What does a rascal scooter and a 180 gallon aquarium have in common? (lots of pics)
- Thread starter aztbs
- Start date
reefgeek84
In Memoriam
You are on to a new program on discovery!!!!!
This is an awesome idea and looks like you did a very professional on it!
aztbs
Active member
Ok, my camera only can do 15 second clips, so here is the best I got. It actually takes about 30 seconds to run it at a comfortable pace all the way to the ceiling and I normally would turn the lights off. The T5's can handle the vibration OK.
Please forgive the noise. (and turn down your volume!!!) The cheesey mic on the camera magnifies the sound horribly. We do have aligning and fine tuning to do to further quiet the setup, but it really is not bad.
Lift up
Lift down
Please forgive the noise. (and turn down your volume!!!) The cheesey mic on the camera magnifies the sound horribly. We do have aligning and fine tuning to do to further quiet the setup, but it really is not bad.
Lift up
Lift down
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Best idea I have seen this year so far. Great DIY!
sidewinder770
New member
It's probably not quite as noisy in person- I've noticed videos of reef tanks always seem to be a little louder than they really are as well as make the room a little darker but that's just the nature of the beast. Still looks cool and should give you plenty of room to get to things in the tank. Are you planning on 'skinning' the canopy somehow as well as the stand?
aztbs
Active member
I reuploaded the videos without the audio. 
It looks so much cooler that way.
Indeed, we are going to rebuild the canopy box itself or at least trim it out to look finished. I still haven't settled on the style to use yet. The whole framework to the side of the tank will be enclosed in cabinets, the stand will be covered and it all will be stained. The current canopy is made from unfinished pine (well sealed on the inside) but the soft boards don't hold up to the heat and humidity and they have warped some. It was built quick to get the lights over the tank to get it cycling.
It looks so much cooler that way.Indeed, we are going to rebuild the canopy box itself or at least trim it out to look finished. I still haven't settled on the style to use yet. The whole framework to the side of the tank will be enclosed in cabinets, the stand will be covered and it all will be stained. The current canopy is made from unfinished pine (well sealed on the inside) but the soft boards don't hold up to the heat and humidity and they have warped some. It was built quick to get the lights over the tank to get it cycling.
Amaziing!
Necessity really is the mother of invention. Have you noticed any backlash in your leadscrew/leadnut? At the speed its being driven at there probably isnt any. The bearing block on the all-thread gives me an idea about how to mount my leadscrews on my homebrew cnc router. Well done! There have been lots of really good DIY's latlely!
Necessity really is the mother of invention. Have you noticed any backlash in your leadscrew/leadnut? At the speed its being driven at there probably isnt any. The bearing block on the all-thread gives me an idea about how to mount my leadscrews on my homebrew cnc router. Well done! There have been lots of really good DIY's latlely!
aztbs
Active member
Thanks Hobster. Yes, the whole setup is currently running off of the scooter batteries. There is not a charger attached all the time, but that is something we are still thinking about. You read our minds on the battery box, we were just talking about that. There will also be some fans installed in the attic to help exhaust the heat (we have been meaning to get that done anyway).
Obviously, the wiring will not stay that way either, we have work left to do on finishing.
Obviously, the wiring will not stay that way either, we have work left to do on finishing.
Hello to all and thanks for the many compliments on the lift. This was something that was needed badly. Even though it works just fine, I feel that the whole thing is in need of some fine tuning. But with having to work all day and having the attic at a comfortable 140 degrees in the late evening, I just havenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t had time to get back up there and finish off the project yet.
That being said, I am already planning the upgrades. Chain path supports, nylon stops, and more vertical rod guides to dampen the harmonic vibrations that develop. I also want to upgrade the motor mounts from solid wood to rubber isolated support mounts. That will cut down a lot of the transferred vibrations. (Ever stick your head inside a metal garbage can and have someone beat on it with two large wooden spoons? Yeah, itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s kind of like that.)
The original design called for the lift rods to be on the outer corners of the canopy, didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t happen. I wanted to use a garage door opener motor and drive gear assembly, didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t happen.
I would have liked to use cog belts in place of the chain drive system, didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t happen.
What did happen was the whole contraption went together relatively quickly, I got to use my grinders, drill presses, mig welder, a good selection of hand tools, (both with batteries and with out) And a whole bunch of crap, err, useful material that I have diligently collected/liberated over the last several years because deep down inside, I knew that I would eventually be able to make something cool out of them. The rascal motor was actually a good fit. The computer that drives it has a load/amp draw sensor that makes the unit pretty safe/hard to overdrive it. If the draw is too strong it goes into a neutral mode. And the screw drive itself is very safe, even if the chains came off the vertical load is not enough to prompt the screw (all thread) to turn. I like safe!
Most importantly is that my wife Tiffanie can get into the tank by herself, and that makes me happy.
So, to recap, itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s cool, it works nicely, I have some fine tuning to do. And I can now justify the use of a gas motor vs. electric to power the remote controlled ice chest. I mean come on, if youââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢re really thirsty, you need your ice chest to be there for you, and being able to take hot laps on it isnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t all that bad either.
BTW, did Tiffanie tell anyone about the submarine??
Bill
That being said, I am already planning the upgrades.
Chain path supports, nylon stops, and more vertical rod guides to dampen the harmonic vibrations that develop. I also want to upgrade the motor mounts from solid wood to rubber isolated support mounts. That will cut down a lot of the transferred vibrations. (Ever stick your head inside a metal garbage can and have someone beat on it with two large wooden spoons? Yeah, itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s kind of like that.)The original design called for the lift rods to be on the outer corners of the canopy, didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t happen. I wanted to use a garage door opener motor and drive gear assembly, didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t happen.
I would have liked to use cog belts in place of the chain drive system, didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t happen.
What did happen was the whole contraption went together relatively quickly, I got to use my grinders, drill presses, mig welder, a good selection of hand tools, (both with batteries and with out) And a whole bunch of crap, err, useful material that I have diligently collected/liberated over the last several years because deep down inside, I knew that I would eventually be able to make something cool out of them. The rascal motor was actually a good fit. The computer that drives it has a load/amp draw sensor that makes the unit pretty safe/hard to overdrive it. If the draw is too strong it goes into a neutral mode. And the screw drive itself is very safe, even if the chains came off the vertical load is not enough to prompt the screw (all thread) to turn. I like safe!
Most importantly is that my wife Tiffanie can get into the tank by herself, and that makes me happy.
So, to recap, itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s cool, it works nicely, I have some fine tuning to do. And I can now justify the use of a gas motor vs. electric to power the remote controlled ice chest. I mean come on, if youââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢re really thirsty, you need your ice chest to be there for you, and being able to take hot laps on it isnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t all that bad either.
BTW, did Tiffanie tell anyone about the submarine??
Bill
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