DIY Calcium Reactor

[j5hughes]

So for the past 1 1/2 years I have been gathering the materials & doing a lot of reading. I only have a few minor pieces to make & in the next week or so I will have my completed Geo style reactor. I just had the flanges CNCed @ work today & they came out awesome.

I will post where I got the supplies, the process of putting it all together & completion photos very soon.

 

[JohnK]

Ahh, that looks fantastic, but CNC is cheating. You're supposed to make your first flange set free hand with a router, it's like a tradition

 

[newenglandreef]

Looks great, do you use a special router tip on the acrylic or does a regular bit work fine?

 

[newenglandreef]

where do you get the acrylic cylinder? (I'm thinking of doing a DYI Carbon Reactor also)

 

[j5hughes]

John, I am not that crafty.

 

[j5hughes]

I am not sure what type of bit exactly, I think it is kind of like a saber saw bit for a rotozip.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23517&catid=0&clickid=popcorn

You can get acrylic tubes there. I was able get some locally from a fellow reefer.

 

[JohnK]

I was just joking. It would be impossible to free hand something like this.

The CNC work is beautiful. I'm not educated on CNC machines, but I would bet that work was done with a milling bit. (much like a router bit, not a saw blade at all)

When buying acrylic tube for DIY projects the big question is extruded vs cast. If you are installing fittings in the tube, you should probably use cast as it will resist crazing. If all fittings are installed in/through the flange(s) or base, then extruded tube would work just fine and be far cheaper.

 

[JohnK]

This is how you make flanges without CNC.

Thanks Liam;
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?58657-DIY-Flanges&highlight=

 

[j5hughes]

I have seen people do amazing things with acrylic, routers, jigs, & time. I have access to the cnc so I figure I should take advantage of it. When I said saber saw I did not mean a toothed type saw blade but rather a type of bit used by Rotozips & Dremels. They look exactly like regular drill bits, but the sides along the length of the bit have the cutting edge rather than the tip. The profile of the bit used was flat so the o ring channel has no rounded groove just a 3/16" deep channel that is flat at the bottom. I was told by someone on reefcentral to use an 1/8" ball mill for the o ring channel so it is rounded. I was going to do that until I noticed the o ring channel in my skimmer was flat so I opted to do that.

 

[j5hughes]

Here is the type of bit I was thinking of different spelling, but I think those milling bits must be similar.
http://www.google.com/m/search?site...&client=safari&q=rotozip sabrecut zip bit#i=5

That build by Liam is a perfect example of fine craftmanship. I think I would burn though a lot of acrylic making mistakes if I tried that.

 

[newenglandreef]

This is how you make flanges without CNC.

Thanks Liam;
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?58657-DIY-Flanges&highlight=

John--how does that router jig work? I don't get it-- you're using it as a guide?

 

[j5hughes]

Well I finished the reactor last week & have been a little nervous about dripping too much effluent, but I must say after testing for 4 days my ALK & CA have stayed the same. So the whole dial in thing was not as difficult as I had anticipated.

 

[j5hughes]

I got the probe holder, mesh screen, o-ring, & one of them cheap plastic check valves (I do plan on getting a brass one soon) from Geo.http://www.geosreef.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=71
so for $11 plus shipping from geo not to bad. I think you might be able to get the probe holder from an electrical supply place, & I also think a bearing co. might have o-rings that size. I recently replaced my skimmer o-ring & I was able to buy it from capeway bearing co. for like $2.00.

 

[j5hughes]

For plumbing I used 1/2" pvc & got everything @ home depot/lowes. 1- union, 2- 90's, 3- t's with 2 slip sockets & one threaded, 1- slip to thread adaptor, 2- 1/2" slip to barb, & 3- thread to 1/4 quick connect fittings. I also got 8 nylon bolts & nuts 5/16". I don't remember how much that all cost, but I don't think it went over $20. I also used 1/2" I.D. vinyl tube.

 

[j5hughes]

Here it is all finished.

 

[j5hughes]

Here it is up and running.

 

[j5hughes]

I forgot about the pumps I used the Eheim 1048 for $75 just like the Geos come with. I was running one of them toms aquatics aqualifter pumps ($20) to feed the reactor but it was sucking in air or leaking depending on placement. I think I broke it trying to get the tubing off of it. Anyways now I just feed it off of my return pump & the thing runs great so far.

 

[j5hughes]

I used weldon 16 to glue it all together I got it @ Altec plastics in Boston for $15 a tube.