Project 150!!
- Thread starter maxxII
- Start date
Drilling a 1" hole thru a 1 5/8" floor joist is not a good idea at all. The joist will be very weak and with weight of a tank nearby it will most likely give way and you will have a droopy floor. Just my opinion but think twice about drilling vertically thru a joist. You NEVER want to go more than 20% of the surface area and you will be about 80-90% with a 1" hole.
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
Jerry,
The tank is located in the unfinished portion of my basement, and sits on concrete. The floor joists I would be drilling are above the tank, under the kitchen sink....no body walking on top of them.
The joists would be drilled from left to right (horizontal) not up and down, (vertical). The joists are 2x10's and actually measure 1.5 inches x 9.5 inches, and a 1 inch hole would only be a little more than 10% of the surface area. The joists are 13.25 inches apart and I can add cross bracing if needed, quite easily.
I understand your concern, but I dont think I was saying what I was thinking about very clearly...
Does that clarify things any?
Nick
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
The intent behind drilling through the joists was as a space saver.
The top of the tank is 21 inches below the joists above it. My canopy should take up about 9 inches of that....I'd like to be able to raise and lower the canopy as much as possible for acclimation to new bulbs and to be able to get into the tank....
Mounting the lighting to the bottom edge of the joists takes up valuable room.
I spoke w/ ctazmartin on the phone for a while and he gave me some great alternatives to drilling....they are easier and involve less drilling....
More on this later....
Nick
The top of the tank is 21 inches below the joists above it. My canopy should take up about 9 inches of that....I'd like to be able to raise and lower the canopy as much as possible for acclimation to new bulbs and to be able to get into the tank....
Mounting the lighting to the bottom edge of the joists takes up valuable room.
I spoke w/ ctazmartin on the phone for a while and he gave me some great alternatives to drilling....they are easier and involve less drilling....
More on this later....
Nick
Well why did'nt you say that in the first place
. Carry on then and get it done already sheeeesh. I once went to a display house to buy and in the basement the idiots that installed the A/C system cut thru a floor joist that was directly above the entrance hall to this house just so they could run some duct work. Now this was a sizable cut out that went all the way thru and how they kept the inspector from seeing that I will never know.
. Carry on then and get it done already sheeeesh. I once went to a display house to buy and in the basement the idiots that installed the A/C system cut thru a floor joist that was directly above the entrance hall to this house just so they could run some duct work. Now this was a sizable cut out that went all the way thru and how they kept the inspector from seeing that I will never know.
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
LOL Jerry...
The current plan is to use a set of pulleys to raise/lower the lights.
I spoke w/ Chris (ctazmartin) about this at length yesterday. The original idea was to make simple pulleys out of PVC, 4 inch long 3/8ths or so bolst drilled through the joists, w/ large fender washers on the ends to keep the PVC from falling off.
Then I found some inexpensive pulleys at Ace Hardware when I picked up the Thorite... like $3 each....so I'll be playing with those for a bit before I get it all figured out...
Nick
The current plan is to use a set of pulleys to raise/lower the lights.
I spoke w/ Chris (ctazmartin) about this at length yesterday. The original idea was to make simple pulleys out of PVC, 4 inch long 3/8ths or so bolst drilled through the joists, w/ large fender washers on the ends to keep the PVC from falling off.
Then I found some inexpensive pulleys at Ace Hardware when I picked up the Thorite... like $3 each....so I'll be playing with those for a bit before I get it all figured out...
Nick
jnarowe
New member
Pulleys aren't fun with lights though. I know a lot of people do it but I don't like the risk element. I prefer rigid aluminum with high, medium, and low stops. At the very least you could knot the pulley rope at a point where the fixture won't fall into the water should you lose your grip!
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
Way ahead of you Jonathan...I'll be setting up some eye bolts and use them in conjunction with a safety latch, (spring loaded, keeps it from coming unsecured by accident...have a set on my 58 gallon), or I might use some D clips if I find some that work right.
I spent several years as boyscout, several years as a Marine, and now I'm a police officer....I'm all about the worst case scenario and being prepared.
Nick
I spent several years as boyscout, several years as a Marine, and now I'm a police officer....I'm all about the worst case scenario and being prepared.
Nick
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
04-11-07
Things are moving slower than I had originally hoped...doesnt it always?
Anyway...
Long story short, wound up suspending the canopy from a pine closet rod that's about an inch thick. It is mounted below the joists.
I tried playing with the pulley system several different ways, and each way worked out as bad as the first. The death knell for the pulley set up was when the wife came in and asked how long I expected "that ghetto fabulous contraption to keep working?"
I can still raise/lower the lights 10.5 inches, which at their highest point will have the lights some 15 inches or so above the water level.
I also put some coarser sand down in the bare spot. The intent being to see if that gets blown around. If it doesnt, then the sand stays, if it does...well, then I have another BB tank.
The sand I put in initially is 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter. The new stuff is 2.0-4.0 mm in diameter. I'm not going any bigger than that for this...
Pics will follow later.
Nick
Things are moving slower than I had originally hoped...doesnt it always?
Anyway...
Long story short, wound up suspending the canopy from a pine closet rod that's about an inch thick. It is mounted below the joists.
I tried playing with the pulley system several different ways, and each way worked out as bad as the first. The death knell for the pulley set up was when the wife came in and asked how long I expected "that ghetto fabulous contraption to keep working?"
I can still raise/lower the lights 10.5 inches, which at their highest point will have the lights some 15 inches or so above the water level.
I also put some coarser sand down in the bare spot. The intent being to see if that gets blown around. If it doesnt, then the sand stays, if it does...well, then I have another BB tank.
The sand I put in initially is 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter. The new stuff is 2.0-4.0 mm in diameter. I'm not going any bigger than that for this...
Pics will follow later.
Nick
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
Ummm...cause I dont have tools for it.
I do have experiance making lightweight wooden light racks though. I wish I could have the DIY skills that Joseph Weatherson does...
McBeck...yeah, I was interested in giving her a high 5 alright...
several hours of playing with it, trying to make it workable, and she gives it that moniker....
Oh well, on a lighter note, the sand had to go. Even the heavier stuff was being blown around. Filled up one 6 gallon bucket, still have a little left to get out.
Nick
I do have experiance making lightweight wooden light racks though. I wish I could have the DIY skills that Joseph Weatherson does...
McBeck...yeah, I was interested in giving her a high 5 alright...
several hours of playing with it, trying to make it workable, and she gives it that moniker....
Oh well, on a lighter note, the sand had to go. Even the heavier stuff was being blown around. Filled up one 6 gallon bucket, still have a little left to get out.
Nick
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9702264#post9702264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
drill, hacksaw, rivet gun, aluminum rivets...you could borrow them from a perp!
Yeah...we call that evidence. Its generally frowned upon to "borrow" evidence for personal reasons. The courts are kinda weird about that....
Jim,
How are you? I've been wondering how things are with you...you doing okay with the Ameren UE debacle currently going on?
I wish progress on this was faster than it is....got more sand out today...now, with all the particulate crap in the water column it looks like a watered down milkshake...
wondering if I'll need to do a good sized water change to get rid of this crap....
Nick
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
I'm slacking on the photo's, but I did do some messing around with the Thorite last night. Thorite sets up pretty quick....to the point that it gets interesting to work with sometimes.
I coated one PVC rock rack with the Thorite, and used up most of the Thorite in the 10lb can I bought. Thorite is sold in lbs since its dry, but it came in what's basically a 1 gallon paint can.
After I get home from work, I'll post pics...promise.
Nick
I coated one PVC rock rack with the Thorite, and used up most of the Thorite in the 10lb can I bought. Thorite is sold in lbs since its dry, but it came in what's basically a 1 gallon paint can.
After I get home from work, I'll post pics...promise.
Nick
