Haste Makes Waste Leads to the Mother of Invention

Haste Makes Waste Leads to the Mother of Invention
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The "Graffiti Cleaner" entry is below

As winter was moving in I was on a tear to get the equipment winterized. Winter can move in fast here in the Ozarks and this year it did. I was using the air-compressor to blow water out of all the hoses, tanks and heating coils. After blowing out one group of high-pressure hoses I took them over and put them in there winter storage place. This is where the problem arose my little 12" surface cleaner (which I find indispensable) had already taken up living in this spot. Without a look I dumped in the hoses and heard a crack and a crunch then saw the wounded little cleaner sitting there. This was the "haste makes waste" part of the story, since I was occupied with getting the weatherization done I dug the broken cleaner out and went on with what was at hand. If I would have slowed down take abit more time this would have not happened. As for me this was not the first time I have broken or messed up something by doing something stupid. We all know if you try to shoot through a job to quickly you will miss something, and going back to get is done right just takes that much more time.

Now I've had this little floating surface cleaner since I've been power washing and was not about to give it up now! It was updated with a larger, better, field repairable swivel years ago. With that addition I now had to get some new parts and adapt them as I had in the past. One would think you could buy some replacement parts but at last there were none the little cleaner was obsolete now. This is the "mother of invention" I had to come up with something, I put the little cleaner on the back shelf and started looking for another one to move the parts to. No luck there while there are other makes and types out on the market this little guy was rated at 4000 psi @ 5 gallons a minute it will take some hot water but not much. Most 12" surface cleaners are not in that class and the ones that are well they cost more than I wanted to spend.

Cleaned by Pete's little wounded surface cleaner.

You can see I knocked out the entire center of the housing could not fix it.

 If you follow Cleaned by Pete on facebook or Power Wash Community to name a few spots you will have seen picture of this little guy in action on many jobs. I have taken some good natured ribbing on using it by other pressure washers due to it size. You have to stick with what you know and who you brought to the dance, I put a lot of miles on this and was not going to give it up. A plastic bucket, bowl, pail any thing I found was not just what I needed, so I kept looking till one day I googled 12" x 3" and found it. It was what I needed I had not thought of it but it would be perfect to use. It was light it would not rust and the cost was low just in-case I could not make it work. Are you ready ....... some may have already guessed and if you said the 1st or 2nd layer pan from a wedding cake you would be correct. A $16.00 anodized aluminium cake pan from Michel's Crafts, with a 20% off coupon you can print off from the web sight I was now in business. With a little scrap from the shop and some nuts and bolts I started in on it this afternoon and this is what I have come up with so far.

With the swivel in place I started to layout the holes for the reinforcement plate.

The top view of reinforcement plate and swivel that Cleaned by Pete has constructed to aid in the rebuilding of his crushed and battered surface cleaner.

I made a reinforcement plat form a piece of aluminium scrap and cut it into a circle. Bored a hole with a cheap holesaw attachment and layed out some bolt holes to put it together. While it is now all metal it is still quite light and will still be able to used on long lances for over head work. Below are picture of it almost finished

The rebuilt little blue cleaner almost done.

Another view of how well the cake pan is working out for the rebuild of Cleaned by Pete's crushed little blue surface cleaner, you can see the update larger swivel that was installed years ago.

 I missed the blue color though I would allway say get the little blue cleaner when I need it. If we were loading I would ask is the blue cleaner in over all the years of use I would miss the blue color so I had to do something to carry on the name. I still have to put on the skirt and it's handle for use on walls and such but here is the reborn little blue cleaner now.

Keeping with the blue I had some blue flames. Cleaned by Pete, mother of invention sometimes leads you down a different path.

Cleaned by Pete and the rebuilt little blue surface cleaner.

Cleaned by Pete needs to put on the skirt and the handle and this surface cleaner will be ready for work in the up coming season.

1/30/14 Today I added a brace to the back of the arm. Used the center from the reinforcement plate, that was cut out with the hole saw tapped it and cut some treads (1/" x 20) on a piece of an old extension that was laying around. Saw a Cam Spray 12" cleaner and like the brace on theirs so I made one similar to it. Ordered a new replacement brush/skirt for a 15" cleaner it should be in next week. I'll have to cut it down and will install it inside the pan with nuts and bolts in order to keep the rolled edge for strength.

 Before and after the rebuilt 12" surface cleaner is almost ready for use, Cleaned by Pete

2/07/14 added a skirt on it to finish it off today this little repair now is ready to go. The total price of the project came in under $30. Now just have to be more careful in future.

Adding a brush/skirt finishes off this project now it's ready for the coming season of work. Cleaned by Pete and his refinished surface cleaner.

Cleaned by Pete serving Southwest and the greater Springfield MO area 

call us at 417-459-7869

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Here is it at work! 

The Graffiti Cleaner

In stead of making a new blog entry, since this is so closely related to the article above I thought I would just "update" this one. As things would have it I also need a small "graffiti cleaner" with some extra parts, an old pot, hand drill, anglehead grinder, and the old skirt off the broken surface cleaner from above I started on this. Using ideas I gathered form the rebuild above here is what I'm doing now.

Using simple hand tools an anglehead grinder, hand drill, a few bits Cleaned by Pete of Springfield MO is making a surface cleaner for use on graffiti projects and cleaning.

With the hole drilled in the bottom small holes drilled around the edge then using a bigger bit to enlarge them Cleaned by Pete was able to make the larger hole, then file it smoother.

Using an small parts swivel which we had for a spare, Cleaned by Pete was ready to start the construction on the "graffiti cleaner" which will help keep thing cleaner here in Springfield MO.

Cleaned by Pete's assembled cleaner so far stainless steel, aluminium swivel, mink skirt, the "Graffiti Cleaner" is starting to shape up. Springfield MO's best graffiti removal.

Inside view of the "graffiti cleaner" cleaned by Pete of Springfield MO, will now need to make a spraybar which with a handle and a spray gun can finish the project.

Aluminium 90 degree ends, nozzles and stainless steel tubing that need to be cut, rethreaded, and then assembled will make up the spraybar for the graffiti cleaner. A photo from Cleaned by Pete, Springfield MO.

Just another look at what we started with. Cleaned by Pete and what he hopes soon to be their  "Graffiti Cleaner" to help keep Springfield MO just a bit cleaner.

Stay tuned for more on this new project, will be adding a gun, a handle and the spray bar, we'll keep you updated. Finished rethreading the stainless steel tubes and making them to the correct size. Threading stainless is in a whole different world it is some tough stuff. Stopped at the local power washing dealer and picked up a gun and nipple for it. Now to decide on where and how to add a control handle to it. This "graffiti cleaner" will be ready to go to work.

Graffiti cleaner almost ready for work, Cleaned by Pete Springfield & Southwest MO.

Spraybar completed and installed, Cleaned by Pete Springfield & Southwest MO. power washing, graffiti removal, house washing and more 417.459.7869.

Spraybar completed and trigger gun installed (picture of the almost completed hand held surface cleaner). Cleaned by Pete Springfield & Southwest MO. power washing, graffiti removal, house washing and more 417.459.7869.

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