We thank Dan Osborne for sending in these photo’s of his deck upgrade
Really Cool Bar Stuff Made With Acrylic
Some awesome ideas for your home or commercial bar…
Wine Angels
this is in a limo…
Acrylic Waterwall Directory
Another project from Michael…
Here’s a shot of a waterwall I built for the Toronto Reference library down on Yonge St. The hardest thing about it was getting the water to flow properly over the acrylic. The problem was the thing was 11’ high and getting the water up there, and flowing evenly was a chore. The worst thing about the whole project was that after months of adjusting to get the water to flow properly, the library personnel didn’t want to fill the water reservoir every week. You see, the water evaporated rapidly because it was so dry in the library! They eventually took it down after only a few months of operation…..
Cochrane Custom Cabinets and Carpentry michaelcochrane@rogers.com
April 2008 Newsletter
Huge Off-cut Sale
Being one of the most trusted names in plastic sheet, rod, & tube means we do more cutting for more businesses than just about any other plastics distributor this side of Saskatoon… Visit our promotions website for the latest list of specially priced pieces.
Guillotine Services Available
We have a well-trained team of operators ready to cut thin-gauge plastics such as Coroplast, PETG, and Styrenes to size.
It’s Time For Fun In The Sun @ Home – Polycarbonate Twinwall Sale
Ready for your deck and greenhouse project… 4 x 8′, 4 x 10′, 4 x 16′ and 4 x 20′
EZ workings for sunrooms, deck enclosures, spa covers, and carports
Opening Up The Workshop Soon?
We carry all kinds of polycarbonate and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pieces that you can use to make jigs for your home workshop. HDPE is great for making re-usable Muskoka chair patterns that you can double tape to your stock and run through the routers.
Being Nagged About Making Your Pool/Spa Area Or Patio Deck More Livable?
We can help! Check out this article on our blog and you’ll learn how King Starboard can be fashioned into luxury cabinetry and furnishings for your outdoor lifestyle on the deck or by the pool…
Did you know we can cut replacement patio tabletops, too?
Just about any shape… we offer clear, frosted, and a few glass-style patterns
Readying Your Boat For Launch? Get your King Starboard orders in now!
We stock one of Canada’s largest selection of King Starboard which you can fashion into all kinds of nifty amenities for your pleasure or commercial fishing boat. From onboard cabinetry to hatch covers and swim platforms… larger size sheet stock needs 6-8 weeks for delivery
We really do appreciate your business and LUV REFERRALS…. We want to hear about your projects or products made with plastic. Feel free to email in your pictures and a brief story and we’ll post them on our blog, which just happens to be the biggest DIY plastics website on the web!
4 Convenient Service Centres To Assist You
Kitchener: (519) 725-6111 or toll free 1-888-669-8922
Brampton: (905) 456-1579
Scarborough: (416) 281-4300 or toll free 1-800-268-6784
Halifax: (902) 406-4022 or 1-877-406-8222
Acrylite P-95 Japanese Sliding Windows/Doors
This project comes from one of our customers.
Stylish… modern… easy maintenance… nice job, Michael!
From Michael:
The mullions and frames are constructed of poplar which is a good wood to use as it is harder and more stable than pine, but not as expensive as maple. This will allow for long straight pieces without fear of breakage. It also is lighter than other hardwoods making for a reasonable strength to weight ratio. I knew since the client was requesting they be painted black that the expense of better hardwood would be a waste. They can be produced using different species but I would only go that route if they were going to be stained, not painted.
To make production of the mullion strips easier, I purchased 1 x 6 D4S poplar then ripped them to the correct thickness using a really sharp, fine ripping blade. I also painted the 1 x 6’s prior to ripping which meant that I wouldn’t have to paint the narrow sides of each mullion. After ripping I only had to do 2 sides of each narrow piece instead of 4. If I did this again I would certainly have sprayed the mullions, it would have been so much faster than rolling. The reason I used a roller is because to spray such a narrow piece there would have been a tremendous amount of overspray and a waste of paint but looking back, the wastage would have offset the time it took to roller each piece. As it was I ganged up pieces together but it still took a good 2 days to paint all the pieces.
As for how to do it: I kept it simple in the design stage. The left and right panels are exactly the same, and the doors are both the same. For strength I planned on dadoing each mullion where they crossed over. This makes for an extremely rigid frame. By keeping the pieces similar in size all the dadoes on the verticals are identical, and there’s only two sizes of horizontal pieces. If you add them up there’s over 500 dadoes in total. To do them all I set up a jig on my table saw using a dado blade and a block set to the desired spacing. I then sat there all day running pieces through it. One thing that I would do differently is to buy over sized stock. It worked out that the dado blade cuts 1/32” over ¾” and the poplar is exactly ¾” thick. 1/32” isn’t a lot but after cutting 7, that’s almost ¼” difference, quite a big difference on the last one. After running a few test pieces through, I adjusted the spacing so the last dado to be cut was only 1/8” out. Not a big visual difference.
Another thing I did was make sure the frosted acrylic panels were slightly smaller than the frames they were being mounted to. I knew the location they were to be mounted to wasn’t plumb or level ((3” out of level over 15 feet) so if there was any deflection in the frame, I couldn’t install the acrylic. So when I installed the acrylic panels I just shimmed them (semi) square and attached the mullion assembly on the back side.
One thing that made the job a whole lot easier was the fact that the panels are made up of complete 5 ‘ x 80” acrylic panels with mullion assemblies front and back. The customer originally wanted individual acrylic pieces which would have been even more tedious to build and install. Plus the cost of producing the mullions etc would be astronomical and 5 times their budget. One draw back to this is if they ever damage one area, it will be hard to replace. So I advised the customer to NOT damage it and to only clean it with a swiffer duster.
I used KN Crowder track to handle the sliding doors. They are easy to install, easy to adjust and are light but very sturdy. Plus very smooth operating.
Cochrane Custom Cabinets and Carpentry michaelcochrane@rogers.com
* * *
Feel free to send in pictures and how-to-articles about your projects, even it’s just to share the trials and tribulations of learning to work with plastic. We’ll publish your business information too if you sell plastic products or do custom work.
Skating In Your Basement… Or Garage…
Here’s a great site on how one firm installs a synthetic ice (high density polyethylene) surface
http://www.superglideskating.com/installation.asp
UHMW Truck Liners
How do you reduce the wear and tear on your dump trucks and trailer, when the only thing between your load and your profit eventually corrodes and wears away?
Simple, use UHMW in high wear applications…
By Ross McShane and Jeff Haarstick
In high wear applications, UHMW-PE, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, stands alone. UHMW-PE reduces abrasion, increases release, and helps absorb impact all in one. At only a fraction of the weight and cost of steel and aluminum, UHMW-PE can outwear steel two times and aluminum four times. UHMW-PE is commonly produced in sheets by compression molding. Single sheets can be up to 33 feet/10 meters in length; however, average presses are much smaller, typically 4 by 10 feet/1.21 by 3.04 meters. With a butt fusion welder, these sheets can be seamlessly welded together into any length. Additives can also be added to UHMW-PE in premium and specialty grades. Silicone reduces friction, increases slip and lessens noise. Glass spheres increase hardness and abrasion resistance. Ultra violet inhibitors (UVI) can increase the life of UHMW-PE from about a year to five years when continuously exposed to direct sunlight. Other additives include heat stabilization, color, and anti-static. Combining the reduced weight, lower cost, increased wear, and greater flexibility, UHMW-PE becomes the apparent choice when compared to other high wear substitutes.
* * * *
For 25 years, Horn Plastics, Inc. has been known in the heavy construction and agricultural industries as an expert group of honest hardworking salespeople who callback in a timely fashion, are knowledgeable of installation advice and dedicated to friendly service. Super-Slide is a non-stick, high wear, premium engineered plastics that can be cut into small wear strips or welded into rolls of any length. For more information on UHMW-PE and Super-Slide products go to www.superslide.com.
