DIY, Making your own Frag Plugs

[comatose]

I was searching many websites for info on how to make Frag Plug's but none could be found, I tried a few methods(molds) before coming up with this one. i've tried wood molds and acrylic molds, none seem to work well, so i went with the way i use to make live rock, using sand as a mold. this seems to work best. here is the process how i made them.

First you need some type of bucket, since i have a lot of salt buckets laying around i cut the bottom of a bucket about three inches from the bottom. you can use whatever you have lying around.





Next i filled it with 2 inches of sand, then make it moist with water so it would hold it's form. then tap it down a bit to make it firm.



now i needed to make the forms in the sand, so i came up with a piece of dowl that i sanded down a bit to a tappered end, you can use just about anything here as long as it fits into the eggcreate used in frag tanks.


you'll also need some kind of bottle cap from a coke bottle or your favorite soft drink bottle. or anything about that size.


the fist thing you'll do is push the bottle cap into the sand to make the top of the frag plug mold. dont push the cap all the way down, only about half way then pull it out.


here is the impression it makes.


next you'll push the wooden dowl into the center of that impression you just made. then you should have a mold form that looks something like this.


now make a bunch of them, you may have to go over the holes again because when you make the next form holes next to the last one you made, it sometime deforms the one next to it, what i do it make all the holes then go over all them again.
I find that a cut Oceanic bucket is able to make about 20 frag plugs at a time.

[comatose]

Ok, now it's time to fill up all those holes.
mix your cement, i use regular fine sand and type II cement. i use a 2 sand to 1 cement ratio because the cement will be more wet than normal. to get it into the bottom of those small holes i make the mix really watery like soup. mix it in a flexible cup to squeeze it out directly into the hole. the sand is gonna suck the water right out of the mix pretty quick as you pour it in the holes so don't be scare to really water the mix down.


Get all the holes filled up, add more water to your cement in the cup if you have to and stir it and keep pouring.


IMPORTANT: Because the sand is wet and the mix is very very wet when you pour it, you should not even consider trying to take out the plugs for at least 36 to 48 hours. also do not just pull the plugs out, dig in the sand around the plugs to loosen them up, because the sand becomes very compact and makes it hard to pull them out.
here are some of the plugs i dugout after they cured, then let them sit for at least 24 hours before you add them to your water bucket to let them leach out all impurities.


Here are the dimensions of the plugs.




You'll find these and many other DIY projects on my website, just click on the little red house to take you there.

[gobygoby]

nice!

[Pattylucylaura]

That is great I was just getting ready to ask this in the DIY rock thread but you posted this and it is exactly the info I needed great job.

[comatose]

good luck, when you guys make any we'd love to see some pics of your plugs also, I'm working on a few cool ideas for the plugs also, I'll keep you all posted.

[RobinsonFam1]

i actually did a very similar idea with wood molds. they are drying right now as i made them today, but pretty much identical. i was able to make about 75 plugs in 5 minutes once i got the forms made up.
once they are dry i will post pics.
i am also trying to find a way to, or a plastic kit to melt my own like you would with candles........

nice job comatose!

[comatose]

Originally posted by RobinsonFam1
i actually did a very similar idea with wood molds. they are drying right now as i made them today, but pretty much identical. i was able to make about 75 plugs in 5 minutes once i got the forms made up.
once they are dry i will post pics.
i am also trying to find a way to, or a plastic kit to melt my own like you would with candles........

nice job comatose!

What did you use as a release agent on the wood, i heard alot of people use Pam butter spray on the wood just before they added the cement.

I'd love to see pics of your molds and any finished frag plugs

I liked the sand method because you can change the shape very easy without having to make new molds. a bit more messy but very cheap.

[RobinsonFam1]

this is the first batch so i didnt use anything yet. i am hoping that they will release ok. i did split the wood so that i can just pull them off though.
the molds are just 2x4's riped on the band saw, clamped back together, drilled the 3/4" top, then drilled 1/2" "neck" another 1.5" deep or so. clamped all the 2x's back together as big mold and poured in the mix.
now that i see you went 2:1 on the mix i think mine are going to be too week and prolly break. next batch will be 1:1 or 2:1.

ill let ya know how they turn out!

[starrd27]

That is so cool! Thanks for sharing. I'm not much of a DIYer, but I might just try this!

[comatose]

I did the same exact thing as you with the 2x4's and used a release agent but for some reason the frags all broke as i pulled the two pieces of wood apart, wood is porus so the cement really sticks to it, every one of my plugs broke that way, the same thing happen with the acrylic forms, although some came out whole, the sand method is a 100% in tack so far for me, i've made about 150 this week.

RobinsonFam1.....Keep me posted

[RobinsonFam1]

i will have to think of another easy way that i can mass produce these things and not take up much space.......hmmmm.........
maybe i will try another cement......id really like to come up with a way for these to have a 1 day dry time then water cure them.....

i just came up with one......!......i will make the forms in the same manner and not split them. then use 1/2" CPVC as a sleeve in the wood forms. once dry i can push the plug out from the bottom!

ah hah! i gotta try it now!!!!

ill let you know!

[RobinsonFam1]

oh....nice web page comatose! i'll have to post some pics of my stuff now.....

[RichConley]

Nice work.

The problem with DIY frag plugs, is that unless you're making hundreds at a time, you're not really saving anything.

They still need to be cured for months in water, and if you attach SPS to new ones, they tend to die off pretty quick. The plugs are too alkaline. Its like having a localized Alk spike.

[comatose]

good idea, do they make a 3/8" CPVC pipe?
will the 1/2" be to big for the egg create? cause some egg create is slightly smaller than 1/2".

[comatose]

Originally posted by RichConley
Nice work.

The problem with DIY frag plugs, is that unless you're making hundreds at a time, you're not really saving anything.

They still need to be cured for months in water, and if you attach SPS to new ones, they tend to die off pretty quick. The plugs are too alkaline. Its like having a localized Alk spike.

Mine are for personal use, and a friend or two. i'm happy making 2 dozen at a time every couple days,
but you are right about that if you want to mass produce.

[RobinsonFam1]

1/2" cpvc is a bit smaller than std pvc. and should be fine, maybe even too small.
a 1/2" drill bit is smaller than the eggcrate. this should work though, if not i will use another size since i have 1 of everything up to 6"!!

[H20ENG]

If you use hydraulic cement they will be hard in a few hours. Its the epoxy of the cement world I bought some in a half gallon size milk jug looking box for a few bucks, ACE hardware brand. A bit more than a large bag of Portland, but if you need it to kick off fast, thats the stuff. Not too sure on the curing time, but I suspect its a bit shorter.
I know public aquariums use this for molding and attaching live rock.

[H20ENG]

Also, on some of the plugs, you could poke a coat hanger down in the center a bit for gorgonians, etc.

[GreshamH]

I tjhought public aquariums used Thorite?

[RobinsonFam1]

good thinking h2oeng
i forgot all about that stuff. dries in a matter of minutes too!
i wonder about vinyl patch. might have to check MSDS on that one too! its a very liquid like paste that would pour real easy.

[comatose]

all good points, i'll look into all of them, but i only make 200 or less plugs a year once a year, i only make enough for myself and a couple friends when they need them, so this system works well for me, thanks for all the suggestions and i will try them all when i'm in between projects.

[H20ENG]

Thorite, to my knowledge, is used for sealing the concrete. Hydraulic cements' main use is for sealing leaks in basement walls, etc, so it will seal too. I'm not sure what its chemical makeup is compared to good ole Portland cement...
I have read several articles and spoken to several aquarists that have used the hydraulic cement (Quick-Plug and others) for mounting rock, frags, etc.
Now granted, these are probably in huge tanks, some possibly flow-through with NSW, so take the curing into consideration for your small closed system.

[comatose]

THORITE is made up of 19% Silicon and 81% thorium(slightly radioactive material) go figure.

[H20ENG]

... for that extra glow under the actinics

[Pyrojon]

I find it alot easier to just buy them pre-made, it's faster and cheap and you don't have to cure them or wait for them to cure before you can use them.

http://www.bostonaquafarms.com