My diy tanks

[donnah]

I ordered polycarb tubing from Amazon and vinyl grommets from Amazon. My husband used a band saw to cut the tube to the lengths I wanted. The bought vinyl screws from Lowes and o-rings from Lowes and a drill and tap set from Amazon. It works great I'm not exactly happy with the screws.. I want thumb screws like the ones on the sub tanks but I haven't ordered anything else yet. I just discovered this forum was here! I've been posting over on the atty, carto and tanks forum.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OMJ50K/ref=oh_o06_s00_i00_details

I do want to add that this is not my own original design.. I took ideas from products I've bought (chibi and mini sub tanks) and from other members who ordered these same parts.

 

[alex3x]

What is exactly polycarb tubing? can I buy this in a hardware store? And vynil grommets do you think I can buy this in hardware store cause I need my tank very soon. Have to time to order on the web!


Do you think I can buy other tubing material

And how does the screw make the sealing? does the juice leaks from somewhere?

Btw nice looking tank

tanks Alex

 

[Charlz]

looks nice. Wouldn't a self tapping screw work for making the hole? Just something less to order off line.

 

[r77r7r]

If you have a bunch of o-rings, I think I'd put one on the thumbscrew- that would allow an easier grip and leakproof it. The only leak I've had on my sub-tank was in my bathrobe pocket and I think it was the thumbscrew. I think the screws on the momnpops are overkill.

 

[alex3x]

Ok no more need for info on polycarb and vynil grommets.....I just made a great tank in 10 minutes with two 10 ml serynge...

Unless you pull hard on the tube to take it off of the two packing, just by shaking it its impossible to make it leaks... and im testing it with water that is less viscous than e-liquid.

I will drill a filling hole and put a little rubber cap to plug the hole ...

I'm sure there's a lot out there but if you want me to make a video tutorial just send me a PV I'll make it and post it on the forum....

The only tools I have used is a hand metal saw to cut the serynge, a metal file to sharpen the tip of an old carto and to make the end of the plastic tube flush and a hammer.

Thanks Alex

 

[johnlacie]

Have you tried doing a David style syringe tank mod? Seems your technique is very similar to his.

 

[alex3x]

Hmm I don't know David's serynge tank mod!

I just bought two 10ml serynge for 1 buck and I have improvised.

Turn out to be fairly easy and efficient...

 

[johnlacie]

Hmm I don't know David's serynge tank mod!

I just bought two 10ml serynge for 1 buck and I have improvised.

Turn out to be fairly easy and efficient...

Yup, I've made several of them as they're really easy to make

Anyway, this is what I was referring to ...

 

[donnah]

If you have a bunch of o-rings, I think I'd put one on the thumbscrew- that would allow an easier grip and leakproof it. The only leak I've had on my sub-tank was in my bathrobe pocket and I think it was the thumbscrew. I think the screws on the momnpops are overkill.

The whole reason I like the sub tanks is the hole and thumb screw. It is so easy and quick to fill. And sometimes my tank needs venting.. to let air in when it's not wicking well. What I've found with the grommet style tanks is that when I fill by sliding the needle down between the grommet and the tank, if I'm not careful, the displaced air doesn't get out as I fill the tank with juice, creating too much air pressure inside the tank. This has resulted in certain flooding of the carto. The excess air pressure forces the air into the carto and out the bottom, continuously. Filling with the fill hole eliminates this problem. My fill hole doesn't leak around the screw unless it's not in all the way.

Also, tiny air leaks, air from outside the tank coming in around the grommets when I vape can also quickly build up air pressure. This can happen when I've been using the same carto in the tank for a week or so. This was hard to fix when I was using a tank without a fill hole. I would have to slide something thin and sharp between the grommet and tank to let out the excess air. But the air would keep coming in until I took the tank apart and reassembled it with a good seal.

The fill hole has been a real positive for me. This has been my experience with grommet style tanks.

Someone above asked about getting polycarb tubing and grommets local.. at a hardware store. I don't know about polytubing in the dimensions we need but the grommets in places like Lowes are rubber.. I want vinyl. I did find some o-rings at Lowes to go in the groves of the grommets.

Update... I just put together a tank with a fresh carto.. the hole in this particular piece of tubing is a bit too big for any of the screws I have (how did that happen?) air bubbles were coming in like crazy around all of my screws. (I watched in a mirror) I took a suggestion from another member and just put a piece of scotch tape over it. It works! No air bubbles are coming in! I folded over a bit of the tape to make it easy to get off and other than that flap, I the tape is almost invisible.

 

[alex3x]

Why not just put a kind of rubber or vynil plug in the hole instead of a screw or a tape?

 

[donnah]

View attachment 78131

Why not just put a kind of rubber or vynil plug in the hole instead of a screw or a tape?

that would work too but I don't have anything to plug it. I've saw where someone used a piece off of a diabetic syringe (the plunger part) to plug up the hole but I haven't been out hunting anything just yet.

the tape didn't work so good after all. It did work but once I take it off I have to put another piece on and the tank has to be good and dry or air will leak in from around the tape. It works in a pinch if I happen to lose my screw and have tape on hand but it's not ideal for everyday use.. not for me anyway.

Hmmm.. now I'm going to be scouring amazon and ebay for plugs LOL

 

[alex3x]

Oh thanks for the diabetic syringe plunger idea, I'm diabetic myself and I didn't think about it but I don't use syringes anymore I use pencil with no plunger. The problem is most of the time they sell it in box of 100 units but I know sometimes they have pack of ten syringes.

But before searching on the internet for plugs go to your drugstore and ask for 1cc syringe... That could be your perfect plug! Cut one of the two sealing disk with an exacto and let the other to pull on it when you want to take it off. Ha yeah but you already drilled the hole in your polycarb tube to fit your screw so maybe youll have to cut another piece of tubing and make a new hole in it that fit your new syringe plunger plug... anyway just some ideas I will do that myself ...
Cause I predict that searching for plug on the web will be an assle... and when you use syringe parts your sure that theres no toxin in the material like it may in rubber pieces...

 

[donnah]

Now that I think of it....there's diabetic syringes at work. I'll have to take a look at them when I go back Tuesday. I'm sure they wouldn't cost any more than a few cents. Again, thanks for the idea!

 

[Hosedragger]

did you try some silly putty for the hole?

 

[WillyB]

... The fill hole has been a real positive for me. This has been my experience with grommet style tanks.

Update... I just put together a tank with a fresh carto.. the hole in this particular piece of tubing is a bit too big for any of the screws I have (how did that happen?) air bubbles were coming in like crazy around all of my screws. (I watched in a mirror) I took a suggestion from another member and just put a piece of scotch tape over it. It works! No air bubbles are coming in! I folded over a bit of the tape to make it easy to get off and other than that flap, I the tape is almost invisible.

Take a look at mine.

Those 'gaskets' are from old cartos. The first and last use the little silicone washer from an older CE2, one side is concave, put that towards the tube. The second one is a mouthpiece from a carto.

The bottom grommet works better with an o-ring (just in case).

You'll also notice mine have an extra top piece, this slides up and down and allows the use of any length carto. The basic design came from Vermonster and a few others on another forum. The extra top extension is similar to what you see in a CE2 tank. And FWIW you can use slotted CE2 cartos in it also.

In the final wash though the one I use is based on Para's design using a vial. The vial plastic seems impervious to cracking and liquid, plus filling it is a breeze. It uses the same size grommets.

The top extension piece stays is the grommet, it looks like this,

 

[Chosen_1]

Yeah all....heres some good news...i just found assorted sizes of grommets at radio shack... For about 2$ and some change...

 

[WillyB]

Yeah all....heres some good news...i just found assorted sizes of grommets at radio shack... For about 2$ and some change...

Are they vinyl? That's important as the rubber ones will always taint the liquid.

 

[Chosen_1]

Sorry there not vinyl.... Anybody find a place besides online to buy vinyl grommets? Please post.

 

[donnah]

Nice Willeb!! I love making things like this! I'm nixing the plugs... I've got two batches of 6-32 thumb screws on order right now. I have been having problems with all but one (the one that came on the mini sub) of my screws leaking in air as I vape. I've been using the white vinyl 6-32 screws from Lowes and they tend to let air in when I vape. The washers you put around your screws would fix that problem!

I haven't found vinyl grommets locally.. there pretty cheap at amazon.. plus I found 0-rings at lowes that work perfect! The grommets can leak air but with 0-rings they are very snug and don't leak. The o-rings I found are Danco brand, in the hardware dept #8 o-ring. comes 10 to a package for a little over $2.


Someone gave me a couple syringe tanks and I think they look sturdy. I found a great place to buy them... .55 each and free shipping! The plunger looks to be the thick kind that they say to use. I haven't ordered any yet, I'm going to swing by my local tractor supply and see what they have first. Since you need 2 syringes to make a complete tank that comes to $1.10 each! I've heard so many good things about the syringe tank, no one has reported anything bad about it.

I like being able to make the things I use. I wish I knew more about electronics.. solding and such so I could make mods or attys.

 

[alex3x]

A little follow to show my new 100% sirynge made tank...

I have used 2 10ml syringe for the body and the tip of a 1ml diabetic sirynge for the plug.

It works perfectly and what I like of the 10ml is that it don't contains to much I don't have to vape the same juice for 2 weeks before refilling it with another juice...

Alex