A Different Beckett Housing Design

[weatherson]

steve68 & Lunchbucket: Thanks.

Jeff: I've had a visitor from Connecticut so there's no excuse for you not to visit. The tank is always available for fellow reefers to view. Just keep in mind that this place was a desert prior to the invasion of modern civilization so it gets extremely hot during the summer months. It's a dry heat though. Not so different from an open flame. Although, semi-anal retentive perfectionists pay an entrance fee while anal retentive perfectionists enter free!
There's a web site in the works. I'm doing it myself so don't expect completion any time in the near future. You can see a sneak preview HERE.

Joseph

 

[tacocat]

Bump, because I needed some info

 

[Barefooter]

Bump. Just have to move it up everyone needs to see it again..

Tyler

 

[Zephrant]

Tyler- Try letting people use the search engine. No need to bump all the time.
We all get an email when you do that, it is annoying to come check the thread to find no new information.

Thanks-

Zeph

 

[Bishop]

very nice;

 

[sgolden]

joseph, that truly is a work of art, impeccable craftsmanship....
considering the perfectionist you seem to be (i mean that in a good way)...have you thought of any modifications to improve it??
not that it looks like it needs any, but you obviously strive for the best..and since this thread is rather old, i wondered if it has evolved any....

 

[weatherson]

sgolden: Thanks for the kind words. The skimmer hasn't changed much as it's worked well. I have replaced the stainless steel wing-nuts with nicer looking and easier on the fingers plastic versions from US Plastics. I also replaced the John Guest air inlet valves on the Beckett housings to needle valves for better air-flow control. Other than that, it's all the same as it was from the beginning.

As for future alterations, I may create new flanges that are tapered such as this that a friend and I created for his new counter-current skimmer...

We did this by heating the acrylic in an oven and pressing it into shape with this press/form we made...

Joseph

 

[H20ENG]

Joe,
What temp did you use in the oven?
I used almost the exact same form, 400 degrees, and 3/8" sheet and it didnt seem pliable enough. The plywood started to darken and stink up the place
Thanks!
Chris

 

[biggt 2k1]

The secret is to use 1/4" or 1/8" material. The 3/8 is just too damn strong.

 

[sgolden]

what volume of water through each beckett injector seems to optimize performance, and how much air?

 

[spazz]

that is some very nice injector housings on that skimmer! i think those are the nicest ones i have seen yet. keep up the good work.

 

[weatherson]

Chris: It's been a while since we did this but I believe we had the oven at 425-degrees. It did take some time to get the 3/8" acrylic pliable and we had to keep placing it back in the oven after several tightenings of the press. It took about five presses to get to the depth we wanted which created close to a 45-degree angle. After this, 1/4" would be a piece of cake. But, for a 8" cylinder and the overall size of this skimmer we built, we felt 3/8" was better suited.

sgolden: I'm running an Iwaki 100 so it's 1000 GPH through each (2) injector. This may be the upper end of the pressure range but pretty much, the more pressure you throw at the injectors, the more and finer bubbles they will produce. I don't have air flow meters on my air inlets so I can't comment on this.

spazz: Thank you very much.

Joseph

 

[H20ENG]

Thanks Joe,
I will try again with more heat. This cone is from an 8x8 square to a 5" hole so there is not much acrylic "meat" to actually stretch, and thus needs to be really pliable, even for the mere 2" I want to stretch it.
Thanks!

 

[reefgirl7]

^

 

[sgolden]

bump

 

[speartheman]

I have bent the glass with a jig like that but I had to take it outside to much smoke and fumes, the gas grill with a oven therometer made it much safer. But that is the best DIY skimmer I've ever seen on any site or store !