Complete DIY Custom 144x15x15

[redtop03]

3 sections would work,and you could probably get piano hinges that size.

 

[melev]

I do know that soffit material comes in 12' lengths, and it is relatively thin. 1/2" thick, maybe less. Perhaps you could make an aluminum frame, or a wooden one, and skin it with soffit material. Here's an interesting thread that mentions a particular kind of material:

http://www.diychatroom.com/showthread.php?t=4304

 

[calvin415]

Tried to draw it up and there won't be enough material remaining to keep it solid. Even trying to go with 3 doors, I'm afraid it will fall apart. I love the gull wing door idea, but I just don't think it will work... I'm actually bummed.

I guess I'll slap on a mock up of what I'm thinking I'm going to be stuck with. I can feed through the top with a funnel, and can lift the entire top off for maintenance.

Whoo Hoo! 4000th post!

(Nothing compared to Marcs 36000+, man you talk a lot! LOL!)

 

[melev]

I wonder... Could you create a solid end on each end, and run a rigid pipe across the center between the two? Then the two L-shaped pieces would connect to that rod, allowing you to fold it back as I suggested? Years ago, I made a canopy similar to what I'm describing. Granted, yours is 4x as long, but still...

You may be able to affix the lights to the central rod idea. I still prefer the aluminum track idea, and having the wood 'fold' over (although no actual bending would occur).

I can't make the pretty graphics you design, but if you have a 12' x 15" aluminum frame at the top, with a solid end on each end, then you just need to make the gull doors hold on somehow. It shouldn't be that difficult.

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

The bendability of aluminum at that length I would think would be the weak point of the hood...that is why I suggested maybe a welded tube frame, powdercoated of course and skinned with a thin birch or something...the tube would still be light weight but yet extremely strong and durable...you could have cross braces built in it to allow the light mounting and also you can have doors that flip open on the front to allow for feeding...it should still be light weight enough that you could use some sort of actuators to lift it off the tank for ease of maintenance...

 

[Mishap]

are you looking to suspend the canopy or have it rest on top of the tank?

 

[calvin415]

Looking to have it rest on top of the tank, but have a pulley system in place to lift the canopy as one unit and have it suspend over the tank for mantenance. I have an idea using the canopy I attached in my post above... I could string a single cable from each end of the canopy through a pulley (again on each end of the soffit) allowing me to lift the entire tank by pulling on the cable in the center (I could even hook the cable to the canopy to hold itself up.

Here's a bad MS Paint drawing (sorry I'm at work and can't install sketch up here...)

Brown box is the canopy, Blue is the tank, and the black line is the wire with a pulley in each upper corner.

 

[melev]

As long as those pulleys are SECURE, and you have a good way to tie off the cabling when the canopy is up, it seems like a nice idea. The actuators that have been suggested are a neat option as well, but take up space. They have a piston. I'd almost think it would be best to secure the motor to the canopy and have the piston press down onto a protected surface of the tank at each end. It would take some doing, but you'd be <i>super cool</i> if you made it happen.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The linear actuators are the cleanest approach....

If you do use cables, then I would use a 4:1 block and tackle and use a heavy duty actuator to move the adjustment end of the cable. That way you don't need any cleats or manual pulling.

 

[SWINGRRRR]

I cant Sketup at work either, well really not at home either, but what about a kinda 2 piece system. You have your top section that stays secured. Then the side pieces are separate systems that can lift, then slid back into the top piece. I cant draw it right now cause I am at work. I guy used a similar system on a furniture style in wall I saw. Maybe you could split it to have 3 openings per side. More hardware, but easier to set-up and use.
Then suspend the light rack inside of this "skin."

I will try a paint pic real quick.

 

[calvin415]

I've been looking at actuators, the issue is that for it to be mounted in the canopy, I wouldn't be able to get it raised enough to do anything.

If I mount it out of the canopy, I think it would look pretty bad.

I'm considering running the cables into the stand on the end and then automating them with a winch mounted in the stand... The issue I'm hitting is finding a small enough winch to fit in the stand and one that's not way overrated... Anyone have a source?

 

[Mishap]

use the cross braces to mount your bulbs to. Hinge off the center strut. skin the outside with light weight wood and coat it with a sealer.

This was the basic plan I was going to use for my own tank, but laziness took over!

 

[Mishap]

dbl post!

 

[Hopeful Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13367898#post13367898 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mishap

use the cross braces to mount your bulbs to. Hinge off the center strut. skin the outside with light weight wood and coat it with a sealer.

This was the basic plan I was going to use for my own tank, but laziness took over!

This is the idea I was referring to...use some metal tube frame, just need to get someone to weld the frame for you...then, get it sealed and skin with light weight wood as suggested...thanks for the Sketchup Mishap...

 

[VegasReefer]

I'm considering running the cables into the stand on the end and then automating them with a winch mounted in the stand... The issue I'm hitting is finding a small enough winch to fit in the stand and one that's not way overrated... Anyone have a source?

http://www.4wheelonline.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryId=425

The SAC1000 would fit almost perfectly end to end, and with room if you ran it inside the wall space to lengthwise. There is a downside to these ac winches.. there expensive.. I saw others in my Google search, but none of the cheep ones had a break function.

 

[redtop03]

If you have enough room above your ceiling(require cutting up the ceiling),you could mount the winch or actuator there and run the cables down either side,but the cables aren't that great to look at.

I like the ribbed light rack idea,that combined with the gull wing doors would be slick,but your lights would still be in the way with the doors open,still plenty of room for feeding.

Willie

 

[BlueCorn]

...

 

[calvin415]

Well, I think I found a way to install a hinged door (using RotoHinges) for the canopy... Here is just one door open, but it's all 6 would open the two on the ends are 48" and the one in the middle is 38" I could install the lights in pairs and have them lift out with the top. Only issue I have where the hell do I put the ballasts!?!?!?!?!?

Instead of installing the cables I'll simply have pulleys in the ceiling and screw eyes in the top and run a cable when I need to lift the canopy.

Thoughts?

 

[Mishap]

Mount the ballasts inside your stand. Drill an extra hole in your overflow box and run a dry pipe from straight through from the stand to the canopy. Leave enough slack for the wires to stretch when ya raise the canopy?

 

[calvin415]

What's the max distance I can mount the bulbs from the ballast using a IC 660? Putting the ballast in the stand, I'll need approx 3' to get the wires over the tank and then another 12' to the end of the tank.