canopy lift ideas?

[lanshark]

As I'm pretty handy with tools and wood working, etc., I was thinking how cool it would be to build a canopy lift. Any ideas for low cost solution welcome.

I am toying with the idea of four hollow columns of some hardwood (Cherry) that hug the tank corners and would be part of the furniture. Inside the columns mounting bearing drawer slides vertically and perhaps somehow a few gas lift shocks? Chose shocks to more than lift the canopy up 15-20+ inches. Then on the non-visible backside of the tank/canopy attach counterweight that is adjustable and brings the canopy down. Balance the whole thing so up and down occur with touch of a finger :beer:

I can't see spending a $1000.00+ for commercial soulutions

Anybody pursued this idea before? Low Cost LIFT mechanism suggestions welcome?

The wheels are turning, Einstein would be proud, I think :hmm3:

 

[Poeticlydead]

Check out cutom colors build thread

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1688127

 

[lflint]

The lift on my 240:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUlgd0WGQfU

Read about it at www.virtualflint.com/zoo/fish/240

 

[lanshark]

Thanks guys! Awesome ideas... I can actually see myself using some of both your solutions. The pic of CustomColors hollowed out corner trim columns is exactly what i've done with cherry with nothing inside at the moment. I'm not confident with my skills for rope and pulley's, therefore, Lflints gas shock approach is where I'm headed. Thanks again!

Lflint, I read the link and saw your pics, would you be able to share with me your source of what you called a linear actuator and your source of gas shocks? PM me if you can or share here with everybody.

Happy Reefing!!!

 

[lflint]

I purchased the gas shocks from McMaster Carr. I bought four of item 9416K23. Since they only have a 16" stroke I stacked two on top of each other using long coupling nuts and then the pistons are on top and bottom of the stack to give a maximum stroke of 32". There is a set of gas shocks on the left and a second set on the right side of the hood. The gas shocks support about 3/4 of the load of the hood. They assist the linear actuator lift the canopy and spread the load so that the actuator isn't the only thing pushing up at a single point. I didn't purchase the stainless steel ones - I went with the cheaper ones but I have had them in place for two and a half years with no sign of rusting. They are cheap and easy to replace if they do rust. The back of the tank is not actually against an outside wall - it has windows behind it that are accessible from our front porch so I can service the back of the tank and the lift system. The actuator is from www.firgelliauto.com and I run it with a 12v power supply and use a DPDT momentary rocker switch from Radio Shack to run the canopy up and down.

 

[lanshark]

Appreciate the info! Now it's kid in the candy store (me!)..... I'll update everyone if I put something together.

 

[TorisFishes]

Did you see lflint's>>>? That is frikin sick dude

 

[Salt_in_MyBlood]

very cool ideas...... may need to use them myself...... just cant stop tinkering with everything.

 

[lanshark]

Okay, research is going well .... The one uncertainty I'm having (not an engineer) is understanding load disbursement and the need for telescoping guides of some type for much needed additional support and smooth operation?

Assumptions;

My canopy is 3/4 inch wood all around four sides, weight is 75-100 lbs ish max....
Actuator will be center in back outside of canopy to raised height of appx. 24 inches.
Number of gas shocks and capacity will either solution will be designed with capacity to raise 80%+ of the canopy weight and raise the canopy 20-24 inches. Wood Corner Columns well have custom steel plate with welded nut inserted horizontally height proportionate to length of shocks selected. In all options, corner columns would be secured from any movement.

Options;

A) If I abort the idea of keep the front corners totally free of hardware and open access and place one shock in each corner column (Four shocks), the canopy load is disbursed evenly. The compromise is each front corner when canopy is open has an extend shock to work around. This still could benefit from a telescope guide for keeping everything moving up/down and no lateral movement.


B) This is the scary, yet preferred option of everything mounted in back of canopy. Where it gets sticky is the load of the entire canopy is at the mounting of shocks, actuator and some type of guides to be determined. My concern, what is the solution that as the canopy raises, all the forward weight of the canopy pulls on the gas shocks and actuator and starts sagging forward. I was thinking extruded aluminum square channel inside another square channel to make telescoping guides and mounted two or three of these vertical across the back of the canopy/stand? Or, perhaps several heavy duty drawer slides (Do they come where they can be extended 24 inches? This is my dilemma ?

Thoughts welcome....

 

[Gtstricky]

Another vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRxtqrFo6nE

There seems to be some linear actuators on ebay.

 

[RegalAngel]

I decided to go with something simple, effective and low cost....a bicycle lift:

http://bwclark.smugmug.com/Aquariums

 

[1901]

That looks like a good idea Regal angel but I think Lanshark wanted something clean, without the lift showing, and

Wow thats Blue!

 

[Jacob D]

You may want to think about a scissor lift design since a scissor can become quite a bit longer than the height of the canopy of which it can collapse into. I've never seen it on a tank but if the supports at the ends don't bother you (such as in the vertical column design) I would think about it. I had considered it for my 360g canopy but decided against the lift all together since I didn't feel I'd be able to raise it high enough to really work under.

 

[Luckless]

Personally I would consider a system with only a counter weight to provide the lift offset. The biggest issue is to remember to use pulleys and cable that aren't going to corrode. This way you can reduce the number of elements in the system, and likely require a lower capital input to build. (Assuming you can find suitable counter weight material for cheap.) It can also be possible to hide nearly the entire counterweight system away from the tank itself, and route cables though a ceiling. (Just have to make sure nothing can rub the wrong way.)

Also consider allowing your counter weight to have a long travel, and run the carrying cable through a multi-block. Assuming you don't have super high ceilings, or can't let the counter weight drop through a few floors, then you could reasonably fit a 3:1 pulley.