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Custom Media Baskets / Precision Plastic Cutting


MrZ2u

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I am going to be planning and making some media baskets for my new tank here in the next few days, weeks...not sure.  The one below was all old fashioned cutting tools, drill bits and saw blades.  For a one off project I didnt see the need to rent time on a laser.  I'll be making two for sure and maybe the two others that are kinda optional for the second chambers so maybe a laser rental makes sense this time.  I had a membership at TechShop for a year and I have sign offs to use a ton of their tools but in this case just need the CNC laser cutter.  I can get it done in an hour easy but I can also have a full month's time for just a little more. 

Proposition...if enough of you might be interested in making some of your own maybe we could split the cost of a month and I could cut yours for you.  If you cant do the 2d digital drawing with something like paint or adobe or whatever then I could also, maybe make the drawings for you?  

Think frag racks as well...or whatever, really anything that is just a 2D cut into plastic (this is not a 3D machine).  You make the drawings or for a slight fee beyond just sharing the month of laser access I could make them for you from your measurements.  

Maybe even go in with others to make the minimum purchase price at Regal plastic which last I knew was $25...

Dunno, just a thought.  Anyone interested?

20160120_175958_zpsdbbpuie6.jpg 

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I cut acrylic up to about 2in on a table saw with a ~100t blade and it cuts like butter. Most of the time I don't even need to sand the edges as long as I go really slowly. For small batches, I'd just use a table saw with very fine teeth and use a fine tooth hole saw and drill press for the holes. If you need to smooth the edges and small table belt sander with fine grit works well.

I think and CNC or laser would be complete overkill unless you need some really complex shapes or want to do larger batches. Otherwise if you get a group order, definitely go with the laser and a really well planned layout on the acrylic to reduce waste.

I've actually thought about doing a full sump out of acrylic, but based on acrylic cost and complexity I'm not sure how much cheaper I could get for the large sump I need to do.

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Not sure I would say complete overkill.  If good enough is okay then sure, you can get good enough with a table saw and drill press like I did above but you aren't going to produce nearly as clean or precise a cut with friction blades...and you dont really need to for media baskets but if you can then why not.  

Cutting acrylic is counter intuitive to wood.  More teeth make more friction which causes more melting and chipping.  I didnt think so either till the guy at Regal told me what I was doing wrong and I tried it for myself.   You definitely dont want to go slow either because that increases the friction problem.  Just feed it as the saw will take it...just like you would with wood.  If going normal feeding speeds causes chipping then you dont have a zero clearance insert and/or too many teeth and/or your fence is not dead parallel.  

Forrest makes about the best low friction plastics blade I have ever used at 60t and the most teeth I think they make in 10in is 80t. (size is relative remember)  I was using 100t wood blade that cuts even the most tear-out prone hardwoods beautifully but I got way better results with the "no melt" 60t from Forrest on acrylic...never tried their 80t blade.  Problem with mechanical blades is friction/heat and time exposed to the same.  Drill bits have the same problem.   The majority of the commercially for sale stuff like the media baskets from inTank are cut on the laser, 99.9% guarantee.   Its fast, extremely clean and absolutely repeatable.  In five minutes I can carve up a whole sheet on the laser that would probably take more than an hour on the table saw and my cuts would be to a .001 tolerance of measure and ready to bond after a simple alcohol wipe down.   

I would wager to say that what keeps a lot of folks from doing some of the DIY projects that are even pretty simple is lack of proper tools.  I'd wager people just don't have them.  I do but also having access to even better tools makes even more things feasible.   I could build my cut plan and probably get a friend to cut it for me no charge to be honest because it is as easy as printing a photo on your printer at home.  Open the file, set the "paper type" hit print and in less than 5 minutes my project is cut and the "printer" is open for someone else.   But I can also get a month to use it all I want, which is way more than I need, and is why I extended the offer out here in case this is what is holding folks back.

  


 

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52 minutes ago, Isaac said:

oh man, you just gave me another reason to buy a 3d printer.  my wife will not approve *lol*

I dont think a 3d printer is going to be all that useful for these sort of projects but this would :)

www.glowforge.com  Not really sure why they call this a 3D laser because its only cutting on two axis...as laser cutters go its pretty reasonable.

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16 minutes ago, Isaac said:

I am too fat and old to start stripping again :) so you and I probably need to agree to NOT trade ideas that are this expensive any more.  I can only hide so much of my pay check from SWMBO you know!

 

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23 minutes ago, Gig 'em @ NDstructible said:

Does anyone have a membership to TechShop?

Thats actually an excellent question I should have asked!  I had a free one for a year under a VA program but that program ran out of money and I couldn't justify the cost to keep it going.  BUT...if anyone IS a member already then this makes the proposition a little different than what I was thinking...or could :) 

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I don't think this is headed there, but please keep in mind that as long as this remains a shared-cost or group project it's fine. People who want to start making/selling things as a business will need to look into sponsorship or professional memberships.

I got a 3-d printer for Christmas and am open to doing prints for people (materials cost and as time is available).

I'm working on a few aquarium related designs to share with the club.  I finished my first "from scratch" design last night, it's a nori-sheet grazer for the tank that keeps you from having to get your fingers wet to load it.

 

IMG_20170131_113018836.jpg

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1 hour ago, jolt said:

I might be interested in some 'sock' silencers, similar to these.  But my total investment would have to beat $25 x 3

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/royal-exclusiv-dreambox-filter-sock-silencer

 

 

Not to sidetrack this thread, but I've been planning on making these with my drill press and circle cutter.  I already bought the supplies just haven't had the time to make them yet. If they turn out well I'll make a new thread about them.

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2 hours ago, BornToHula said:

Not to sidetrack this thread, but I've been planning on making these with my drill press and circle cutter.  I already bought the supplies just haven't had the time to make them yet. If they turn out well I'll make a new thread about them.

I'd also be happy to try to 3d print something similar.  This would provide a good model to start with:

47d070ce7936518517696d3f3ed75ede_preview

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26 minutes ago, olaggie01 said:

Those look great Mike.  Go for it.  Would definitely be interested in those and perhaps a few other items.

If you give me the ring's measurements (overall diameter, diameter of drain pipe it fits on) I can sample print one for you.

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