doug the slug 5th May 2006, 07:19 PM I got my triton respirator back from warranty repairs (display model from bunnings, been sat on shelf for 3 years, battery pack r/s but only cost me $100 :D :D ). now i find that my head is too big for the click-in hearing protection. (ok i will say it before anyone else does - its the proof you have all been waiting for that i am a fathead)
The problem: having stripped the helmet down to its component parts, im sitting here with the two earmuff arms attached to the brackets that mount them and the visor to the side of the helmet. when i removed the brackets from the helmet, i expected to find a bolt holding the bracket onto the earmuff support arm going into a captive screw hidden in the arm, in typical triton style. the plan was to then get a longer bolt and a half inch spacer to widen the base of the support arms.
What ive found, however, is that instead of a bolt theres this plastic moulding with a slot like a standard screw running across it and a protrusion which lines up with a slot in the helmet mounting bracket if the earmuffs are rotated 180 degrees from the normal position, at which point they can be separated by simply pulling apart. this seems to stuff up my plan to insert a spacer between the mounting bracket and the earmuff arm.
I have an idea or two on what i can do to modify things to fit, but not happy with any of them so its time to call upon the collective wisdom of the forum. anyone had this problem before or got any ideas on how to fix it, thanks
i love wood 6th May 2006, 08:33 AM doug if you would like to bring it around and compare the two i beleive that you may have the earlyer model and perhaps we can come up with a solution.
al
Stuart 6th May 2006, 09:35 AM Doug - hope you have followed all the instructions ;)
If the problem is the earmuffs are not closing securely on your head, the instructions do say to try to push on the side of the helmet to click the other side's earmuff home.
http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/28/5554/320/helmet.jpg
doug the slug 6th May 2006, 04:22 PM Hi Stu, tried that several times. but no matter what the first side pops out again when you try to click the second side in. the mechanism seems toworkfine but my big head is just a tad too wide for how its set up. its like trying to get reading glasses with arms long enough to goround my ears,they just dont make them. so ive gotta come up withsome kind of mod:confused: :confused: :confused:
TritonJapan 6th May 2006, 07:53 PM Doug,
Can you heat & bend the arms to accomodate your apparantly ample noggin?
Shape em like the workcenter legs. I am guessing that we are talking a small amount here otherwise you would be asking about how to get your head into the helmet.
Steve
jow104 6th May 2006, 09:23 PM I would say that it is a hopeless situation for Doug. He has obviously got a problem with the brain box, he has been hanging around that beauty displayed in his avatar and has had one knock too many.:D
doug the slug 6th May 2006, 09:54 PM Doug,
Can you heat & bend the arms to accomodate your apparantly ample noggin?
Shape em like the workcenter legs. I am guessing that we are talking a small amount here otherwise you would be asking about how to get your head into the helmet.
Steve
Good thinking steve, might be worth a try, worst thing that can happen is needing to buy some spare parts if i stuff it up, and yes my head just and no more fits into the helmet
I have very little practical experience in heating and bending plastic so if you, steve or anyone else has some advice please post
TritonJapan 6th May 2006, 11:02 PM When I built my house, I had to do it on the cheap, re-use and re-cycle as much as I could.
Managed to melt the old joints from PVC pipe on the kitchen burner to get the old bits out and push the joints back into shape.
A broad heat and a pair of pliers and some leather gloves seemed to do the trick.
Might suggest practicing on a pressure finger from the routher table first, Heat, bend, hold, cool, test.
Other bit of advice, take th helmet off yr head before heating. Sweat off the brow may fog the visor otherwise!
Steve
No liability taken for any remaining hair lost to sudden combustion or anything else for that matter.
Stuart 7th May 2006, 12:31 PM I'd go a heat gun - they can generate significant amounts of heat without needing an open flame, and the potential risk to the item of that.
I'm going to assume that it is a thermoset plastic, which will make life difficult, but as a first test - try immercing the actual component in question in a pot of just-boiled water.
Back to the heat gun - I've used a professional version of one for plastic welding, so a standard one (such as the GMC platinum gun) will be more than adequate (so long as heat will work :D ).
TritonJapan 9th May 2006, 09:26 PM Doug,
Any progress with the ear muffs?
I am in Australia for a week or so and will be trying to get to Triton. If you have had no luck, will see if the R&D boys have any suggestions.
Steve
doug the slug 9th May 2006, 11:55 PM Steve, ive been thinking about the next step and at this stage it willbe to turn the heat gun on it and try to bend the arm out by a smallamount and see how it goes, just been a bit busy the last 24 hrs to get into the shed, will post result however it goes
doug the slug 13th May 2006, 11:25 PM I havent had time to attempt a mod yet, but at the brizzy www show yesterday, ourlocal triton rep, Craig, introduced me to Gordon from the Main office in melbourne. Gordon told me that if i make a mess of any modification to the earmuff arms he will provide a new set free of charge. great customer service in my opinionhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gif. so tomorrow arvo when i get some time, i can take on the mod task with the added confidence that I wont beoutof pocket at teh end of the day
TritonJapan 14th May 2006, 07:33 AM Doug,
That is one of the things I love about Australia over Japan.
In Australia, we seem to have more room to move in life to recognise and support genuiness. (If that is a word)
You have a genuine problem and are willing to make a good effort at fixing it. If it works, Tirton is better off. If it doesn't, they recognise that it was a genuine effort and will back it up.
On the Japanese side of the pacific, in most cases, Gordon would have to go by company policy, which invaribly would not allow for the decent bloke/shiela, but be a blanket protection against the small number of sharks or nufnuffs. Hence, under the Japanese philosophy/model, much of the ingenuity of genuine, honest people is stifled to the level of the less reliable or trustworthy.
Even in the case of the easily recognisable Japanese versions of Doug the Slug, an exception would probably not be made as it could be interpereted as that being the norm and everyone could do it.
Doug, I thank you for this post, it brought my attention to another of the differences in thinking.
Steve
doug the slug 15th May 2006, 05:37 PM The mod is complete,
I removed the earmuff arms from the helmet and removed the earmuffs from the arms. I then clamped both pieces onto a bench with the earmuff ends raised about 7mm, which put them in the shape i was trying to achieve. Then i masked the bits i didnt want to get hot with alfoil and hit each arm with the heat gun for about 10 sec then left them to cool for a couple of minutes before unclamping. now its all back on the helmet and it works very well:) :)
TritonJapan 15th May 2006, 09:38 PM Well done Doug, Have to share some more love around before I can give you a well deserved greenie for the effort, the attitude and sharing the result.
Steve
bsrlee 15th May 2006, 10:04 PM Have to try that myself - I can ~just~ get them to lock, but its pita. Problem with having a maxi size head:p
doug the slug 15th May 2006, 10:29 PM Have to try that myself - I can ~just~ get them to lock, but its pita. Problem with having a maxi size head:p
glad im not alone, been thinking about it since and i wishi had taken some photos, i might do a dummy run with photos later for all us "fatheads"
doug the slug 17th May 2006, 03:37 PM well i just took my modified triton respirator for its first serious trial run, unfortunately not woodworking, but whipper-snipping! I have a grass seed allergy that affects my skin and my lungs/sinuses. normally with just a regular dustmask i am wheezing and sneezing five minutes into the job. i was out there with the tritonrespirator for just over an hour with no problems at all. clean fresh air kept my head cool, hearing protection worked well and plenty of green marks on the visor where it stopped stuff hitting my face. Im impressedhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gif
CameronPotter 17th May 2006, 03:42 PM The mod is complete,
I removed the earmuff arms from the helmet and removed the earmuffs from the arms. I then clamped both pieces onto a bench with the earmuff ends raised about 7mm, which put them in the shape i was trying to achieve. Then i masked the bits i didnt want to get hot with alfoil and hit each arm with the heat gun for about 10 sec then left them to cool for a couple of minutes before unclamping. now its all back on the helmet and it works very well:) :)
Good to hear it worked. Mine don't close too easily either...
TritonJapan 17th May 2006, 08:15 PM well i just took my modified triton respirator for its first serious trial run, unfortunately not woodworking, but whipper-snipping!http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gif
This is what I think the powered respirator is best for. Anyone who has hay fever and needs to cut grass, should try the respirator out. I once used it when carting Hay. Wanted an air conditioning unit as well, but the trade off between a hot head and clear breathing while carting Hay and for the three days following was well worth it.
Steve
doug the slug 17th May 2006, 11:32 PM This is what I think the powered respirator is best for. Anyone who has hay fever and needs to cut grass, should try the respirator out. I once used it when carting Hay. Wanted an air conditioning unit as well, but the trade off between a hot head and clear breathing while carting Hay and for the three days following was well worth it.
Steve
mate i thouight it was excellent cos i was out in the sun and not feeling hot, iwas working harder than i do when woodworking and not short of air at all and myu face was wellproitected
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