tools:
scissors
packing tape
standard office stapler
for great stuff;
pipe cleaner
paper towel
cup
acetone
serrated steak knife
supplies:
sams club cheerios box (empty w/boxtops for education removed)
staples
1 can great stuff
tank (obviously)
wood from a tree in my back yard (aged, soaked and baked)
wax paper
computer fan
knitting canvas
eventually;
9-12 volt dc converter (old electronic charger i had laying around from a beard trimmer, cordless phone or something)
dimmer or in-line power switch to cut the fan off during misting so it doesn't soak the front glass somehow
i folded the cardboard over the fan to get the right size and depth (i wanted the channel as deep as the fan thickness to minimize any flow restrictions).
then i cut and taped that channel to the tank. stared at it for a while to decide how i wanted the air to go across the glass...
removed the cardboard, cut my angles and attached the baffle piece (the angled cardboard at the end) with staples and packing tape.
re-attached them.
cut and taped a corner on the bottom.
put the fan in place.
cut and taped on the top corners lining them up with the fan in place.
removed the structure as one piece to finish stapling and taping.
realized the fan wouldn't fit/slide in correctly if the structure gave a little... or the fan could fall in and get stuck... so i cut 2 strips and bent them over the fan to determine length... then stapled/taped them into place to hold the fan in a groove.
used a lot of packing tape in small strips to re-apply the structure into place.
folded some cardboard around the fan to ensure a little wiggle room in the fan slot and as a backing for wax paper.
wrapped and taped the wax paper around the fan/cardboard.
shoved it in the slot to keep great stuff out.
cut, bent and taped knitting canvas on as vent covers. in hind sight this is really one thing you want to use staples on
before you attach the structure to the tank in it's final position. explanation to follow
sprayed a thin layer of great stuff in all the cracks and in thin strips across the broad surfaces.
immediately cleaned the great stuff nozzle, tube and trigger with pipe cleaners, paper towel and acetone.
let it dry.
did a little smoothing/carving with a steak knife including making 2 channels/wedges for the wood.
sprayed a little more great stuff to build up a couple areas, fill in some of my carving, create more surface area against the glass to form a better bond,
cover the huge gaps left from where the vent covers lifted when the g/s stuck better to the tape than the tape did to the cardboard and for something to press the wood into that will hold on to it.
cleaned the nozzle, trigger and tube... and whatever... again...
pressed the wood into the grooves now filled with great stuff.
popped a couple bubbles before they were over grown, touching glass or otherwise going to make things difficult.
between all this i;
fiddled w/the hood
drilled 2 holes for misting heads into a glass hood on my terra
installed the bulbs
cut glass lids for this tank and my terra
knurled the edges on those lids
mixed up some soil for this tank... mostly with inert, natural byproducts
put together the f/b (i think i'm going to adjust that a bit)
blah, blah, blah............................. long post... getting longer.... tired.... halloween..... 2 kids....... lol
i'm going to....
install the fan
cover the whole area with wax paper.... maybe cling wrap
fill the void with great stuff
remove the great stuff "plug" and take off the plastic/wax paper
cover the g/s in the tank and the plug
re-set the plug... as a plug... so it can just be lifted... and the fan removed... for cleaning/replacement/maintenance/etc.
do other things to the tank besides air circulation... including acclimating plants from my aquariums.
hope that helps
Foggy Glass - 12 volt fan
Linear Mode
