240 Inwall Construction (Image Intense)
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weatherson
Premium Member
Chris,
I believe that was when I was running XM 10K Kelvin compared to the current, more blue Phoenix.
Joseph
I believe that was when I was running XM 10K Kelvin compared to the current, more blue Phoenix.
Joseph
weatherson
Premium Member
Keith,
Patience is a huge part of this hobby and in getting a tank to a natural look (or what we feel that is). A little TLC along with truck loads of calcium helps too.
My tank is coming up on three years and it still has a ways to go though. Thanks for the kind words.
Marc,
Thanks and you are welcome.
Joseph
Patience is a huge part of this hobby and in getting a tank to a natural look (or what we feel that is). A little TLC along with truck loads of calcium helps too.
My tank is coming up on three years and it still has a ways to go though. Thanks for the kind words.Marc,
Thanks and you are welcome.
Joseph
Joseph,
As always a beautiful tank, and one that is truely unique. It really is an inspirational one to look at, and as someone stated earlier the progression shots really show what time and patience can achieve. Aside from calcium, you really made a lot of your own equipment, so I would add a clever mind and a good workshop to the list!
As always a beautiful tank, and one that is truely unique. It really is an inspirational one to look at, and as someone stated earlier the progression shots really show what time and patience can achieve. Aside from calcium, you really made a lot of your own equipment, so I would add a clever mind and a good workshop to the list!
weatherson
Premium Member
Matthew,
Thank you very much and I'm pleased you like it too. Its beauty provides me with much pleasure that makes all the effort worthwhile.
KingSpade,
Thanks. I have a Canon Digital Rebel but more importantly, I shoot most of my tank shots with the Canon 100 mm macro lens. This is a phenominal lens and can be attributed to my photo's quality.
Joseph
Thank you very much and I'm pleased you like it too. Its beauty provides me with much pleasure that makes all the effort worthwhile.
KingSpade,
Thanks. I have a Canon Digital Rebel but more importantly, I shoot most of my tank shots with the Canon 100 mm macro lens. This is a phenominal lens and can be attributed to my photo's quality.
Joseph
smmscott
New member
I have been reading this thread from the begining for the last month or so, All I have to say is this is a true insperation. I can only strive to have something close to this. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see what happens next. Thanks for your time in documenting the creation of your beautiful tank,
smmscott
New member
I have been reading this thread from the begining for the last month or so, All I have to say is this is a true insperation. I can only strive to have something close to this. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see what happens next. Thanks for your time in documenting the creation of your beautiful tank,
weatherson
Premium Member
smmscott,
Thank you very much for the kind words and I'm pleased you enjoyed the massive read. You are very welcome.
Joseph.
Thank you very much for the kind words and I'm pleased you enjoyed the massive read. You are very welcome.
Joseph.
)
jeffreylam1132
New member
By far, the best thread to follow and read. Most creative, awesome inventions, and indeed the most clean setup I've ever seen. Great job, Weatherson. You are my inspiration!
weatherson
Premium Member
Josh,
Thanks and good luck with your follow-up reading.
Jeffrey,
Your kind words are greatly appreciated. I'm pleased to have inspired.
Joseph.
Thanks and good luck with your follow-up reading.
Jeffrey,
Your kind words are greatly appreciated. I'm pleased to have inspired.
Joseph.
bheron
Active member
Hi Joseph, I hate to bug you about something that I know youve answered many times before - its just that it would take me weeks to go back through this to find more detail (I AM in the "read the whole thread club").
Im planning on building a new canopy for my T5 lights (8x80W, 60" long) and I want to make it out of aluminum tubing, just like yours. Rivets and all. I just went back and read over page two of this monster. Do you have any more details, close up pics, of the whole thing? Anything you'd do differently?
THanks in advance! Hope all is well! Bryan
Im planning on building a new canopy for my T5 lights (8x80W, 60" long) and I want to make it out of aluminum tubing, just like yours. Rivets and all. I just went back and read over page two of this monster. Do you have any more details, close up pics, of the whole thing? Anything you'd do differently?
THanks in advance! Hope all is well! Bryan
weatherson
Premium Member
Bryan,
No problem and I don't blame you for not wanting to have to hunt down the appropriate pages. Probably, the best place to see the build of my light box is on my site...
http://www.weatherson.com/lighting.htm
This takes you to the lighting section with slide-show. Be sure to turn off the auto-play and click each slide for text that provides explanations.
If I were to do it again, I would have made the box a little bit wider by a few inches. It's really quite tight in there with all the bulbs and pendants. Aside from that, I'm very pleased with the lightbox. Maybe carbon fiber for the next one.
Joseph
No problem and I don't blame you for not wanting to have to hunt down the appropriate pages. Probably, the best place to see the build of my light box is on my site...
http://www.weatherson.com/lighting.htm
This takes you to the lighting section with slide-show. Be sure to turn off the auto-play and click each slide for text that provides explanations.
If I were to do it again, I would have made the box a little bit wider by a few inches. It's really quite tight in there with all the bulbs and pendants. Aside from that, I'm very pleased with the lightbox. Maybe carbon fiber for the next one.
Joseph
bheron
Active member
ah! forgot about your website. that place is great. i'll go there now and read up. and i'll take the extra depth/width into consideration - I have very limited room to work with above my tank unfortunately. mine hopefully will be very light since the lights and encaps themselves are light. i'll be sure to post detais on my thread when im done. thanks!
PS - let me know when youre building the carbon fiber one so I can give you enough advance notice to build one for me!
PS - let me know when youre building the carbon fiber one so I can give you enough advance notice to build one for me!
bheron
Active member
Alright, Im back. And of course I have many more more questions now that Im reading the deatils on the website! Ok, here goes:
- looks like the aluminum used for the long sides are tube aluminum. then you used flat pieces on the ends to connect and brace it? the reason i ask is that i dont see "corner" tube aluminum at my HD.
- was all of the polishing worth it? aside from the asthetics, I think you did this for better light reflection?
- i noticed that you have some ballasts (VHOs) attached to the top of the box, and then the others (MHs) attached seperately to the wall. im not sure what to do - attaching them to the box makes it much heaver, but obviously easier to move the whole unit.
- great pulley system. i think you said you picked the parts up at lowes?
- i dont know if im gonna need any extra fans (like the muffin fans) yet. im still researching and have seen alot of people use them. where did you get yours? are they the same as those PC fans lot of people use?
- i noticed you meantion in your thread that you cut the eigth inch sheet aluminum with a regular table saw with cabide tip, at a lower speed. how do you cut the other peices - tubes, flats? ive heard you need to use a hacksaw?
- im hoping to buy my parts at HD/Lowes and will also pick up a rivet gun and rivets there. looks like you just drill a hole in the aluminum first, then punch the rivet? anything special to watch out for? any special sized rivets?
- looks like the aluminum used for the long sides are tube aluminum. then you used flat pieces on the ends to connect and brace it? the reason i ask is that i dont see "corner" tube aluminum at my HD.
- was all of the polishing worth it? aside from the asthetics, I think you did this for better light reflection?
- i noticed that you have some ballasts (VHOs) attached to the top of the box, and then the others (MHs) attached seperately to the wall. im not sure what to do - attaching them to the box makes it much heaver, but obviously easier to move the whole unit.
- great pulley system. i think you said you picked the parts up at lowes?
- i dont know if im gonna need any extra fans (like the muffin fans) yet. im still researching and have seen alot of people use them. where did you get yours? are they the same as those PC fans lot of people use?
- i noticed you meantion in your thread that you cut the eigth inch sheet aluminum with a regular table saw with cabide tip, at a lower speed. how do you cut the other peices - tubes, flats? ive heard you need to use a hacksaw?
- im hoping to buy my parts at HD/Lowes and will also pick up a rivet gun and rivets there. looks like you just drill a hole in the aluminum first, then punch the rivet? anything special to watch out for? any special sized rivets?
weatherson
Premium Member
I did the ends with 2" flat stock pieces attached to the 1"square tubing that run the length of the box. I then attached 3/4" angle ('L' bracket) pieces to these flat pieces. These then provide a flat surface for the end panels to be attached to. Here's a couple shots of the ends that I cropped a little closer for better view...
The polishing was a lot of manual work but I still feel worth the effort. Especially when you factor in the crazy electricity costs here in California. I want to get every photon possible into the tank as they are very expensive little particles.
I have the two VHO ballasts attached to the light box. They are on risers to aid in ventilation for heat dissipation. I definitely wouldn't place all the MH ballasts (5) to the box due to weight issues, as you mention. The VHO ballasts are relatively light.
The pulley system parts were in fact attained from Lowes. The ratcheting clasps are the key parts and work great in locking the box in place wherever you like. I did need to utilize two pulleys at each side to make raising and lowering easier. One thing, now that I'm thinking of this, that I would have done differently is the lifting points locations on the box. They are not at the extreme ends and in fact, 21" away. The issue with this is that when one end is lifted, the opposite end lowers slightly and requires an initial lift on one end prior to being able to lift further. That make sense?
The fans are typical 4" muffin fans but of a higher CFM than typical computer fans and they are AC powered, not DC. These are I believe 135 CFM rated. I found them at a local electronics parts store locally. They aren't suited for applications where noise can be an issue. While not extremely loud, you wouldn't want them in your main living area.
The tubing and other narrow stock pieces I cut with a power, compound miter saw.
I used the largest (size, not length) aluminum rivets Home Depot had available. It all depends on the size of the area you are working with though. As far as installing the rivets, be sure to use the proper sized drill bit so the rivets fit snug. Then insert the rivet and ensure both pieces being attached are tight together before "snapping" the rivet. Use diagonal, opposite corner placement for added strength. Overall, it's really quite simple to do.
Joseph
The polishing was a lot of manual work but I still feel worth the effort. Especially when you factor in the crazy electricity costs here in California. I want to get every photon possible into the tank as they are very expensive little particles.
I have the two VHO ballasts attached to the light box. They are on risers to aid in ventilation for heat dissipation. I definitely wouldn't place all the MH ballasts (5) to the box due to weight issues, as you mention. The VHO ballasts are relatively light.
The pulley system parts were in fact attained from Lowes. The ratcheting clasps are the key parts and work great in locking the box in place wherever you like. I did need to utilize two pulleys at each side to make raising and lowering easier. One thing, now that I'm thinking of this, that I would have done differently is the lifting points locations on the box. They are not at the extreme ends and in fact, 21" away. The issue with this is that when one end is lifted, the opposite end lowers slightly and requires an initial lift on one end prior to being able to lift further. That make sense?
The fans are typical 4" muffin fans but of a higher CFM than typical computer fans and they are AC powered, not DC. These are I believe 135 CFM rated. I found them at a local electronics parts store locally. They aren't suited for applications where noise can be an issue. While not extremely loud, you wouldn't want them in your main living area.
The tubing and other narrow stock pieces I cut with a power, compound miter saw.
I used the largest (size, not length) aluminum rivets Home Depot had available. It all depends on the size of the area you are working with though. As far as installing the rivets, be sure to use the proper sized drill bit so the rivets fit snug. Then insert the rivet and ensure both pieces being attached are tight together before "snapping" the rivet. Use diagonal, opposite corner placement for added strength. Overall, it's really quite simple to do.
Joseph
bheron
Active member
Joseph - thanks for the detailed feedback! I've been working on a plan for my new system, and this will help a great deal.
My rack might be a limited version of yours. And, b/c Im not sure how well it will work out, Im thinking of starting out with a basic structure and then building it from there.
- Couldnt find much on pulley's in my HD or Loews so far, especially that ratchet pulley. But, no big deal as I think Im gonna add that later. I completely get your point about locating the connection points on the ends of the rack. thanks in advance!
- Very glad I can cut all of these with a mitre saw. I have a 12" saw just purchased last year. Will save alot of time vs hand cutting!
- I'll follow your directions on the riveting as well - thats what I was looking for since there's no "user manual" out there for Beginner Riveting.
For my design, all I need, I think right now, is an aluminum rectangle to hold the T5 EndCaps. Im hoping a single frame will be sturdy enough to hold everything.
I essentially wanna mimick my current rack which I made out of 2x3s. Yes, can you beleive that! Its been doing the job for 7+ months, but now its time for a change (plus I had an endcap break, so its good timing).
Here's what my current, wooden one looks like. I have 8 60" T5 lights that I need to cover 72" of tank surface area. So, I stagger them 6" on either side:
Its been working out pretty good and I cant think of any better way to set it up.
So, Im thinking going with the same design with the aluminum tubing:
- 2 x 72" of 3/4" tubing for the lengths
- 4 x 24" of 3/4" tubing for the width/depth
- secured by flat straight and angle pieces on the tops and bottoms
Here's a rendering of the box fram, out of the 6 sections of 3/4" tubing:
And then securing it on the top and bottom with flat pieces and rivets:
I will mount the endcaps to the bottom of the 3/4" tubing width/depth pieces. The ballasts will be kept seperately for now. And, in the time being, I will suspend it from the ceilign using simple eye hooks and chains, the same that are holding my bulky 2x3 wooden rack now.
I'll tell ya, Im not an engineer like alot of you guys, so let me know if you think this will hold.
My rack might be a limited version of yours. And, b/c Im not sure how well it will work out, Im thinking of starting out with a basic structure and then building it from there.
- Couldnt find much on pulley's in my HD or Loews so far, especially that ratchet pulley. But, no big deal as I think Im gonna add that later. I completely get your point about locating the connection points on the ends of the rack. thanks in advance!
- Very glad I can cut all of these with a mitre saw. I have a 12" saw just purchased last year. Will save alot of time vs hand cutting!
- I'll follow your directions on the riveting as well - thats what I was looking for since there's no "user manual" out there for Beginner Riveting.
For my design, all I need, I think right now, is an aluminum rectangle to hold the T5 EndCaps. Im hoping a single frame will be sturdy enough to hold everything.
I essentially wanna mimick my current rack which I made out of 2x3s. Yes, can you beleive that! Its been doing the job for 7+ months, but now its time for a change (plus I had an endcap break, so its good timing).
Here's what my current, wooden one looks like. I have 8 60" T5 lights that I need to cover 72" of tank surface area. So, I stagger them 6" on either side:
Its been working out pretty good and I cant think of any better way to set it up.
So, Im thinking going with the same design with the aluminum tubing:
- 2 x 72" of 3/4" tubing for the lengths
- 4 x 24" of 3/4" tubing for the width/depth
- secured by flat straight and angle pieces on the tops and bottoms
Here's a rendering of the box fram, out of the 6 sections of 3/4" tubing:
And then securing it on the top and bottom with flat pieces and rivets:
I will mount the endcaps to the bottom of the 3/4" tubing width/depth pieces. The ballasts will be kept seperately for now. And, in the time being, I will suspend it from the ceilign using simple eye hooks and chains, the same that are holding my bulky 2x3 wooden rack now.
I'll tell ya, Im not an engineer like alot of you guys, so let me know if you think this will hold.
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