As I mentioned before the number of turns required to remove the collection cup was somewhat annoying at times. It did not required a lot of height to be removed but I'll try another mod this time by shaving down the threads. This was done once again on the router table with the bearing removed from the flush trim bit. You can also use a straight bit but I was too lazy to swap it out.

I placed the piece against the fence of the router table (turn on the router first!!), and made light cuts rotating the piece each time adjusting the fence.

Setting the fence for the initial cut

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3724.jpg

Finished piece. I had to keep checking the threads on the cleanout to ensure that I didn't take too much off. When I was done there was less than a 1/4 turn in order to connect the two pieces, and get a tight fit with the gasket....forgot to mention that the plugs also come with a gasket.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3726.jpg

This completes one half of the union/flange that will be attached to the top of the skimmer body.

The cleanout was simple cut on the miter saw leaving only the tread portion. I could have made the cut thinner but would like to keep all my fingers.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3689.jpg

Once that was done I followed the same process as I did for the plug using the router. Before I could do that though I needed to get rid of those little "bumps" on the side. If I didn't I would not be able to rotate the piece on edge. I adjusted the fence to the right distance, and rotated across the bit.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3727.jpg

and here is the completed flange/union....which is it by the way?

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3728.jpg

Here is a shot of the body about to be solvent welded. Nothing special....just place it on the sheet and weld.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3729.jpg

Almost forgot.....I usually add some weight before gluing....oops "welding". Paint cans come in handy. P.S. I use Benjamin Moore.....no matter what the guys at HD say ;).....This was some of the cheap stuff the builder left behind.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3730.jpg

Excuse my foam job on the door in the background....that stuff goes a long way!

Off to the router table again. After about an hour or so I cut out the tube making sure I put the bearing back on the flush bit.....it's so easy to forget. I usually place masking tape on the tube if it didn't come with any protective film, which all of the ones I've ever receive didn't have.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3731.jpg

A couple teaser shots of what is starting to look like a skimmer :).........time to get some sleep, and figure out a way to bend the top into a straight cone.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3733.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3734.jpg

Did I mention that this build would be Pic Intense :)

Did some work on the collection cup this morning. Sorry in advance for the breif descriptions....Got to get the kids luch before it's off to the day job.

Some 4" acrylic tubing was cut for the riser

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3735.jpg

Preped the edge of the rise on the router

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3736.jpg

Welded the rise to 1/4" sheet

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3741.jpg

Cut out the center using a hole saw

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3742.jpg

Finished off the hole with the router

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3745.jpg

Welded the collection cup to the acrylic sheet....make sure ther riser is centered

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3746.jpg

Cut out the collection cup from the sheet with a 1/4" roundover bit....I like the finish is gives.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3748.jpg

Remember the pylon I posted earlier.......a sneak peak of the next project where I'll try some vacuum thermoforming. Should be the cheapest body (approx $5.00) if I can get it right :):)

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3749.jpg

Your fabrication skills are immaculate!!!:biggrin:

Wow very cool....

I would never have the patience to do it myself, but very cool none the less....

TJ

Tool Tip:

To cut circles out I would recommend the Jasper circle jigs. They manufacture several templates, guides, and jigs that work really well.

Here are a few shots....I use the 200 and 400 models that can mount right onto the router table.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3750.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3751.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3752.jpg

I tried thermoforming the top of the skimmer body to provide a transition between the body and the collection cup, but it didn't turn out too well so I won't go through all the steps. Here a few shots that outline the basic process (which still needs some work).

I made a box that would fit over the skimmer to heat the top using a heat gun. The temperature inside gets pretty hot during the initial tests! I believe the range for acrylic is around 300F.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3754.jpg

I placed the box over the top of the skimmer and heated for approx 20min at 300F. Here is a pic with the lid off. I used the lid as a damper, leaving a gap, to regulate the temperature inside the box. A baffle was placed inside the box to prevent overheating the acrylic.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3761.jpg

There was a mold on the inside of the skimmer which I made from foam to mold the shape. However, the acrylic would just not bend the way I would like it too. Eventually a gap started forming between the top of the chamber and the PVC union.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3765.jpg

The top was cut off :( and a new one welded back to the skimmer. I will go with a flat top for now.

Almost complete today.

Cutting out the holes for the pump and the bulkheads on the top of the skimmer box

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3768.jpg

Coming together

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3769.jpg

Plumbing of the diffusion plate

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3771.jpg

All together

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3772.jpg

Getting ready to get wet....still need to complete the lid and the bottom of the box. I didn't want to weld the bottom of the box on before I gave it a try. I would have liked to have rounded over the box, but I accidentally welded the body on before I got a chance to get it on router table.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3774.jpg

Got the skimmer into the sump :). The first thing I noticed was the diffusion chamber. Since I plumbed the inlet of the skimmer directly to the plate I would need to ensure there is a pre-filter or grid to prevent debris from getting into the skimmer in this case macroalgae from the refuge. I'm glad I didn't glue the bottom onto the box yet. The next build I would probably add a keyhole flange to the bottom of the skimmer body to give access to the plate

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3777.jpg

You have amazing skills! I am curious as to how much a project like this costs? Is it really more cost effective to diy a skimmer?

Wow that looks amazing

Those are completely MAD DIY skills you got there. Amazing!!!!

Ok I was going to post about how much I loved your aquascape. Seriously one of the sweetest I've seen I love the right side especially. I miss the sand but if you don't go nuts =)

Your diy skills are inspiring beyond belief! I so wish I could work with acrylic. I've never tried mind you but I don't have the toolshed you do nor the financial opportunity to experiment!

I also noticed your virtual plumbing warehouse is quite well stocked! Thanks for sharing in so much detail and good luck with the skimmer. I know looks/cleanliness must be important to you but could some sort of angled interior be fitted INSIDE the skimmer body to angle towards the neck?

Great thread, everything is well thought out and clean. Thanks for sharing all of the photos!

I am looking forward to seeing how everything progresses.

rstar - The most costly part of the build was the pump, mainly because I wasn't able to DIY the volute.....until now :wink:. I'll try to post some sketch-ups or CAD drawings of the volute if any CNC'ers are interested. I have a CNC project on the side but haven't had a chance to work on it yet.

I got the modified pump from SWC for $299.99. A laguna 1500 can be purchased for $126.95 (US i think)....and modified as well.

The acrylic I used was extruded which is roughly half the price of cast and is sold by the foot:

24885 7-1/2" x 8" Acrylic Tube Clear Extruded x 24" 1 $93.92 $93.92
24837 3-3/4" x 4" Acrylic Tube Clear Extruded x 12" 1 $10.34 $10.34
24844 5-3/4" x 6" Acrylic Tube Clear Extruded x 12" 1 $16.78 $16.78
24841 4-3/4" x 5" Acrylic Tube Clear Extruded x 12" 1 $13.98 $13.98
Sub Total: $135.02
Shipping: $0.00
HST: $17.55
Total: $152.57
Prices shown in Canadian funds :mrgreen:.

I get acrylic sheet from Peidmont plactics who I give a call now and then to see if they have any off cuts available which I get for approx $5.00 sq ft.

The plumbing I already had but I would approximate $50.00

Pump - $299.99
Tube - $152.57
Sheet - 7 sq ft @ $5.00/sq ft. = $35.00
Plumbing - $50.00
Total = $537.00 (approx $364 if the pump was DIY'd)

A simliar skimmer would be the SWC XTREME 250A $549.99, for a cost savings of $10.00.

Why did I do this again ???....most DIY'ers would understand

lastlight - I would have like to add a smoother transition and may play around with it again, but I need some more practice with thermoforming and I've run out of scrap pieces for the time being. I might come back to this depending on how it performs.

Thanks all for the feedback and will update as I progress. I would like to move to the LED project next, but not until I get my water params under control

Here is a vid of the first test of the skimmer. Keep in mind that the tank has been set up for about 5 months now without a water change so the DOC's may be quite high, but I'm please with the initial results :D.

I'll leave it running for the time being and see what it pulls out.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bioload#p/a/u/0/-R6YFj28bxU

Ask for a price and voila. Now thats a breakdown.

Great work.

I've actually been contemplating adding the sand back.....we'll see.

Hope I've taken out some of the guesswork if anyone want to give it a shot. I'll be doing all the reactors as well

I'm somewhat of a reef hoarder :)

Left the skimmer running for a day now and everything seems fine. I'll try to get things finished today and hopefully have it back in and plumbed in it's final location before the weekend

Here are some shots of what it managed to pull out during the test. I'm quite surprised with only around 4" of water in the chamber.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3782.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3784.jpg

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3785.jpg

I forgot to mention that the comparable size/shape/pump SWC XTREME 250A @ $549.99 is not a re-circulating skimmer. One of the reasons I choose to build my own, and I could run the plumbing whichever way worked best for my system

From what I can tell a comparable sized re-circ on their site is the cone SWC Xtreme Cone Protein Skimmer 250 1A @ $749.99

Since we're on price....This is the quote i recieved for an acrylic cone

(1) 8” to 4” x 12” high x 3/16” thick clear cast acrylic cone with one glued, polished seam $199.00
(1) mold charge $140.00

If you can use a cone that s 11.7” high, we can avoid the mold charge as we have one in house.

Freight is additional and terms are prepaid. Delivery about 3-4 weeks."

With the skimmer nearing completion I've started thinking of DIY'ing a calcium reactor.

Danner Mag-Drive 250 Supreme Water Pump
Milwaukee CO2 Regulator with Needle Valve & Solenoid
5-3/4" x 6"OD Acrylic Tube Clear Extruded x 12"
Milwaukee Instruments SMS125 pH/ORP Controller - (Already have)

Still looking for co2 cylinder options as well.

Finally got the skimmer plumbed and running for about a day now, and just when I thought I could move my focus elsewhere.....there seems to be a problem with the pump. Got home this afternoon to find that there weren't any fine bubbles being produced.

The pump is still drawing air through the airline, but the chamber of the skimmer looks like a boil and the water line which was right at the neck when everything was working well has dropped several inches.

I opened the volute and there is nothing visibly wrong with the pinwheel. Contacted SWC and hope to here back from them soon...:(

The skimmer seems to be working better this morning. Turns out while I was at work yesterday my two year old decided to feed some cheetos into the sump. My next step may be to finish the stand and get some child proof doors.

I do recall an instance with one of my other tanks where the skimmer suddenly stopped working. Thinking back now the neighbors son did drop a couple Ruffles into the thank. I guess skimmers and junkfood don't mix well.

Here is a pic of the skimmer in it's final spot plumbed into the overflow. I had originally had a gate valve on the outlet, but I've found I can adjust the skimmer by varying the height of the outlet tee for now. I currently have the return pump (mag 900) running at 100% through the tank. However, this will be reduced later on when I add a bypass to feed the reactors and refuge.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_3791.jpg

It's been a while since I've updated a tank log since not much has changed. The tank was relocated to the opposite side of the room due to the spill and subsequent cleanup .

I had to redo the aquascape in the move and could not get it exactly the way it was before, but I'm still with the new look.

The Percula's have been moved out to their new home where they have started spawning, and I've added a pair of Maroon's (red and white ). I still have my blue tang which is not as aggressive to the maroon clowns. I've also added a quartet of chromis, and a lawnmower blenny to the tank.......Almost forgot the three serpent stars...don't see them much.

The tank is temporarily lit with a cool touch fixture with VHO actinics and dual MH 175's. I was planning on replacing the bulbs on the fixture but due to the $200 price tag for the bulbs I'll be going LED.

Still no corals yet....but soon. Working on the Nitrates and will be building a few reactors once the LED DIY is complete. The tank has yet to get a water change and the Nitrates are in the 40-80 range (i think). It's a real pain trying the guess the colours on the test kit.

I've added a few varieties of caulerpa to the sump and had it lit with a 13W compact fluorescent. Right now I'm using a 250W DE MH pendant to see if it will spur some more growth to consume some of the excess nitrates.

I think that's about all that has changed....so here is an FTS

http://www.reefkeeping.ca/forum/atta...ttachmentid=52

Well that deserves a BIG ROGER on the skimmer buds.

Between work and the family I got some time make some progress on the fixture. The LED's are mounted to the heat sinks in the standard alternating blue/white pattern. The assembly was fairly simple with the screws provided in the kit. All I needed to do was apply some of the thermal grease and screw into place. A word of caution regarding the grease.....a little goes a LONG way.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMG_4818.jpg

Some planning is required in order to position the LED's in order to connect them in series. I also found that the wires that came in the kit were too short for the layout that I have. They are okay if I were to connect the LED's side by side, but came up quite a bit short running diagonally.

The acrylic box I'm building will be home to two of the segments with one box for each side of the 75 gallon. The dimensions are approximately 22"w, 13"d, and 2.5"high. I might drop the height down to 1.5" if I decide to go without the optics.

Below are the pieces that were cut for the font, back, and sides. The two sides will be router prep'd in order to bond with the front and back.

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMG_4839.jpg