Wooden Protien Skimmer

Re: Leeching

Re: Leeching

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10217686#post10217686 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luke33
If you add wood into water, it will leach meaning, it will turn the water brown. I hate to be a doubter as i'm always pulling for DIY'ers, but i don't see this working. The epoxy will start to come off in time. Wood=splinters, pvc = very smooth, not sure what your talking about there either. Anyhow good luck, apparently you think you know how to do this.
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This is a very common tank building method. Its been around longer than the reef keeping hobby. Do a search for plywood tanks or just drop by the Large Tank forum. I've done this before as have MANY other people. The epoxy will not just peel off. Once cured, epoxy hardens into a very smooth plastic.

Again, this has been done MANY MANY times on this site alone, although this is the first skimmer made like this. And yes, I actually do really know what I'm talking about. I speak from experience.
 
I just finished building a huge plywood tank, and have built plywood darkroom sinks in the past, so YES, it is a very simple concept.

In regards to building via a Brute trashcan, I still believe it would be far easier, and would be a simple matter of using 2 large Acrylic disks to be joined by a neck tube. The bottom disk could them be heat formed into a mild cone shape and permanetely attached to the Brute, leaving the neck and top flange to be connected via Nylon thumb screws the same way all of the big skimmers do it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10218417#post10218417 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tgreene
I just finished building a huge plywood tank, and have built plywood darkroom sinks in the past, so YES, it is a very simple concept.

In regards to building via a Brute trashcan, I still believe it would be far easier, and would be a simple matter of using 2 large Acrylic disks to be joined by a neck tube. The bottom disk could them be heat formed into a mild cone shape and permanetely attached to the Brute, leaving the neck and top flange to be connected via Nylon thumb screws the same way all of the big skimmers do it.
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The problem with a trash can is that it is designed to hold dry trash and not several hundred pounds of water. There would not be any form of bracing that would keep it from exploding. Not to mention that neither epoxy nor any other form of glue will stick to polypropylene or polyethylene, which are used in all trash cans.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10218649#post10218649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
hehehe...and I have seen them bust up. Even the Brutes aren't meant for holding water.
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Maybe if the PP or PE was 1/4" thick, but at 1/16" PP and PE is way too flexible and soft.
 
I am using 96g Rubbermaids and they are PHAAAT. I plan on replacing them and have already gotten a 200g fiberglass tank to house my RO/DI water.

backside4%20051906.jpg


Just to give an idea of how much weight they are holding:

bent%20table.jpg


And here's how I "fixed" that:

new%20RO%20stand.jpg
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10218615#post10218615 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MarkS
The problem with a trash can is that it is designed to hold dry trash and not several hundred pounds of water. There would not be any form of bracing that would keep it from exploding. Not to mention that neither epoxy nor any other form of glue will stick to polypropylene or polyethylene, which are used in all trash cans.
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Yet ironically, this s what most reefkeepers use for holding and mixing water... ;)

It's really of no concern to me anyway, since I have a Octopus FDNW quad recirc skimmer, as well as a 95 gallon poly barrel that is 3?8" thick for mixing and holding water.
 
I am using 96g Rubbermaids and they are PHAAAT
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i used to use the ~54? gallon square-with-wheels brute and it developed a tiny leak. i think the sharp corners in the bottom can't take the pressure.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10219278#post10219278 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by manderx
i used to use the ~54? gallon square-with-wheels brute and it developed a tiny leak. i think the sharp corners in the bottom can't take the pressure.
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The same thing just happened to mine after about a year and a half of holding mixing water. It was a 54ish size and it was one of the thicker ones. The 96 gallon trash can mentioned above is much thicker yet. For the price of one of those though you have many more options than just trash cans...could go with a rubbermaid stock tank for less money.


Also...I have little doubt your plywood skimmer will hold up A-OK if built right. Have you ever seen this one though? He made his out of fiberglass but made it from a mould that looks fairly similar to your current progress.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=686757&perpage=25&pagenumber=10
 
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the 96g Rubbermaid cost about $80 IIRC, but I bought them chiefly to move the rock when I bought the tank. I had to go a few hundred miles and the Rubbermaids made it much easier to move the rock, in water, back to my home.

They are much thicker indeed, but still bulge horrbily and I don't doubt that they will eventually fail. I just don't have room in my tank room to use stock tanks, and commercially produced water tanks are very expensive.
 
jnarowe...if you got a smaller tank you would have plenty of room for larger water storage vessils. I'll gladly trade you my 65 for your 1000. Just say when and I'll be there with bells on. :D
 
Hello I have been away for a few days nice to see the interest in my project. It seems like peoples main concern is bracing and leeching. Like others have said I'm going to seal it with epoxy and it will be very well brace. There will be no leeking.

Like I said the only point of diy for me is to save money. The quotes I saw for a 4'x8' sheet of acrylic were around $230.00, way more than what the plywood cost. I will have used 2 sheets of plywood at about 8 bucks a pop and the amount of epoxy and epoxy paint I need will only cost me about $150.00 so I have already saved more than 50%.
 
Don't us the genx's, they will all rust. I would suggest, if you don't worry about wattage. The laguna pump's will rock it out. You can get a laguna 2400 which is a red dragon(gay name) KO for around 55 bux and pull 120 scfh. Look for the red dragon diy thread.
 
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