Euro-Reef DIY clone.
- Thread starter Rendos
- Start date
Heres my idea for a tapered neck:
1) Take a your flat pc. and drill your top/small hole in the center (Iwould drill U/S to compensate for stretching).
2) Set plastic on open end of large coffee can in the oven and place a heavy ball (I have a 6" dia. stone ball from Pier 1 imp.) in the hole.
3) Turn on oven and monitor.
4) When "stretched" to where you want it, take out of oven and trim the square pc. (large dia.) to your reaction chamber dia. using router.
5) Trim small hole to proper dia..
1) Take a your flat pc. and drill your top/small hole in the center (Iwould drill U/S to compensate for stretching).
2) Set plastic on open end of large coffee can in the oven and place a heavy ball (I have a 6" dia. stone ball from Pier 1 imp.) in the hole.
3) Turn on oven and monitor.
4) When "stretched" to where you want it, take out of oven and trim the square pc. (large dia.) to your reaction chamber dia. using router.
5) Trim small hole to proper dia..
ejamsrhere
New member
can won't get hotter than the oven... it may conduct more heat and heat the acrylic unevenly
SHOmuchFUN
New member
What about heating it in the oven and rigging something to a shop vac and creating a vacuum?
H20ENG said:
I see what you mean by having a flat pc., you mean at the big end right.? I was thinking that if you took the router with a jig you could create a small lip. I think (at least I am) we are trying to get away from ANY (obstructive) flat surface between the reac cham. and the col. cup.
Maybe I can put 50000000 more points in 50000000 seperate replies.
I'll stop now.
Or at least FOR now.
SHOmuchFUN
New member
Could you make one out of fiberglass?
bobn4burton
New member
I just finished doing EXACTLY what you guys are wanting to accomplish with bending the plexi. This is how I did it and its WAY easy!
My skimmer body is 6" acrylic tubing. So I cut two 6" holes out of two 12"x12" pieces of plywood. I then put my piece of acrylic sandwiched between the two pieces of plywood. Then you just slap the sandwiched acrylic into the oven at 300 deg F for 10-15 minutes. At this point the acrylic pretty flexible. I took out the sandwich and used the same plexi tube that was reserved for my riser tube and pushed the heated plexi down in the center of the 6" hole. This gave me a nice gradual incline. It also left a flat part that I could glue the riser tube to. You only have about 20-30 seconds to move the plexi into shape before it starts to harden. I then cut a hole out of the flat part where I glued the riser tube.
I have a bunch of pictures that I'll post tonight after work. That should help a lot to explain what I did. It actually worked quite well.
I have a quick pic of the finished skimmer with water filled up to the top of the thermal-formed reducer (plus a little water in the collection cup on the right side). Its not the best picture for showing the reducer I made...but it'll give you an idea for now at least until I post other pics.
My skimmer body is 6" acrylic tubing. So I cut two 6" holes out of two 12"x12" pieces of plywood. I then put my piece of acrylic sandwiched between the two pieces of plywood. Then you just slap the sandwiched acrylic into the oven at 300 deg F for 10-15 minutes. At this point the acrylic pretty flexible. I took out the sandwich and used the same plexi tube that was reserved for my riser tube and pushed the heated plexi down in the center of the 6" hole. This gave me a nice gradual incline. It also left a flat part that I could glue the riser tube to. You only have about 20-30 seconds to move the plexi into shape before it starts to harden. I then cut a hole out of the flat part where I glued the riser tube.
I have a bunch of pictures that I'll post tonight after work. That should help a lot to explain what I did. It actually worked quite well.
I have a quick pic of the finished skimmer with water filled up to the top of the thermal-formed reducer (plus a little water in the collection cup on the right side). Its not the best picture for showing the reducer I made...but it'll give you an idea for now at least until I post other pics.
bobn4burton
New member
I think you'll have some good results pikey because it really is VERY easy to do...
Check back tonight or early in the morning and I'll post my pics of the process...It'll make it much easier to see exactly what I did. I can't post them until later tonight cuz I'm going to a Utah JAZZ game tonight. I'll post them as soon as I get home though!
**EDIT**
I'll probably post a new thread with my whole DIY skimmer pics as well...so watch for that cuz its my first one and I'd appreciate any pointers you all have!
Check back tonight or early in the morning and I'll post my pics of the process...It'll make it much easier to see exactly what I did. I can't post them until later tonight cuz I'm going to a Utah JAZZ game tonight. I'll post them as soon as I get home though!
**EDIT**
I'll probably post a new thread with my whole DIY skimmer pics as well...so watch for that cuz its my first one and I'd appreciate any pointers you all have!
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