Project:
So somehow I got sucked into building a deck for my boss even though I have vowed to take a break after completing the 14' x 20' shed I built for some other people I know. Anyways, I was preparing the tools and going through the process in my mind wondering how I'm going to consolidate the concrete and make it air bubble free since the deck needs twelve 8" concrete posts, 4'-6" into the ground and hitting it on the side with a hammer (which I normally do to get
the air bubbles out and the surface nice and smooth), since it will be several feet in the ground I won't be able to do it, so I got an idea that I could try to build my own concrete vibrator.
From Wikipedia:
Concrete vibrators consolidate freshly poured concrete so that trapped air and excess water are released and the concrete settles firmly in place in the form work. Improper consolidation of concrete can cause product defects, compromise the concrete strength, and
produce surface blemishes such as bug holes and honeycombing. An internal concrete vibrator is a steel cylinder about the size of the handle of a baseball bat, with a hose or electrical cord attached to one end. The vibrator head is immersed in the wet concrete
Process:
It was about 9PM when I headed out to the shop trying to find some materials to build the vibrator when I walked past our old, dead tread mill in the garage. Looking at the roller the belt runs on I thought
I might be able to make it work.
The roller is about an inch and a quarter diameter, with a half-inch stainless steel core held in place by two bearings, one on each side. Pretty basic set-up. I managed to take the center core steel rod out, grind it flat and weld a 3/8" by 3/8" square solid steel rod to it. Then I took the grinder and ground off some more materials of the center rod opposite the square steel rod to make the rod off-weight.
Once it was welded, I placed it back into the aluminum roller, attached it to a 25ft. plumbing snake and enclosed the whole thing in some ABS pipe and water hose.
Pictures:
The original roller
Another close-up
With the square steel rod welded to the center core
A close-up of the opposite side that was ground off to make it more off-balance
Cut off one end of the rod that was sticking out
Steel nipple as an adapter to connect center rod with plumbing snake
Steel nipple on the end of the roller
Finished DIY concrete vibrator
This is where the drill will attach
Actual concrete vibrator head
Tools:
Alan keys
Cordless drill
Snap-ring pliers
Grinder
Welder
Goggles
Ear muffs
Screw driver
Drill
Materials:
Old treadmill
roller (free)
16" of 3/8" by 3/8" square steel rod (free)
4" by 3/4" pipe nipple (free)
25' plumbing snake ($14.95)
20" of 1.5" ABS pipe (free)
ABS cap ($2.49)
ABS reducer ($2.59)
ABS connector ($0.67)
Water hose adapter ($0.54)
Water hose clamp (free)
20 feet of 3/4" water hose
(free)
Cost:
$24.00
Time:
2.5 hrs
Savings:
$275.00
Conclusion:
I'll update the blog once I've finished pouring the posts.
ICYMI, refurbished Airstreams are all the rage. You can book one for the night on Airbnb. You can belly up to one for tastings of Central Coast rosé. And now you can hop aboard for an even wilder ride.
This month, San Francisco–based sex toy company Crave is rolling out its Build-a-Vibe workshop on wheels, inside a 1961 Airstream painted a sassy shade of orange.
Part showroom, part design studio and mini factory, the sexed up trailer is taking the brand's popular DIY classes, in which women get the chance to customize their own toys, to cities across the country in a tour entirely funded through crowdsourcing on Indiegogo. The mobile Crave Design Factory made a recent stop
at SXSW in Austin, TX; later this month, she'll park at The Dinah, the annual lesbian fest in Palm Springs.
Founded by industrial designer Ti Chang and entrepreneur Michael Topolovac, Crave is well known for the subtlety and elegance of its modern designs—the award-winning Vesper is a vibrator-no-it's-a-necklace!—but is also unafraid to stir up blunt conversation about sex and relationships in public (we all loved their recent portrait series at Folsom Street Fair). So since social networks prevent companies like Crave from posting vibrators to their feeds, the team is hitting the road for an IRL social campaign.
"With the Build-a-Vibe tour. we would like to encourage women to explore their sexuality, enjoy it, and not be ashamed of using a vibrator," says Chang, who's personally embarking on the trip, along with her dog Mac Jacobs, and will be on hand to educate her guests on the history of female sex toys. "Participants will receive a kit with all different parts of the sex toy. Then our technicians will walk them through the complete and final creation of the vibrator."
And the Airstream is fully equipped for the mission. A neon sign emblazoned with the words Own Your Pleasure announces the mobile design space, which gleams with glossy white paint and retail-style shelving to show off the company's various gadgets. On the tour, participants in the workshop ($99/person) will get to customize their own special edition Duet Pro vibrators, launched just for the occasion.
Have a nice ride! // lovecrave.com, indiegogo.com/projects