Diy frag racks for show tank

[cilyjr]

Hi all.
I recently purchased a frag tank from advanced acrylic. I priced out building my own from a local acrylics store and it was actually about 25 bucks cheaper to buy built!

I made a few quick racks to test my set up and breakdown which went well. I set up at the December meeting. But some of the corals fell out during travel and a few even broke off of their plugs.

I had an idea to sandwich a piece of epdm liner between acrylic sheets and the rubber will hold the plugs firmly in the holes.

1st stop my local plastics shop. shout out to laird plastics in Warwick they always have cut off scraps for 20 bucks or less!

Then off to my friends machine shop to mill the acrylic as these need 100% identical.
Here's the computerized Bridgeport milling machine

Here it is hard at work

The finished identical boards which are 1/8 acrylic (they had frosted for 20 bucks so that's what I bought)

There they are done. I'm going to punch the rubber this week. Originally I was going to thread the small holes and use nylon screws but it became easier just to buy nylon nuts ($ 6.00 for 100)

More to follow when I punch the epdm pond liner

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Oh heck yes! That’s some very nice diy man

 

[cilyjr]

Thanks. I owe it to my friend who's not just letting me use the machine, he's teaching me to use it properly

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Good life skill to have tucked in the old back pocket

 

[cilyjr]

Got 1 done.

Used a leather punch to put the holes in the epdm. The main reason I wanted to make these was because they fit perfectly into these white tubs that I get fish delivered to the restaurant in. They seal watertight and two of them fit perfectly into a foam cooler that I have. Here it is snuggly fit into the white tub with all the holes punched.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Dude this drill press is just on a hole new level! Like having a 3d printer haha

 

[cilyjr]

Well it's not a drill press. It can act as one but it's a milling machine (c and c). It's more like a giant computerized router. The table (x,y axises) can move independently and automatically.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Is it ran with a computer?

 

[mannyhernz]

Nice, is the pond liner used to lock the frag plugs in place? Maybe take a close up of the whole to see what it looks like..awesome diy btw

 

[cilyjr]

Yes that's exactly what's it is for. Last time I went to a frag swap about a quarter of the frags bounced out of the holes and a few broke off if the plugs because of it.

 

[cilyjr]

Is it ran with a computer?

Yes but that is an add-on. In the 80s it would have been done by turning those handles. I believe one turn is a thousandth of an inch

 

[Victoria M]

this is pretty cool! so it all fits nicely for a frag swap?

 

[Sycoticrealm]

[emoji106]

 

[cilyjr]

this is pretty cool! so it all fits nicely for a frag swap?

Yes. I can put them in the tray a day before than in the morning just put them in the tub and go

 

[Victoria M]

Yes. I can put them in the tray a day before than in the morning just put them in the tub and go

very nice!

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Cnc = computer numerical control.

Good job!

 

[Derrick0580]

I know this is an old post but do you have the link to the edm liner you bought or give me the details as far as thickness you used?

 

[cilyjr]

It was just 45 mil Firestone liner. It was left over from my pond build.