oscarsdad608
New member
I have been waiting for an update thanks.
Mountains of sawdust (360g plywood, LED, Arduino build)
- Thread starter der_wille_zur_macht
- Start date
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
No new photos, sorry. My POS blackberry has decided it doesn't like to take pictures any more. If I use the camera off network (the workshop I'm using gets no cell signal) it crashes the phone!
This is especially unfortunate because I did actually make some progress today. I drilled 5 holes in the display tank for bulkheads as follows:
1) two 1.5" bulkheads for a "glass holes style" overflow box in the back corner
2) two 1.5" bulkheads in the bottom for closed loop returns
3) one 2" bulkhead in the bottom for a closed loop supply
4) one 2" bulkhead in the sump for the return pump supply
I'm planning on using the big meaty Hayward bulkheads. The 2" bulkhead requires a HUGE hole!
Also, another 2 or 3 hours of sanding. I spent time filling and sanding parts of the tank that no one will ever see once it's installed, but it makes me feel good to know it's all as close to perfect as I can get it.
And I brushed epoxy on the top of the eurobrace. It's AMAZING how much the wood just sucks up the epoxy. I died the epoxy with the white dye and I'd paint a section thick enough that it would be opaque. 2 minutes later, it barely looked damp, and you could barely tell there was any pigment on it - the epoxy just wicks into the wood like magic!
This is especially unfortunate because I did actually make some progress today. I drilled 5 holes in the display tank for bulkheads as follows:
1) two 1.5" bulkheads for a "glass holes style" overflow box in the back corner
2) two 1.5" bulkheads in the bottom for closed loop returns
3) one 2" bulkhead in the bottom for a closed loop supply
4) one 2" bulkhead in the sump for the return pump supply
I'm planning on using the big meaty Hayward bulkheads. The 2" bulkhead requires a HUGE hole!
Also, another 2 or 3 hours of sanding. I spent time filling and sanding parts of the tank that no one will ever see once it's installed, but it makes me feel good to know it's all as close to perfect as I can get it.
And I brushed epoxy on the top of the eurobrace. It's AMAZING how much the wood just sucks up the epoxy. I died the epoxy with the white dye and I'd paint a section thick enough that it would be opaque. 2 minutes later, it barely looked damp, and you could barely tell there was any pigment on it - the epoxy just wicks into the wood like magic!
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Eat yer heart out:
http://www.haywardflowcontrol.com/pdf/_accessories/Bulkhead_Fittings.pdf
The 2" bulkhead calls for a 3.25" hole. I went up to 3.5" because I'm going to be coating the inside of the hole (raw wood) with epoxy. It's 4.38" across the flats of the flange. The 1.5" is 2.38" hole (I went up to 2.5") and 3" across the flats.
http://www.haywardflowcontrol.com/pdf/_accessories/Bulkhead_Fittings.pdf
The 2" bulkhead calls for a 3.25" hole. I went up to 3.5" because I'm going to be coating the inside of the hole (raw wood) with epoxy. It's 4.38" across the flats of the flange. The 1.5" is 2.38" hole (I went up to 2.5") and 3" across the flats.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Nice build DWZM! I'm not sure if I like the white, but will reserve judgment until the final product.
You have obviously spent a lot of time researching this project.
Just one question. Are these anomalies in the photo or is there a purpose?
Those are spots where the packing tape I was using to make "dams" has pulled away. When that happened, the epoxy made those little bulges out into the openings. The tape stayed stuck in the corners, which makes them look sharper.
It looked horrible, but 30 seconds with 60 grit sandpaper in a random orbit sander and it was cleaned up.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
So, more work on the tank yesterday.
I wanted to pour epoxy inside the bulkhead holes, but struggled to find pipe or anything else to act as a mold. I was about to break down and just paint the holes with epoxy (which would have taken a LONG LONG time to get the thickness up.) Then I realized I had the perfect molds right in front of me - the plugs from using the holesaw to cut the holes out! The kerf was really big so it's going to give a nice thick coat.
I did the sump first. Cleaned up the plug on the sander, then wrapped in plastic and tape, taped it in the hole, and clamped wood underneath to keep it from falling out.
While I was doing the holes in the bottom of the main tank, I was getting a little nervous. The epoxy was a hair under 1/8" thick. I'd wanted more like 3/16". I dunno if the wood sucked up a ton, or I did my math wrong. But this provided an opportunity to fix the problem. I scuffed the bottom up with sandpaper and poured another thick layer while I was pouring the holes:
I can measure thickness on all panels thanks to the cutouts for the viewing panels and the bulkhead holes, so I'm comfortable with the whole tank's thickness now.
I wanted to pour epoxy inside the bulkhead holes, but struggled to find pipe or anything else to act as a mold. I was about to break down and just paint the holes with epoxy (which would have taken a LONG LONG time to get the thickness up.) Then I realized I had the perfect molds right in front of me - the plugs from using the holesaw to cut the holes out! The kerf was really big so it's going to give a nice thick coat.
I did the sump first. Cleaned up the plug on the sander, then wrapped in plastic and tape, taped it in the hole, and clamped wood underneath to keep it from falling out.
While I was doing the holes in the bottom of the main tank, I was getting a little nervous. The epoxy was a hair under 1/8" thick. I'd wanted more like 3/16". I dunno if the wood sucked up a ton, or I did my math wrong. But this provided an opportunity to fix the problem. I scuffed the bottom up with sandpaper and poured another thick layer while I was pouring the holes:
I can measure thickness on all panels thanks to the cutouts for the viewing panels and the bulkhead holes, so I'm comfortable with the whole tank's thickness now.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Friggin HEAVY!!!! :lol:
I can lift one end off the table with some amount of effort. Would probably be difficult for two people to lift up and carry, but no problem for 4. And the glass isn't in yet!
If we figure a 3/4" 4x8 sheet of plywood is 75 lbs, that means about 2.4 lbs per square foot. I've got around 70 square feet of plywood in this tank, so 168 lbs. My 7.5 gallons of epoxy had a shipping weight of something like 90 lbs, and I've pretty much used all of it. So let's say 85 lbs. We're up to ~250 lbs.
I will have three panels of glass, roughly these measurements: 12" x 22", 12" x 28", 22" x 70". So, ~2100 square inches of glass, or 14.5 square feet. At ~7 lbs per square foot, that's ~100 lbs of glass.
So the finished, empty weight should be around 350 lbs.
For the sake of comparison, if the whole tank were glass, it would be around 75 square feet of glass (same dimensions, 4" eurobrace) and would weigh around 525 lbs.
Of course, the ~175 lb "weight savings" is literally a moot point compared to the ~3,000 lbs of water that will be in the tank.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Single layer of 3/4 on my design. I don't think it needs more, especially with the heavy eurobrace. I should also mention that the stand, tank, and "hood" are all going to be enclosed in typical 2x4 stick built walls, so there will essentially be external bracing attached after the tank itself is finished. (Hope that makes sense).
I can already tell you that this method of construction can be mind bogglingly strong if done right. I mentioned this a few pages back, but I routinely walk on the eurobrace, and I've jumped up and down on it "just to see" without any perceptible deflection or other cause for concern. And over this past weekend, I took a scrap piece of plywood that had maybe 1/16" of epoxy on it - from resting tools on it and so on. (Keep in mind that this is a thinner layer than the tank itself will have.) I took one of those real sturdy 5-in-1 paint scrapers that have the heavy metal blade with a point on one side:
With the pointed end of that tool, I wailed away against the epoxied plywood. I wanted to see how it would hold up to a rock slide or other disaster. Well, after beating against the plywood as hard as I could a good dozen or two times, there were a few barely perceptible dents. Like, you could only see them close up. *No* chipping, splitting, or anything else - and the wood underneath was still totally 100% protected. That's the kind of toughness I can live with.
What size tank are you considering? Besides asking here on these forums, you should check out the fingerlakesreef forum. Those guys have built enough of these things to give good advice on requirements for a given tank size.
I can already tell you that this method of construction can be mind bogglingly strong if done right. I mentioned this a few pages back, but I routinely walk on the eurobrace, and I've jumped up and down on it "just to see" without any perceptible deflection or other cause for concern. And over this past weekend, I took a scrap piece of plywood that had maybe 1/16" of epoxy on it - from resting tools on it and so on. (Keep in mind that this is a thinner layer than the tank itself will have.) I took one of those real sturdy 5-in-1 paint scrapers that have the heavy metal blade with a point on one side:
With the pointed end of that tool, I wailed away against the epoxied plywood. I wanted to see how it would hold up to a rock slide or other disaster. Well, after beating against the plywood as hard as I could a good dozen or two times, there were a few barely perceptible dents. Like, you could only see them close up. *No* chipping, splitting, or anything else - and the wood underneath was still totally 100% protected. That's the kind of toughness I can live with.
What size tank are you considering? Besides asking here on these forums, you should check out the fingerlakesreef forum. Those guys have built enough of these things to give good advice on requirements for a given tank size.
madkat
New member
I am initially looking at going with a 2'x6'x42"
Don't know how I should run the measurements, but it will be 42" tall and 6' wide.
I estimate about 315 gallons. I will not be building mine into a wall but I will have a full set of custom bookshelves attached to both sides and the back will be flush with the wall. I think I will have plenty of structural support.
I was originally buying a 125gallon aquarium, but I think I am changing my mind...
Don't know how I should run the measurements, but it will be 42" tall and 6' wide.
I estimate about 315 gallons. I will not be building mine into a wall but I will have a full set of custom bookshelves attached to both sides and the back will be flush with the wall. I think I will have plenty of structural support.
I was originally buying a 125gallon aquarium, but I think I am changing my mind...
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
42" tall is pretty tall! You're going to want to do stuff that I didn't do - 45's in the corners, extra bracing, etc. Check out mattshack's build thread on here, and ask at the fingerlakesreef forum.
