DIY Video Housing a success...

[Bobby_M]

Hey Scott (and others)
The one thing I never fully grasped is how you glue your expanded rings to the main body. It's hard enough to muscle it off after the forming, but how to do manage to cement, and quickly get the ring on in time? It's hard enough with the precast couplings that are already made with enough clearance?

I'm only asking out of pure curiosity because I would still use couplings going forward. I like the simplicity, the thicker material, and the built-in stops.

Bobby

 

[Padipro]

I just slop a lot of glue on the upper edge of the main body I'm putting the ring on and on the lower inside of the expanded ring. When I push the two together some of the glue squeezes out but enough stays on the surfaces to work. I also place clamps on the ring to make sure everything is nice and tight. Once everything is dried I also run more glue around the edges where the two parts meet. This helps seal any areas that didn't make perfect contact. I always sand everthing before I paint so the excess glue is removed and you can't tell it was even a mess when assembled.

If you ever go to molding the housing into shapes other the round I don't think the couplings will work as they would have to be molded as well but to a size exactly the right size to fit properly.

 

[The Horn]

Are you talking about the ring that is used to secure the clips and provide the landing for the O-ring?

If so, I used part of a coupling with the o-ring face machined smooth. I had the end cover completed so it would fit on nicely all the way down and rest on the end of the casing nice and square. I then fitted all the parts together and made pencil marks to show where the ring would finally land.

I sanded the inside of the ring (small bevel on the lower inside edge of the ring) and the outside of the casing. Then ran tape around the lower pencil mark. Liberal PVC cement in between the lines but not on inside of ring and carefully not above the ring area.

Slipped on ring and pressed down close to final position then quickly put end of casing on and pressed down to final position making sure the ring and the end were nicely fitted square. slight rotation of the ring to ensure good glue adhesion. The tape was peeled off to get rid of the excess cement.

This is the only way I could think to keep the ring nice and square on the casing and the casing glue free in the area of the end cover. The o-ring is about 1/4" OD so there was plenty of room to compensate for crush before the end cover would touch the casing once it was re-assembled with the o-ring.

I later filled the bevel in the ring with high quaility silicone.

Your parts should not be so snug that they are a bear to get in place as you NEED room for the cement. You just want to be able to push then on and pull them off but you shouldn't need to pound.

Not sure if this helps

 

[Bobby_M]

Yeah, actually your process is exactly how i do it. Since couplings are already made with a little extra room to slip on to pipe, it works fine. I was asking Scott about his process because he makes his rings out of 4" PVC that is heated and stretched over the housing body. I tried it for giggles and found that the ring become extremely tight over the body. I had to pound it off with a hammer and block of wood.

I do agree that forming out of round shapes makes for a whole new challenge and I'd really only go there if absolutely necessary. It would be nice to have a chop saw capable of resquaring the end of both the body and rings once you form your shape. I noticed they don't like to stay square when hot.

Bobby

 

[The Horn]

I find the round housing is great and can be made quickly if necessary (now that I have made one) Your design is simple and that is a good thing!

I'll use the housing till things go bad, for now that could be a very long time.

Next big project is a scooter, based on the same principles.....should work out great!

 

[allegfede]

I was asking Scott about his process because he makes his rings out of 4" PVC that is heated and stretched over the housing body. I tried it for giggles and found that the ring become extremely tight over the body. I had to pound it off with a hammer and block of wood.
Bobby

Sand very well with very fine paper the mold.
Make a sort of piramid on the mold top to help the tube to stretch over the mold.
put a lot of vaselline on the mold and the inner side of the pvc tube.

When the molded pvc colds down it will tight on the mold.
When everything is cold, use an hot air gun to heat a little the tube and slip it off

happy new year

 

[Padipro]

I was asking Scott about his process because he makes his rings out of 4" PVC that is heated and stretched over the housing body. I tried it for giggles and found that the ring become extremely tight over the body. I had to pound it off with a hammer and block of wood.Bobby

That sounds about right. I always have to tap on the rings to get them off of the housing body after forming. I usually make the rings about 1/4 inch wider then I actually need so if chip the edge while tapping on it with a hammer I can easiely sand off the damage. If you make the rings this way just make sure to mark them so you know exactly which way they go back on the housing. PVC is never completely round or square after heating and forming so the rings will have molded to the shape of the body in a perticular way and will not fit right if not installed exactly the same way. This may lead to leaking as the two may not adhear properly when glued.

 

[engdiver]

Just finished my own housing and took it diving today. It worked OK except for some minor leakage. I need to check it some more to get rid of this, but overall it worked great.

I would like to attch pics of it but can't. Does anyone know how to attach pictures that are larger then allowed? Is there a way to reduce their file size?

 

[The Horn]

See some of the earlier posts, as I had the same problem

 

[engdiver]

Thanks 'The Horn'. Here is the link to my pics of the housing I just finished.



http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/ppuser/40003/cat/500