetone smoothing. Unfortunately, PETG filament doesn't react the same way. Regards, Mark

[@RichieCat4223]

Thank you@@Preso58

[@CothranMike]

@@Preso58 PETG solvents such as ethyl acetate, MEK, or, dichloromethane are used in vapor smoothing but might not work in the setup you have used for your prior vapor smoothing with ABS.

[@bobweiram6321]

Your flask is empty! What a drag. How do you cope?

[@MicksWorkshop]

Thank you for the excellent video Mark. Why do you apply the paint, is the other sealing not enough? BTW, I'm a little jealous, it's -10 Celsius here.

[@Preso58]

Mick, the paint just makes the surface of the pattern smooth and slippery so the moulding sand has less opportunity to stick. I find that automotive paint is good but back in the day they just used shellac and maybe some wax. Once the patterns were in use regularly they picked up a surface coating of graphite if they were used for iron castings or parting powder if they were used on aluminium. For one off patterns (which is almost all I do) you have to give the pattern the best chance of pulling cleanly from the mould. Regards, Mark

[@timshort3220]

I wonder if one of those adhesive lint rollers would work to remove the powder coat

[@Preso58]

I am sure they would work but I wouldn't dare to use the one my wife has. That's probably grounds for divorce. 😁 Regards, Mark

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

You are a -fart smeller- , I mean a smart feller! Great job!

[@FredFred-wy9jw]

Very nice sign … you mentioned you printed with PETG …. Is there a reason for using this vs PLA? I generally use PLA … I find it’s a bit stronger and a bit easier to print…

[@Preso58]

I really have no preference. The PETG filament was in the printer so I just used that. I do have PLA as well. Regards, Mark

[@DavidR8]

Looks simply amazing Mark, a fine example of your suite of skills. Curious what media do you use in your blast cabinet?

[@Preso58]

I use 80 grit garnet for paint stripping, rust removal and surface prep for powdercoat. I have some glass bead which is good for surface texturing aluminium prior to anodising. It takes a while to change over the media though. I find that the glass bead doesn't produce any dust and it's way easier to see what you are doing. Regards, Mark

[@DavidR8]

Thanks Mark, appreciate that @@Preso58