My new filter/bubble reducer box project.

[icereefer]

Hi well I'm at it again. going to start a new little project to help filter organic waste and help reduce bubbles that produced by the outlet that come from my main tank down to my sump. I needed to come up with something to help reduce the evaporation I'm getting from the bubbles produced by my return from my main tank to my sump. and do to the small area I have on the return side of my sump, and since I like new projects and taking on things I've never done before I've desided to make my own Organic waste filter/bubble reducer box.
as I go here I will post pictures of how I do this project in case anyone is interested in making there own home DIY arcylic box projects.
first off I'm Know pro here I'm learning as I go so any suggestions please post the help others under stand the proper way of bolding acrylic together. or easier ways of doing it .
okey this first picture is the precut pieces of my box I'm attempting to put together.... :w00t:.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB002.jpg
the piece in the far right middle thats got a different pattern to it thats one of my end pieces I will be attempting to heat and bend that lip to use as a hang lip for the edge of my tank to hold the box up the other end will rest on one of my gates in my sump.I will take pictures of how I bend that piece in my home oven..fingers are crossed it will work... :biggrin:
this photo is the solvent I will be using to bold my acrylic together with. and the bottle with the neddle on it is the applicator I will use to evenly apply the solvent.... wish me luck. :w00t: this stuff dries really fast.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB004.jpg
Jim

[specsgirl]

Good Luck! I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes!

[Doctor_Reef]

Me too!!!

[icereefer]

Okay I did a little more research on bending Acrylic Plastic. I was going to use my oven to heat and bend my plastic but found out that acrylic plastic releases a gas when heated and can explode. So never use a oven to bend plastic. the best method to bending Acrylic plastic is to use a paint stripping gun. first off lightly score the back side of the piece your going to bend it will bend on the score line. http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB006.jpg.
you want to heat it enough to were it start to warp the plastic but not hot enough to bend the ends and slowly bend Acrylic to the desired pose. http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB007.jpg
here is another shot of the bend I made on the bottom spillway of my box.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB008.jpg
Jim

[icereefer]

Well I got my frame glued together after dripping the solvent all over the place i did fined an easier way to spread it evenly. I put the neddle tip about a 1/8" from the I was working on the slowly tipped the bottle up to were the solvent came out slow and a even stream. once i got to the end of my joint I was glueing in a horizontal layout I slowly let the solvent flow back and forth from end to end to keep a nice even look to the pattern of glue. worked great. I used clamp to square up the box the masking taped it up to keep it together till my glue set up.. the set up time sem to be around 10 mintures to be bonded good enough so my joints wouldn't come apart. and I will wait at least 24 hrs before I attempt to add my gates and eggcreate ledge.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB009.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB010.jpg
Jim

[FishinInTheDark]

Looks really great Jim!

[icereefer]

Okay I couldn't wait the 24 hrs for the frame to dry. it seem to be strong enough to go on and it was. so first off I added my bottom spillway here's a photo of it in.http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB011.jpg
Second I added my top spillway heres a photo of it in. http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB014.jpg.
then I added my ledge to hold my eggcrate in heres that picture.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB015.jpg.
and this picture is my end produce I made.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB016.jpg
I call it my Organic waste/ Bubble eliminator box..... :hmm3:
next I will add it to my sump and see if it does what I'm hoping it was made for. another floss filter for catching organic Natural and unnatural matter and eliminate unwanted bubble that adds to a lot of evaporation.
Jim

[gman0526]

Awesome work Jim!!! I can't see why it wouldn't work.

[icereefer]

I hope so I'm up to a gal and a half of evaporation a day. :w00t:

[gman0526]

On your 37 gal? That's a lot :shock: Then I top off about 2.5 gals a day on my 75 :roll: But 1 gal is SW since I'm skimming really wet.

[icereefer]

No this is in my 40 gal with my 29 gal sump.

[gman0526]

Gotcha :wink:

[icereefer]

Well I got it in this is a picture of my box in and working.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB023.jpg
and this picture is to show how much bubbles it produces. http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d92/Jim-Durso-/OBB024.jpg
in the picture it does look like a lot but there big bubbles and before I was using this box. the bubbles that were on this side of my sump was all most solid micro bubbles so this box I made cut the bubbles that was all most solid micro bubble down to 3/4 of what it was producing. :thumbsup:
Jim

[gman0526]

Gotta love when a plan works out!! :D

[DKWICK]

Very Cool Jim!

[Sugar Magnolia]

Pretty neat Jim! Glad it worked out for you!!

[BigBill]

wow... check out McGuyver...

Great work Jim