Search results

Why do so many people get out of the hobby? This hobby has been around for 44 years and yet you can count the number of tanks that are at least 20 years old on one hand. OK, maybe two, I didn't really count, but work with me. The vast majority of threads are very new tanks and the second...

Completed heat exchanger. I am so glad I decided to build it rather than buy a car heater core. It was a fun build and a core would have been very heavy and over-kill as I don't need that much cooling. I am getting the stitches out of my hand tomorrow and if I get the time I need to drive to...

I have 4 of those Star Showers and one for inside the house. They are sold out but I want to get 3 more. Love the things.

The system is finished except for the acrylic splash guard and some bleeder valves to get the air out of the system. It is being tested on my bench to see first of all how it runs and second, how efficient the cooling system is. Here is the heat exchanger. I still need to put it in a...

The control box is built and tested. The copper tubes also arrived today so I can start building the heat exchanger.

I finished the schematic and will start wiring it.

My urchin ate the top off of my mandarin and pipefish feeder. Great. Luckil I have more pieces of nylon stockings (no, not mine) that I can replace it with. Now to do this without getting my hand wet.

I am working on the pump/power supply/ shut off switch/ LED drivers etc and it is all in this enclosure, I tested the pump and am very surprised that that little pump pumps faster than my sink can supply. The pump pressurizes the system, pushing up the glass with the magnet in it, engaging the...

Two days ago I had some knee and hand surgery, just some tune ups because if you worked construction all your life and didn't ruin your joints, you didn't do it right. Yesterday I got a call from the GYM where my wife goes and a piece of machinery fell on her and clonked her in the back of her...

I just got home from the hospital for some knee and hand surgery and was surprised to see my circulating pump for my water cooled fixture arrived. It is smaller than I thought. I figured I would post it before the anesthesia wears off and I start screaming. This little pump is very cool but I...

I could use tank water but only for about 2 or 3 minutes as corals frown on copper infused water. But there won't be any parasites. :eek:

There is very little water to hold. Then entire system has little more than a pint of water in it. The water from the fixture goes to the heat exchanger which will be about 20' of 5/16th in copper tubing to a small pump and back to the fixture. No need for a holding tank. There will be a...

Do I look concerned? :eek: The tank has lasted for decades so if the fixture falls in the water now and crashes the tank, it has had one heck of a run. If it were not for experiments, we would have no hobby. I could have built this with stainless steel tubing but I can't solder it. Some day if...

I like to sneak into people's homes and rip off those tags that say "Do not remove under penalty of the Law". Then I like to go to a drug store and read the instructions on shampoo bottles.

I decided to build my heat exchanger so I just ordered a bunch of 5/16" rigid copper tubing. I realize I could use a heater core but after seeing these things work, I don't think I will need that much cooling. I would also rather build the thing myself.

I finished soldering the 72 LEDs on the copper and tried the thing out. I can't believe it works. I had my doubts because the terminals on the LEDs are meant for a robot to install them on a circuit board so the terminals are the size of a pin head or smaller. Now to make the enclosure for...

I love Steampunk which of course is the theme with this fixture. I also love working with copper.

I just soldered the wire management system on the water cooled fixture. It's those small copper rings that will support the wires around the frame. I installed about 20 of them. Next I want to clean it up, make it nice and shiny, then shoot it with some clear coat to keep it from tarnishing...

I built and tested that water flow, sensor/ pump, shut off switch and it works perfect. Now I need to solder on the copper wire management system, glue on the LEDs, wire and test them.

My screen is growing algae just not matured enough yet to get an even growth. But in time it will be fine. I also didn't build the light for it yet so it is just a silly, very dim LED