landys calcium reactor
- Thread starter landy
- Start date
troylee
In Memoriam
very nice work!!!! as for laminating the sheet's clean have you ever tried weld on #40 it is the way to go...........it's thick crystal clear and the strongest on the market........just mix it up put a nice pool on there and set a heavy weight on top.........but don't squeeze all the glue out or it will be ugly........when its dry just run a router around the outside edge to remove the excess........
hllywd
Premier World Traveler
GEO uses the 1048 which is half of that. I used a 1250 that's a little over 300 gph because that's what I had. I don't see a down side to that much flow other than it makes the bubble counter nearly useless other than to "eyeball" the CO2 flow, the controller does the rest... Oops, I read your pump wrong it's 3 gpm not gph like mine. At ~180 gph you should be right in line! I shoulda caught that right away!
I like the bottom flange idea too. Are you still using 2 middle layers on V.2?
Tim
landy
Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13878561#post13878561 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by logiktest
Oh yeah, thats way-way better...
Good to see you not have to notch that tube. Will you tap the bottom flange as well in order to be able to remove the reactor body if need be?
... I just hope mine is ready in time for Christmas. Seriously.
Yes yes, the bottom will just unbolt. I don’t know why I was making it so complicated on the first version, but once I had all pieces in front of me, it was a no brainer.
Maybe you better speak will santa, and see what he can do for you. Im sure you havnt been naughty
landy
landy
Member
here are some update pics.
everything is coming along nicely. I still need to cut the gaskets, and one more set of flanges for the bottom of the reactor.
i took troylee's advice and tried thicker weld-on for the laminating. i didn’t use 40 as I don’t like working will it. I used 16 instead. It seemed to reduce the bubbles, but the spill over turned into an issue. It crazed the edges, as I did not sand them before bonding. In the past I have not sanded the lasered edges that I did not plan to glue, but the excess 16 that spilled over these edges did some damage. Live and learn.
Here are some shots after sanding with 400, then followed by pictures of the edges lightly polished. It will not affect functionality, but does not look as well as i had hoped.
ok question, on the deltec calcium reactors i have seen a degauss chamber that housed the ph probe, the effluent out line, and a small line that goes suction side of the pump. Does anyone have an opinion if this is worth incorporating into my reactor?
Landy
everything is coming along nicely. I still need to cut the gaskets, and one more set of flanges for the bottom of the reactor.
i took troylee's advice and tried thicker weld-on for the laminating. i didn’t use 40 as I don’t like working will it. I used 16 instead. It seemed to reduce the bubbles, but the spill over turned into an issue. It crazed the edges, as I did not sand them before bonding. In the past I have not sanded the lasered edges that I did not plan to glue, but the excess 16 that spilled over these edges did some damage. Live and learn.
Here are some shots after sanding with 400, then followed by pictures of the edges lightly polished. It will not affect functionality, but does not look as well as i had hoped.
ok question, on the deltec calcium reactors i have seen a degauss chamber that housed the ph probe, the effluent out line, and a small line that goes suction side of the pump. Does anyone have an opinion if this is worth incorporating into my reactor?
Landy
stugray
Premium Member
Landy,
You are seeing just what I have experienced trying to laminate.
I ruined a calcium reactor trying to glue on a reinforcing plate.
Annealing the pieces in your oven before glueing might reduce the crazing.
I think it's also got something to do with the ambient humidity that the acrylic was stored in.
I think the crazing is made worse if the acrylic has moisture in it.
Maybe a long annealing cycle relieves the stress AND drives out the moisture.
I imagine Acrylics will tell us.
Stu
You are seeing just what I have experienced trying to laminate.
I ruined a calcium reactor trying to glue on a reinforcing plate.
Annealing the pieces in your oven before glueing might reduce the crazing.
I think it's also got something to do with the ambient humidity that the acrylic was stored in.
I think the crazing is made worse if the acrylic has moisture in it.
Maybe a long annealing cycle relieves the stress AND drives out the moisture.
I imagine Acrylics will tell us.
Stu
landy
Member
Im a firm believer that it was the glue coming in contact with the lasered edges. Infact it only crazed were the glue spilled over. If i would have used #4 like on the first one i doubt this would have happened. next time i will sand the lasered edges first as if i were planing to glue them.
landy
landy
Member
havent posted any pictures in a while....
it is pretty much done. waiting on a few fitting to come in tommorow and that is it. i could not find a .5" npt tee local. I just cant stand the 1" redueced down. Also i needed some barb the stem fittings for the dosing pump and co2 line.
im not happy with the pump plumbing, wish it was NPT instead of barb. i will upgrade the pump down the road and redo the plumbing without the hose.
any ideas how much media i should add?
it is pretty much done. waiting on a few fitting to come in tommorow and that is it. i could not find a .5" npt tee local. I just cant stand the 1" redueced down. Also i needed some barb the stem fittings for the dosing pump and co2 line.
im not happy with the pump plumbing, wish it was NPT instead of barb. i will upgrade the pump down the road and redo the plumbing without the hose.
any ideas how much media i should add?
stugray
Premium Member
I'd fill it 2/3.
Looks good, but my first thought was also "im not happy with the pump plumbing"
The rest of the reactor is like the Millenium Falcon, while the plumbing is like Fozzie's Studebaker. ;-)
( and if you get that joke, you are probably older than you want to admit ;-)
No really - this is one of the most well thought out DIY reactors I have ever seen.
If I get my new toy next year ( CNC router ) I will definitely do one.
Stu
Looks good, but my first thought was also "im not happy with the pump plumbing"
The rest of the reactor is like the Millenium Falcon, while the plumbing is like Fozzie's Studebaker. ;-)
( and if you get that joke, you are probably older than you want to admit ;-)
No really - this is one of the most well thought out DIY reactors I have ever seen.
If I get my new toy next year ( CNC router ) I will definitely do one.
Stu
stugray
Premium Member
"Infact it only crazed were the glue spilled over."
Thats because the acrylic is only stressed where the laser cut through it ( the edges ). The temperature differential that occurs during the cut is what causes the stress.
I bet if you used a water jet cutter instead you would not get that.
Those pieces you get cut are still the most beautiful acrylic I have seen.
Annealing is still the professional way to go.
I wish Acrylics would speak up......
Stu
Thats because the acrylic is only stressed where the laser cut through it ( the edges ). The temperature differential that occurs during the cut is what causes the stress.
I bet if you used a water jet cutter instead you would not get that.
Those pieces you get cut are still the most beautiful acrylic I have seen.
Annealing is still the professional way to go.
I wish Acrylics would speak up......
Stu
landy
Member
thanks stu!
i agree the plumbing look very out of place.
And I have seen the reruns
i just cant think of anything better to do short of getting a different pump. I even thought about moding the volute, but figure that is a waste of time.
im already thinking of a dual chamber reactor with the embedded passage ways connecting the reactor chambers.
landy
stugray
Premium Member
The only way to get cleaner with the pump is to mount it vertically ( its even better on the seal if that pump has one ) right over the intake line with the output facing from right to left.
Then you could put the output line on the other side of the base ( I know it would mean building a new one, but you are thinking of that already ;-)
Then the output from the pump would go back in on the left side of the pics above.
Stu
Then you could put the output line on the other side of the base ( I know it would mean building a new one, but you are thinking of that already ;-)
Then the output from the pump would go back in on the left side of the pics above.
Stu
landy
Member
i have glued the lasered edges, without crazing, provided they are lightly sanded before gluing.
The laser has its good and bad points. Overall I think a cnc end mill would be the best tool, or the water jet maybe. For anything that does not require bonding like the strainer, the laser is great.
Thanks again stu
