October 2, 2014
Description
Let me start off by stating, that I don't really expect anyone to make
this thing. I only made it to solve a problem very specific to my home.
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I've got to say that this is what makes 3D printers so great. I can
make a custom tool which doesn't exist anywhere else (you can't
buy one) to solve a problem; and it works!
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I have a cape code style home with a metal roof. While the metal
roof is great and the snow slides right off it in the winter, it's a
slippery surface that is dangerous to climb up on to do house
maintenance even in nice weather.
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Anyway, I needed to do some weather sealing around one of the
dormers and didn't have any idea how I would get up there safely
to seal the gaps. I found a can of black expanding foam sealant
that would blend in perfectly. (It's really for ponds, but should work
fine on the house...)
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While I was out looking at it, I thought it would be great if I could run
it through a hose and fill the gaps, but I knew that was impractical
because the hose length was too long. I then thought it would be
great if they had a pole adaper with a trigger I could use.
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That's when it hit me that I could print one. I have a pole for my
roof rake that I used to use to pull snow off the roof (which I no
longer need because I have a metal roof). I used the existing
spray can cap and the roof rake pole measurements and came
up with this design.
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I didn't need a fancy trigger because these cans work when you
put sideways pressure against the nozzle. Simply tying a string
around the nozzle took care of the trigger for me.
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Long story short (too late for that...) It worked like a charm.
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I'm always thrilled when I find a practical application for my 3D
printer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy printing a Woolly Mammoth
skull (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:480452 ) as much as the
next guy, but it's not something that helps justify the cost of the
printer and filament.
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If you do make one, bear in mind that I haven't done any safety
testing on it (what could go wrong swinging a pressurized can of
flamable goop around on a pole above your head?), that you should
wear appropriate safety gear when using it, and that you use it at
your own risk.
License:
Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial