Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

"Dance rythmicaly"
Who let the chooks out... Cluckluckluckluckluck!

rest assured, no offense felt at all, Dicko
it's all joy and peace here on the other side of the world

I love discussing technical matters and trying to find simple solutions
I agree with the overkill of 25 mm tube versus say 8 mm tubing
but there was a question asked about the fragility of such tubing placed underground apparently under a driveway

in that case 25 mm PE is a good solution

you don't need a double line, not even with a double acting cylinder (as explained before)
(but while digging, I would lay a second line for water, and that can perfectly be 8 mm too as that will be ample for the drinking needs of the hens, and if you want electricity in the pen, throw in a cable too, for what it costs you could be sorry not to have done that some months from now)
and you also only need one valve to the ram, but it must be a 3/2 valve (3 ports, 2 positions)

language is a funny thing, and I was merely asking how to interpret that sentence as it could also be read that a 12 V system would be more "decent".

frank

Frank - it won't be under a driveway - but may occasionally have the rider mower or a car drive over the area. Shouldn't be haed to dig in some small pipe to a bit of depth - can just use the edge trimmer method dicko suggested a while back.

One of the reasons for 2 lines is to be able to cater to the valve that F&F has dug up.

I already have water to the chook pen and I'll give power a miss, so will just end up digging in the air tube. Appreciate the suggestions though.

checked we have in stock 70 m of Dekoron industrial tubing 1/4 od .040 wall thickness will take 200 psi easy beeing that small mite take 1/2 min to close or open door you will need to buy the fittings [any industrial supply ][purple pig if there up there]
for you all this free[you pay postage ] or i can deliver in person feb or march

How good is this - what a generous group. Will PM you a bit later F&F to make arrangments (am at work at the moment - so should be soing some ).

Dicko has tol dme this morning that the door and ram are ready to be posted . So it looks like it might be all go from here. I'm not buying the new chooks until early December (best time so they don't moult in first year) - but will be finishing the chook pen renovations in the next few weeks - so timing is impecable.

Barring a catostrophe - will be running with any bugs ironned out to provide a demo to you when you come up next year F&F. Couple of barra on the BBQ and a chook door demo - nice .

See what happens when you're nice to people?
They give you free stuff

just make sure you put flow (Speed) controls on the door or you will be serving F&F 1/2 chicken and chips when he visits

If he smiles nice i will send him one of those

How's that

[/quote]
If he smiles nice i will send him one of those[/quote]
Assuming that VB is already smiling, Cylinder has 1/8 BSP ports

Just had a brain f@rt...
The 44 gallon drum outside the door just went bang as the sun went in and the air cooled down in it, reducing in size and pressure.

I wonder how a pneumatic ram would go connected to a closed circuit air supply incorporating an old gas tank or similar.
Paint the tank and all the lines black, Wait for the sun to hit it, Air in tank heats up, increases pressure, Ram activates!
Sun goes down, tank cools, Pressure drops, ram retracts!

Fully automatic solar powered system

Just hope the foxes don't get hungry on a hot night

- a little too imprecise for my liking when it comes to a critical application like chook protection. It would however be very interesting to see if it would work - for use in other applications such as opening a flap on a greenhouse to allow air to escape once things got too hot.

Expanding wax piston (self contained) for greenhouses.

Check halfway down the page for one way airflow. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2192&start=75

I put a gauge onto an empty gas cylinder and rolled it into the sun for a couple of hours, Surface was hot to touch but the pressure was not enough to move the needle.
Oh well, never mind,

Another thing that came to mind today is that the electric seat height adjusters in modern cars use a rotating thread and nut system on an electric motor, I found this out the other day when upgrading the seats in my old ute.
Don't know what the wreckers would want for one motor, but I only paid just over $200 for a pair of almost new VZ Commodore seats.
The motors are 12v and designed to be reversible.
It could be another alternative if the ram becomes a pain to sort out.

Wash your mouth out Dick - we are too far advanced for this thing not to work .

It does sound like an option though (for other people or other doors ).

Before you and F&F go to the trouble of posting the stuff - over the weekend I'll go back through the thread and summarise what I'll be looking to do so we can identify that it is going to work, is within my abilities and all parts are readilly available. Provided there are ticks against all this - then I'm keen. I'm already thinking about where and how I'll dig the trench .