where to buy aluminum?

[scuba_steveo]

I am going to build an aluminium hood like the one on reef central for my new 215 open top in wall system. So, does anybody know where is the best place to get sheet aluminum and aluminum frame? Thanks for the help, Steve.

[alexwolf]

you could use a ton of Reynolds wrap

[scuba_steveo]

you could use a ton of Reynolds wrap

Thanks for the tip Alex, very smart, I dont know why I didn't think of it.

[alexwolf]

LOL :D

[dan]

you could try alamo iron works. i think they carry all kinds of metals. they are on collosium rd.

[z28pwr]

You may also want to consider stainless steel, unless it's too pricey but an 18 gauge would be more then enough for what you need.

[Henry]

I think the guy that made that hood bought everything from Home Depot. I think there is a store off Josephine that sell metal and supplies. I'll look up the number.

[matt]

Quite a project. Are you really going to make this thing?

BTW, I put together your skimmer today; yours is the first with my new dual beckett templates. It really worked out well. I still have to make the collection cup and a few other things, but it will definitely be ready on Sunday for the meeting.

[scuba_steveo]

sweet matt
I am not sure how I am going to build the hood but it will be abel to raise and lower and vent heat to the attic. I am still not sure on the material. I may do it in acrylic! Up for a new project????????? LOL

[lax]

first off itd be expensive to build that exact hood. i can build that exact hood minus having the right machine to bend the horz edge like he did. if you dont know where to even begin looking to buy some sheet metal there's no way that you would have the right tooling yourself. if you want to shoot yourself in the foot and the wallet, go ahead and get that 18 ga. ss. its more than twice the thickness that would sufice, and not a very machineable metal either.

if i were you i would do 5052 H32 temper by .032 thick aluminum with a mirror-like finish. 5052 is considered the marine corrosion resistant grade aluminum. i could design and build ya something similar that wouldnt cost as much as what he probably payed for it, if he didnt have the tools. or if you really wanted that exact design; i could use pro/e, solidworks or auto-cad 2000 (your pick) at work do make a drawing for a metal shop to make the aluminium shell as you see it.

msc direct or mcmaster carr are some online catalogues that roll of the top of my head to get the materials needed, or you could call a local machine shop and see what their prices are for some aluminum, give them an overall general sq foot estimate and some of your biggest dimensions for them to get a general idea.

i know tons more stuff about metal fab work, since this what i do a lot at work, work at an engineering firm.

[Henry]

If I remember the process ont he build for this one, He used just flat sheets of aluminum and square tubing. No fancy bends or anything. Just used rivots to hold it all together.

[reefer]

you could easioly build one of these. homedepot and lowes carries all the required parts, but making one out of diamond plated aluminum would look wicked!
8)
hacksaw, rivet gun, square, cordless drill+a few drill bits, clamps, and a 4" cresent wrench and your set!

[mathias]

well if anyone want to build one for a 55 gal tank :) I will buy it

[Instar]

Aluminum foil will oxidize where the salt hits it and condenses. After a while it will start "snowing" the aluminum dust into the tank water. Its highly toxic. I'd use stainless if you can get it.

Regular aluminum can not get any salt on it. You will have to insulate it from the tank water, spray and moisture with something like a plexiglass barrier. The salt bridges that will build on it will transport AL into the tank. It is really deadly.

[scuba_steveo]

even if I use the 5052 the marine corrosion resistant grade aluminum that lax mentioned? if i cant use aluminum that what else? wood? it would be too heavy.

[Instar]

Thats probably partly what my cabin cruiser hardware was made of. I had to polish it clean all the time to keep it from pitting or corroding. I always though about those things when I got into an electrical storm as they become superconductors at times. If its isolated, or coated with something like this one metal hood I have, it would be another thing. Although it does get a little warm, even with just pc's in it. I thought of 2 more disadvantages to aluminum. In a marine environment, it will be basically a conductor like a battery cell. Whereever the salt water comes into contact with all that electrical device of the hood, it becomes a cell. That will happen by aerosols from the tank. Without sacrificial anodes, the life of your ballasts and other equipment will be shortened. There is really no good way to apply sacrificial anodes without serious risk to the tank. And in an electrical storm, its a superconductor. In 9 years I've been hit 4 times blowing surge protectors, chips off my computer boards and arching across the room and blowing ground fault outlets. I am thankful that my hoods are combinations of wood, plastic and painted metal. If you coat the aluminun so that its isolated completely, it would be different. Still leaves possiblities for corrosion if chipped, but, not bad as a large uncoated aluminun hood would be. Since you are in-wall, with a room behind, why not use a lightweight frame with reflectors held by wires or lighter framing material? Wood can be very light wieght. A hood does not need to be 3/4 ply or made of oak to be effective. And with that room behind the tank, why make a hood at all? All that does is trap heat providing that problem to deal with. A frame to hang reflectors and lights from is all you really need isn't it? If its exposed, then a shield of 1/4 laminated oak on the front will not be heavy. An oak veneer over ply, sealed with acrylic or something would not be heavy. Actually, an entire hood can be made from that and with the proper framing is light and stong. I have 2 hoods made from some kind of hardboard with epoxy over it. Its very light, even with fixutres in it. Geeze that aluminum hood in the picture above would get really hot, sinking the heat into the thak below. I can't even imagine it. He'll need a huge chiller and better not touch the top after its been on all day. I have some large outside work lights with metal housings. Can't touch them after a few minutes or I get burned. If left on inside, they are likely to cause a fire. Looks like he has a whole bunch of halides inside that closed metal hood above. Looks really nice as well as dangerous to me. If you do something like that, make sure you ground it. One of the rules I have with my tanks is to avoid as much metal as possible as the ions always find a way into the tank.

[scuba_steveo]

Thanks Larry. The hood needs to be enclosed on all 6 sides so that I can trap the heat. The hood will have at least 3 fans in it all blowing towards the same end and that end will have tubing on it that releases the hot air to the attic. See attached pic for better idea. So I guess wood is the way to go? What other options do I have?