DIY Skimmer

aaron · 03-15-2004, 12:36 PM

I am mid way through building a skimmer and after looking at a lot of designs online i decided that i should make mine able to be dis-assembled so i can pull it apart clean it periodicly. What i need to know is -
1. what do you call those nylon screws that hold the sections together ? WEDFR uses them on his diy skimmer shown on the photo gallery of this site.
2. how do you attach them? do you have to tap a thread into the bottom piece of acrylic?
3. where in NY can you buy them?
4. what do you use for gaskets in the joins?
Any other advice on this aspect of skimmer construction would be appreciated.

wedfr · 03-15-2004, 03:05 PM

hi aaron, They are called thumbscrews. Knurled head nylon thumbscrews to be exact. To attach them the bottom piece of acrylic does need to be tapped unless you get some wingnuts but i recomend tapping the acrylic.

I use orings for seals. both the orings and the thumbscrews can be ordered form mcmaster.com and you will have them the next day since they are in NJ.

I dont know of any local place to get them

What tpe of skimmer are you building?

aaron · 03-15-2004, 06:24 PM

I'm building a biggish venturi skimmer - using a powerhead to chop the air and water together. I'm basing the design on an old skimmer i used to have - "The big Mombasa" i dont remember who made it but it is still powering away in australia six years later. Ive just made mine a bit bigger / taller and i'm using a bigger powerhead.
Do you use a router to cut out a rebate channel to seat the o-ring on each flange face? or do you just sort of put it in place and screw it together?

aaron · 03-15-2004, 06:47 PM

Hey Wedfr,
thanks so much for the info. I just have one more question: What size thumbscrews are they (I dont really understand the sizing on the website) ? I mean what thread diameter? everything is listed as #10-24 or something similar.
Thanks again for your assistance.

wedfr · 03-17-2004, 12:15 AM

i use 1/4-20 its a very popular size, the 10-24 i think will be too small and snap on you.

Youll need a #7 drill bit for the pilot hole and a 1/4-20 tap

wedfr · 03-21-2004, 01:20 PM

so hows it goin , did yu finsih? i wanna see what you came up with and howit came out

aaron · 03-24-2004, 11:01 AM

I finished it last weekend. still havent powered it up yet but i should get it going later today. Thanks for all your help, Mcmaster is the goldmine for DIY! I had a guy who was going to charge me $25 in manhattan for a gate valve and i got it from them for $8.
There's a picture of it nearly finished.
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/cgi-bi...album=00000369
I'll post some more when i get a chance

FRY · 03-24-2004, 06:09 PM

looks great good job,how much did it cost you

aaron · 03-24-2004, 07:14 PM

I guess it was about $50.00 -
$30 worth of acrylic and about $20 worth of other bits and pieces. The current configuration is fundamentally flawed though. I fired it up today and with the straight down drain in the bottom of the riser the water just spiral straight down and out. I need to put a fitting in to break this direct route out of the riser to give the bubbles a chance to rise up. It currently looks like a tornadoe of bubbles that never rise up the tube. I figure a mushroom type cap over the drain should do it.

aaron · 03-25-2004, 04:21 PM

I just fitted the cap over the drain and it's working perfectly - no scum yet as it is running on my half set up 50 gal. I'm getting some new LR this weekend so that should test it out nicely. I might put up a couple of "scum" pics when i get the chance - I know what turns you guys on

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03-15-2004, 12:36 PM	#1
aaron Australian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,026 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (0)	I am mid way through building a skimmer and after looking at a lot of designs online i decided that i should make mine able to be dis-assembled so i can pull it apart clean it periodicly. What i need to know is - 1. what do you call those nylon screws that hold the sections together ? WEDFR uses them on his diy skimmer shown on the photo gallery of this site. 2. how do you attach them? do you have to tap a thread into the bottom piece of acrylic? 3. where in NY can you buy them? 4. what do you use for gaskets in the joins? Any other advice on this aspect of skimmer construction would be appreciated.

03-15-2004, 03:05 PM	#2
wedfr Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens Posts: 774 Reefer Ratings: (3) Friends: (0)	hi aaron, They are called thumbscrews. Knurled head nylon thumbscrews to be exact. To attach them the bottom piece of acrylic does need to be tapped unless you get some wingnuts but i recomend tapping the acrylic. I use orings for seals. both the orings and the thumbscrews can be ordered form mcmaster.com and you will have them the next day since they are in NJ. I dont know of any local place to get them What tpe of skimmer are you building?

03-15-2004, 06:24 PM	#3
aaron Australian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,026 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (0)	I'm building a biggish venturi skimmer - using a powerhead to chop the air and water together. I'm basing the design on an old skimmer i used to have - "The big Mombasa" i dont remember who made it but it is still powering away in australia six years later. Ive just made mine a bit bigger / taller and i'm using a bigger powerhead. Do you use a router to cut out a rebate channel to seat the o-ring on each flange face? or do you just sort of put it in place and screw it together?

03-15-2004, 06:47 PM	#4
aaron Australian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,026 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (0)	Hey Wedfr, thanks so much for the info. I just have one more question: What size thumbscrews are they (I dont really understand the sizing on the website) ? I mean what thread diameter? everything is listed as #10-24 or something similar. Thanks again for your assistance.

03-17-2004, 12:15 AM	#5
wedfr Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens Posts: 774 Reefer Ratings: (3) Friends: (0)	i use 1/4-20 its a very popular size, the 10-24 i think will be too small and snap on you. Youll need a #7 drill bit for the pilot hole and a 1/4-20 tap

03-21-2004, 01:20 PM	#6
wedfr Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens Posts: 774 Reefer Ratings: (3) Friends: (0)	so hows it goin , did yu finsih? i wanna see what you came up with and howit came out

03-24-2004, 11:01 AM	#7
aaron Australian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,026 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (0)	I finished it last weekend. still havent powered it up yet but i should get it going later today. Thanks for all your help, Mcmaster is the goldmine for DIY! I had a guy who was going to charge me $25 in manhattan for a gate valve and i got it from them for $8. There's a picture of it nearly finished. http://www.manhattanreefs.com/cgi-bi...album=00000369 I'll post some more when i get a chance

03-24-2004, 06:09 PM	#8
FRY Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: greenpoint brooklyn Posts: 1,275 Reefer Ratings: (19) Friends: (0)	looks great good job,how much did it cost you

03-24-2004, 07:14 PM	#9
aaron Australian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,026 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (0)	I guess it was about $50.00 - $30 worth of acrylic and about $20 worth of other bits and pieces. The current configuration is fundamentally flawed though. I fired it up today and with the straight down drain in the bottom of the riser the water just spiral straight down and out. I need to put a fitting in to break this direct route out of the riser to give the bubbles a chance to rise up. It currently looks like a tornadoe of bubbles that never rise up the tube. I figure a mushroom type cap over the drain should do it.

03-25-2004, 04:21 PM	#10
aaron Australian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,026 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (0)	I just fitted the cap over the drain and it's working perfectly - no scum yet as it is running on my half set up 50 gal. I'm getting some new LR this weekend so that should test it out nicely. I might put up a couple of "scum" pics when i get the chance - I know what turns you guys on