$6 wave maker!!!!

Mr Bojangles · 02-03-2007, 09:36 PM

Ok I have been playing with this for awhile and have made this DIY wavemaker about 2 years ago and it still working so I figured I would share. Basically its a $4 timer from walmart that instead of switching every 24 hours switches every 60 seconds and its quiet!

Here is the timer from wally-world

here you find the motor and the outlet boxes. The motor justs lifts out and the same for the outlet, but be careful not to lose the spring and switch parts.

Take the motor box out and unscrew and this is what you find

remove the motor from the white box and carefully undo the clear plastic tabs on the side and remove the electromagnet and resistor.

this is where you have fun take the 3 gears out and put them aside

now take the 2 gears you are going to glue together and get a small piece of 3/16 ridged airline tubing and tack it in place with a lil pit of superglue being careful not to get any on the metal shaft otherwise you will never get the gears out. Once you have them tacked in place, carefully remove them and use 5 min epoxy on the rest of to get it to stay (superglue doesnt bond well to this type of plastic) and let cure for 30 min

now put your new gear in leaving the 3 you took out out and put the motor assembly back together. Now take the outlet cover off by the one screw and it should look like this......

you are going to cut and bend the tabs so they look like the pic below. you need to do this so the motor will have to not work so hard to turn the dial so you will need to feel the switch when it takes little effort to turn on and off and you will also be making the switches "click" sound be very quiet to no sound at all.

another shot of the finished part.....

now before you put everything back in the big gear in the middle that spins the timer needs to be loosened a lil bit so just a small turn will do it. To much and the dial will wobble causing the tabs not to catch. Now you can reassemble the timer and it should be spinning once per second and you should have the tabs turning it on and off too. That was the hardest part so you might need to tweak the switches tabs.

Snelly40 · 02-03-2007, 09:43 PM

wow, nice

Woodstock · 02-03-2007, 09:57 PM

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Dentoid · 02-03-2007, 10:03 PM

Reef MacGuyver to the rescue. That is awesome!

lcstorc · 02-03-2007, 10:04 PM

Cool idea! Thanks for sharing.

JFK_Jr · 02-04-2007, 01:41 AM

Ingenious... but I'd probably burn the house down!

saltwaterfarm · 02-04-2007, 02:57 AM

Wow Mr. B...that is cool!

Jorgens · 02-04-2007, 09:05 AM

Rock on, but I'm with JFK. The house would go poof.

billyr98 · 02-04-2007, 12:38 PM

Great DIY Skills!

KodiakBear · 02-05-2007, 03:28 PM

As an electrician, my only recommendation would be to buy a 3-prong timer instead. Those little copper contacts that you're bending are not designed for the amount of cycling that is going to happen. They will deteriorate and heat up as slag builds up on the surfaces due to the tiny arc produced each time the contacts open. I'm glad to read that it's worked for 2 years, but I'd suggest opening it up again and taking a look at the contacts. It probably needs a little burnishing by now, and that can be done with a very fine rasp, if a burnisher isn't available. A 3-prong outlet would give you a little more ground protection and make this a lot safer. This looks like a great idea. I already have one of those timers for my lighting. I think I'll try it for a wavemaker too.

boozeman · 02-05-2007, 03:30 PM

ingenious

Dragon Wrasse · 02-05-2007, 03:39 PM

Very Cool.....Nice job......

superman · 02-13-2007, 09:54 AM

That is an awesome DIY, where did you get the idea to do this?

JasonL · 02-13-2007, 10:12 AM

Good Stuff. This is why I love reefsanctuary, people go out of thier way to save you money. Karma For You.

rDr4g0n · 02-16-2007, 03:21 PM

im gonna be building one today.

with my past track record though...

02-03-2007, 09:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
Mr Bojangles Fire Coral Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Port St John, FL Posts: 81 View Gallery Karma Komment	$6 wave maker!!!! Ok I have been playing with this for awhile and have made this DIY wavemaker about 2 years ago and it still working so I figured I would share. Basically its a $4 timer from walmart that instead of switching every 24 hours switches every 60 seconds and its quiet! Here is the timer from wally-world here you find the motor and the outlet boxes. The motor justs lifts out and the same for the outlet, but be careful not to lose the spring and switch parts. Take the motor box out and unscrew and this is what you find remove the motor from the white box and carefully undo the clear plastic tabs on the side and remove the electromagnet and resistor. this is where you have fun take the 3 gears out and put them aside now take the 2 gears you are going to glue together and get a small piece of 3/16 ridged airline tubing and tack it in place with a lil pit of superglue being careful not to get any on the metal shaft otherwise you will never get the gears out. Once you have them tacked in place, carefully remove them and use 5 min epoxy on the rest of to get it to stay (superglue doesnt bond well to this type of plastic) and let cure for 30 min now put your new gear in leaving the 3 you took out out and put the motor assembly back together. Now take the outlet cover off by the one screw and it should look like this...... you are going to cut and bend the tabs so they look like the pic below. you need to do this so the motor will have to not work so hard to turn the dial so you will need to feel the switch when it takes little effort to turn on and off and you will also be making the switches "click" sound be very quiet to no sound at all. another shot of the finished part..... now before you put everything back in the big gear in the middle that spins the timer needs to be loosened a lil bit so just a small turn will do it. To much and the dial will wobble causing the tabs not to catch. Now you can reassemble the timer and it should be spinning once per second and you should have the tabs turning it on and off too. That was the hardest part so you might need to tweak the switches tabs. __________________ Tanks: 125g Reef, 92g corner bowfront anemone tank, 75g aggressive semi-reef Mr Bojangles 120g Money pit! http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...money-pit.html Feeding My Haddoni Blue Carpet Anemone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtgynZHl0ao "Nothing ever happens fast except problems" "The solution to pollution is dilution"

02-03-2007, 09:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
Snelly40 Golden Moray Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 2,376 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! wow, nice __________________ Snelly's 90gal Reef-O-Rama *Member-"Crabs Are Evil" Society* In Hoc Signo Vinces

02-03-2007, 09:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,553 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Very interesting! Thanks for sharing. __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* ~120 Reef Chronicle ~ *~Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 120 mixed reef, dual Reeflux 10k 250 MHs, dual Geiseman Actinic T5s,Neptune AC III, ASM g3, 2x Korallia #3, Mag 9.5 return

02-03-2007, 10:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
Dentoid Over Achiever Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 10,239 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Reef MacGuyver to the rescue. That is awesome! __________________ Scott Dentoid's Reeforama

02-03-2007, 10:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 17,965 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Cool idea! Thanks for sharing. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

02-04-2007, 01:41 AM	#6 (permalink)
JFK_Jr Golden Moray Join Date: May 2006 Location: Hallandale Beach FL Posts: 2,108 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Ingenious... but I'd probably burn the house down! __________________ *JFK_Jr's 150 Gallon Starphire*

02-04-2007, 02:57 AM	#7 (permalink)
saltwaterfarm Manta Ray Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,222 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Wow Mr. B...that is cool! __________________ Lisa 90 Gal AGA, DIY Sump/Fuge, Current Outer Orbit 250w MH's with T5's. AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, RK2.[/font] Purple LTA, pair of Percula Clowns, Clams, Softies, Shrooms, Ricordea, Echinophyllia, Torch, Frogspawn, Blastos, Sponges, Acro, Wellso, the NEW Zoa Mountain, and some more stuff... 3 Gal Sexy Shrimp Pico. 29 Gal Oceanic BioCube, Current Sunpod 150w MH.

02-04-2007, 09:05 AM	#8 (permalink)
Jorgens Scopas Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 433 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Rock on, but I'm with JFK. The house would go poof. __________________ Proud member of the 200+ Club! http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...gens/Aquarium/ I have no fear of falling. Hitting the ground SUX tho....

02-04-2007, 12:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
billyr98 Reefing Addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 5,399 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Great DIY Skills! __________________ Billyr98 -=NJRC Treasurer=- My 450g Reef Tank ~~~ Its HERE!!!

02-05-2007, 03:28 PM	#10 (permalink)
KodiakBear Plate Coral Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 785 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! As an electrician, my only recommendation would be to buy a 3-prong timer instead. Those little copper contacts that you're bending are not designed for the amount of cycling that is going to happen. They will deteriorate and heat up as slag builds up on the surfaces due to the tiny arc produced each time the contacts open. I'm glad to read that it's worked for 2 years, but I'd suggest opening it up again and taking a look at the contacts. It probably needs a little burnishing by now, and that can be done with a very fine rasp, if a burnisher isn't available. A 3-prong outlet would give you a little more ground protection and make this a lot safer. This looks like a great idea. I already have one of those timers for my lighting. I think I'll try it for a wavemaker too. __________________ Isaiah 6:8 I once prayed God would grant me patience. The next day I was starting a reef aquarium. My Confession

02-05-2007, 03:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
boozeman The CodFather ~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: new york Posts: 8,800 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! ingenious __________________ ...and when I'm old and wise little things mean little to me like autumn winds they'll blow right through me and someday, in the mist of time when they ask you if you knew me remember that you were a friend of mine

02-05-2007, 03:39 PM	#12 (permalink)
Dragon Wrasse Harlequin Tuskfish Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 991 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Very Cool.....Nice job...... __________________ *Member "Crabs Are Evil" Society* "A wise man learns more from a foolish question, then a fool learns from a wise answer" - Bruce Lee _____________________________ 75 gal SeaClear II Reef Tank (softy tank) - Coralife 125 Super Skimmer - Little Giant 2-MDQX-SC - Angstrom 2537 UV 15W - HOB Refugium - Eheim Pro 2228 - Red Sea Wave Maker w/Maxi-Jet 600 (X4) - 100 lbs Live Sand (DSB) - 100 lbs Live Rock - 260W PC lighting - 470nm lunar lights (X15) - AquaController II Custom 75 gal Starphire glass tank (SPS/LPS tank) - Custom 24 gal Refugium - Tuzne Wave box - JBJ Chiller - 390W PC lighting - 175W MH (X2) - Knop Cal. Reactor - AquaController 3 Pro - Aqua C Skimmer - Phosban Reactor - 18W Turbo-twist UV sterilizer - Sump - Sony Computer 5 gal Nano Hospital Tank - Eheim 2213 - Red Sea Prizm Skimmer - Live sand - Live Rock - Built in Refugium - 36W PC lighting

02-13-2007, 09:54 AM	#13 (permalink)
superman Bryozoan Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 42 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! That is an awesome DIY, where did you get the idea to do this?

02-13-2007, 10:12 AM	#14 (permalink)
JasonL Midas Blenny Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: South Carolina Posts: 85 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! Good Stuff. This is why I love reefsanctuary, people go out of thier way to save you money. Karma For You. __________________ "It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required." Winston Churchhill

02-16-2007, 03:21 PM	#15 (permalink)
rDr4g0n Elegance coral Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: south texas Posts: 1,169 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: $6 wave maker!!!! im gonna be building one today. with my past track record though... __________________ I know there are quite a few typos in this post. It's not that I'm stupid... it's more like... I'm lazy. - John My 29 Gallon tank of AWESOME My DIY Projects: My $50, 150watt lighting • 10 gallon tall tank • Hood for my 10gal. tall my r0xx0r DIY protein skimmer • 2 cheap strip lights into 1 • Grow cyano!?

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