Kitebuilder.com

[rx8doc]

To me the simple solution is two large plastic garbage pails http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=92393-315-832/2894&lpage=none . Placed mouth to mouth. some wood dowels to suspend the fabric. Screws to hold the dowels from outside. Some dryer vent hose to the bottom of the garbage pail. The other end to a steam device. a few holes and corks in the top of the second pail to provide increased pressure and a cheap saftey release. You could even use duct tape to hold them together. when the pressure is too high it will sep at that seam.
KISS

[KiteSquid]

but will the heat from the steam melt the pails into some kind of modern art...

I will look into garbage cans to see what plastic they are made of.... some can handle 212 F and some can't.

I do like the idea of using trash cans etc as they are inexpensive compared to plywood, but the volume will be much less.

If anbody has a plastic trash can at home, can they look at the recycleing codes and let me know the nubers/letters on them and the manufacturer? This will tell me the type of plastic it is made from and therefore the tempature I can expect to be able to take it too..

a quick run down of SOME plastics

ABS is only good to 200

Polyester is good to 157 to 500 depending on the forumula...

Polypropylene is good to 225 (I hope the trash cans are made of this)

Polyimide is good ot 500

Silicone is good to 500 but it is so flexable that I dont think the trash cans are made of this..


But as the trash cans are only $10 each I could do a $20 experment.....
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

[rx8doc]

Well your irght it is just a 20.00 experiment. Plus...the pressure of the steam coinsides with the heat and should not deform the plastic too much. You could use duct tape to reinforce the trash can. An old professional garmet steamer may be available on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43514&item=4369407816&rd=1
. Now if I just new how to dye fabrics i could play catch up with you. Plus I could use some artistic skill.

Ray

[woodpekr]

[KiteSquid]

The personal garment steamers dont put out enough steam...

I did some yardage last night and went thru aobout 3 gallons of water on a coleman stove that puts out IIRC 11,500 BTU's

Now the steaming cabinet from some older drycleaners or the back room of high end department stores.... MIGHT work.. but still not enough energy transfer
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

[dpb]

Harold, are you still intending to have a preasurized chamber, or is it going to be an unpreasurized steam chamber?

Dave
_________________
Cherry Blossoms fall like rain,
A lively kite steals the sky,
Paradise in a moment.

[KiteSquid]

I have always inteneded to have a chamber at atsmopheric pressure as a boiler or pressure chamber has to be designed by an engineer, weleded by a Certified welder and tested by a certified tech.

All costing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

so to do it on the cheep it will have to be at atmospheric pressure.

So my colors will not be a vibrant as they could be but my house will stay on the foundation!!!!!! exploding boilers cause LOTS of damage!!!!!!!!
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

[robkite]

Harold rather than trash cans, you might want to think about oil barrel shaped maybe something that contained food stuffs. In another hobby of mine I once ran across stainless steel 55 gal. drums that we thought about using for mashing vessels for making beer. two of those end to end would be just about the perfect vessel. I will look around some of my old contacts and see if they are still avaialble and how much they are.
_________________
Robkite
Rob Pratt
robcp@msn.com
Ft Worden Kitemaker conference web site: www.kitemakers.org

[robkite]

It seems the best place to look for these drums are with the emergency preparedness folks those people who provide containers for storing emergency supplies for Earthquakes and storms and such. I saw a drum at a California dealer web site that was non food grade stainless steel 35 gals I think for $45. This would be good place to start.
_________________
Robkite
Rob Pratt
robcp@msn.com
Ft Worden Kitemaker conference web site: www.kitemakers.org

[KiteSquid]

Great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will also go by the local metals scrap yard....
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.