Sometimes it is better to rehabilitate older equipment than to purchase new. Economics is one consideration, as the savings are usually 30-70% depending on how much you can do yourself. This money which can be put to updates to the equipment like rubberizing. The environment is another, as you can't just put your old equipment out in the Blue Box. And oftentimes you and your team partner have an affinity or familiarity with the equipment that would be tough to lose.
Considerations when reconditioning equipment
- If you are planning to invest in your equipment, plan to make the upgrades and changes that would make it better.
- - consider adding casters to the dogwalk and A-frame for increased convenience
- - consider your choices for contact surfaces - rubber or anti-skid paint
- - consider adding or changing slats
- - consider longer-lived materials such as MDO plywood and pressure-treated lumber
- - consider needed structural changes, reinforcements and repairs to metal parts
Finally, consider whether you have the time, energy and resources to perform the work yourself, or do you need help with part or all of it. Stripping the equipment of old wood is fairly straightforward, as is refreshing the metal parts with Tremclad. Adding casters, folding legs, additional bracing or other metalworking might need the services of someone who can weld.
A recent customer job
Pictured is a recent project for a Poodle Farm customer. Teeter, tabel, dogwalk and A-frame. Upgrades performed included:
- Dogwalk
- - pressure-treated planks
- - removable legs and casters
- - add bracing to reduce bounce
- A-frame
- - MDO plywood skins
- - ¼ x 1 ½" slats
- Teeter
- - easy-off separation of base and plank for transport and storage
- Table
- - MDO plywood skin
In addition, all the equipment was repainted as applicable,
and
resurfaces with Agile-grip rubber pellets.
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Our Agile-grip experience with tips for the DIYer
The following are some comments based on our experiences with the Agile-Grip product. Please ensure you read and follow all the directions, and consider your own application before incorporating any suggestions into your plan.
- Preparing your equipment for rubberizing:
- - Pressure-treated planks are great for home use dogwalks and teeters. The plank sides and bottom can be treated with Thompson's Water Seal so you have no painting! Beware - Agile-grip binder does NOT bind to a surface treated with Thompson's. So work neatly. The upper surface was given a coat of Agile-prime, then the sides and back treated with the sealer.
- - Agile-grip primer gives off some strong odours - make sure you apply this outdoors, or a covered space with plenty of ventilation. This isn't something you want to use in the basement during the winter (or summer for that matter).
- - MDO plywood does not need the Agile-grip primer. The binder can be applied directly to the wood with good effect.
- - Evaluate and eliminate through fasteners such as bolt heads that might be buried under Agile-grip. These should be replaced with blind fasteners where possible, or secured in place so that they can't spin when the nuts on the backside are tightened. This problem can crop up if you have to disassemble your equipment for winter storage or transport.
- The process of applying binder and pellets:
- - Plan carefully. Most applications require 2 days, to allow curing time where colours join. Calculate your total square footage to be covered and try to split it evenly between the two days.
- - The pre-measured pellet packages are very tightly portioned. Take each days coverage and try to split it between two colours. Then you can steal some pellets from Day 2 to use on Day 1, and recover them after the binder cures and you do the first shedding. In other words, if you do all your Yellow on Day 2, then you will be hard pressed to get full coverage, yet you will have 10% leftover on Day 3. But if you do half on Day 1, then re-use the shedded pellets on Day 2 you will have only 5% leftover. Fewer leftovers means better coverage.
- - On large items, such as A-frame main colours, measure the binder into 2 medium containers rather than 1 large one. This makes it easier to pour the binder evenly, and minimizes having to push material over slats from one section to another.
- - Use large containers for pellets, medium containers for binder. Have extras on hand, we used 750g and 500g cottage cheese containers to make the process go smoother.
- - Take pellets from bags and put in large containers so you can gauge your coverage and progress better when doing large areas. If you have 4 large containers at the start, then use 1 for edging, 2 for section fill and last one for touch-ups on wet areas.
- - Buy a box of non-latex disposable gloves so you can change often. I changed every time I switched from applying binder to spreading pellets.
- - Take your time. The binder sets slowly, you have plenty of time to cover a section and apply pellets before moving to the next section.
- - Read the instructions, watch the video. Then do it again. The last thing you want to do is run into the house halfway through to review the video again.
That's all for now. If you have any questions about reconditioning services, please e-mail Alan. I'd also be happy to give you more free advice about Agile-Grip, advice which is worth exactly what it costs if not used judiciously. For information about new equipment manufactured here at The Poodle Farm, please visit our On-Line Catalogue. Thank You.
