Paint Spraying Turner

I was fed up trying to spray paint items off my classic car and getting paint on my hands whilst holding the item with a hook and trying to turn it around at the same time. Invariably I would also miss a bit due to the difficulty of turning it around and spraying the paint at the same time, I'm a man, I can't multitask!

So what to do?

The answer to the problem would need to be cheap (or free), quick and easy to build, and most importantly work as intended.

WARNING!
This instructable involves mains electricity, if you don't know your amps from your elbows may I suggest a knitting project.

My paint turning thingy was made entirely with bits and bobs that I had lying around my workshop. They had either been kept because they were too useful to throw away, much to my wife's annoyance, or surplus from other projects. So that's the cheap/free covered.

I made the turner before writing this Instrucable so there is not a photographic step by step but you should be able to follow the process quite easily.

1. The main item you will require is a turntable motor from a microwave.
   There are some very good Instructables on how to take apart a microwave oven such as this one https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Take-Apart-... make sure you heed all the warnings!!
   
2. A hook to hang the item you are painting, I used a long brass screw, suitable bent, used to fix an electric socket to the wall. I think they are M3.5 thread but anything suitable will do.
   
3. A box to put it all in. I used a deep electrical socket back box and blank face plate with a suitable hole drilled through it. The back box had cable clamps built in for strain relief so the cable can't be pulled out of the box.
   
4. A cable to power your device. I used an old PC mains cable with the IEC connector cut off.
   
5. A length of wood to mount the box on so you can fix it to a suitable shelf.
   
6. Some suitable connectors to attach the cable to the motor.
   
7. Some two part epoxy glue.
   
8. Various tools and drills

1. Bend the brass screw into a suitable hook shape.
   
2. Test fit the screw into the shaft of the turntable motor, you may have to open the hole up slightly to allow the screw to be inserted.
   
3. Drill a hole in the face plate to allow the shaft to protrude through.
   
4. Drill a hole in the back box in a suitable location to allow the cable in.

1. Put the shaft of the motor through the hole of the face plate and fix in place with epoxy glue.
   
2. Put the cable through the access hole and clamp with the strain relief.
   
3. Strip the cable and crimp the connectors. Attach the cable to the motor.
   
4. Screw back box to supporting wooden batten.
   
5. Fix the face plate to the back box.
   
6. Screw the hook into the motor shaft.

1. Put the turner in a suitable position so that you can hang items underneath it, I used a second hook for convenience made from an old coat hanger.
   
2. Plug in the mains.
   
3. If the turner turns and does not burst in to flames, allow yourself a cheeky smile.
   
4. Hang part to be sprayed. Now obviously you are not going to hang an engine block on the turner but it should easily hold 1Kg, or maybe more.
   
5. The turntable motor turns quite slow maybe 5 or 6 rpm just right for spraying I find.
   
6. Inform wife that some of that "junk" in the workshop has been turned into something useful.

Did you see the shower curtain being used as a back drop? They are quite good as they have holes at the top for hanging on suitable hooks. However they do have a habit of sliding down the front of the bench. I have found that magnets recovered from old hard drives hold the shower curtain in place perfectly as long as you have a steel edge at the front of your work bench.

So did the turner meet the design requirements of being cheap, easy and quick to build and most importantly work as intended? Well it cost me nothing to build so I think that counts as cheap. Took under an hour to build including allowing the glue to set, so that's quick and easy. It also worked flawlessly. I did leaving running for an hour and it did get a little warm, but I can't see that it will be running for an hour when spraying so I don't think that will be an issue.