DIY KALK reactor folks

[flowerseller]

Glenn,

Our buddy James (Ruh Roh) is getting a tube of glue and I'll glue up the Wamas reactor on Tuesday night. Can you pick it up before Friday night or find someone near me to get it to/pick it up?  

I leave with my 3 sons at day break Saturday AM.

Chip

[ReefMon]

No problem, just let me know when your ready.

[craby]

Chip,

I filled my kalk reactor up last night to test it for leaks & see how well the ph stirs up the kalk. I've got to say it works like a champ! If you need some help w/ the wamas reactor tonight call me before 4pm. 703-376-4496.

Luke C.

[flowerseller]

Luke,

Thanks for the update and I'm glad it's working out well.

You didn't say if it leaked?

BTW,  I see you have a 2 gallon nano,  I estimate the reactor itself holds about 1/2 gallon more than your nano tank. :D

Now that's a reactor

[dbartco]

powerheads 13.99

fittings 1.99 x 2 = 3.98

 

total 17.97 or 18, cause if someone gives me 97 cents I think I will have to flog you. As for weld on, did we need any????

 

If so, throw in another buck or two for the tubes. If not, no biggie.  I will work to move the goods another way.

 

Doug

[krish]

Luke,

I guess you did tap the holes for the fittings.

Did you purchase the tap?

Can it be passed on to the crew?

 

Glad to know it works like a charm. Will need to wait for chief to schedule

the next session after he is back from the camp.

 

thanks

krish

[craby]

Chip,

I filled it up to the rim and what we glued on Sunday doesn't leak. I've not gotten around to drilling/tapping the lid yet, but I think at this point I can pick the tap up and do it at the next session. That way the group only purchases one tap.

[HowardofNOVA]

Guys,

I've got the tap picked up today! No charge, my favor. I picked up a 1/4 20npt last night, wrong, but plan on keeping in case someone needs later. Only cost me $4. I heading over to Fischers Hardware, they have 1/4" OD milky clear piping for $.15 ft. I'll pick up the tap today and drop off at Chip's later. I completed mine reactor last night except the tapped holes and looks great.

THANK YOU CHIP & JAMES, etc. especially for doing all the extra work above and beyond on this one.

ALSO, THANKS again Chip for taking care of the KALK order as well. Big pain I know.

Howard

[craby]

Howard,

I just called Brown's hrdw. They said that 1/4 20 is standard machine screw thread and 1/4 28 is fine thread machine screw. They are out of 1/4" npt taps but think that NPT "national pipe thread" is 18 threads per inch or 1/4 18.

[craby]

Howard,

I'm assuming that the 1/4" tubing from Fishers is the riggid tubing required to connect to the inlet fitting from the dosing pump that goes down to the bottom of the reactor. Please confirm. Were you able to buy enough for all 17 reactors?

[Guest Ruh Roh]

Howard,

I just called Brown's hrdw. They said that 1/4 20 is standard machine screw thread and 1/4 28 is fine thread machine screw. They are out of 1/4" npt taps but think that NPT "national pipe thread" is 18 threads per inch or 1/4 18.

The little nylon screws we had in the lid are 1/4-20 screws. Those looked like 1/4 NPT pipe threads. I can bring a 1/4 NPT tap to Chip's tonight and we can test it out.

[flowerseller]

The nylon screws no longer need to be threaded since the hole in the top and ring are the same size.

I have a drill bit and tap anyhooter.

We need nylon thumb screws and wang nuts.

What we need for the JG fittings is a tap and bit for that. I just now may sneak over to our hardware store and peek around.

Chip

[flowerseller]

I glued the WAMAS reactor together as well as my own last night.

I tested the WAMAS one this am and no leaks and it does do a nice job stirring up the kalk.

I'll find some time early week and have the final glue party. If you miss this one, you litterly

get a kit. :p

 

The actual gluing does not take long. Howard found some glue identical to #16 red tube.

What's that hardware store Howard? And thanks for the innertube

It's in a blue tube and #33. You may want to get a tube since we have bottle necks at gluing since we only had MY tube of #16/#33. I have plenty #3 and several aplicators, a new one thanks to James.

Things left to do

finnish gluing - get some #33

drill holes for jg fittings and tap.

I bought both a drill and a tap. You are chipping in on it since the plastic is actually hard on it.

Settle up with Doug $18.00

Settle up with Chip for the cord fitting, epoxy I have to go buy.  

What else I think I'm missing something obvious.

[dbartco]

PLEASE DONT BUY ANY GLUE!!

 

I have some on its way now.  May have by Friday.

 

Doug

[krish]

Doug,

I will buy from you enough to glue 3 units .

 

-krish

[Guest Ruh Roh]

Likewise I have kicked myself in the butt and remembered to grab the epoxy... I've got plenty.

[dbartco]

Thanks guys. This is the acrylic glue, not the epoxy that I have, just to clarify. I twill be here the 12th I found out

[craby]

Chip,

What I think your forgetting is the 1/4" riggid tubing required to go from the inlet jg fitting to the bottom of the reactor. Howard told me that he picked up approx. 11' which is enough for 4 reactors. Also, I'm wandering how we connect the 1/4" riggid tube to the threaded side of the jg fitting. Does it just slide into the ID opening of the fitting or do we need to glue it in?

[HowardofNOVA]

OK GENTS,

This needs to be said! Remember the words TEAM?

Together everyone achieves more! Also, everyone needs to help pull there weight as much as possible. In my case, I've not been able to do my physical work for just not being at the "work parties" with my move, construction, work, etc.

So, I'm glad to pitch in at least a bit more on the financial side recently. On this, Keep the following things in mind:

 

CHIP has invested a ton of his personal TIME in trying to meet not only his personal/family obligations, but our schedules to "help" this project come to a conclusion, let alone the money side of things, AKA: He purchased the CORRECT tap before I got to his house last night. I will return mine later.

JAMES has ordered per our request alot of the needed glue and he shouldn't be stuck with eating the cost of these because, like myself, picked up some of our own.

I know there are more of you that have done alot more their fare share, but at least financially, we should just lump the "total cost" of the project and just split it per unit. The physical time/side of things is the fun stuff right?

 

Currently, we are looking at around $40 for the unit plus the cost of the pumps, taps, glue, etc, etc, etc.

I know Chip has fronted most of the this money already in advance.

IMHO, James, can you pass on to Chip what we need to do to square up with you?

Chip can you give us a TOTAL Cost what is owed so far?

IMHO again, round up to next dollar level to cover misc.

A few extra days is not going to kill us or the fish, so remember, This is our hobby, passion, love for us, lets keep it fun and not make it a j-o-b!

Howard  ]]]thx

 

Also, I picked up just over 10' of stiff plastic 1/4" tubing to add to the pile. We will need more for the team before all is done. This was available from Fischers Hardware at .15cents per foot.

[Guest Ruh Roh]

The epoxy I have is free, it is left over from a  project at work and I have tons of the stuff. The rubber for the gaskets was about 20 bucks, glue was 7.34 but if it is unused I'll take it back for my own use sometime in the future. The cutting of the plastic and sheeting (fixed laser btw can cut the rest of the rubber), was free, I paid for lunch for my buddy. If anyone feels the need to reimburse me feel free to remember me during the frag fest meeting

 

Other than that I am square, for me this is part of the hobby, its fun.

 

Chip,

 

As much as you have seen me and are probably tired of seeing me, I'll be by this evening to get the rubber sheeting for the Laser work. I need to get it done by Friday because he is going on vacation. Then we will have the gaskets cut out.

 

[beer2]

[dbartco]

Thanks Howard. That being said, LIST what you are going to get AS SOON AS you decide to buy something. Don't buy and assume nobody else is doing the same.

[krish]

Again,

Let me try to get a $ amount here.

James - $28

James buddy lunch - $20 ( too low, too high???)

Chip - ???? ( Carbide router bit, pvc pipes, tap , weldon

                 used for the first 3 reactors)

 

The grand total will be split among 17.

 

This does not include the $40( for the plastics) and the $18 ( for powerhead/fittings).

 

thanks

krish

[HowardofNOVA]

Krish,

The money just needs to be totaled up and divided out. The differences are only going to be a couple of dollars or so split 17 ways per unit, nothing to sweat over, considering a ton of money we saved on this already. The knowledge gained by doing ourselves and the opportunity to meet each other, which with apologies for not attending enough get togethers, was pretty cool for me to me those I have!

 

The main point I was making was that this 2 day project has turned into weeks and we all need to be aware of that.

[GaryL]

just let me know how much. i hate to ask but do i still need to put mine together since i couldnt make it to the party?

 

i also just wanted to say a very big Thankyou to all that has and still is working very hard on this project. i think howard mentioned it earlier.  anything i need to do? let me know. g

[Guest clownfish4]

I am also very thankful, especially to Chip.  I will also gladdly chip in a few more bucks.  Just need to know when we get the rest of the weldon and what not so we can finish up.