DonW
R.I.P.
krux said:
I dont think you could ever spin one of these apart. I use a lathe, so pretty much impossible to get it off center.
Don
DIY needle wheel
- Thread starter DonW
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
I dont think you could ever spin one of these apart. I use a lathe, so pretty much impossible to get it off center.
Don
cmagallon
Member
How's the project coming along? great idea.
any pix?
any pix?
DonW
R.I.P.
alidpayne said:
Ive got a whole bunch of half baked ideas that had to be put on hold. I need to get my tank wall and floors done since my grandson is now crawling.
I'll get back to it sometime in the summer.
Don
gman0526
Well-known member
You could use a bio ball cut in half to do this too.
RandyStacyE
Well-known member
I just bought a couple of these and I have access to a lathe, but I think in order to hold on to these "real good" I'm going to have to buy the "Back Pad" that these bristle disks screw to (shown below).
http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/abrasives/3m_finishing.htm
First It would only make sence to snip off the paddles from the original impeller.
Put the back pad in the lathe, screw on the bristle pad, and begin removing the outer ring of bristles. I'm thinking than I can then chuck the thing gently on its outer perimeter to drill the center hole, but I would prefer to start drilling a guide hole while it is still in the lathe.
The tricky part is "how to shorten the bristles"? I'm thinking that the only way to make them all even and shorter is to wear the down. One could use a small steel plate, weld a rod coming out of the plate. The rod can be perfectly alligned using a drill press to hold the rod. Once this "wear plate" is made it can be put in the lathe and use it to even wear down the bristles. Just turn on the lathe, bring the plate in on the bristles and lock it in place. I amagine after a few minutes you can bring the plate in a little more.
The only thing that I'm a little worried about is how flexible it is compared to the Euro Reef Needle Impeller. Euro Reefs' is tough like HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) but still flexible.
So the green ones are not as stiff? Thats strange, they are listed as "coarse" and the yellow ones are listed as "medium". The yellow ones are the only ones in stock at my local NAPA.
If this works well I'll make another one but show some pics.
THIS WILL WORK
http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/abrasives/3m_finishing.htm
First It would only make sence to snip off the paddles from the original impeller.
Put the back pad in the lathe, screw on the bristle pad, and begin removing the outer ring of bristles. I'm thinking than I can then chuck the thing gently on its outer perimeter to drill the center hole, but I would prefer to start drilling a guide hole while it is still in the lathe.
The tricky part is "how to shorten the bristles"? I'm thinking that the only way to make them all even and shorter is to wear the down. One could use a small steel plate, weld a rod coming out of the plate. The rod can be perfectly alligned using a drill press to hold the rod. Once this "wear plate" is made it can be put in the lathe and use it to even wear down the bristles. Just turn on the lathe, bring the plate in on the bristles and lock it in place. I amagine after a few minutes you can bring the plate in a little more.
The only thing that I'm a little worried about is how flexible it is compared to the Euro Reef Needle Impeller. Euro Reefs' is tough like HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) but still flexible.
So the green ones are not as stiff? Thats strange, they are listed as "coarse" and the yellow ones are listed as "medium". The yellow ones are the only ones in stock at my local NAPA.
If this works well I'll make another one but show some pics.
THIS WILL WORK
RandyStacyE
Well-known member
The Euro Reef Needle Impeller for a Sedra 3500 is 1 7/8" wide. From the tip of the needles to the back of the actual impeller head is 1".
I took an impeller out of my DP-560 which the same thing as a SEDRA 5000. The Euro Reef Impeller drops right in! They are of the same dimensions. I wouldn't know if the Euro Reef impeller is the same width (the part with the needles) for the SEDRA 5000. If someone knows would you please post the dimensions?
I took an impeller out of my DP-560 which the same thing as a SEDRA 5000. The Euro Reef Impeller drops right in! They are of the same dimensions. I wouldn't know if the Euro Reef impeller is the same width (the part with the needles) for the SEDRA 5000. If someone knows would you please post the dimensions?
DonW
R.I.P.
Your kind of doing it the hard way.
Cut youself a 3" acrylic circle 1/2 thick. Chuck it up in a scroll chuck. Or DT chuck.
Cut the nub off the roloc.
Turn a recess in the acrylic to just fit the roloc.
Stick the roloc on with carpet tape.
Now have your way with it.
To drill it simply put a morse taper drill chuck in the lathe tail and drill.
To shorten the needles stick #50 sand paper to a scrap and grind them down with the lathe spinning.
The whole process only takes about 10 minutes.
Don
Cut youself a 3" acrylic circle 1/2 thick. Chuck it up in a scroll chuck. Or DT chuck.
Cut the nub off the roloc.
Turn a recess in the acrylic to just fit the roloc.
Stick the roloc on with carpet tape.
Now have your way with it.
To drill it simply put a morse taper drill chuck in the lathe tail and drill.
To shorten the needles stick #50 sand paper to a scrap and grind them down with the lathe spinning.
The whole process only takes about 10 minutes.
Don
bswim
Active member
I wouldn't worry about these spinning apart. There's no way ANY pump is going to turn the RPM's that a die grinder will.
Also check some of the industrial suppliers through the valley. Would make more sense for them to carry them instead of NAPA or Snap On. Only problem is I'm not sure you could get them in small quantities.
Check with Swift, EF Bailey, I'd check J&L but I think they went out a while back.
Also check some of the industrial suppliers through the valley. Would make more sense for them to carry them instead of NAPA or Snap On. Only problem is I'm not sure you could get them in small quantities.
Check with Swift, EF Bailey, I'd check J&L but I think they went out a while back.
RandyStacyE
Well-known member
I had no problem finding them at NAPA. They were about $5-$6 each. They also stocked the "Back Pads". There was not one other store in my town that had them; they all just carried the sanding disks, etc...
DonW
R.I.P.
ROWAUSA said:
For this one I used thick CA. Still running in the same bucket of nasty
water in my shop.Don
RandyStacyE
Well-known member
Don,
What is "Thick CA"?
By the way, these disks are rated for 25,000 RPM. Somewhere I read that most pumps run approx 3,500 RPM. They can never fall apart. Especially since they are not seeing any abuse at least not like what they were designed for.
What is "Thick CA"?
By the way, these disks are rated for 25,000 RPM. Somewhere I read that most pumps run approx 3,500 RPM. They can never fall apart. Especially since they are not seeing any abuse at least not like what they were designed for.
wanareef
reefer addict
Thick Ca is thick super glue - RC model building uses several different viscousities of CA superglue from watery to almost molasses and inbetween. They also have an activator to make it setup "like now". Use to build RC radio controlled planes
RandyStacyE
Well-known member
Good tips, I never heard of CA.
Fishfood2581
Member
these things are made of rubber but they have an abbrasive impregnated within them. 3m claims
Super tough plastic bristle brush is embedded with abrasive and wears as it cleans, continually exposing fresh abrasive. Safer for the environment than hazardous chemical strippers
Does anyone know what the abrasive is? Is it just sand?
Super tough plastic bristle brush is embedded with abrasive and wears as it cleans, continually exposing fresh abrasive. Safer for the environment than hazardous chemical strippers
Does anyone know what the abrasive is? Is it just sand?
NeilsReef
Well-known member
Very informative, thank you for all DIY information!
bishop
Member
New here, watched the thread a time or two... The abrasive is probably something like sapphire or aluminum oxide... AL2O3... I honestly don't know how harmful this would be to a reef tank.
It would be very easy to use one of these to make a mold and then mold one out of acrylic resin. The trick is to make a compliant mold so that the acrylic part is easily removed.
It would be very easy to use one of these to make a mold and then mold one out of acrylic resin. The trick is to make a compliant mold so that the acrylic part is easily removed.
RandyStacyE
Well-known member
bishop,
I have went round and round trying to duplicate the Euroreef needle impeller which is much less complicated (less bristles/needles) and have been unsuccesful. The 3M bristle disk is much much more complicated and I doubt that anyone would be able to reproduce them.
I actually contacted many "plastic molding companies" in order to have a mold made for me to use to reproduce them myself and they ALL said that it is an "injection mold" item for sure and can only be reproduced in mass quantity to be economical.
Many have been successful making their own out of many types of materials, drilling, glueing, etc... but the 3M disk is already made and requires the least ammount of modification to be successful. Any local machinist can do this in mere minutes and likely not charge much. As a matter of fact, they will likely laugh about it while they are doing it and may not charge at all.
All that is needed is to take a couple of rows of bristles off of the outside, cut the length off of the bristles, and drill a hole in the center.
I have went round and round trying to duplicate the Euroreef needle impeller which is much less complicated (less bristles/needles) and have been unsuccesful. The 3M bristle disk is much much more complicated and I doubt that anyone would be able to reproduce them.
I actually contacted many "plastic molding companies" in order to have a mold made for me to use to reproduce them myself and they ALL said that it is an "injection mold" item for sure and can only be reproduced in mass quantity to be economical.
Many have been successful making their own out of many types of materials, drilling, glueing, etc... but the 3M disk is already made and requires the least ammount of modification to be successful. Any local machinist can do this in mere minutes and likely not charge much. As a matter of fact, they will likely laugh about it while they are doing it and may not charge at all.
All that is needed is to take a couple of rows of bristles off of the outside, cut the length off of the bristles, and drill a hole in the center.
Last edited:
