miwoodar
Likey the bikey
I revamped my swirler stein. The originals ran for ~30 months without incident (other than dropping one in the water for a ~1/2 hour...and it lived to tell the tale). I love these things. Great random flow. Easy to build - especially the original version. Cheap - $30 each.
Rather than bump the original thread, I've decided to start a new one. Most of the photos are dead in the original thread. Not seeing the photos made it hard to follow and for this reason a new thread made more sense to me. Here is the original if you have never seen it (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=799971&perpage=25&pagenumber=9).
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HMott built a great version in the original thread. I used his parts list to build my first two. Here is a slightly amended parts list for HMott's version:
$8.50 Housing (Lowes 4x4x2) box
$3.99+S Motor
https://www.surpluscenter.com/item....atname=electric
$0.00 Acrylic arms (I had it laying around any plastic would work these are not big pieces)
1 motor mount
1 motor to tie-rod arm
1 down tube cam
$4.00 rc car tie-rod - ( also posted a link for 4 for $6.69) but I paid $4.00 local to replace the one I took from my rc car.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bi...p?&I=LXJK15&P=X
$5.99 14g wire (lowes) (I got this so it would fit my gromets)
$1.99 1/4" gromets
$0.00 3/4" pvc.. I used about 3 inches of this and for the down tube holder, I had to dremel it out a little, A 3/4" slip coupling would work also.
$0.00 1/2" pvc.. this is the down tube.
ADDED:
Forgot I also bought little bolts, I got one package at lowes for about $2.00 and will have lots extra so it probably doesn't even count.
TOOLS:
Razor knife (x-acto)
Dremel
superglue
Heck I think thats it.. so it comes out to $28.46 plus some for the shipping...
---------------------------------------------------------
Here's an example picture and a video of what that gets you after a couple hours of creative dremeling/supergluing...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Another Option:
I just built a new one for my new tank. This time I used a 3/4" sealed lawnmower bearing to mount the downtube. This was a little harder to do than the original version because I had to trim the outer diameter of the PVC downtube so it would slip through the bearing's inner diameter. I used a table saw for this (not in a safe way!). Being that the original versions lasted for ~30 months and were still going strong, the bearing version is not required but something I was interested in trying. It worked out well so I thought I would go ahead and post it.
Two lawnmower bearings on e-bay will run you ~$10 shipped.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Motors:
The original motor supplier:
The original supplier, www.surpluscenter.com, is still around but does not always keep them in stock. They will be in the reversible AC gear motors section if they are. Here's a link to that (http://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?UID=2008100311374812&catname=electric&keyword=GIAD).
Alternate option for motors:
Go to e-bay and search for "turntable motor". Many options come up. You're looking for a 120 volt version that runs 2 to 3 RPM. This option is a little more expensive than surplus center but still worth the cost. Buying through this option will add ~$15 to the project.
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Mounting:
One of the biggest problems with the swirler stein has always been mounting. You'll need to use some creative thinking here. On my last tank I was able to screw the tab on the side of the project box directly into the edge of my canopy. My current canopy did not afford that option. Instead, I dropped the downtube through one of the cord holes in the eurobracing and used velcro sticky pads to secure the box. I first believed this to be a semi-ghetto option but I've since realized how convenient it is due to the inherent adjustability that comes with it - the box can just be picked up and twisted a touch if I want to change the direction of the flow.
In short, we've all seen a bazillion ways to mount things on the rims of our tanks - if you apply a little creativity, you'll find a way to mount a swirler stein.
------------------------------------------------
HTH to anyone who might have interest in building one of these. It's something that has done a lot to improve the flow patterns in my tank and well worth the effort IMO if you're looking for a fun DIY project.
Rather than bump the original thread, I've decided to start a new one. Most of the photos are dead in the original thread. Not seeing the photos made it hard to follow and for this reason a new thread made more sense to me. Here is the original if you have never seen it (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=799971&perpage=25&pagenumber=9).
-------------------------------------------------------------------
HMott built a great version in the original thread. I used his parts list to build my first two. Here is a slightly amended parts list for HMott's version:
$8.50 Housing (Lowes 4x4x2) box
$3.99+S Motor
https://www.surpluscenter.com/item....atname=electric
$0.00 Acrylic arms (I had it laying around any plastic would work these are not big pieces)
1 motor mount
1 motor to tie-rod arm
1 down tube cam
$4.00 rc car tie-rod - ( also posted a link for 4 for $6.69) but I paid $4.00 local to replace the one I took from my rc car.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bi...p?&I=LXJK15&P=X
$5.99 14g wire (lowes) (I got this so it would fit my gromets)
$1.99 1/4" gromets
$0.00 3/4" pvc.. I used about 3 inches of this and for the down tube holder, I had to dremel it out a little, A 3/4" slip coupling would work also.
$0.00 1/2" pvc.. this is the down tube.
ADDED:
Forgot I also bought little bolts, I got one package at lowes for about $2.00 and will have lots extra so it probably doesn't even count.
TOOLS:
Razor knife (x-acto)
Dremel
superglue
Heck I think thats it.. so it comes out to $28.46 plus some for the shipping...
---------------------------------------------------------
Here's an example picture and a video of what that gets you after a couple hours of creative dremeling/supergluing...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Another Option:
I just built a new one for my new tank. This time I used a 3/4" sealed lawnmower bearing to mount the downtube. This was a little harder to do than the original version because I had to trim the outer diameter of the PVC downtube so it would slip through the bearing's inner diameter. I used a table saw for this (not in a safe way!). Being that the original versions lasted for ~30 months and were still going strong, the bearing version is not required but something I was interested in trying. It worked out well so I thought I would go ahead and post it.
Two lawnmower bearings on e-bay will run you ~$10 shipped.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Motors:
The original motor supplier:
The original supplier, www.surpluscenter.com, is still around but does not always keep them in stock. They will be in the reversible AC gear motors section if they are. Here's a link to that (http://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?UID=2008100311374812&catname=electric&keyword=GIAD).
Alternate option for motors:
Go to e-bay and search for "turntable motor". Many options come up. You're looking for a 120 volt version that runs 2 to 3 RPM. This option is a little more expensive than surplus center but still worth the cost. Buying through this option will add ~$15 to the project.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounting:
One of the biggest problems with the swirler stein has always been mounting. You'll need to use some creative thinking here. On my last tank I was able to screw the tab on the side of the project box directly into the edge of my canopy. My current canopy did not afford that option. Instead, I dropped the downtube through one of the cord holes in the eurobracing and used velcro sticky pads to secure the box. I first believed this to be a semi-ghetto option but I've since realized how convenient it is due to the inherent adjustability that comes with it - the box can just be picked up and twisted a touch if I want to change the direction of the flow.
In short, we've all seen a bazillion ways to mount things on the rims of our tanks - if you apply a little creativity, you'll find a way to mount a swirler stein.
------------------------------------------------
HTH to anyone who might have interest in building one of these. It's something that has done a lot to improve the flow patterns in my tank and well worth the effort IMO if you're looking for a fun DIY project.
Last edited:
those are cheep i do beleave. i ripped an old moro apart to use the motor on my slow mix kaulk reactor
