DIY, Making your own Frag Plugs

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A common process is to put them in the tank of your toilet. I purchased some online and some of them were from a fresh batch which had not finished curing. I had them shipped anyway and kept them in the tank for aobut 2 weeks. They don't take up any space that isn't already being used and you get frequent water changes with no hassle. :) Just make sure you don't put any of those toilet cleaners in the tank.
 
regarding the PH concern:
i could not get my PH below 8.5-8.7 at any time. i had no noticeable problems either. corraline and corals and inverts were all great. I asked local reefer who has a PHD in marine biology and he said as long as i dont go much higher there would be adverse affects. he also stated that higher PH tends to help against algae outbreaks.
i have since lowered my PH to 8.3-8.4 and have notice more bubble algae. i have checked phosphates and silicates and everything else, all were undectable using 2 different test kits. I dont know if this is coincidence or true to lowered PH!?!?!?
i did increase photo-period a couple hours, maybe that could be the reason!?!?!?!?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7535614#post7535614 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by schristi69
A common process is to put them in the tank of your toilet. I purchased some online and some of them were from a fresh batch which had not finished curing. I had them shipped anyway and kept them in the tank for aobut 2 weeks. They don't take up any space that isn't already being used and you get frequent water changes with no hassle. :) Just make sure you don't put any of those toilet cleaners in the tank.
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Plus it actually helps you save on water, since the toilet tank does not fill up with as much water because what your curing takes up space.
 
Has anyone used a TYPE III Portland cement yet, I've heard it's suppose to get hard very quick, and also shortens the cure time also.
 
btw, I believe I tried a similar pvc idea years ago. I found that the concrete was nearly impossible to remove from the pvc molds after it had hardened.

You may be able to come up with some kind of mold that will split apart after the concrete has hardened.
 
Comatose, do you think that if you used a wood sealent to seal a wood mold that some of the sealent might stick onto the concrete plug and have effects on water chemistry or would it stay bound to the wood? It seems to me that the Pam spray would just soak into the wood. I have also thought about Petroleum Jelly or wax but I am not sure. I made a wood mold 2 nights ago but I want to try a few release agents so that if I mess this one up, I will know what to use for the next one. Anymore mold release suggestions let me know and I will try them out when I do the initial test.
 
I havn't ever used a wood mold but I know that there is a project at garf.org with a wooden mold, they may have some specific mold release info there.
 
i tried the split mold with pvc and wood alone. nieter worked as the pvc/crete bonded. a release agent would be good. pam is a good idea for this pvc mold.

i have since gone away from crete ideas and went to pvc ideas.
i used a 1/2" pvc cap, cut slits in it on the band saw and it fits into eggcrate just fine. now i need to make a jig so i can do more than one at a time on the table saw to make it faster and straighter.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7549247#post7549247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobinsonFam1
i have not yet......still working on my PVC idea......just not enough time in the day right now!
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take your time, when you finish it, give us your results.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7551251#post7551251 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stoney Mahony
Comatose, do you think that if you used a wood sealent to seal a wood mold that some of the sealent might stick onto the concrete plug and have effects on water chemistry or would it stay bound to the wood? It seems to me that the Pam spray would just soak into the wood. I have also thought about Petroleum Jelly or wax but I am not sure. I made a wood mold 2 nights ago but I want to try a few release agents so that if I mess this one up, I will know what to use for the next one. Anymore mold release suggestions let me know and I will try them out when I do the initial test.
Click to expand...

Chances are, Yes, concrete love to soak up anything that it comes in contact with while curing. I used many things to seal the wood, i even tried to burn the wood mold to make it less porus with no luck.....wood just doesn't make a good mold, to many of the frags would break. for trial purposes i would stick with release agent that does not have an oil base.

and with acrylic forms i've had a bit more success but not much, still broken frags when i pull the forms apart.

i've seen forms that are made of harden silicone rubber that work very well.....but for the little amount of frags that i make, this sand method seems to work best, if you need more frags then just use a bigger sand bucket to make the forms, like a 16" x 24" cement mixing tray or even your own kids sand box...lol.... but then again you'll never know what you'll pull out of there....lol.

I do continue to try different material, someone mention to me a non-stick mold like on your cooking pots and pans.
Usually it's the off the wall things that someone suggest that will work great, thats why i love when people just blurt out things in these DIY projects, cause you never know.
 
i also want to try the Type III cement to see if there is any difference, but i still have this 80 lb bag of type II that i didn't put a dent in yet.....maybe i borrow some Type III from a broken bag at the store.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7552571#post7552571 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobinsonFam1
i tried the split mold with pvc and wood alone. nieter worked as the pvc/crete bonded. a release agent would be good. pam is a good idea for this pvc mold.

i have since gone away from crete ideas and went to pvc ideas.
i used a 1/2" pvc cap, cut slits in it on the band saw and it fits into eggcrate just fine. now i need to make a jig so i can do more than one at a time on the table saw to make it faster and straighter.
Click to expand...

What about a thin piece of pvc for the stem and a reducer for the cap.

so like a 1/4" pcv pipe with a 3/4" to 1/4" reducer attached.

then fill that up with cement and see how that works when cured.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7552760#post7552760 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by comatose
i also want to try the Type III cement to see if there is any difference, but i still have this 80 lb bag of type II that i didn't put a dent in yet.....maybe i borrow some Type III from a broken bag at the store.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've run into the same "problem". The $6 bag of cement is going to last a LONG time just making plugs :p Even with the 50-60lbs of agrocrete rock I've made and the plugs, I still have half the bag left.
 
Has anyone tried those little tiny popsicle making forms that you put liquid in and place in the freezer for little kids ice pops…..or even some kind of tiny ice cube trays for forms.

Maybe those little naked lady ice cube tray forms......cool, naked lady frag plugs.....lol.
 
You should be able to make a simple silicon mold using silicon you can buy for a couple of bucks at the box stores. You can use naphtha to thin it out to make it easier to work with. I would think you could just pop the plug out when it is completed. the mold won't last for ever, but if you have a master mold made out of plaster of paris or somthing it is no biggie to make a new mold.

Do a google search for "Mold Making Silicon" and you will find lots of good info.
 
I was just fishing through the Oriental Trading catalog for some throw-away toy that would make a cheap form in the craft section. They had a hollow ice cream cone for sand art, but it's 4 inches long. When I have some more time.

I like the idea of the non-stick cookware. Some of those eccentric cooking supply stores in the mall may have something. The chain craft stores may have something too.

But I really like the idea of the kinky lady plugs. I'd bet they would sell faster than you could make 'em....lol. Any catalog ideas out there on where to find a possible mold?
 
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