Your experience was very close to mine when I did this from TIP plans
about 10 years ago, Mike.
At that time, and maybe still, the plans were for a cabinet about 38"
wide, IIRC. After studying the cutting chart for the plywood I
determined that I could make it 48" with the same two sheets--there was
a long 10" wide strip of waste in the chart. I had to refigure the
trapezoidal pieces for the collection hopper, but that was easy to do.
Like you, I don't know how I would get by without it. Mine has been in
light commercial use for about 6 years and has held up very well.
If anyone is interested I could take a digital picture and post an URL.
Joe
====
Mike Rambour wrote:
>
> >Mike, any estimate as to the total cost of the cabinet?
> >
> I don't really have a cost estimate since I had most of the materials
> already. The plans are available for $7.50 by themselves and the kit costs
> $139 (it was $119 when I bought it). I bought the kit which includes the
> gun, foot pedal and pickup tube. I already had the lumber and angle iron
> but it was 2 sheets of plywood for the size I built, the size in the plans
> is built with one sheet. There is probably 20 feet of angle iron and a few
> steel caster which could be replaced by a few 2x4s. The gloves I bought at
> Builders Emporium before they went under for $12 and the glass came from a
> auto wrecking yard off of the side of a wrecked Toyota camper shell for $5.
>
> Plywood runs between $14 and $20 around here depending on the quality so
> for the size in the plans thats lets say $20, glass should have cost me $18
> at the glass shop, I think it could be done for under $250 total if you
> shopped around, I did mine for $150 in cash and used up remnants around the
> shop that were sitting unused.
>
> I noticed that TIP also has a "complete" kit for $219 that includes the
> gloves, glass, glass frame, light kit...I would probably go that route if I
> was going to redo it, I have seen the TIP gloves and they are much higher
> quality than what I bought at Builders and it would save the time hunting
> down the detail parts.
>
> By the way, I like my cabinet it works well and I can't imagine how I did
> anything without one before !
>
> mike
>
--
Heather & Joe Way
Sierra Specialty Automotive
Brake cylinders sleeved with brass
Delco alternator One-Wire conversions
Quincy, CA
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