DIY filter socks with polypropylene felt

[zakstrong]

Hello all,
I havent found a single thread with this topic so here it goes.

Im working on a a new setup and i was looking for bulk socks. even in large quantities i am still looking at 5-7 bucks a piece. i figure i can buy a couple yards of fabric(polyproylene felt i think) a sewing machine from salvation army and ill have filter socks for like 80 cents a piece.

does anybody know of the desired type of felt i would need and where i can find it in bulk.
thanks for any input or advice

 

[MikeTR]

I've been wondering the same, except I thought about doing it with just cheap filter media and using a hot glue gun to reglue it to the plasic rim. Thinking along the lines of cheap disposable socks.

 

[zakstrong]

yea that would probably be as cheap but the idea of having 20 of them and doing one hour of scrubbing socks in a bucket with bleach once every two months is appealing. i feel like making a disposable would be almost as much work.

 

[Landsailor]

My wife and I made 75 filter socks for about $35 and a few hours work. That's $.47 each. I've been keeping them, but honestly, they're disposable at that price.

It's just felt from Jo-Ann's and some binding tape for handles. Cut and sew them into long tubes, then lop them off to your desired length, and attach a handle.

 

[ngrubich]

My wife and I made 75 filter socks for about $35 and a few hours work. That's $.47 each. I've been keeping them, but honestly, they're disposable at that price.

It's just felt from Jo-Ann's and some binding tape for handles. Cut and sew them into long tubes, then lop them off to your desired length, and attach a handle.

+1 I had one of my lady friends make me some filter socks from some felt that I got from Hobby Lobby. The felt isn't that thick, but does a pretty good job at catching pretty much anything that goes down my overflow. Another friend of mine had his mom make him some filter socks out of this super thick felt, although I've never been able to find any that thick.

I think I got 25-30 from the $15 I spent for the felt and nylon thread (cotton thread will strech and then give out faster). I'm pretty satisfied with ~$0.50 for each one

 

[jackde]

Same here. My wife gets heavy felt from the fabric store. I cut into 12" squares, fold in half and she sews down the side and the bottom. Don't use any handles just clamp to ball valve on my drain. As far a cleaning, when I have 25-30 into the washer with bleach they go. Did find they turn inside out better with bottoms round not square.

 

[Fishbulb2]

I've done this for years and it's trivial and highly effective. i just get felt from Wally World and you can make tons of bags. No more washing them either. I've also been playing around with the idea of just dumping my carbon and GFO in them since they are disposable. I know this is a less effective way to use GAC and GFO than a reactor, but if the maintenance is that much easier, it just means you'll replace it more often.

Kudos on making your own socks. I don't know why it's not more popular.

FB

 

[jackde]

Kudos on making your own socks. I don't know why it's not more popular.

Our mothers did not teach most of us to sew. I have to catch the wife in a good mood.

 

[zakstrong]

i found some thick filter felt online. but with shipping and cost of it the the results are negligible. i guess ill try joann fabric thanks

 

[ngrubich]

If you can't find any felt in HI, shoot my a PM and I can get some from my store and ship it over to you in one of the small flat-rate boxes (~$10-12 total for a couple yards shipped).

 

[zakstrong]

i actually need to update my where abouts. I went to school in HI for two years, now i have returned to the beloved midwest. Im in madison wi, and i have a craft supply store across the street. thanks for the offer though. always nice to see somebody willing to lend a hand. gotta love reef central

 

[Spyderturbo007]

My wife and I made 75 filter socks for about $35 and a few hours work. That's $.47 each. I've been keeping them, but honestly, they're disposable at that price.

It's just felt from Jo-Ann's and some binding tape for handles. Cut and sew them into long tubes, then lop them off to your desired length, and attach a handle.

What do you use for the plastic rings at the top of the sock?

 

[Photobug]

What do you use for the plastic rings at the top of the sock?

I think you don't. Its been a while since I sewed but my guess is it should take 2 minutes to sew each sock and sounds like about 50 cents per piece. Not sure where you would find the rings but the effort to sew them in might add much complexity to the project.

My first socks had rings my recent ones do not. I just prop my sock in the corner and when it is heavy enough to droop down, i replace it. Now that i have more fish in the tank i try to replace every 3 days.

 

[Landsailor]

What do you use for the plastic rings at the top of the sock?

I don't use rings. Check out the photo. We just sew on some bias tape from the fabric store. In my main tank, they hook around hose clamps right above the drains into the sump. In my sump-modded BioCube 29, the "filter sock holder" was a $.70 screw in hook.

http://www.randystacye.com/diy_filter_sock.htm

 

[Spyderturbo007]

Unfortunately, that wouldn't work in my application. I have one of the ProFlex sumps that has a specific cutout to grab the retaining ring on the commercially available filter socks.

 

[MikeTR]

What do you use for the plastic rings at the top of the sock?

This is why I brought up the hot glue gun. Should be strong enough to hold the felt on, but easy enough to peel off when time to change.

 

[silverwolf72]

Just rip one of the rings out and just use it to make your own. Cut a slot in the ring and sew a pocket in your home made sock to slide the ring in.

 

[Spyderturbo007]

That would probably work, but I don't have a sewing machine, nor would I know what to do with it if I found one.