Twist lock flanges

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big t said:
So how would one go about making and using your crazy plug?

Use a 1/2 diameter x 3/4 long cutter with a 1/2 bearing on the shaft (bottom) mounted in the router table. Mark the center of each wing. Set the work piece on the jig and turn the piece until you get the desired ramp. Now mark the jig to match the center mark on the wing. Use carpet tape to stick the workpiece to the jig and cut the first wing. Now unstick the workpiece and align the next wing with the center mark. Do this three times and you have a cnc or better ramp. :) So simple, I should slap myself for not thinking about it sooner.:)
Im going to do the same sort of jig for the female part so the ramps, ramp together.

Don
 
big t said:
So how would one go about making and using your crazy plug?

I forgot the making part, sorry. Mearsure the outside edge of the wings. Figure out how much you will be cutting off. Mine were just over 1/4" so shim up one edge of the "plug" and shove it through the jointer stopping at the shim. After a few passes the shim can be removed and the "plug" can be finished off.

Did that make sense?

Don
 
After thinking about this for about an hour last night lying in bed, I thought that the angle of your flanges probably will not be the same as mine due to the difference in the the length and width of the flanges, but could you please still let me know what you used and that will give me a good starting point. Thanks for all your help, you have given me real insight in this project.
 
The angle is not real critical, you just need a little bit of ramp to squeeze down onto your o-ring. In reality you could probably be fine with as little as 3 deg of ramp. On the one I made the just sliced a 1" long ramp on the edge that wend about 1/8" deep from one end to the other.
 
Ok I've got my flanges cut I just need to do the ramp now. Any word on the female part yet?
 
btuck said:
Ok I've got my flanges cut I just need to do the ramp now. Any word on the female part yet?

No, Ill get it done in the next few weeks. I need to get into my atic and check my tube sizes. The Idea behind a full ramp is so that the female pushes on the center of the male ramp. Most just cut the ramps like Toms. Im shooting for all the force to be in the center of each wing not the edge just like the commercially molded ones.

Don

Don
 
hey don, will you e mail me? I would like to know if you ever completed the flange project, you were making great progress but you never showed the female portion. I would also like more detail instructions on how to actually make the plug and use the plug... Im pretty handy with acrylic but just couldnt visualize how you actually did it.. I think pictures would help me or maybe we can talk on phone? If so e mail me with contact infor below..

Maybe you could post some pix showing you actually cutting the plug and the cutting the wings on the acrylic? Also same with the female?

Anyways please e mail me at [email protected] I would be interested in using this design on my Poseidon2 Vortex skimmer line. Heck I might pay you per flange and female portion to BUILD THem for me! ahhaha.. We can chat on e mail about that.. you can see my skimmer here...

www.nautilusreef.com

or here..

http://cgi.ebay.com/Poseidon2-Vorte...6QQihZ004QQcategoryZ46313QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Right now Im using Uniseals to hold the cup to the chamber, but want to take my design to the next level as the uniseal works great is simple, but can seep a bit. I think a twist lok flange like this on my design would be great.




thanks
Chris
 
Last edited:
Just curious if you were able to get the female pieces cut.

How are you able to get the pieces to seal?
I guess there is a o ring inside the flanges.
i havent seen a euro reef with the twist flanges.
Do you have any pictures of the finished products?

thanks for the insight,
Vissually challenged
jonathan
 
Just curious if you were able to get the female pieces cut.

How are you able to get the pieces to seal?
I guess there is a o ring inside the flanges.
i havent seen a euro reef with the twist flanges.
Do you have any pictures of the finished products?

thanks for the insight,
Vissually challenged
jonathan


Orings like any other flange. Euroreef's dont use twist lock as far I know, but Deltecs do. I'm down to the cell phone camera at the moment. I should be able to get some more photos after the camera is fixed. Its already on my almost done new skimmer.

Don
 
Don,
I will await your pictures. So that i can see what you mean.
I guess that the orings are on the outside of the teeth of the flanges.

There are not any dealers locally that carry the deltec units. I think that the closest dealer is 3 hours away. Just a little far to drive to see some flanges.

I need to make a new lid for a diy beckett skimmer. I would like to use the twist lock design. I did not understand your comment about open and closed twist flanges. Could you explain further?

Thanks for all the help,
Jonathan
 
I'll have to try and find you some pictures. My shop got robbed a month or so ago and they got my laptop along with every picture I've ever taken.

Don
 
How pathetic can some people be. So Sorry to hear about that Don. Hopefully they left your tools.
 
How pathetic can some people be. So Sorry to hear about that Don. Hopefully they left your tools.

Ya, this time it was just kids a pc and some change. Last time it was my gsxr and many thousands in tools.

Don
 
Well look at the brightside....was your laptop a dell? Maybe they will be using it and it will catch fire, due to their defective batteries. Oh the ultimate revenge.
 
Well look at the brightside....was your laptop a dell? Maybe they will be using it and it will catch fire, due to their defective batteries. Oh the ultimate revenge.

Thats funny. My new one is a dell and my wife just sent me a article about a battery recall just this morning.

Don
 
Don,
Sorry to hear about your string of bad luck. Being robbed and owning a dell...:)
You have got to give dell credit for stepping up to the plate with the recall.

I am still thinking about building another skimmer.
If you get a chance and have some more pictures of the twist locks, send them my way.
I hope to get a little time this fall to get back out in the workshop.
Jonathan
 

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