On 2008-11-24, Winston wrote:
DoN. Nichols wrote:

O.K. If you want another suggestion for recycling parts,
consider the caps from jug-filled water coolers in offices and such.

Excellent!
O.D.? I.D.? Thickness at the middle of the crown?
Is that HDPE? Generic 'plastic'?

You keep asking these questions (or at least I see them) when I
am upstairs at my computer -- not downstairs with the shop. And I had a
major schlump blocking access to the shop door earlier, when I pulled out
a metal suitcase full of crimping tools. I just had to dig that out
sooner than I had planned, to get my digital calipers.

OD: 2.258"
ID: 1.997" (at bottom of lip, which is like a pair of "( )"
separated by about 2".)

THICKNESS: 0.102" (at center where there is a plastic pimple
0.063" (closer to the rim).

HDPE? Who knows? It is a flexible plastic, even fifteen
years after collection. It has heat-shrink capability
to shrink the skirt against the neck of the original
bottle.

Only visible marking is UL12 (for the blue one in my
hand at the moment.)

I've also nipped a hole in the rim of one, and used it as
protection over the positive terminal of a large strorage battery in a
UPS whose metal lid was too close to the terminals.

[ ... ]

That's far outside the 'project charter' as it stands right now.

Certainly for national or world-wide use -- but for a local
metalworking club were things get shared around it could be a different
matter. Ours covers Northern VA, DC, and Southern MD, and there are
often posts of "Does anyone have X -- preferably in Northern VA?" on the
mailing list.

We have a small price / performance issue here.
Who arbitrates disagreements about:
* quality Determined by the person looking for it
* quantity What is available and what is needed?
* description accuracy Visual examination before hand-over.
* finish ditto
* availability Determined by the one offering.
* condition What is there -- the searcher determines whether
it is adequate for his purposes. (Most often it
is whether it is large enough and the right
material for the project.

One example was someone looking for an old
water heater to make a digester for bio-diesel,
and I had just replaced one, and wanted a home
for it. he came by and we got it out of the
cellar and up the steps to the ground level
together. He knew that it leaked, and it was
still what he needed.

* location Where it is at the moment. Smaller things
may be carried to the monthly meetings (I'll be
at one tomorrow night, and may not have time to
answer).

* delivery date exchange at meetings -- or the person wanting it
drives to the home of the person offering it.
(I did this quite recently for a foot of
railroad rail, to make a small anvil.)

* yada yada yada? Whatever -- settled between those of
good will. (Typically, this starts with a post
to the club's (e-)mailing list saying "Does
anyone have 'X' at least Y x Z in size, and
someone else says "no -- but can you use Q?"
and another says -- "Yes -- but I'll need help
to dig it out."

To quote a great philosopher: "It ain't me, babe."

This is just a possible use for your tool -- to help people
tell whether they *do* have what is needed -- and can spare it.

Feel free to start a Geek 'Tradio'.
I agree that it would be very useful.

It already exists.

It is much too big a 'Mission Creep' for me.

O.K. It is just a way that people might use what you have
started.

[ ... ]

BTW I also save the wax off Gouda cheese, melt and save it, and
use it for protective dip for cutting tools at need.

You *are* good!

That nice red wax is not something to waste. :-)

But either an FTP site or a web page could serve.

We are in violent agreement.

O.K.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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