Welcome sign from the Water-Jet

Been trying to get this done for a while and finally got some time to play on the water-jet today. It is just over 37 inches long and 5 inches tall. I need to figure how I am going to finish but at least got a good start on it.
I do have some old legs from a stool I will make the handles from ; old and sort of banged up wood so they should go well with it , also will use some brass rod to hold the handles on and peen them over to look like an old rivet.
Just not sure to paint it , try to make it rust and clear coat it or exactly what I want to do. I will have to think about that part of it.

 

If you're going for an antique look and want to make it actually rust then apply clear coat to seal it, maybe spraying salt water on it periodically would do the trick. Either that or just clean any residual oil off it and leave it outside for a few months. I'm assuming you work in a machine shop, hence the black granite surface plate the blade is sitting on?

I wonder what it would look like if you treated the surfaces with gun blue?
Perma Blue® Liquid Gun Blue, 3 fl. oz. Bottle
You'd get the benefits of surface protection and if you were to rub it in with a scotch brite pad it would kind of have that inconsistent rustic look to it.

So on this water jet machine, is it programmed at the control by importing a DXF file of what you want to cut, or is the programming software to run it on a desktop computer?

 

Why brand of water jet? I've run WardJet and Omax. I'm partial to Omax.

 

The Easiest Way to Age Metal EVER!
You can also get almost instant rust spraying that bare steel with a bleach solution

 

Yes it runs off a DXF file.
Bluing it might be a good option , never thought of that and might something to consider.

 

It is a Flow Nanojet

It is an amazing machine.
Most of what I do is machine work with CNC machines as well as fabrication and manual machining but trying to play with this a little more since it is more or less at my disposal , this was a good practice run for me to play with.

 

Never ran that machine. Looked it up. Full enclosure would keep the grit and water off of me and other machine tools.

I've been looking to get a water jet for my home shop. Just can't work out the numbers... especially when I don't have 3 phase power.

I designed and cutout a full size steel 3d puzzle of a velociraptor for my son's birthday one year. It's welded up out by the driveway entrance now.

 

If you want to rust steel degrease it well and spray it with fresh hydrogen peroxide. Steam it with distilled water and you'll start on your way to gunmetal blue.

 

Yeah the numbers are mind blowing.
I am so lucky to have access to such a machine I could never afford anything like this that's for sure.
Quite a machine. Hard to imagine what you can do with a little water and some sand.

 

My wife and I have been watching the Wazer for a home machine.
At 8k it seems affordable but we are wanting to talk to a few long term owners for realistic reviews a bit more first.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It would be a cool thing to have at home. Never heard of Wazer but honestly never looked all that much for a home type machine.

What did we do before computers and all the technology that drive all these toys that we have today. Hard to believe how far we have come and things have changed. I guess I am lucky to have lived through some of these changes ; for the most part I guess.

Leaded gas to unleaded ( now with wonderful alcohol included to ruin everything in your saw from carb. to fuel lines )
Pay phones to pagers to smart phones
Manual machines to CNC controlled machines
Encyclopedias to computers with google search

Just to name a few.
Wow how times have changed.

 

I guess I'm picky but I never really liked the cut quality of water jet. I have 3 different laser cutting companies that I have been using and honestly I'm shocked at the low prices I get. Could never make a justification on doing it in house.

 

You left off youtube. Nothing has ever created more "experts" on everything than that.

 

Cut quality is actually pretty good depending on abrasive size and cutting speed , it does always leave a little bit of slag so to speak on the underside but really very little. We also have a laser cutter where I work but it will not do steel . Amazing for plastics wood and composites though.

You are correct on farming things out.
Our machines are mainly used for prototype work and in many cases where we need multiple parts it was actually cheaper to have them done out of house. , sounds funny that we have a machine like that and still send work out. Yes , it's the way it is.
Either way it is still a fun toy to play with.

 

I sure wouldn't mind having one myself.

 

I've seen metalcuttr's work that he did for buZZsaw BRAD . Brad brought them to a mini gtg in NH.

He may have a few ideas for you.

 

Ill bring the two metalcuttr made for me when stop by. Nice work!

 

Metalcuttr helped me out on this as well , Thanks to him I was able to get this done !
I'm working on handles today and will sit down at lunchtime to see what I can come up with to finish it.

 

Did you set the teeth? Will it cut wood? We'll have to try it out on some elm!

 

Try Birchwood Casey Plum Brown Gun finish. Gives a deep purple brown color like on the old "Brown Bess" muskets. A couple bottles would do it. Couple of coats with steel wool brushing in between. I have had numerous people comment on the "Age Patina" on pieces that I have done. Buy a bottle and try it on a scrap piece of metal. It comes out half way between a bluing and a rust color.