The possibilities for patterns on any surface are nearly endless. The only materials that need to be provided by DMS are the stainless dip tank and water line. Members could order their own film and activator chemicals. With the talent we have at the space, a group can certainly fabricate a tank if the space provides the materials.
The tank is essentially a stainless tub with a heating element and water fill/drain lines.
What say ye? Is anyone else as intrigued by the idea as I am?
Yeah, water is a challenge. Worst case scenario, if we can’t tap into the existing plumbing, it could be set up close to an outer wall with a faucet and hose. For draining (which would only need to be done once a month or so), a simple PVC line could be run outside since the water coming out of the tank is harmless to the environment. Everything involved in the process is nontoxic.
Not sure how big your sinks need to be, but you might keep an eye on sites like this
where you can score a used sink fairly cheap, as hopefully is noted in the search of old auctions I linked.
I think this is cool, hope we can find a way, and I hope this suggestion helps…
Yeah, there are a lot of groups wanting water in the warehouse right now. Foundry is in need of water for working clay and cleaning up afterwards. Machine Shop and Automotive would both gain from having access to water and drainage. Lastly, bio would like access to water as well. Plus with water and drainage in the workshop, clean up would be easier. I know I’ve had greasy hands while opening doors to clean up.
It may be time to think about this and plan for adding water. I wonder what it would cost? Probably not cheap.
My dad was a sheetmetal worker and re-purposed a buffet steam table that was getting sold for scrap. He cut it down and made a raised dog bathing station out of it for me. I was looking at paying $2500 for a retail market one that was no where near as steady or well built as the one my dad made. So if it doesn’t have to be a super special sink, that may be a direction to keep in mind.
Does it have to be stainless steal? There are all matters of plastic containers in sizes that would work for a tank. Check any construction site and they will have very large containers that can be cut down.
For constant use, stainless is definitely the preferable option. Mainly because of the heating units and whatnot incorporated into the tank and for ease of cleaning.
If the tank is only going to be used every now and then, a plastic tub is sufficient. Basically, as long as the container is the right size for the part being dipped, any container will do for occasional projects. There are DIY instructions online that describe using just about any container with preheated water.
A decent stainless tank with a heating element would be ideal if folks were dipping on a regular basis.
