Ken_r_mer
06-16-2008, 11:16 AM
Was in a Home Depot and came across a dishwasher air gap part that I needed. Looking at the part (a plastic part that comes in chrome, pewter and white) it dawned on me that it looks like a nice fit as a fork cap. At $3.99 each, I took 2 extra units home.
Opening the box, I unscrewed the chrome cap and...what the hey!!...it's the same diameter as the fork tube! I applied painter's tape (protection) to the top of the cap and flipped it over. I made a jig w/ an exacto knife blade clamped and suspended about 3/8" off the bench surface (at the top edge of the existing air opening in the plastic cap) . I spun the inverted cap against the blade and after about 30 rotations, it was cut. I spun the cut part over and applied even pressure to a flat sheet of fine sandpaper to clean up the cut edge.
I removed the protective tape, applied exterior grade double stick tape to the underside of the cap, centered it on the fork tube nut, and stuck it on.
The following pics show what about $10 in total parts and some time can produce. Thats about a $50 - $60 cost savings over the fork caps available from any MC supplier. Plus, you can glue on a flat sheet of plastic to the remaining air gap part it will still work.
The part here at the northern Ohio Home Depot is called Exquisite (tm) Dishwasher Air Gap (5/8" x 7/8"), part #556 6335. Its mfr is LDR Industries, Inc. out of Chicago, IL, 60624.
Opening the box, I unscrewed the chrome cap and...what the hey!!...it's the same diameter as the fork tube! I applied painter's tape (protection) to the top of the cap and flipped it over. I made a jig w/ an exacto knife blade clamped and suspended about 3/8" off the bench surface (at the top edge of the existing air opening in the plastic cap) . I spun the inverted cap against the blade and after about 30 rotations, it was cut. I spun the cut part over and applied even pressure to a flat sheet of fine sandpaper to clean up the cut edge.
I removed the protective tape, applied exterior grade double stick tape to the underside of the cap, centered it on the fork tube nut, and stuck it on.
The following pics show what about $10 in total parts and some time can produce. Thats about a $50 - $60 cost savings over the fork caps available from any MC supplier. Plus, you can glue on a flat sheet of plastic to the remaining air gap part it will still work.
The part here at the northern Ohio Home Depot is called Exquisite (tm) Dishwasher Air Gap (5/8" x 7/8"), part #556 6335. Its mfr is LDR Industries, Inc. out of Chicago, IL, 60624.