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solarbirdPrototype 3.2 is basically ready - I've basically rebuilt the entire thing, using the existing parts, but with screws instead of trusting epoxies. The epoxies worked fine on the back panel components - that held up perfectly - but just didn't stick to the sides. So now there's a combination of aluminium corner metal and, as mentioned, screws holding it all together.
It felt pretty solid before - version 3.1 - but there's definitely an extra solidity to it now. I put on the last of the caulk yesterday afternoon, so I should be able to put it back into place for summer durability testing this week.
Also, I discovered I had enough Credit Union rewards to get the toaster oven and the T-shirt press, thanks in part to the UPS purchase not working out and getting that refunded. Those arrived on Friday. I first built a shelf under my existing larger workbench - the newer one on the right in the old photos - and that worked great until I realised wait, I hammer on this thing and, well, that's bad. So I built another shelf on the far side of the garage, which has the advantage of keeping the oven from sanding dust. And that's absolutely good.
I've done some testing with it, and need to do more. I'm disappointed it doesn't get exactly to 80°C. I was also aware that these things have very little thermal mass, but it's even less than I expected - 70°C to 40°C drop only takes 20 minutes. Great in summers in a kitchen, terrible for annealing PLA.
So I did some testing with 2.5kg of stone as thermal ballast and that helped a lot, but not really enough - with that added, it took [checks lab notebook] 49 minutes. Last night, I lined the bottom (under the drip tray) with 1kg of ceramic on top of that, but I didn't have time to run another test. If I can get it over an hour - and I'd think this would be enough - I think I'll call it good and try some actual annealling tests.
It's a surprisingly accurate thermostat in this thing, I do have to say. It has... weird temperature settings, though. "Defrost" is defined as 150°F in the manual and hits that spot on. "Warm" isn't, and I think it's aiming at 170°F but seems to be hitting more like 173°F so it might just be barely missing 175°F. (80°C is 176°F.) And that may be close enough with a little boost from the lowest "oven" setting at the end of preheating, which is 200°F like on most (maybe all?) toaster ovens I've seen.
(200°F setting also absolutely nails it, according to my tests. So I don't know why "warm" is a weird number. It's not a sensible number in C either.)
The only testing I've done with the T-shirt press so far is making sure it turns on and heats up and runs its little timer. It does do all that, though, so we're off to a good start. I thought it'd be 1500 watts, but it's actually a bit less - actual pull 1350, enough less that I'm confident it's intentional. And that's fine, it gives me a little more headroom on that 15A circuit.
When you open it and it's hot, it smells kind of like peanut butter. I don't know what's up with that.
Anyway, that's mostly what I've been doing this weekend.
It felt pretty solid before - version 3.1 - but there's definitely an extra solidity to it now. I put on the last of the caulk yesterday afternoon, so I should be able to put it back into place for summer durability testing this week.
Also, I discovered I had enough Credit Union rewards to get the toaster oven and the T-shirt press, thanks in part to the UPS purchase not working out and getting that refunded. Those arrived on Friday. I first built a shelf under my existing larger workbench - the newer one on the right in the old photos - and that worked great until I realised wait, I hammer on this thing and, well, that's bad. So I built another shelf on the far side of the garage, which has the advantage of keeping the oven from sanding dust. And that's absolutely good.
I've done some testing with it, and need to do more. I'm disappointed it doesn't get exactly to 80°C. I was also aware that these things have very little thermal mass, but it's even less than I expected - 70°C to 40°C drop only takes 20 minutes. Great in summers in a kitchen, terrible for annealing PLA.
So I did some testing with 2.5kg of stone as thermal ballast and that helped a lot, but not really enough - with that added, it took [checks lab notebook] 49 minutes. Last night, I lined the bottom (under the drip tray) with 1kg of ceramic on top of that, but I didn't have time to run another test. If I can get it over an hour - and I'd think this would be enough - I think I'll call it good and try some actual annealling tests.
It's a surprisingly accurate thermostat in this thing, I do have to say. It has... weird temperature settings, though. "Defrost" is defined as 150°F in the manual and hits that spot on. "Warm" isn't, and I think it's aiming at 170°F but seems to be hitting more like 173°F so it might just be barely missing 175°F. (80°C is 176°F.) And that may be close enough with a little boost from the lowest "oven" setting at the end of preheating, which is 200°F like on most (maybe all?) toaster ovens I've seen.
(200°F setting also absolutely nails it, according to my tests. So I don't know why "warm" is a weird number. It's not a sensible number in C either.)
The only testing I've done with the T-shirt press so far is making sure it turns on and heats up and runs its little timer. It does do all that, though, so we're off to a good start. I thought it'd be 1500 watts, but it's actually a bit less - actual pull 1350, enough less that I'm confident it's intentional. And that's fine, it gives me a little more headroom on that 15A circuit.
When you open it and it's hot, it smells kind of like peanut butter. I don't know what's up with that.
Anyway, that's mostly what I've been doing this weekend.
no subject
Date: 2022-06-07 10:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-06-09 12:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-06-11 04:54 am (UTC)Which are nicely inexpensive. I've now got one on order. Thanks again!