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My New High Tech Gun (updated)
MrMag00
Member Posts: 532 ✭✭✭
Not your average 2a collectable, but dang I'm exited to test it out.
With technology moving along, and this 1000w laser cleaner gun able to blast away rust and dirt, it's not hard to think about what the big boys are experimenting with.
Video https://rumble.com/v1a1dt1-laser-cleaner-in-action.html
Comments
Wow. Let me know how it works out! And whats a round about price for one of those!? If it works, that would be WAY better than sand paper or sand blasting!
The big boys in the early 1980s had grand plans. I built a speed increasing gearbox for teh Corps of Engineers at Ft Belvoir that was rated 4,500 RPM in and 18,000 RPM out at 18,000 HP. THis gearbox was to test experimental alternators of 3MW, 6 MW, or 12 MW powering a a portable pulsed beam weapon - in this case a gas laser. I saw the 3 MW alternator and it would fit in a 30 Gal trash can except for the exciter.
Will need an evaluation
Not only that, but we'll want to know how well it works, too!
I'll be doing videos and if they turn out, will post them on rumble.
Got it wired up and ready to go for tomorrow. Will spend time testing and documenting different settings on different substrates, should be fun. Probably should clean a spot to make it look like I'm super professional 😂
With an attendant power source chassis resembling a Snap-On Tools cabinet and a price tag approaching $10,000, I'm wondering about the practicality of this thing, especially its range of use. Is the chassis on wheels? How long is the cord from power source to device? Has Galco come up with a holster design yet?
I don't know of many people who love to grind, or wire wheel, or paint stripper or sand blast. In the grand scheme of things, what is money if you don't enjoy it? Some spend more than that on a rock for their finger.
I would guess the capitol investment may be steep for people with intermittent need, but in auto/motorcycle renovation, it makes more sense. I know people who don't even have an air compressor if you can imagine that.
Don't forget to use your finger quotes when saying "laser".
Fired it up today and not impressed. I will have to work on proper settings I suppose and find the niche where it shines. The couple things I did try were rather un inspiring. One was the metal work top.1/4 plate had some light rust. It disintegrates the rust in short order, but leaves behind a charcoal like residue. It wipes up with water and then bare/gray metal shows.
Then I tried it on an air compressor head. Paint, rust uneven surface. It disintegrates the rust and paint, but leaves behind the charcoal. Not so easy to wipe up. This does put a bit of heat into the work surface too, so would not be advisable to use on thin metal like autobody.
I only ran it a total of maybe 30 seconds in all. Need to shake it down and see how it affect bare arms etc.
Just getting it to work was a task in itself. No clear directions. 4 power switches, then the user interface (haven't fully set up) with fingerprint authentication and password, and then the sequence of functions to get it "ready" to work. Double click and hold trigger to clean, for safety.
Good ventilation is a must, and I recommend a fume mask. Tomorrow, when cooler out, I will see if I can get some video and pictures. Step by step, I hope to fine tune it to work for what I need it to do, and think I can get there. So I'm optimistically encouraged, and a bit happy that it actually works.
I would say that this experience so far is like watching a rock music video, buying a nice guitar and then sucking at it when finally trying to play. All in time...
Little more time on it, and figuring it out and all is good. Video is a good representation of how well this works.
https://rumble.com/v1a1dt1-laser-cleaner-in-action.html
Looks like it works pretty good to me.
Well that's kinda cool!
Yep, the more I play, the better it gets. Time to put it to work. I took a temp reading after blasting it, and the compressor head was at 208º F. I goofed off and double passed areas, so I know I can be faster and more efficient in the future.
Looks good but I have to ask what does it do that a $21.99 sandblaster gun from Harbor Freight doesn't do?
Works! Don
Looks really cool and high tech! 😁Bob
Stay tuned. I'm sure you will see. Sometimes it's not what it does, but what it doesn't do 😉
I've seen those ablative lasers work and good ones, with them set on the right settings for the task at hand and they are incredible. The cheap ones seem to be decent. And by cheap, I still mean they are way more than I'd ever spend, but less than the industrial laser setup for oil and gas units that I know were at least $50k. They can take very thick rust, countless layers of paint, and dirt, or a mixture of all of the above off in one or two passes. Then, they rebuilt the device, repainted it, and sent it back looking nearly new. Previously, they used caustic chemicals which stunk up half the plant, they could be used only so many times before a company had to come and haul it off and replace it. Now (when I left anyway), this is done it a small-ish room with its own self contained air system. When they are done, it is swept up, and dumped in the same bins the other waste goes in.
Spend a good while messing with these things before you write them off. Especially things like old hand tools, engine blocks, vehicle rear-ends, etc. though they can be used on much thinner stuff too.
Hand tools, LOL. Just uploaded a video of an old adjustable wrench. Should have been in the scrap pile, but it was fun cleaning it. Still all pitted and nasty, but a nice example of how well this thing is working. I had a chance to do some aluminum and was super impressed. I saved that program. Learning as I go and getting way better too.
https://rumble.com/v1bxa8x-cleaning-rusty-wrench-with-1000w-laser-cleaner.html
Nice!
Makes the job more fun, if you consider working in 110º heat fun.