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Thread: DIY-ing you own side mounted inclined fan..:)

  1. #1
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    DIY-ing you own side mounted inclined fan..:)

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    SO today i help chyrl to DIY her fan.. figured i should document it just in case anyone else wanted to make one..

    First, what you need..

    Tools..
    1) soldering iron
    2) solder
    3) long nose plyer
    4) a pair of tough scissors
    5) shrink wrap

    Equipment..

    From left to right and top to bottom...
    1)12v transformer dc ($8.50)
    2)fans... if you want quieter ones use below 0.16amps,.. these are 0.13amps ($3.50 each)
    3) Black tie wraps (medium thickness) ($3)
    4) White tie wraps (thinnest one) ($1)
    5) some screws and nuts ($1)
    6) 12v Female DC jack (size=2.5) ($2)
    7) Curtain mounts ($1)

    Total cost.. $20. Could be cheaper if i had more time to hunt for things but i had to meet chyrl so did it in a rush..

    Anyway.. those curtain mounts will be like the straight form you see in the picture... i re-fabricated the pieces and bent them to an angle i like..which in this case is 45degrees..

    As you can see from the fan i already started to tie the tie wraps around.
    This is a picture of tie wrapping the mounts onto the fan.


    Back view with mounting plates on.. and the wires already all connected up.. RED to RED and BLACK to BLACK..


    This next picture shows what happens after the soldering.. let me explain..

    i have unscrewed the 12v DC jack and you are looking at the inside.. On the inside of this jack..there are 2 metal pieces.. one that is more central and one on the outskirt circumference.. i soldered the red wires to the centre metal piece and then put a shrink wrap over it to avoid it touching the black wires...if not will cause short circuit...and as such you cant really see the centre contraption..
    Black wires are slodered to the outer piece of metal. the outer piece of metal also has a little clip like thing so when you're done.. clip both the red and black wires together so they dont shift about... AFter that..just simply screw on the black cover of the female 12v DC jack. take note of how wires are soldered... RED being positive and Black is negative..


    When you connect it to the transformer...pls make sure you got the settings right.. There will be an option on the transformer itself for you to choose whether you want the centre to be positive or negative.. IN MY CASE.. i soldered red wires to centre..so i chose Centre=positive. apologies on the picture... can really see the dial that allows you to choose option on transformer since its placed on its back.... my bad.

    After that.. just connect up and Fire it up!!!
    one more view of the mounts and securing from another angle..


    Easy peasy.. hope that helped those that are technically inclined..
    LAters.

  2. #2
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    Nice work, considering coming from a biologist...
    Something about the water & the fishes that calms me down.

  3. #3
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    Question!!!!! *Hands up*
    Where to get the curtain mounts?? And how to hold up the mounts onto the tank?
    ~ Vincent ~ Fishes calm your mind...
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/valice/





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    Quote Originally Posted by valice
    Question!!!!! *Hands up*
    Where to get the curtain mounts?? And how to hold up the mounts onto the tank?
    ye....me also keen to know that point, how to mount to the tanks...cos i guess most pple here are using wire trunking or sort of stuffs to hold up the fan....will look much more neater if can have a design like urs.... looking forward to ur answer
    i'm ADDicted to this wonderful hobby

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    Another question, is it possible to use your design on a 5-plan tank?
    You know those irritating black "bracing" around it? Makes things difficult only...
    ~ Vincent ~ Fishes calm your mind...
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/valice/





  6. #6
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    *Hands up* Got time to do one for my impending 2ft?

    Looks easy but in my hands SURE screw up big time! Haha...
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

    I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted! ), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted! ), C.tonkinensis(Melted! ), C.walkeri, C.wendtii 'Brown', C.wendtii 'Green', C.wendtii 'Green Gecko', C.wendtii 'Tropica' and Cryptocoryne x willisii

    Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...

  7. #7
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    Errr *Hands Up too*
    Think Ranma can start a biz with this DIY mount on Fan liao

    Put me on the list if that happens

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by michael lai
    Nice work, considering coming from a biologist...
    Eh bro.. i got mechatronics diploma one hor..too bad i spent most of the time in the canteen playing "Chor Tai Tee" instead of studying.haha

    Quote Originally Posted by valice
    Question!!!!! *Hands up*
    Where to get the curtain mounts?? And how to hold up the mounts onto the tank?
    You can buy them at any hardware store.. just ask for the section on curtain mounts and they'll show you...look around..you'll find them.

    The 2 plates behind come with the mount so just screw on only.. you'll clamp the glass inbetween.. if you look at the 2nd last photo..you'll see the plates.

    oh and cannot mount on 5-plan tanks cos of the stupid black plastic trim... i use this for glass tanks only. There is however another method to secure it to those kind of tanks..but...err..next time lah..

    Quote Originally Posted by Justikanz
    *Hands up* Got time to do one for my impending 2ft?

    Looks easy but in my hands SURE screw up big time! Haha...
    Thomas...like i said b4 in a past post.. You are welcomed to my tools and tinkering anytime...

  9. #9
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    Heh heh... Let me confirm the tank, then go visit you for the rocks and this... Thanks ah!

    Btw, to keep in track... How much better are these DIYs than those off shelves? I am sure there must be something else beside cost wise... Quite a lot of guys like DIY fans...
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

    I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted! ), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted! ), C.tonkinensis(Melted! ), C.walkeri, C.wendtii 'Brown', C.wendtii 'Green', C.wendtii 'Green Gecko', C.wendtii 'Tropica' and Cryptocoryne x willisii

    Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...

  10. #10
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    i dont know..i find them more quiet myself and i can adjust the speed of the fan by varying the voltage on the transformer if i want to. IT is also only 12volts..

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    Ic ic... Generally more quiet and cheaper to run...
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

    I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted! ), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted! ), C.tonkinensis(Melted! ), C.walkeri, C.wendtii 'Brown', C.wendtii 'Green', C.wendtii 'Green Gecko', C.wendtii 'Tropica' and Cryptocoryne x willisii

    Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...

  12. #12
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    Those clip on fans you see selling at LFS for 30 bucks or more ones are the Sunon fans (supposedly one of the highend computer fans if you mod your computer before last time), which are the same ones you can get from Sim Lim Tower for a lower cost... So there is actually no difference...

    And DIY you can custom design your system like what Justin did...
    ~ Vincent ~ Fishes calm your mind...
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/valice/





  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by ranmasatome
    oh and cannot mount on 5-plan tanks cos of the stupid black plastic trim... i use this for glass tanks only. There is however another method to secure it to those kind of tanks..but...err..next time lah..
    Must teach! Must teach!
    ~ Vincent ~ Fishes calm your mind...
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/valice/





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    Quote Originally Posted by ranmasatome
    2)fans... if you want quieter ones use below 0.16amps,.. these are 0.13amps ($3.50 each)
    Which shop in Sim Lim did you get those fans? I have tried going there before but was quoted at least $8 for a fan!
    Click here to help me make my Fish Room Project a reality!

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    i must say the ampres is quite important in determining the "quietness" of the fan....

    recently went to buy 1 fan @ sim lim tower...think for $7.50....nv bothered to check the ampere reading...it's actually 0.2A, came home and fix it...it was damn noisy...boh bian...now gotta reduce the voltage to at least make it quieter...

    my previous one was 0.13A, very quiet...
    i'm ADDicted to this wonderful hobby

  16. #16
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    Go Sim LiM towers...
    Basement got a couple of shops...
    Take your time to look... Some are AC fans, some are DC fans...
    Some of the fans have a plug done for you already, while others is just bare wire...
    ~ Vincent ~ Fishes calm your mind...
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/valice/





  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Weirong
    Which shop in Sim Lim did you get those fans? I have tried going there before but was quoted at least $8 for a fan!
    Bro..either you dont have local face or you picked the wrong fans. i didnt even have to hunt for this shop..it was smack near the escalators.. like i said i did everything in a rush..lol. make sure you get the plastic fans not the metal ones.. and also low amps. i'm using 0.11 amps now..but 0.13 was the best i could find that day because i was in a rush. $3.50..confirm.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ranmasatome
    Bro..either you dont have local face or you picked the wrong fans. i didnt even have to hunt for this shop..it was smack near the escalators.. like i said i did everything in a rush..lol. make sure you get the plastic fans not the metal ones.. and also low amps. i'm using 0.11 amps now..but 0.13 was the best i could find that day because i was in a rush. $3.50..confirm.
    But I don't look like an Ang Moh! But I sure speak like one!
    I'll try my limited Chinese next time I'm there... Probably make things worse... I'll get you to get those fans for me if I'm still quoted $8 for a fan.
    Click here to help me make my Fish Room Project a reality!

  19. #19
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    See if i free loh.... i now jobless no money ah.. lol.. but if you're going just drop me a pm or something or leave your no. in my pm and i'll give you a call.. maybe i go with you.. got so much to buy there..

  20. #20
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    Can you DIY a fan using solar cells. I was wondering if the back part of my PL light can be converted to be a solar cell area for a small fan, that would be great.

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