Stage 3 - Make a Paxolin disc!
In
Stage 2 above I determined that the existing Paxolin disc from the dual can probably wouldn't withstand drilling and fitting of new connectors so this gave me no option but to look online for such a disc or to fabricate one myself. I searched the Forum for any links to online sources but none were forthcoming, as expected, and similar online searches using Google were also unsuccessful.
So fabricating a new Paxolin disc it was then ...!
During my search of this Forum I did come across this Thread which proved very helpful - click here
Paxolin Disks
I started off by cutting a square piece of Paxolin and used the existing disc as a template. With my Junior Hacksaw I repeatedly removed the corners until I was left with something like a circle although slightly bigger than the original disc.
In the absence of any proper workshop equipment as recommended in the above Thread e.g. a wood turning lathe, I took inspiration from the advice from
crackle (Mike) in Post #7 of that Thread. The required disc is about 35mm in diameter so that it fits over the end of the can but is held in place by the end ring shown in the last picture of my Post #4 above. I used my hot glue gun to attach the new, slightly oversized but almost circular disc to the end of a piece of 35mm oak dowel I had from another Project!
HEALTH AND SAFETY - Please look away now!
Outside in the garden I clamped my hand sander to my Workmate but upside down with the sandpaper face showing, switched it on and gradually introduced my dowel with disc attached while rotating it slowly. I used a 120 grit sandpaper and gently let the weight of the dowel do the work until the disc matched the circumference of the dowel almost exactly - no need to be perfect as the new disc would be held in place under the end ring.
And here is the result: -
The new disc was just heated up and slid off the dowel quite easily - any residual glue just peeled off. The acid test was whether or not the new disc would indeed fit inside the end ring, be held in place on the end of the can and be fit for purpose: -
So there we have it - a new Paxolin disc in place and all ready for some new connectors which will be covered in the next Stage!
NOTE: There is some debate over whether
disc or
disk is the correct spelling - I have used
disc throughout but see here
Spelling of disc