Posted by Gene Olson on September 04, 1998 at 09:55:05:

A discussion on the maillist yielded this gem. Thanks be to Ray Strand and Bruce Fink. I figured it oughta be here.

G.

Sometimes we take a long way to get there when casting metal.

>

> I've also carved and painted 8 foot tall styrofoam candlesticks

> for a community theatre production using my angle grinder.

> The new polyurethane gorilla glues work great on styro and

> fill gaps when laminating big stuff. Those little bits of foam

> get everywhere and make a mess.

You're certainly right there ... I do a lot of styrofoam grinding but

only do it in a way that doesn't give me the irits, or float around

everywhere.

I do it on a special table made of perforated steel and furnace filter

covering with a major squirell cage blower mounted below. Then put a

fine mesh table like cloth over it and grind away. The dust and flakes

and bits and chunks all immediately suck down to the surface of the

table and never float anywhere. When done the cloth is folded up and

dumped or re shaken into an open 55 gallon drum with a small amount of

gasoline in it at the bottom. (all outdoors of course). The dust

immediately disintegrates down into a puree of paste and later hardens

into a slab.

Dangerous? could be. Obvious precautions are needed but ... but sure

beats phnemonia or lung cancer or all those other little side effects.

bpfink

Follow Ups:

Bramblebush ForumsFAQ