Tip for Ideal 20ml Syringe Tank Makers: 3/4" Wooden Dowel

[AZCraig]

I was struggling with using a pipe cutter to cut my Ideal 20ml syringes for tanks. I don't have a 13mm long socket like they use in the YouTube video, so I tried various items. Whiteboard marker: too small, syringe plunger: too much crush-ability.

What worked best for me is a 3/4" round wooden dowel from Home Depot + a sanding brick/sponge (also from Home Depot) that painters use to prepare surfaces. The 3/4" round wooden dowel is almost exactly the same diameter is the inner diameter of the Ideal 20ml syringe tubes. So you have to use the sanding brick to every so slightly reduce the dowels diameter for the first 5 to 6 (IIRC) inches in length

Here's what I did: I put the sanding brick on the cushion of a chair (outdoors because of dust from the sanding) and rotated the dowel while using a back and forth motion on the brick. I only sanded enough to turn a dowel shaped portion of the brick white with dust. I wiped the dowel down with a slightly damp paper towel to remove any remaining dust. The dowel then slid easily into the tube.

There's a huge plus when cutting your tubes this way. Your pipe cutter will imprint your cut marks onto the dowel as you cut your syringes. You can then go back with a felt tip pen / sharpie / ink made from pounding plant matter used by native tribes for for face painting and make color coordinated cut marks for faster positioning of your pipe cutter in the future.

My next adventure is figuring out and easy / cheap / reliable way to make a fill port on the tank.

AZCraig

 

[Spazmelda]

I was struggling with using a pipe cutter to cut my Ideal 20ml syringes for tanks. I don't have a 13mm long socket like they use in the YouTube video, so I tried various items. Whiteboard marker: too small, syringe plunger: too much crush-ability.

What worked best for me is a 3/4" round wooden dowel from Home Depot + a sanding brick/sponge (also from Home Depot) that painters use to prepare surfaces. The 3/4" round wooden dowel is almost exactly the same diameter is the inner diameter of the Ideal 20ml syringe tubes. So you have to use the sanding brick to every so slightly reduce the dowels diameter for the first 5 to 6 (IIRC) inches in length

Here's what I did: I put the sanding brick on the cushion of a chair (outdoors because of dust from the sanding) and rotated the dowel while using a back and forth motion on the brick. I only sanded enough to turn a dowel shaped portion of the brick white with dust. I wiped the dowel down with a slightly damp paper towel to remove any remaining dust. The dowel then slid easily into the tube.

There's a huge plus when cutting your tubes this way. Your pipe cutter will imprint your cut marks onto the dowel as you cut your syringes. You can then go back with a felt tip pen / sharpie / ink made from pounding plant matter used by native tribes for for face painting and make color coordinated cut marks for faster positioning of your pipe cutter in the future.

My next adventure is figuring out and easy / cheap / reliable way to make a fill port on the tank.

AZCraig

Yes, a dowel works well. I've heard that a mini mag light is also good, and more durable than a wooden dowel, but I haven't tried it.

I use a belt hole punch to make my fill holes. Like this one:

 

[madjack]

I use a belt hole punch to make my fill holes. Like this one: View attachment 71989

errrr, what do you use as a plug for the fill hole??????????...

 

[Spazmelda]

Silicone earring backs. You have to block the hole in them with a headpin or something. A headpin is an inexpensive jewelry finding. I'll post a pic of I can figure out how to do it on my phone.

 

[Spazmelda]

Does this work?

And here's one that I put a little crystal on (girly bling)

 

[ainako]

what is the inner diameter for these syringes?

 

[AZCraig]

Yes, a dowel works well. I've heard that a mini mag light is also good, and more durable than a wooden dowel, but I haven't tried it.

I use a belt hole punch to make my fill holes. Like this one: View attachment 71989

I bought a very similar punch to the one you pictured and tried to use it to make the fill hole on the side of a syringe. I was not satisfied with the results.

AZCraig

 

[Spazmelda]

Hm, sorry that didn't work out for you. I use the 2nd smallest punch on there. The larger ones don't work well for me. Other than that I don't have anything helpful to offer. The small holes on mine come out nice and smooth.