DIY Thread - Let's see your "Inventions".

[LittleBits]

OK here is the idea I had...


Pm me and I can send a Jpeg. But the removal of screw threads should make water flow easily out into the pan.

Also if it leaks too badly you can slip an O ring onto the screw before assembly. then when you snug it up to seal it off the O ring will keep the seal. They are pretty inexpensive.... but if you cant find some just some rubber innertube with a hole punched in it will work as long as it lays flat.

deb

I think you had a great idea perchie girl but, I think little bits is having more trouble with the taking the lid on and off for filling. Hence why many posters have used laundry soap and dish detergent buckets with lided openings that seal at the top. Your idea of a screw may still apply it will just be hard to find a bolt/screw large enough for their needs.

I may have just read things wrong but that is how interpreted it.

Just now getting back on here and see some more help! Thanks so much!

What I ended up doing (nothing w/ the lid yet) was buying a "expansion nut" for the small hole at the bottom. It's pretty much the same thing as you described with the rubber and screw, perchiegirl, but not homemade! I put the rubber part in the 3/8" hole and put the screw in that. When the screw is all the way in, it seals the hole. When it's out, it allows the water to flow. It cost $1.40.

Bad part was that I didn't realize that you are suppose to leave the rubber part in and once I finally got it in there, carried the water out to the coop, undid the screw and let the pan fill up - well, silly me thought I was to remove that part and just have the hole there again. So the rubber part (expansion nut) broke while trying to get it out.

I'll get another one, though. It works great, as would your idea.

They didn't have one big enough for the top and anyways, I really don't need the water to flow OUT of the top, just need a hole that I can seal so I don't have to remove the lid at all. I'll try to find the right size cork for this! I ;think a cork will seal it enough so that the pan won't overflow. Anyways, I'll give it a try.

Thanks again!

 

[mphsgal]

Brooder Waterers:





I took a regular waterer, turned it upside down and installed horizontal nipples. It took the CX chicks about half an hour for all 26 of them to figure it out this morning. I also made a couple from Wally World's big coffee creamer bottles.

When they graduate to the tractor I'm going to mount the nipples on capped PVC pipe connected to two 5-gallon buckets on top for gravity feed.

Love the horizontal nipples! What they don't drink stays in the little catch basin under the button.

 

[ebinion]

Brooder Waterers:





I took a regular waterer, turned it upside down and installed horizontal nipples. It took the CX chicks about half an hour for all 26 of them to figure it out this morning. I also made a couple from Wally World's big coffee creamer bottles.

When they graduate to the tractor I'm going to mount the nipples on capped PVC pipe connected to two 5-gallon buckets on top for gravity feed.

Love the horizontal nipples! What they don't drink stays in the little catch basin under the button.

Love those nipples, where do you buy them?

thanks,

 

[kuntrygirl]

Brooder Waterers: I took a regular waterer, turned it upside down and installed horizontal nipples. It took the CX chicks about half an hour for all 26 of them to figure it out this morning. I also made a couple from Wally World's big coffee creamer bottles. When they graduate to the tractor I'm going to mount the nipples on capped PVC pipe connected to two 5-gallon buckets on top for gravity feed. Love the horizontal nipples! What they don't drink stays in the little catch basin under the button.

I am not a fan of nipples but I must say that is an excellent idea! Good job!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Ooh expansion nut..... EGGCELLENT.... I take it you got one with a through hole..... I have used them in bigger applictaionts though..... I just googled them and found they come in all sizes in the rubber...... and Now I have a way to PLUG a hole I made in a tank that was the WRONG size.....


deb

 

[aart]

...or you could use an expansion plug...I've bought and also made them out of a soft rubber stopper, a bolt, a couple washers and a wing nut. Fixed an old cooler with a broken drain spigot, got years more service out of it. You can often find rubber stoppers, sometimes with holes already in them, at a good hardware store or at place that sells wine and beer making supplies.

 

[perchie.girl]

...or you could use an expansion plug...I've bought and also made them out of a soft rubber stopper, a bolt, a couple washers and a wing nut. Fixed an old cooler with a broken drain spigot, got years more service out of it. You can often find rubber stoppers, sometimes with holes already in them, at a good hardware store or at place that sells wine and beer making supplies.

Yep thats where my wanderings have taken me. There is a granger near by but I will check out an autoparts store for a freeze plug replacement.

the DANGED hole I made was for a faucet. I made it one inch in diameter. It worked for a while as long as everything was aligned but during the course of cleaning I knocked the faucet and the water just dribbled out. What ever I build needs to be robust to handle moving about and rearranging. I found the propper fitting but dang.... it needs a one and a half inch hole. ever tried to drill a hole over a hole? I gave up not thinking I could just "plug it".... Too many braincells hitting the bug light these days.

I also have another adaptation Lateral thought evaded me on. I designed and had the parts built for a harness rack for my horses harness. But the Welder that built it put the wrong diameter hole in the parts..... I tried drilling them out but the materials were work hardened broke the drill besides i didnt have a drill press and a clamping mechanism to do it right. The deal is I asked for pipe with a disk tack welded inside the edge at a distance of about one inch. And I wanted a pilot for a quarter inch screw thread. i had already bought the hand tap to tap the hole. Parts came I was deligted.... Till I measured it and it was a quarter inch.... Too big even for a quarter inch tap..... Broke the tap Broke two drill bits trying to get it larger for the next sized tap..... Got a triangular hole.... A machineshop could have fixed it but they wanted ten bucks per hole.... I had ten parts... and already spent my money.

So project shelved. But now doing this little exercise I know the way to go to finish out the project. If I can set a plug in deep enough to mimic the original design I can use them to anchor my harness rack pipes. I need to find my stash at the house...

deb

 

[truckguy]

I used what others have used. 3" PVC pipe with 45 degree connections seems to work well. I used a hole saw bit for door knobs. Less waste of food and less mess.

 

[aart]

....Too many braincells hitting the bug light these days.......Love this term!!! btdt ....now I know what to call it!

I also have another adaptation Lateral thought evaded me on. I designed and had the parts built for a harness rack for my horses harness. But the Welder that built it put the wrong diameter hole in the parts..... I tried drilling them out but the materials were work hardened broke the drill besides i didnt have a drill press and a clamping mechanism to do it right. The deal is I asked for pipe with a disk tack welded inside the edge at a distance of about one inch. And I wanted a pilot for a quarter inch screw thread. i had already bought the hand tap to tap the hole. Parts came I was deligted.... Till I measured it and it was a quarter inch.... Too big even for a quarter inch tap..... Broke the tap Broke two drill bits trying to get it larger for the next sized tap..... Got a triangular hole.... A machineshop could have fixed it but they wanted ten bucks per hole.... I had ten parts... and already spent my money.

So project shelved. But now doing this little exercise I know the way to go to finish out the project. If I can set a plug in deep enough to mimic the original design I can use them to anchor my harness rack pipes. I need to find my stash at the house...

deb

go to 5/16-18? Buy the tap and drill and a can of cutting fluid(essential-HUGE difference!)....go s l o w on drill speed...good luck when you get back to it.

 

[Ali707]

Brooder Waterers:





I took a regular waterer, turned it upside down and installed horizontal nipples. It took the CX chicks about half an hour for all 26 of them to figure it out this morning. I also made a couple from Wally World's big coffee creamer bottles.

When they graduate to the tractor I'm going to mount the nipples on capped PVC pipe connected to two 5-gallon buckets on top for gravity feed.

Love the horizontal nipples! What they don't drink stays in the little catch basin under the button.

I think this is x2 or x3. Where did you find those?