mjd271169 Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 The idea being the CF bulb to sit inside 4 of these in the hood now these need to be fixed in the hood and some form of reflective coating added, have seen on line that white knight paints have a reflective paint in a spray can - this could be the one to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I seem to be talking to myself a lot in this thread. I know someone is watching the views keep going up. Throw me some ideas if you feel like it, :anyone: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettc777 Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 haha I would be giving you my views if i could! lol i havent done something like this before so im sitting back and saying "ohh so thats how you do it" lol I think it looks great! ... wasnt to sure about the light box at the start, thought it might have been to bulky. It actually looks good and once it is painted will fit in quite well! :anyone: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghengis Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I seem to be talking to myself a lot. Throw me some ideas if you feel like it, Hmmmm...maybe try getting out of the house a little more? You could try joining some sort of social group, like lawn bowls, indoor netball or the like... Anything, really, that would help you to interact more with other people, thus reducing your need to converse with your self. Oh, and maybe go easy on the PVA glue sniffing. It really isn't any good for you... Looks good man. I build all my own stands, as well. Having a (retired) chippie as a father makes it difficult NOT to build stuff all the time. Maybe the only thing I'd have done differently, would have been making the light hood not so tall. It may look fine once painted, but atm it looks a little large and dominant in the overall appearence. Will you line the laminex with anything? Or paint it some reflective colour, like white?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 Looks good man. I build all my own stands, as well. Having a (retired) chippie as a father makes it difficult NOT to build stuff all the time. Maybe the only thing I'd have done differently, would have been making the light hood not so tall. It may look fine once painted, but atm it looks a little large and dominant in the overall appearence. Will you line the laminex with anything? Or paint it some reflective colour, like white?? I have 2 options with the light box, either drop it lower to the top of the tank or my preferred option of a taller tank. If I go 14 inch then that will leave 2 inches from the top of the tank to where the light box currently is. just enough to get in and feed. Still playing with that idea and maybe even if I feel up to it build the tank myself but thats only an "if" at this stage. I am going to look for some reflective paint rather than plain white, I have seen white knight paints do I spray can that has reflective paint so that could be a good option. Worst case paint it white though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 I think it looks great! ... wasnt to sure about the light box at the start, thought it might have been to bulky. It actually looks good and once it is painted will fit in quite well! I think once the light box is painted it will start to look better and more part of the set up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hmmmm...maybe try getting out of the house a little more? You could try joining some sort of social group, like lawn bowls, indoor netball or the like... Anything, really, that would help you to interact more with other people, thus reducing your need to converse with your self. Oh, and maybe go easy on the PVA glue sniffing. It really isn't any good for you... PVA glue not good for you, that stuff is like mothers milk. Definatley my favourite of the glue family many a happy hour spent peeling it from my hands after a session in the garage. maybe i do need to get out more lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RarePets Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 How many hours have you spent on the project ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted July 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hard to be accurate but around 15 hours I would say so far on this. I don't get to work on it everyday and when I do it is only after the kids have gone to bed, really only have an hour at a time to go and do something. Building was the longest time in one session and that was a couple of hours. Pretty much every time I get to do more I add to the thread. Thats why there is a few days between threads, I did the reflectors on Sunday night but have not had a chance to do anything else this week yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RarePets Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Ok, I seem to miss coming to the forum many days mid week. Result of working 10 hour days and then having to tend our fish. An interesting piece of furniture we have for our aquariums is an old small chest of drawers. A neighbor was renovating her house inside and out and I brought home the chest from the side of the road after her garage sale had ended. I lined the drawers with some foam sheeting and use it to store heaters when not in use, plus dry fish food and other aquarium accessories. I finally got a new supply for brine shrimp eggs and now have 8 tins in the fridge, so the empty spawning tanks will be getting filled soon. Will undoubtedly give even less time mid week for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted August 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 have not got much further filled, sanded and undercoated the light box, not happy with it though so have to do some more filling and sanding before I get to the top coats. decided to not spend the money ( of which I have none spare at the moment) on reflective pain and am trying it gloss white as I had this in already first pic without flash, second with flash. Looks like it may reflect the light well when set up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callatya Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 B) looks very reflective to me! This is an AWESOME project. I might have a think about doing something similar on my existing 2' stand for my SW tank, it needs more light and no more heat so this would be perfect! Are you putting in moonlighting also? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted August 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 had not thought about moonlighting to be honest. This whole thing started off one night in the garage when I wondered if some old shelves could be used and it has blown in to a much larger and longer than anticipated project. Didn't really have much of a plan when I started I just sort of think of things and add to it when I can. My wife has called this the project that will never end, not sure about that I am getting pretty close to having this complete. So today I put the reflectors in the hood and also the light holders, I need to wire these in next and then see how it looks with some lights in. Once I am happy with that I need to coat the inside of the hood with a few coats of white gloss and get to the top coat on the outside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fighter boy Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 looking GREAT!!!!. i love it. what you planning of keeping in it? planted community or single male fighter? thught of filtration? canister maybe.... is this your first project or have you done others... if so WE WANT PICS!!! please.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 I had been putting off reading this thread until I was back off dial-up cos of the pics I am really really impressed at the reflector!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted August 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 wired the lights tonight pic with no flash, lights off and lights on. Only using 3 x 11W and 1 x 8W, the final plan is to have 4 x 15W so more light output than shown here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted August 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 Also lowered the light box so it would be closer to the top of the tank, does it look like I am getting enough light penetration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettc777 Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 Looks good. Its always hard to tell in photos about light, im sure 4 CF for that size tank will be enough light! Are you going to paint the wood holding up the light box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fighter boy Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 i vote stain it and leave it that colour.,.... the varnish will pretect it from water marks and spillages... looks fantastic../.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted August 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 I was going to paint it. Was not sure on the colour whether the same as the stand or black, I have a spray can at home matt black that might do the job, you won't see the support once I paint the back of the tank anyway well you will see about 2 or 3 inches above the tank that is all I want to paint the light box first though as I may have no paint left once I finish that and give the stand and door another coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fighter boy Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 sounds good. give it a crack and let us know the finishing piece.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted August 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 next bit painted the back of the tank black and also the support for the light box. Also filed the light box where I was not happy so I can start sanding again tomorrow before painting Attached the support to the stand and have lowered it a little more so it sits only a couple of inches above the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fighter boy Posted August 9, 2008 Report Share Posted August 9, 2008 i like it mate. thats a good quality job and i for one would buy it. (light bulb above head) you could sell them i guess. if teh cost and profit add up then why not... or is this a one off jobby.? anyway its good... whats next to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd271169 Posted August 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Another update for this weekend Added first coat to the light box This is how far I have lowered it This how its attached, better pic than yestreday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anasfire Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I was going to suggest adding hinges to the light box so u can lower it all the way but I then realised 2 things.... 1 - even with hinges it wouldn't be able to tilt if it were that low 2 - the way you've made it and attached it to the back panel doens't allow for this I think it looks absolutely awesome though, will be a great talking point when having visitors over...can see it now Guests: "wow that's an awesome stand where did you buy it from?" You: "Actually..... I made it " hehehehe Keep up the good work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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