Building my own gear drying rack, couple questions

[Captain Sane 2]

I found a design online that I think I can build very easily (look for hockey university on google, should pop up), but my main concern is that I want to figure out some way to get air moving through the PVC piping I'll be using. The design had a modification for the shock doctor power dry thing, but I don't really want to spend $100 on that. Are there any alternatives to that? I also want something relatively quiet (i.e. no loud air compressors), but I can't seem to find anything that does what I want.

[danno25nh 3]

Google muffin fan. They work well, move a good bit of air, and are very quiet.

[Captain Sane 2]

Google muffin fan. They work well, move a good bit of air, and are very quiet.

Are these just computer cooling fans? That's what I'm getting when I search for it, I mean it's a good idea but how can you get power to them?

[wetwilly17 6]

Are these just computer cooling fans? That's what I'm getting when I search for it, I mean it's a good idea but how can you get power to them?

they run at 120ac. power directly from wall. throw a switch in there if you want.

[Powerfibers 8]

If you have the PVC scarecrow built, I really wonder if the fan is necessary, but I am interested in how this works for you. I have one without any fan, and it helps a lot.

[x-axis 44]

Yeah. I agree with fiberpowers. Unless you are playing twice a day, it's kind of overkill with the fan running through the pvc. I'd think the only pieces of equipment that would really benefit from being aired that way are gloves and possibly skates.

Plus you'd have to consider how to get consistent air flow through each of the perforations to reach all of the equipment and not just empty out after the first one or two pieces of equipment.

Really awesome idea. I think I might have to build a pvc tree also, since I just empty everything out in the backseat of my car.

[Captain Sane 2]

Well, I decided not to go with the fan or any other air source, mostly because I'm impatient and wanted to get this done today. Took me maybe 90 minutes to put it all together. It's way easier than I thought, so if you're thinking about doing this but are concerned that it's too much work, it's not. Materials cost me a bit more than I expected ($80), but that included a pipe-cutting tool for $20, and I bought some extra things in case I screwed up

[IPv6Freely 2093]

I ended up just buying "the raaaack" from ebay. $35, works great. Gonna get a box fan for the days where my garage is really warm.

[EvilPepe 24]

I helped a buddy build a rack once as he was spending a few hours each day (goalie) on the ice over the summer.

I've never, ever seen someone who sweated as much as him. What we ended doing was drilling holes in the scarecrow arm, and mounting an industrial fan dryer (cost maybe $50) to the bottom. That sucker was LOUD but it dried his gear out in a couple minutes.

[OceanicSix 0]

I ended up just buying "the raaaack" from ebay. $35, works great. Gonna get a box fan for the days where my garage is really warm.

Mind if I ask which rack you purchased?

[Davetronz 109]

Haha you guys are too fancy. I took some leftover wood from my fence and deck and built something in 10 minutes that weighs a ton, leans to one side, has no built in airflow, but works to hang and dry gear.

(but if one of you want to build and send me a sweet drying rack, I'd totally use it!)

[wetwilly17 6]

I ended up just buying "the raaaack" from ebay. $35, works great. Gonna get a box fan for the days where my garage is really warm.

the warmer the air, the faster your equipment will dry.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

Mind if I ask which rack you purchased?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280796142671

the warmer the air, the faster your equipment will dry.

If its circulated hot air, sure. If it's just sitting in a hot garage, no.

[wetwilly17 6]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280796142671

If its circulated hot air, sure. If it's just sitting in a hot garage, no.

uhhh....are you kidding?

obviously forced convection accelerates evaporation, we agree on that.

with all else being equal, hotter air evaporates liquid faster than cold air. consider some common sense thought: will your gear dry in a hot oven faster or a cold oven...obviously the hot oven.

factors influencing the rate of evaporation - see temperature:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporation#Factors_influencing_the_rate_of_evaporation

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

uhhh....are you kidding?

obviously forced convection accelerates evaporation, we agree on that.

with all else being equal, hotter air evaporates liquid faster than cold air. consider some common sense thought: will your gear dry in a hot oven faster or a cold oven...obviously the hot oven.

factors influencing the rate of evaporation - see temperature:

http://en.wikipedia...._of_evaporation

When I did training camp with NSH in 2003, the first night, they had flown in from a game, so their equipment was wet. So around 1am, we set up the room, put down a few fans, turned the heat all the way up, and closed the doors.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

Okay then. Honestly I would have thought putting wet sweaty gear in a hot room with no circulation would just breed bacteria. So no, I wasn't kidding.

[AfftonDad 88]

I found a design online that I think I can build very easily (look for hockey university on google, should pop up), but my main concern is that I want to figure out some way to get air moving through the PVC piping I'll be using. The design had a modification for the shock doctor power dry thing, but I don't really want to spend $100 on that. Are there any alternatives to that? I also want something relatively quiet (i.e. no loud air compressors), but I can't seem to find anything that does what I want.

While searching for plans for a forced heated air drying rack online I found this http://cozywinters.c...-gear-tree.html and decided to buy it instead. When it got here it turned out to be terribly underpowered. The timer had a max of three hours and that wasn't long enough to do the job. Big dissapointment however, the rack was still great (heavy powder coated steel). I considered buying the shock doctor blower and figuring out a way to adapt it to the rack however, I was worried that I would be spending another $100 on something that would also be under powered. I ended up using a small space heater that I already had, pointed into a cheap bathroom exhaust fan. Mounted it all to a board and connected the exhaust port of the fan to the rack with flexible duct. Added a spring wound setback timer from lowes.com. Not pretty but gets the stuff bone dry in about 1.5-2 hours. With hindsight, I wish I had gone the DIY PVC route all around. Would have been a lot cheaper, but this rack will definitely last a long time.

BTW... the reason I need forced heated air (as opposed to just letting it dry on it's own) is I play around four times a week in the winter as does my son and the stuff is more likely to freeze in my cold St. Louis garage than dry out.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

I'm planning on building a "stall" like rack sometime soon. Similar to the one somebody build and posted photos of in the "show it off" thread, except rather than a bench (that i have no use for) it will have a good deal of storage for unused gear, and also a stick rack. Just in the conceptual stages at this point, but should be pretty cool if it turns out.

[pittu 15]

Just an FYI on the fans.....those computer muffin fans are great, but they do not push much air when there is resistance, ie pushing thru a network of pipe branches...

On the other hand, look up "squirrel cage fan"... on google or Grainger. Those types of fans will push air against resistance so you will get much more air actually exiting where you want it. I build a prototype last summer in my garage and happened to have a tiny squirrel cage fan ( maybe 50 cfm) laying around and it worked great. The hardest part is balancing the flow so you get enough air flow at all the branches where you have gear hanging. Some gear (skates, gloves, etc) dried super fast and others (shins, elbows) not so much.

The best pipe layout for less resistance to airflow is to use one big center upright with "Y" fittings spaced periodically as you go up. The outlet to each Y has a branch pipe out to hang gear on. Put the fan at the bottom and let it blow up. Plug the top end or pinch it down to force more flow out the side branches....if that makes any sense.

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@ <<< fan at the bottom

[notquitedeadyet 13]

I solved the smelly equipment problem in my household with some wire shelving (lets the air pass thru) and a portable blower from Harbor Freight.

Also wired a wind-up timer into the outlet to make it a no-brainer to use.

Simple & effective, plus they each can be used for other purposes.

[pittu 15]

I solved the smelly equipment problem in my household with some wire shelving (lets the air pass thru) and a portable blower from Harbor Freight.

Also wired a wind-up timer into the outlet to make it a no-brainer to use.

Simple & effective, plus they each can be used for other purposes.

That is a pretty great idea. I like the timer concept. We live off grid (no electricity) so I need to be able to run what ever fan I use efficiently from a battery, so the timer idea is a great one for me...

[AfftonDad 88]

That is a pretty great idea. I like the timer concept. We live off grid (no electricity) so I need to be able to run what ever fan I use efficiently from a battery, so the timer idea is a great one for me...

Here is the timer I got. 12 Hours max. The most I ever use is 2 hours though. You have to wire it up to something of course. I just used a short multiple outlet extension cord that I split in two and put it in the middle inside a single gang box. Then I can use the timer on whatever I want.

Forgot the link...

http://www.lowes.com...timer=

[pittu 15]

Thanks Aftondad, that was my next question....

I like the description of it on Lowes website...."Mechanical Programmable Timer" LOL,

I guess by "programable" they mean "turn the dial" ...

[Kessel'sOversizedSuit 18]

We live off grid (no electricity) so I need to be able to run what ever fan I use efficiently from a battery, so the timer idea is a great one for me...

Can I just say... WOW! Off the grid and posting on the internet. That is some ninja moves right there. I'm not even joking.

[pittu 15]

LOL, Dont tell anyone....I'm at work...no ninja involved...

Although, can use the Iphone to get on the net from home...