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Thread: Need help getting started

  1. #11

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    I used silcone on my first project when I first started 5 or 6 years ago. I built the overflow/weir on melevsreef. I worked took a while to set up and I am actually still using it. Silcone works but the Weld-on is a lot easier and quicker. Learn to use the 3 or 4, once you do you find the thicker stuff very cumbersome. Practice on a couple of pieces before doing you actual glue up.

    Kent

  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by kentth View Post
    I used silcone on my first project when I first started 5 or 6 years ago. I built the overflow/weir on melevsreef. I worked took a while to set up and I am actually still using it. Silcone works but the Weld-on is a lot easier and quicker. Learn to use the 3 or 4, once you do you find the thicker stuff very cumbersome. Practice on a couple of pieces before doing you actual glue up.

    Kent
    Kent,

    thanks for the great advice. I am working on ordering the weld on. I have been doing research on techniques for bonding acrylic and am thinking of using straight pins to create a small gap for the weld on to fill the gap. Any suggestions on getting a good butt end seal other then this?

    http://ozreef.org/diy_plans/techniqu...g_acrylic.html

    I started cutting the acrylic pieces yesterday. Seems to cut easily with the acrylic tool.

  3. #13

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    I just followed the instruction on the two areas I gave you, the pin technique works great. Get a good rotor bit to trim off the excess. I originally tried to glue it up, without leaving a little bit to be rotor-ed off, but it is much easier to use a rotor. I actually cut mine with a table saw and a plywood blade, works great. I then buff and scrap the edges. I actually have access to someone at the local University, in the Arch. dept. that I could use their CAD Laser cutter, but I did some reading that the laser will change the chemistry of the acrylic. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a bunch of small squares. the more the better. Take your time in gluing up each of the sides. There are pictures of my build on this site on some older threads, I put up.

    Kent

  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by kentth View Post
    I just followed the instruction on the two areas I gave you, the pin technique works great. Get a good rotor bit to trim off the excess. I originally tried to glue it up, without leaving a little bit to be rotor-ed off, but it is much easier to use a rotor. I actually cut mine with a table saw and a plywood blade, works great. I then buff and scrap the edges. I actually have access to someone at the local University, in the Arch. dept. that I could use their CAD Laser cutter, but I did some reading that the laser will change the chemistry of the acrylic. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a bunch of small squares. the more the better. Take your time in gluing up each of the sides. There are pictures of my build on this site on some older threads, I put up.

    Kent

    Kent,

    thanks for the great guidance. I am now working on begging, borrowing (not stealing though) the tools needed so I can finish the project. I will be posting some pics when I have progress along the way.

  5. #15

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    Ok so now that everything is cut and ready for welding (still waiting on my package of weld on). I was wondering about the water flow into the unit. I have 2 1" drains in my tank am I was thinking of using one drain to feed the ATS. Should I reduce the plumping into the ATS to 3/4" to increase water flow or stay at 1"? I know this is probably a difficult question to answer sorry. Santa Manica those plans of the ATS 100 has a 3/4" feed line.

  6. #16

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    Hello!

    Have no practical experience with this, but i would think there is no reason to reduse the dim of plumbing into the ats. I think bigger pvc pipe is better beacuse a bigger pipe will give less water speed inside the pipe. This will give the water better posibilitys to spread out even over the algae screen. It is the slot in the pipe that is the final restriction to the water flow anyway.

    jnad

  7. #17
    kerry's Avatar
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    As long as you can achieve the the proper flow it should be OK. You might incorporate a couple valves so you can divert flow when cleaning the screen or to regulate the flow if its to much.
    150G. Reef/Mix
    125G. 3 Regular Oscars/1 Jack Dempsey
    75G. 20+ Africans
    40G. Fish/Reef. Algae Scrubbers on ALL my SW
    10G. SW Fish/Reef.
    10G. SW Hospital/new fish quarantine/pod breeder tank
    6 stage RO/DI system 200 GPD.

  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by jnad View Post
    Hello!

    Have no practical experience with this, but i would think there is no reason to reduse the dim of plumbing into the ats. I think bigger pvc pipe is better beacuse a bigger pipe will give less water speed inside the pipe. This will give the water better posibilitys to spread out even over the algae screen. It is the slot in the pipe that is the final restriction to the water flow anyway.

    jnad
    good point.....I wasn't thinking about the slit being the ultimate determinate of flow.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by kerry View Post
    As long as you can achieve the the proper flow it should be OK. You might incorporate a couple valves so you can divert flow when cleaning the screen or to regulate the flow if its to much.
    I planned on using a gate value so that I can get proper flow with little to no noise since it drives my wife nuts.

  10. #20
    kerry's Avatar
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    I can relate to the quiet. I have had complaints in the past. I have one advantage this time around, my wife met me when I had more fish tanks then furniture so she knew how it was going to be LOL.
    150G. Reef/Mix
    125G. 3 Regular Oscars/1 Jack Dempsey
    75G. 20+ Africans
    40G. Fish/Reef. Algae Scrubbers on ALL my SW
    10G. SW Fish/Reef.
    10G. SW Hospital/new fish quarantine/pod breeder tank
    6 stage RO/DI system 200 GPD.

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