pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 So finally found a little time to start fabricating a DIY roller mat. I am pushing around 3,000 gph through my sump so nothing is commercially available for that size.. plus they are stoopid expensive for what they are. Using left over acrylic and plastic mesh that I cut out of rectangular commercial kitchen collenders. I have a 12 volt window motor and a float switch to install. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 That is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 I’m toying with building a manually operated version that can integrate into my current setup. Not convinced it’s worth the effort thoughSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 10, 2020 Author Share Posted September 10, 2020 Bill, if you have an apex, then programming it will be easy. I am thinking it will take me an hour to install my motor and roller. Keep swinging by tap plastics and grab that scrap!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 Waaahhhhh!!! My roller mat doesn't work. Ok, it works, I was able to filter a TON of stuff out of the aquarium substrate and the sumps but here is the deal. The basket is soo large and there is soo much surface area, when the paper starts to clog and water levels rise, it takes a TON of force to move the roller. and I mean like wow! I can't believe how much. I am using a high torque window motor.. this one.. https://www.robotshop.com/en/power-window-motor-with-coupling-right.html which puts out 30kg/cm of torque which is pretty high. I don't know if i should try to construct some kind of gear box? Or, I may sand all the screens with REALLY rough sandpaper to try and reduce the amount of static friction. They are soo smooth, the paper really adheres to them. @Micah help!!! lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Dang! I am thinking planetary gears... It helped allot on my 3d printed persistaltic pump for the big thick heavy tubing. Now of course, my motor is too small but the power of gears is incredible to behold if you don't need speed. Hopefully there is a gear box you can slap on that one... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Yeah, short of gearing it up.... eek.. A couple questions: What is the axle of the retrieval spool riding on? What's the diameter of the spool axle? What's the estimated diameter of the full dirty roll? Do you have any rollers along the fleece path? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Also, when I was planning to make my own (which would be dwarfed by yours 5x over...) I was planning to use this motor: https://www.amazon.com/BRINGSMART-70kg-cm-Electric-Self-locking-Reversed/dp/B07F8QZYS4/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=Geared%2BDC%2Bmotor&qid=1600803467&sr=8-13&th=1 I kept reading that motors would stall out and it was a huge issue. The Klir Di-7 in fact, had to stop giving full size rolls of fleece and instead now sells two half sized ones. So now I have to change it twice as often, which is stupid. But, I guess too many people were experiencing motor stalls when the spool got full. So, that's why I chose the big motor. Also, 24v is a more common adapter in aquaria nowadays it seems... and is more efficient. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 First off... don't insult my voltage. 😀 The retrieval spool is a 1" piece of PVC. It is simply riding on a U shaped piece of plastic on side and hanging on the motor shaft on the other. I think I need to build some kind of inlet and outlet rollers as right now the paper is rolling at an angle over the edge of the acrylic. Also, I just used acrylic rod as guides on the bottom. I thought this would be fine.. but there is a LOT of force on them. I used my hand to crank it and I popped the far one out of place. That is a nice motor and gear box Micah.. twice the torque of the one I am using. I really don't want to pull it out of the sump to work on it but it seems that will be inevitable. You would not believe how hard it was to get this beast into place. LOL. It is comically large. Hmmmmm, maybe we should just get drunk and stare at it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 7 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: That is a nice motor and gear box Micah.. twice the torque of the one I am using. I really don't want to pull it out of the sump to work on it but it seems that will be inevitable. You would not believe how hard it was to get this beast into place. LOL. It is comically large. Your last posted picture was "on the bench". Can you post an updated photo of it "in the sump?" I'd like to visualize this better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 8 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: First off... don't insult my voltage. 😀 The retrieval spool is a 1" piece of PVC. It is simply riding on a U shaped piece of plastic on side and hanging on the motor shaft on the other. I think I need to build some kind of inlet and outlet rollers as right now the paper is rolling at an angle over the edge of the acrylic. Also, I just used acrylic rod as guides on the bottom. I thought this would be fine.. but there is a LOT of force on them. I used my hand to crank it and I popped the far one out of place. That is a nice motor and gear box Micah.. twice the torque of the one I am using. I really don't want to pull it out of the sump to work on it but it seems that will be inevitable. You would not believe how hard it was to get this beast into place. LOL. It is comically large. Hmmmmm, maybe we should just get drunk and stare at it? Oh, does Mr Millivolt need a good cry? Hehe. j/k You may want to do something like the Klir's and Clariseas do. They have a solid acrylic/nylon rod with an acrylic tube over the outside of it to act as a roller for the fleece guides. For the spools themselves, you may want to scale down the actual pivot point. The friction from 1" PVC on another plastic surface (other than PTFE or even HDPE) will only get higher and higher as the spool fills up. It's a hard thing to calculate though, so in my opinion, brute force is probably a better method. I like the get drunk and stare at it approach too. It may not get fixed, but it will get forgotten. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 Here is a picture of it in the sump. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakky Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Duh Brian!🙄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 ZERO VOLTS!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 Gas powered filter mat!! OMG love it. Maybe I could build a water wheel to power it. I would build a wind turbine, but I don't want to get cancer..... I am wondering what would happen if I laid a bunch of felt strips parallel to the mat direction if that would help. Like somehow reduce the friction.. I am going to pull it out tonight and monkey with it. get it.. monkey with it... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakky Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Rollers every 1"?😩 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Here is a picture of it in the sump. http://pnwmas.org.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/monthly_2020_09/rollermat.jpg.ac03850e68e55f4d2fe46aa389285ad0.jpgThis is hilarious!Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 I found another picture of your roller mat in the wild. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 No, that's a picture of 2020. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 parts acquired for rollers at all the key places. stay tuned I don't think it will be enough though 😞 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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