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Drying booth

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  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Drying booth
Posted by Don Stauffer on Monday, March 19, 2012 9:09 AM

Finally got around to taking a few photos of my new drying booth.  It is a box made from particle board.  The top is one of those plastic cases we carry our models to shows with.  It is inverted, with the cover cut out in the middle, leaving only the flange in place.

The slot in the side and the holes in the top are to allow convective air flow through the actual model chamber.  The slots and holes are covered by filters- ones sold to use in floor mount hot air registers.  I also cut a hole in the bottom of the plastic storage case (now the top) and taped a piece of that filter material there, to keep dust from coming in from the top.

I mounted a lamp base, and put in a 60W appliance bulb (yes, those can still be sold).  I also mounted a lamp dimmer in order to control temperature.  That, I find is not needed, and a simple switch would be fine.  Wide open it runs 95 degrees, which I find works very well.  I know some folks who tried food dryers, and some of them had warped models, which is what I was trying to avoid with the dimmer.  But I find the 95 degrees works fine, drying Testors enamel in a day (closer to about eight hours) instead of the normal several days.

 

 

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • From: Nova Scotia, Canada
Posted by Rocky500 on Monday, March 19, 2012 9:56 AM

Well done Yes

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Sunday, March 25, 2012 6:38 AM

Very simple but effective. Thanks for sharing!

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    October 2013
Posted by infofrog on Thursday, October 22, 2015 5:49 AM

I know this is little old .

Don , do you  still use this dry booth ?

I'm think about building one this weekend .

Would you change anything? if build it again

thanks

Rick

The build side

You have inlet air filtered . then holes on top off set for the heat . The lid you screw down ?

Thanks

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Thursday, October 22, 2015 9:21 AM

Yes, I still do use it often.  I do a lot of models that take gloss paint.  So almost everything I paint with gloss, even very small parts, goes in dryer.

In fact, small parts really show the utility of the dryer.  Small parts indicates I am still doing assembly, and waiting for gloss enamel on small parts slows down by building.  Sticking small, freshly painted parts in cabinet for several hours allows me to use them today, rather than waiting till tomorrow!

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    October 2013
Posted by infofrog on Thursday, October 22, 2015 9:56 AM

That's why sometimes my builds take for ever . Dry time on smaller parts . I pick up 60 watt bulb . 1 light switch and box. Also the outlet like your . All for 6.99 at lowes . I have the wood at home . I will post build this weekend 

thanks 

rick

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: back country of SO-CAL, at the birth place of Naval Aviation
Posted by DUSTER on Friday, October 23, 2015 4:25 PM

This is a classic, model builders  tool. It is simple in concept, easy to construct and allows us increased efficinency.

Thank You Don, for sharing your knowledge and thanks, rick for reprising this thread.

 

Steve

Building the perfect model---just not quite yet  Confused

  • Member since
    October 2013
Posted by infofrog on Friday, October 23, 2015 7:37 PM
Tomorrow , I building Don's dry booth .I hope this helps on drying time I hope you don't mind Don Thanks Rick

  • Member since
    December 2012
Posted by RX7850 on Friday, October 23, 2015 9:30 PM

That's a very useful idea. Might try building one myself.

  • Member since
    October 2015
Posted by Comanche pilot on Monday, November 2, 2015 6:57 PM

I hate to make it seem like I'm trying to steal your thunder with this post. I've never tried the following suggestion. It just popped into my head when I read your post.

I wonder if a food dryer would work like those used to make beef jerky? 

My wife's (I know - already off limits) is about 18" in diameter and has 5 shelves all of which are removable. 

I'll have to have a sneak. 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 9:27 AM

Comanche pilot

I hate to make it seem like I'm trying to steal your thunder with this post. I've never tried the following suggestion. It just popped into my head when I read your post.

I wonder if a food dryer would work like those used to make beef jerky? 

My wife's (I know - already off limits) is about 18" in diameter and has 5 shelves all of which are removable. 

I'll have to have a sneak. 

 

If you know for sure the internal temperature the food dryer runs at, it may work. It apparently varies by brand and model.  I know folks who have ruined a model in a food dryer.  I did not want to take the chance, plus my booth cost a lot less than the dryers I looked at at WalMart.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    March 2011
Posted by Josy11 on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 10:34 AM

 

Hi Don,

 

I hate to show my ignorance here, but where do you put the model to dry?

 

Do you put it in the plastic container on top? - This would indicate to me you are using the light bulb to create a convective flow of air for drying?  - if so, do the circles I see on the plastic top act as cutouts to allow warm air in and then it exits at top of the inverted plastic container?

 

Sorry for the dumb question, I was thinking the parts to dry originally went in the wooden box with the bulb and that did not make as much sense to me

 

Thanks - I am getting ready to build something similar

Joe

 

 

 

  • Member since
    October 2015
Posted by Comanche pilot on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 5:28 PM
Don't know the exact temp but I do know this; it's not designed to cook. I'd venture to guess from our experience with it that its about the temp of a hot foot in a winter boot. Without the vapors. One could always take a scrap piece, put on new paint and try. I might do that myself, even.
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 9:23 AM

Josy11

 

Hi Don,

 

I hate to show my ignorance here, but where do you put the model to dry?

 

Do you put it in the plastic container on top? - This would indicate to me you are using the light bulb to create a convective flow of air for drying?  - if so, do the circles I see on the plastic top act as cutouts to allow warm air in and then it exits at top of the inverted plastic container?

 

Sorry for the dumb question, I was thinking the parts to dry originally went in the wooden box with the bulb and that did not make as much sense to me

 

Thanks - I am getting ready to build something similar

Joe

 

 

You've got it.  There are holes in end of bottom box to let air into bottom chamber.  Light bulb heats the air- it wants to rise.  There are holes in the bottom chamber to let air flow up into the upper (plastic) chamber to let air flow into that chamber where model or part is.  Then, holes in top of upper plastic chamber (actually the bottom of the tote box I use) to let air out.  Each partition has a filter covering the holes, to keep dust out. I use those filters you put in hot air registers in floor heating vents.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

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