Cutting an Eclipse hood

[Anonymous]

I really need to alter the plastic hood that came with the Eclipse I'm using for the nano contest for various reasons.

An ideas what to use to cut the plastic? Coping saw?

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a fine blade for a coping saw it will work, it also will cut better if the blade is slightly dull (it makes it catch less)

Another good way is a dremel. I use it to cut plastic all the time, in fact I cut a hole in the center of my guitar pick tonight just for giggles....

If you want to be crude like me you will use a utility knife. Makes sure its a new blade and the plastic being cut is well supported. Lay out your cut and start cutting. Repeat the same cut dozens of times and you will be through! (did that when I really had to make a change and didn't feel like getting the dremel out;I don't recommend it)

have fun!

 

[Anonymous]

jigsaw?

 

[Anonymous]

Jig saw with a metal cutting blade, the finer the better

Anything with coarse teeth will chip and break thin plastic

 

[davelin315]

Sent you a PM about it. Not sure why I didn't just post here... Anyway, what do you want to cut? I think that the hood is very easy to cut, but if your intention is to simply make a hole then you're better off drilling it. You can use a high speed drill with either a hole saw or a barrel shaped wood boring bit.

 

[Anonymous]

I forgot the best option for cutting an eclipse hood


Gas powered chainsaw...

 

[RobertoVespucci]

I forgot the best option for cutting an eclipse hood
Gas powered chainsaw...

Kind of odd, just last night the power company was out trimming trees with these little hydraulic chainsaws on poles. They must of have been sharp and powerful because he was cutting 4" limbs like he was holding a light sabre. I want one so bad now . . . .

 

[Anonymous]

they were using them the other day on some trees in front of my house, I love those things!


I would be like freddy kruger/jason/darth vador with a couple of them!

 

[Anonymous]

Here's what I wrote back to davelin's PM:

Well, you know how that hood is made with the "flap" for access to the filter? I'm going to try and cut backwards from that opening (removing the flap) in the top towards the back side to make clearance for either a simple overflow or additional filtration. So it would be straight cuts, nothing fancy.

The standard filter/light system on the 6 gallon is useless for a nano, IMO so I need to DYI something else but I like the clean finished look of the top. If I ruin it, it's no biggie as I'll go with eggcrate, etc and just not have the top at all.

Thanks for your help, and as far as my name, I was a police K9 handler for years and am now on the dark side in the evil civilian legal field.

 

[Floris Reef Tank]

I went to the dark side for a few months before I went back to school for my masters in education. I was a prosecutor for 5 years and then in private practice for 6 months stirring things up.

I agree with you on the smaller eclipse hoods. They are pretty useless except as a cover. I would simply take a saw to it with fine teeth (a metal saw would do a better job IMO than a coping saw as the teeth are a bit different). You might also try and heat it up so that it's hot enough to melt the plastic so that it provides you with a somewhat smoother edge as you saw, but it'll make it difficult to handle the saw (and you could just melt it later if you wanted a smooth edge or even sand it). Good luck with your modifications.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks all...I'll post the pics of the disaster um results later.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah definitely get some sandpaper on that baby when you're finished, the real fine stuff. I just cut out the center brace of my acrylic tank with a Dremel...looked awful. But once I took some very fine paper to it you can't even see where I cut it.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I'll do that Matt.

 

[Anonymous]

Where's the pics????

 

[Anonymous]

Keep your knickers unknotted Knuck...had a big family party today for my stepson's birthday and I may or may not get to it Sunday.



So there.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't wear knickers



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Tom petty and the hanesbreakers....