how to make you own bulkhead guide

[is_that_a_fish]

this is a sweet link to how to make you own bulkhead for pennies..i think i am gonna try it to see if it works, if someone thinks that this is a bad idea tell me, and why....hope you enjoy...http://www.truetex.com/bulkhead.htm

[Pauli]

I'd say try it! But to that I will add-- on something that you can test the seal that it makes. Also test it rigorously on something not the closed loop bulkhead in a 180 gal tank on your first try. I like to hear the report.

[is_that_a_fish]

im probly gonna test it on a rubbermaid, and i will post pics and tell you how it goes....im off to pick up the parts....

[Fly Guy]

I think it will work but one thing to keep in mind, unless you are buying VERY high quality Male and female straight-threaded adapters, threading them into each other far enough to get them to form a seal, is going to happen less likely than more.......and even if you DO get them to nearly bottom out(which is what this process is calling for), getting them undone if you ever need to is going to take some SERIOUS torque in most likely a awkward place. The high quality fittings im referring to are going to cost the non-wholesale buyer somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.50 or more a piece and that all of a sudden puts the total cost of the project at or more than simply buying a medium quality bulkhead in the first place, which WILL be user friendly.

You could use a lubricant of some kind to help with that threading thing but if you go price the plumbing parts for this it is still going to cost nearly half of what a bulkhead would regardless of what parts you use, AND on the tank side, you are going to have a huge eyesore instead of a nearly flush opening to do whatever it is you plan on using the bulkhead for.

I DO, however think its a great idea if the closest bulkhead for purchase is many miles away and you need one NOW...........

Just my $.02

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1

[JennM]

I didn't look at the link, but IMO for the $6-10 or so it costs for proper bulkheads, it's not worth the risk of trying to macgyver something.

I've seen plenty of ''improvised' tanks... and replaced home-made parts when they've failed. Last summer another 'service' company totally destroyed the overflow in a 265-gallon tank by improvising bulkheads - they used reducers and some unknown adhesive that I suspect ended up making the fish sick. The customer was totally peeved off about this - she literally spent thousands on her system, only to have someone she paid well to do a proper job, cut corners. She hired us and we ended up replacing the whole tank - the overflow notwithstanding, the rest of the tank was a nightmare too, and came from a manufacturer with a horrible reputation - the bad 'bulkheads' were probably a blessing in disguise, we pulled the tank before anything else happened, and the manufacturer in question has had a lot of problems with major seam failures... but I digress...

There are plenty of other ways to economize but there are some corners that can't and shouldn't be cut. Bulkhead fittings are made for a specific purpose, and to that end, the small cost should be well worth it.

JMHO.

Jenn

[JennM]

OK I looked at the link... OY!

I suppose for something that's for outdoor use and if it leaks a bit, it's not biggie, is one thing... but for a tank you've spent mucho dinero on.... umm NO.

I'll stick with my opinion above

Jenn

[is_that_a_fish]

ok, cool, i guess i wont do it then, i can get bulkheads (i personally dont need any) i was just trying to help out people who are financially limited, and i was just gonna try to see if it would work, but i guess its not worth the risk to save a couple of bucks.....

[thekid55]

ya i would just go and buy one.

[tims]

heheh hate to say it but that is how i did the ten gallon nano..

[is_that_a_fish]

so does it work tims? are you happy with it? explain....now a days a good ole 2inch bulkhead costs 20 dollars....and money is an issure for "some" people, thats what the whole point of most diy things are

[tims]

yes it works.. but i had to get a second gasket for it.
i have pictures of it in my nano build off thread..
just make sure you dont over tighten it! or crack............

[Geoff]

i have also done something like this several years ago. it does work, but i would not trust it under pressure. i used these on some DIY external overflows. with this amount of head pressure they worked fine, but would not trust them at the bottom of a tank.

i agree with Jenn here. real bulkheads are fairly inexpensive and the gasket is much larger. i would go this route for any bulkhead that would be below water level inside the tank.

G~

[JennM]

Well I hope nobody takes offence to this... but it *is* an expensive hobby. As I said there are plenty of common sense ways to economize, but for some things it's not worth the risk. Tim used the technique on a 4-g nano with success (good job!), but there's a huge difference between say a 4-g nano, the outdoor reservoire pictured in the DIY Link, and say doing this on a 400-g tank. Use common sense.

I wouldn't trust this type of thing in a medium or large setup, and if one is that pressed for cash so as not to be able to buy proper parts for it, perhaps (respectfully) one should rethink the appropriateness of the project in the first place. Nothing wrong with DIY... but DIR applies too (do it RIGHT).

Perhaps I come from a jaded point of view, but I've seen so many screwed up systems - even huge systems, where somebody just made too many shortcuts... one would think that if a salesperson could sell a customer a 200+gallon tank, they'd be able to sell them the proper accoutrements to go with it.

I wish I had a dollar for every $4000+ setup I've seen with inferior sump, skimmer, lights... if money is that big of an issue, go with a smaller tank and outfit it right the first time.

Jenn

[fchidsey]

As previously stated I think that is ok for a low presure application however I would hate to see somebody 200 gal display on the floor because a homemade bulkhead failure. IMHO

Fred