Re: Waterjet - HomeBrew

Large volume users do recycle the abrasive - Not practical for
smaller users like me - If you cut steel and use it for concrete the
result would soon be rust-colored after being rained on for a short
time - Makes a pretty good yard pot-hole filler but you could run
afoul of the environmental folks - I recently read of a case of a
company being charged with "heavy metal" pollution but they were only
cutting aluminum - Who knows how the folks at Uncle Sam make their
decisions? - Seriously though, a lot of metals have components that
would officially be considered dangerous pollutants if the abrasive
were just discarded after use - One of my sons is a Chemistry
Professor and Uncle Sam insists that Sodium Chloride in his lab be in
special double walled protective containers so that pollution doesn't
occur in case of a spill - I kid you not -

Regarding details on a home-built unit I'm doodling on - Not far
enough along to release anything as I mentioned before - Probably be
a couple of years until ready - So many projects, so little time -
Anybody who wants to contact me about it should do so on my e-mail
address as this is probably drifting Off Topic quite a bit -

Roland Friestad
cardinal.eng@...


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "turbulatordude"
<dave_mucha@y...> wrote:

> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Cardinal Engineering"
> <cardinal.eng@g...> wrote:
> > Just a couple of comments - I have a waterjet in my shop and while
> it is an
> > incredible technology for many purposes it also has some

drawbacks - The

> > main one being the large amount of abrasive that needs to be
> disposed of -
>
> This has always got my cogs turning. how-come-is-it that one

cannot

> use, er re-use the abrasive ?
>
> It would seem that the swarf would clog the nozzles, but that there
> has to be some way to use the stuff. I was thinking it might be
> possible to use it in a sand-blaster..... something.... Mix with
> cement and make concrete for the driveway.....
>
> Dave