Author Topic: Mag-Frag Plugs (Read 10231 times)

MechanicalEngineer · « **on:** March 21, 2009, 23:10:58 »

So, my inner DIY-spirit has kicked up again. After extensive research, I've figured out how to make the uber-expensive mag-frag plugs for a reasonable price. If they turn out well, is there any interest in buying a few (the parts get cheaper in bulk)?

Here's the website. Mine should look rather similar (and will actually probably be able to hold more.) They are selling them for $8.45 each or 3 for $19.95
http://www.aqua-mags.com/product.php

I think I can get the cost down to $2.50 each or 3 for $6.00. I will use plastic-silicone-nickel coated neodymium N-52 magnets. They each have a pull-force of 16.67 lbs each before the coatings (not sure how much they'll hold with the coatings or through differing thickness of glass, but it should hold all but very large colonies...and by then they should've grown onto the glass.) If they don't hold well for whatever reason, then I'll double the magnets up.

Anyway, let me know if you're interested before I drop the big bucks.

Nikki

JoeAyers · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2009, 23:14:54 »

I'd be interested.

UD Flyer · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2009, 23:21:36 »

I'm interested. Do you have any ideas or thoughts on making larger ones possibly 4-6 in long?

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2009, 23:26:25 »

I've looked at the Mag-rocks...shouldn't be hard to do at all. It would take a few extra sets of magnets though...or some more beefy magnets (which are more expensive). I'd probably do a set of magnets for every 2", so a 4" rock would probably cost about $5 and a 6" rock would cost about $6 (I'm guessing right now.)

Baggerhog · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2009, 23:35:55 »

I am interested in a few sets of mag-plugs.

cyberwollf · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2009, 23:37:29 »

me too

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2009, 23:39:57 »

Ok, sounds like there's enough interest to order some. I'm going to order enough supplies to make 125 plugs (or "sets" if a few people want mag-rocks). Please let me know how many you may be interested in so I know I'm buying enough or if I should order more (you're not committed to them...who knows, they might turn out terrible.)

Riderc82 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2009, 00:47:37 »

I'm digging the mag-rock would you just glue the magnets to a small piece of your live rock (I just wonder how much weight super glue can hold). I was also wondering what you do with the coral once it has encrusted the plug do you then have to epoxy the whole magnetic base?

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2009, 01:01:18 »

I'm going to try a few different ideas I have to see what works best. Ideally, I'm going to partially encase the magnets in a concrete/sand mixture, so that the magnet is fully covered except when viewed from the side. The concrete should stick to the plastic pretty well, but if not, I'll pull the magnet back out of the concrete and super glue it (which should hold very well since the magnet will be encased plus glued.)

Some people permanently leave the mag-frag-plug on their walls...and the coral eventually (or hopefully) will encrust onto the glass...making its own base. The magnet wouldn't need to be removed.

Once the coral has fully encrusted on to the frag plug, with my design, you could pop off the concrete/sand top...and reuse the magnets for something else (or maybe I could make a few extra toppers).

The magnets will be coated several times, so there shouldn't be any worry over their use in saltwater. The corals could grow on them...no worries there.

I will do my disclaimer...don't allow these magnets to touch each other...and use extreme caution with them (and with them around children). They are very powerful magnets that can at least cause painful blood blisters...or have caused serious gut-pinching injuries when two or more were swallowed by a creature (insert dog, kid, whatever.) BE CAREFUL! I'm not liable.

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2009, 01:02:38 »

Oh, I also have on my list...Mag-Racks! I'm planning to attach some of these magnets to egg-crate for the perfect frag rack.

yinyang · « **Reply #10 on:** March 22, 2009, 04:39:24 »

count me in also!!
by the way here is my
mag float rack

i superglue the egg crate to the mag float

JoeAyers · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2009, 09:43:10 »

Hey Niki,

Can I buy a couple (6-8) magnets from you? I would also want to get some plugs fronm you but I use magnets for othewr things with the tanks and would like to replace the neodyme ones I am using with ones that are coated.

Thanks,
Joe

Amstar · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2009, 10:05:36 »

im interested

jeblin · « **Reply #13 on:** March 22, 2009, 10:14:02 »

Add me to the list too. I'd take 10 or so singles and 1 or 2 of the larger size. Let me know if you want payment in advance and we can figure it out. Thanks,

Jerry

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2009, 11:44:44 »

Joe - no problem...I'll order you some extras. What lb-force are you wanting? I'd order some a bit higher than what you need because the coating I'm applying will lower it some.

Jeblin - did you want just the magnets or were you referring to the mag-plugs?

Nah, no payments in advance. I want to make sure these work out well first.

jeblin · « **Reply #15 on:** March 22, 2009, 12:31:57 »

I was referring to the entire plug/rocks not the magnets. Just let me know when you get everything tested and working right. Thanks!

Jerry

pontiac2002gtp · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2009, 20:44:13 »

I would be interested in some but they would have to be pretty strong magnets.

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #17 on:** March 22, 2009, 22:44:33 »

Yeeeah...that's why I'm getting the Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets that have almost a 30 lbf pull each (two per plug). 30lbf should take into account the shearing forces due to gravity, the shearing forces due to tank flow, the air gap (technically a glass gap), and the coating gap. Most people that have made these before used a lower quality magnet than what I'm getting...and didn't use as high of a pull force (I got a few different magnet pull-forces to see what works best...and on differing thickness of glass/acrylic). I'm not using ceramic magnets...which won't work. Neodymium magnets are pretty expensive...which is why the mag-frag-plugs are so expensive. Believe me, this isn't something I just jumped into. I've researched a ton on this (I didn't want to dump as much money as I did without knowing what I was doing.)

Oh...btw...I'm an engineer. If anything, these might be over-engineered.

cyberwollf · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2009, 22:57:20 »

Whats the word on people breaking glass while attaching the magnets wrong? I'd guess just putting them together would cause a good SNAP on the glass vs having the plug flush and SLIDING the outside magnet into place.

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #19 on:** March 23, 2009, 07:08:04 »

I haven't heard a thing about that yet. I think unless you're putting a huge magnet on a 10g tank, it shouldn't be a problem. I have a mag-rack, and yeah, it was powerful outside the tank, but the glass thickness really diminished the strength of the magnets. They didn't snap at all together. It was like putting a Koralia's magnets on. They just kinda found each other and lined up...no snap. But...that's why I'm playing around with them first to make sure the magnets aren't over or under-powerful for different size tanks and applications.

joelbegt · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2009, 19:34:37 »

30lbs of pull is more than you probably think it is when it snaps together. I used 20lb pull on the one I made a while ago, and superglued it to the back of a frag. The magnets I used were only a dollar or so and were epoxy coated to keep them from rusting. I thought it would be cool to have a monti cap scrolling out of the back of my tank when I did mine. It worked pretty well, but If I did it all over again I would have used slightly stronger magnets probably 30lb like you suggest. Make sure they are very well sealed. You don't want heavy metals in a reef.

This grew from a small frag.

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2009, 21:06:54 »

Sweet...that's pretty cool! How long has that Monti been there?

gthorpe2 · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2009, 21:29:29 »

I'd be interested in some mag-rocks... any ideas how to make those?

MechanicalEngineer · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2009, 21:35:35 »

I have a few ideas

Riderc82 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2009, 22:43:16 »

Maybe Nikki should mass produce them

I think the mag rocks are really cool if I had them I wouldn't have to scrape the back glass.

gthorpe2 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 24, 2009, 01:23:46 »

I would so buy the mag rocks, but for $30 a pop... That's a little expensive. If you could do it cheaper nikki, I would so buy the mag rocks, and mag frag plugs too.

joelbegt · « **Reply #26 on:** March 24, 2009, 17:56:53 »

maybe about a years worth of growth. I took forever to start shelfing but it took off when it started to shelf. It was also easy to move up or down to adjust for the new lighting.

gthorpe2 · « **Reply #27 on:** April 06, 2009, 14:40:56 »

Any updates?

Reefd Up · « **Reply #28 on:** April 06, 2009, 19:27:38 »

The magnets are coated (boy was that a lot of work). You never realize how much metal is around you until you start working with powerful magnets covered in goo. Ugggh. I haven't had a chance to make the actual plugs since the weather isn't cooperating. It's supposed to warm up this weekend, so maybe I'll have some results this weekend.

ohioreef · « **Reply #29 on:** April 06, 2009, 21:06:33 »

I'd be interested in a couple. Putting the new cap I got on the back glass would be awesome!!

Reefd Up · « **Reply #30 on:** September 26, 2009, 19:04:19 »

Well, with the wedding, this project was put on hold. Now, it's back to play-time!

Ok, so silicone-coated magnets don't work well. The silicone just rubs right off with the slightest shear force. No-go there.

Plasti-dip is pretty much the same. It's more difficult to work with since it globs up on the magnet. But, any shear force, and it'll tear right off.

So...my solution...

Plasti-dip encased magnets hermetically sealed in reef-safe epoxy. Unless you really really really try hard to break these things open...there's pretty much no way the magnets will ever touch saltwater. Plus, it's reef-safe.

Unfortunately, since the epoxy is thicker, I've had to use more magnets to get the strength up. I played around today to see what worked with what thicknesses of glass (I'll post the pictures later.)

Small, encrusting frags (mushrooms, GSP, etc) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $2.50 each
Medium, encrusting frags (acans, favias, etc) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $3.00 each
Large, small SPS frags (3" or shorter) for glass thickness 1/8" - 3/8" = $3.50 each
XLarge, medium SPS frags (4" or shorter) for glass thickness 1/8" - 3/8" = $4.00 each
XXLarge, SPS colonies (4" around) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $4.50 each

Keep in mind, this assumes the coral never grows onto the glass. If the coral grows onto the glass, the magnet will support less, and the coral can grow larger without problems.

The Aqua-Mags are $8.45 each or 3 for $19.95. I'm not sure how much they can hold through differing thicknesses of glass. I'd be interested to see how my strongest ones compare to theirs...see what the price difference is.

As far as Mag-rocks, I'm not there yet. I needed to see how many magnets it'd take to hold through different thicknesses of glass. I'll play around with that later.

So, if anyone would still like some Mag-Frag-Plugs, please let me know the quantity and size. It generally will take 24 hours for them to cure, but I'd like to wait a week just to make sure the epoxy has set (and for me to have time to make them.) Once again, I'll post pictures later.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #31 on:** September 26, 2009, 20:16:58 »

Here are the pictures as promised!

Top part (they are low profile...won't stick out far into the tank)

In action:

Reflection

Back-side

XXLarge Mag-Frag-Plug holding a 4"x4"x4" SPS colony in high flow:

Reefd Up · « **Reply #32 on:** September 26, 2009, 22:35:58 »

...

Please don't tell me I bought all this stuff and now no one wants them....

Are they ugly? Are they fat and need to lose weight? Do you just not love them anymore? Is it you and not them?

JoeAyers · « **Reply #33 on:** September 26, 2009, 23:01:24 »

I'm lost on the glass thickness

My tank is pretty thick. Not going to work? Still may want some for my overflows.

rayviv · « **Reply #34 on:** September 26, 2009, 23:02:21 »

Huummm

Reefd Up · « **Reply #35 on:** September 26, 2009, 23:13:57 »

Quote from: JoeAyers on September 26, 2009, 23:01:24

I'm lost on the glass thickness

My tank is pretty thick. Not going to work? Still may want some for my overflows.

Unfortunately, I didn't make any larger to test with. So, until then, I can't list them. If you'll let me know what your thickness is...and what you're wanting to keep on the plug, I'll experiment. The Aqua-Mags are only good up to 5/8"...so I'm wondering how powerful I'll have to go to get above that.

Basically, if your tank is a 55g or below, it's probably using 1/8" or 1/4" glass (I haven't experimented with acrylic yet). Some of the older tanks might be 3/8". If it's a typical 55g tank or smaller, a "small", "medium", or "large" would work fine. I'm not sure what size tanks use 3/8" glass.

Wall_Tank · « **Reply #36 on:** September 26, 2009, 23:44:01 »

MY 90gal is 3/8"

Kenn · « **Reply #37 on:** September 27, 2009, 13:05:41 »

Quote from: Reef'd Up on September 26, 2009, 22:35:58

Please don't tell me I bought all this stuff and now no one wants them....

Are they ugly? Are they fat and need to lose weight? Do you just not love them anymore? Is it you and not them?

From another post... Oh...btw...I'm an engineer. If anything, these might be over-engineered. laugh

Very well thought out ... I like !

I most definitely want a few and by-the-way ..... NOTHING is ever OVER engineered when it has a chance that it could fall on something

Reefd Up · « **Reply #38 on:** September 27, 2009, 14:02:11 »

Thank you very much!

I'm going to start experimenting with 3/8" and 1/2" glass now.

My 40g has 3/8" glass, but it's a really really old tank. My 55g has 1/4" glass...go figure.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #39 on:** September 28, 2009, 20:08:53 »

Is anyone else still interested? I'm going to have more than I'll ever need. Anyone just need some powerful magnets to play around with?

jd · « **Reply #40 on:** September 28, 2009, 20:35:17 »

I'll take a few of the small ones.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #41 on:** September 28, 2009, 20:40:33 »

Quote from: jd on September 28, 2009, 20:35:17

I'll take a few of the small ones.

Cool. I'll let you know when I finish them.

TechGuy · « **Reply #42 on:** September 28, 2009, 20:49:12 »

I would like to try some. Would free up some room in my tank for frags, and an experiment.

But my glass is too thick. I believe its 5/8's on this 120.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #43 on:** September 28, 2009, 20:52:43 »

Hm, yeah...my glass is that thick on the 150g...so I need to play around some more. I'm sorry they weren't as strong as I was expecting. Having to seal them really brought their strength down. I was really expecting the Plasti-dip to work better, but it just peeled off.

Anywho, when I make JD's batch, I'll try to make some stronger ones. Thanks for the encouragement. At least I have plenty of magnets to play around with!

jd · « **Reply #44 on:** September 28, 2009, 21:23:07 »

Nikki, Don't worry about making mine just yet. Get your technique down first.

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=164

I emailed those guys a while back asking about those magnets to use in saltwater tanks and they said they are fine. They are coated in polypropylene. They are a great company, I ordered some stuff from the for work and they sent me a fridge magnet and sample magnets. They might be worth checking out.

TechGuy · « **Reply #45 on:** September 28, 2009, 21:24:07 »

Have you roughed up the magnets? Still not sticking?

Reefd Up · « **Reply #46 on:** September 28, 2009, 21:59:18 »

Quote from: jd on September 28, 2009, 21:23:07

Nikki, Don't worry about making mine just yet. Get your technique down first.

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=164

I emailed those guys a while back asking about those magnets to use in saltwater tanks and they said they are fine. They are coated in polypropylene. They are a great company, I ordered some stuff from the for work and they sent me a fridge magnet and sample magnets. They might be worth checking out.

JD, that's where I ordered the magnets from (just not the same ones). The way those are coated...the cost/benefit analysis just doesn't work out. I'd be buying an $11 magnet for a similar strength of what I bought. The cheap magnets (like $1 each) are low quality neodymium...and have a pull force of about 4 lbs. For this application, you'll need about a 30 lbf magnet...on each side to deal with the airgap.

Plus, this was a DIY experiment. Professional coating costs a lot extra, and I was trying to keep the costs down. But yeah, KJmagnetics is a good company...I was pleased with them.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #47 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:03:11 »

Quote from: TechGuy40 on September 28, 2009, 21:24:07

Have you roughed up the magnets? Still not sticking?

You never want to scratch, chip, or rough up the surface of a magnet. It can cause magnetization reversal.

jd · « **Reply #48 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:06:28 »

Well ho-hum Nikki!

I see you have put way more thought into this than I did

When I was only looking to use them on my tank which it only 1/4 so I was just going to use the smaller ones.

UDJustin · « **Reply #49 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:07:29 »

you can make me a few of the larger ones

Reefd Up · « **Reply #50 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:09:12 »

Yeah, apparently I didn't put enough thought into these. I underestimated the airgap by a good bit. (Air gap isn't a simple formula for glass...it's a pretty nasty equation to derive...I couldn't even find an equation for it.) I researched these a ton...learned a lot in the process. I just now know why they're so expensive to buy.

jd · « **Reply #51 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:11:25 »

Nikki, I think you, Will, Wes and I need to put our brains together and DIY us up some Vortechs!

Reefd Up · « **Reply #52 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:12:11 »

I smell patent money!!!

Reefd Up · « **Reply #53 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:15:21 »

If anyone is curious as to my *expertise* with magnets, I don't have much. I worked with these types of magnets for a summer during research...and that's about it. I really have to reiterate how powerful these can be. We were not allowed to wear any metal into the labs...and no one with any sort of pacemaker, pins, or any metal in their bodies could come in at all. Just imagine Koralia magnets without any sort of protection around them...pretty nasty beasts.

Quote from: Reef'd Up on September 28, 2009, 22:03:11

You never want to scratch, chip, or rough up the surface of a magnet. It can cause magnetization reversal.

Will said I should further explain myself. No magnet is perfect, but the greater the imperfections...the greater the loss in power due to change in coercivity. Since I'm working with such small magnets...and trying to get every bit of power out of them as possible...I don't want to do anything physically to them that might cause a change.

cyberwollf · « **Reply #54 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:42:28 »

Quote from: jd on September 28, 2009, 22:11:25

Nikki, I think you, Will, Wes and I need to put our brains together and DIY us up some Vortechs!

they're just DC brushless motors with somekind a hella strong magnet to transfer through the glass. The bearings and manufactoring would be the pain

although it would be intersting to sit down and brainstorm for a few hours on possible reef inventions.

jd · « **Reply #55 on:** September 28, 2009, 22:47:43 »

Quote from: cyberwollf on September 28, 2009, 22:42:28

they're just DC brushless motors with somekind a hella strong magnet to transfer through the glass. The bearings and manufactoring would be the pain

although it would be intersting to sit down and brainstorm for a few hours on possible reef inventions.

Get too it Wes! I saw I guy that did it on RC. He posted some FTS with these 4 orange vortech clones. Then there was like 10 pages of people asking what they are and how it made them. He posted something like "oh, its just something I'm working on" and that was it.

Sorry Reef'd Up, Didn't mean to thread jack. Back to mag-mounts!

TechGuy · « **Reply #56 on:** September 29, 2009, 10:22:42 »

Quote from: Reef'd Up on September 28, 2009, 22:15:21

Will said I should further explain myself. No magnet is perfect, but the greater the imperfections...the greater the loss in power due to change in coercivity. Since I'm working with such small magnets...and trying to get every bit of power out of them as possible...I don't want to do anything physically to them that might cause a change.

I assume your using Neodymium magnets?

I worked at Trimble Navigation for several years. I started building laser levels, using these magnets. You could probably rough up the chrome/nickel plating on the magnet.

Before I left I was a material controller. I scrapped tons of these magnets when they were chipped. They shipped them in rolls, and they chipped very easy. I had a whole box of them, wish I knew where they went.

I know how powerful they are. They are dangerous. The chipped magnets are sharp, they pinch and cut. Not cool

And you guys do need some DIY Vortechs. Its such a simple, and expensive concept.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #57 on:** September 29, 2009, 16:37:50 »

Ah, ok...sorry, didn't know your background (and I'm sure plenty of other people have less background on here).

You're right, I could scratch up the plating, but I don't think it's enough to keep the coatings on the magnets. I mean, the silicone just pulls up if you run your finger across it. The Plasti-coat sticks to everything else once it is dried, so it pulls away from the magnet and eventually tears. I just don't think the effort is worth it. It's just a lot easier to seal them permanently.

TechGuy · « **Reply #58 on:** September 29, 2009, 17:11:20 »

What do you think of the plastic coat? I have never used it, but it could prove usefull in a number of things I need to try.

I hope you figure something out for the thicker tanks. This is a very cool idea.

Wondering what else you could seal them with. Ever try an epoxy?

Reefd Up · « **Reply #59 on:** September 29, 2009, 19:41:02 »

The Plasti-coat itself is really cool. It's a nice soft coating that bulks up well. It'd be nice to re-coat tool handles, etc.

I've been using a reef-safe epoxy for coating them. It works, but it's thicker. So, they're not as effective as I was hoping.

wolfeden3 · « **Reply #60 on:** October 18, 2009, 22:19:53 »

i would like to purchase a couple of those mag fregs you had a the meeting today. Are they still 3 for 6.00?
pm me or let me know please.
thanks,
Garry

Reefd Up · « **Reply #61 on:** October 19, 2009, 10:03:56 »

Thanks for your interest! It depends on what thickness glass you have on your tank. I found that's the best way to cut the price on these. If you don't need a super strong magnet that would work on a 300g tank...why should you buy it for a 10g tank?

Here are the sizes/prices. Basically it's just the number of magnets it takes to make each set strong enough.

Small, encrusting frags (mushrooms, GSP, etc) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $2.50 each
Medium, encrusting frags (acans, favias, etc) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $3.00 each
Large, small SPS frags (3" or shorter) for glass thickness 1/8" - 3/8" = $3.50 each
XLarge, medium SPS frags (4" or shorter) for glass thickness 1/8" - 3/8" = $4.00 each
XXLarge, SPS colonies (4" around) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $4.50 each

If you're not sure what size you need, let me know. If you have 1/2" glass...I'm still experimenting with that...gotta make sure the magnets will hold!

slandis3 · « **Reply #62 on:** October 19, 2009, 10:36:55 »

Quote from: Reef'd Up on October 19, 2009, 10:03:56

If you have 1/2" glass...I'm still experimenting with that...gotta make sure the magnets will hold!

you got these done yet

Reefd Up · « **Reply #63 on:** October 19, 2009, 10:38:57 »

Bah! Part of the problem is I don't have a tank to experiment with them on! Situation changes a lot when the plugs are in the water with a strong flow. Might have to have someone be a test dummy.

slandis3 · « **Reply #64 on:** October 19, 2009, 11:04:26 »

bring them on lol. I got a nice 1/2" tank to try them on.

wolfeden3 · « **Reply #65 on:** October 19, 2009, 14:56:29 »

my tanks are 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch thick glass. i an mostly looking for 1/4 inch ones ok. not really looking for anything special just something that works.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #66 on:** November 05, 2009, 21:27:18 »

Ok, I goofed up a few batches, so sorry it took so long.

I have 2 smalls, 3 mediums, 2 larges, and 1 XXlarge if anyone is interested. First dibs goes to UDJustin.

Now I can start playing with trying to make them for larger tanks. I had to finish up what I started with the smaller ones.

jungliztkruger · « **Reply #67 on:** November 05, 2009, 22:21:27 »

i might be interested in a small or medium

UDJustin · « **Reply #68 on:** November 06, 2009, 08:53:00 »

I will take two large nikki if thats ok

jungliztkruger · « **Reply #69 on:** November 06, 2009, 08:56:40 »

this might sound silly but i have limited real estate and was wondering if you could tell me the size of the plug that would be inside the tank?

Reefd Up · « **Reply #70 on:** November 06, 2009, 15:47:03 »

The smalls are about the size of a penny in width...and will stick out about 1/2". The medium and large are about the size of a nickle and quarter in width respectively. They stick out about 1/2" on both sides as well.

HUNGER · « **Reply #71 on:** November 06, 2009, 19:32:26 »

the frag plug i won at the meeting wont stay on my tank its 1/2 glass just to let you know

Reefd Up · « **Reply #72 on:** November 06, 2009, 22:10:24 »

Yeah, I think I handed out a medium as a raffle prize. It shouldn't work on a 1/2" tank thickness. Thanks for letting me know. Right now I haven't figured out a good solution for 1/2"+ glass.

HUNGER · « **Reply #73 on:** November 07, 2009, 00:05:19 »

i think you mite be able to put 2 or 3 magnets next to each other to make it stronger maybe?

Reefd Up · « **Reply #74 on:** November 07, 2009, 07:50:55 »

Already did that for the XXL...and they don't work for 1/2" glass. My molds for the plugs won't fit more magnets into them, so I have to get new molds.

HUNGER · « **Reply #75 on:** November 07, 2009, 10:52:09 »

o ok hummmmmmmm

Reefd Up · « **Reply #76 on:** November 07, 2009, 12:12:22 »

Quote from: HUNGER on November 07, 2009, 10:52:09

o ok hummmmmmmm

Shouldn't be too bad...just means I need to get a new mold. Another problem is that the cost of the magnets to hold for 1/2" glass are approaching the cost of a manufactured mag-frag plug. There's not really a way I've found to get the cost down for mag-plugs for larger tanks.

cyberwollf · « **Reply #77 on:** November 07, 2009, 15:06:26 »

How much for a just a few plain magnets? I want to attach a panel to my stand.

Reefd Up · « **Reply #78 on:** November 07, 2009, 17:11:47 »

They're 50 cents each. I have a ton left (yay for bulk-buys), so just let me know how many you want.

gthorpe2 · « **Reply #79 on:** November 30, 2009, 23:02:22 »

How do these do against acrylic? Do you have any for sale?

Reefd Up · « **Reply #80 on:** December 01, 2009, 07:29:38 »

They work very similar on glass as they do on acrylic...the air gap is pretty close to being the same. But, I still haven't had a chance to experiment with larger tanks yet.

So, if you have a smaller tank...here's what I can make. I have several pre-made as well. The cost covers the magnets, epoxy, plasti-dip coating, mold, shipping, etc.

Small, encrusting frags (mushrooms, GSP, etc) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $2.50 each
Medium, encrusting frags (acans, favias, etc) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $3.00 each
Large, small SPS frags (3" or shorter) for glass thickness 1/8" - 3/8" = $3.50 each
XLarge, medium SPS frags (4" or shorter) for glass thickness 1/8" - 3/8" = $4.00 each
XXLarge, SPS colonies (4" around) for glass thickness 1/8" - 1/4" = $4.50 each

Reefd Up · « **Reply #81 on:** April 07, 2010, 12:23:44 »

Ok, I finally have some time to work on these again. Right now I have 1 large, 3 medium, and 2 smalls already made. I'm making some that I believe will work on thick glass/acrylic, but we'll see. They need a day to cure, so I'll post the results later.

I still have a ton of magnets, so if anyone just wants some magnets for DIY projects, let me know too. I want this stuff out of the house! Spring cleaning!

UDJustin · « **Reply #82 on:** April 07, 2010, 12:40:48 »

I would be interested in just magnets

Reefd Up · « **Reply #83 on:** April 07, 2010, 12:41:51 »

They're $0.50 each...just let me know how many you need and when/where you want to meet.

stifrk · « **Reply #84 on:** May 05, 2010, 11:37:45 »

for magnets STACK them, you are basically increasing the strength by increasing thickness. so maybe stack 2 or 3 and then put 2 or three rows of them. Will make them larger but should do the trick to use your existing supplies and make it work on thicker glass. OH and make sure to stack BOTH sides, inside the glass and out.

Hope this helps

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