Stockman Standpipe--New, Easier Design

[kstockman]

socal-rich--

That is really cool. Does it work well?

For a 1.5" drain, which I have on my current tank, I used a 1.5" to 3" bell fitting. Unlike a regular reduction fitting, a bell fitting allows you to put in a 3" pipe on one side and a 1.5" pipe on the other. All you have to do is dremel out the 1.5" side and slide the pipe all the way through the fitting. So in this case all you need is a pipe, bell fitting, and an endcap.

Based on what I have seen here, the possibilities are endless.

[socal-rich]

thanks! I havent tried this one out yet, this is my third standpipe, I have a collection of stockmans!

do you have a picture of that bell fitting?

[chem-e]

i just finished my standpipe for my new tank and it's great. this is the first time i've had to deal with an overflow, so everything was kinda new. i did have to modify mines slightly, but it seems to be working okay. i used to get a lot of the sucking noises from the overflow, but that's pretty much gone. now i'm going to have to work on the pump.

thanks again

[GROSSR]

FANTANTIC.

I have tried the Durso and the "old" stockman mod. Both required fiddling or should I say fine tuning. Heaven for bid I took them apart to clean. Man is this quiet.

This is great. I would stress as you stated on the first page, about cutting the 2 x 1 in half. I did it about 1/4 inch more on one side than the other and getting the lower pipe into the "claw" was difficult. Otherwise great.

Sidenote - Lowes is much better than HD for the reducers. Buy generic stuff from HD and the unique stuff from LOWES. HD is always cheaper, if they stock it.

Thank you Thank you Thank you. Get a patent, get a patent, get a patent.

Rich

[BlAcK_PeRcUlA]

I'm considering one of the old models for my new 45g. The internal overflow measures only 4x6" and the 1" bulkhead is in the middle. I don't think i can do a durso with this little space. I need the overflow to be able to handle around 850gph but i dont have the tools needed to make this new design. The old one looks very simple and i will try to cut the drain hole on the PVC with a saw.

On the stockman site, it has this 3D picture.



Looking at the picture on the right, can i make 2 of those 1x1" holes, one on each side. That picture/diagram only shows one. I am thinking i may need more flow than that would provide. Do you think i could use a hand drill and move it around to make a the two square holes.

[kstockman]

The picture only depicted one hole because it was hard enough drawing that on the computer program that I used to draw it. And in the 2D picture, I though that it was more informative showing the pipe on the left side--if I made it look like there were two holes, then the pipe would have looked like is was floating.

Anyway, I cut two holes on opposites sides of the pipe, leaving about 1/2" of the pipe as the connector between the top and the bottom. THen right below the major hole I cut 3-4 strainer slots that are the width of the saw blade.

I am currently make the original and not the "new" version. I have figured out that cutting the reduction fitting in half is easier than I thought. Just get two fittings and put them on opposite sides of a 6" piece of pipe. THen cut them both in half while still on the pipe. Much Much safer.

I will post a picture of the bell fitting when I have one handy to take a picture of.

I would patent the idea and actually I wrote most of the patent, but I can't file it since you have to file within a file after disclosing the idea to the public. In addition, the Durso came first and my idea is just a design change idea and not a novel concept. Design patents are basically worthless, since they can easily be designed around. I am looking into other avenues of protecting the idea.

Do people think that there would be a big enough market for these things to make it worth while to mass produce and sell?

[Vincerama2]

Ken, I see a lot of people selling stuff on eBay. That seems to be an easy way to sell stuff without having to get your own credit card processing thing, etc. I think you could sell some to people who didn't want to make their own. I think most DIYers could make one in 5 minutes, but other folk who just want the gurgling to stop would probably pay for it. Don't know if it would be worth it though.

V

[chem-e]

BlAcK_PeRcUlA - I attached a pic of what I did. That was how it looking originally, but there wasn't enough flow, so I did the same thing on the other side and just left a little pvc in the middle to hold up the 2" reducer. I'll also put the pic in my gallery in case it doesn't show up.

[vmichael]

WOW! in giant bold letters!

I can not believe the difference!
at least 30 to 40 db reduction in noise, and its muffled.

Awsome design! I can't see how anyone could improve on this.
In my case, Since it is out of sight already behind and inside the overflow box; color dosen't matter to me.

Thanks!




But I'm sure someone will!

[pbanda]

Ken... I love your idea. Great job!! As for a patent... I don't know if it would be worth while. Maybe a TM like Durso did?? The only way I think a patent would benifit you is to prevent big companies from building and selling these. If they did, then you could get a cut. It is a fun DIY project and I don't know how many people would actually buy one.
JMHO...
pbanda

[kstockman]

Did Durso TM his standpipe?????

If so what did he call it?

[pbanda]

Check out his web page... he has a TM after it. I don't know if he actually did it.
http://www.DursoStandpipes.com

[kstockman]

I doubt that he did. I talked to an attorney recently and they said specifically that you could not trademark anything with your sir name it.

[pbanda]

Did he recommend patening your design?

[kstockman]

The issue is that it is a "design" patent and not a utility patent. A design patent only covers the actual design. Any modification, no matter how small, would be considered a change.

Durso and I were going to patent the idea together and I wrote the better part of the patent in 2000. But after researching it a bit, I found that not even the Durso was novel. He had modified an existing design so that it would fit into an overflow box.

In case anyone was wondering. This concept is the basical principle on how a sink works. Behind every sink there is a vent pipe that keeps a sink from burping. Put a cap over the vent pipe, drill a small hole and you would have no noise.

Anyway, my design just compacted the Durso even more, but again not a novel concept.

As you can see by this thread anyone can knock off the design. All glass "stole" the Durso and is calling it the Megaflow. CJ seems to think that he has a novel design (which it is not) and is now selling them on ebay. There is nothing that Durso and I can do about it. Then again, I have not really tried to market them. I know that Durso does sell his and I do make them for people that want them.

I have not marketed them so far because I did not think that there was really that much money involved and that a big guy (AllGlass) could just jump in a steal the market anyway.

Not worth the hassle. I still make them for people because I like to help out people when I can. As you can tell by my postings (if you follow any of my random thoughts), I post just about any change or modification that I come up with, just to help out fellow reefers.

It is also sort of cool coming up with ideas that end up getting named after you. It is/was sort of weird finding out that people were calling it "the Stockman".

[jimsar]

Ken, you (& Durso) have made a significant contribution to the hobby. You may not benefit from it financially, but you have gained tons of Kharma points. The next idea might make you zillionnaires.

Appreciate all your help.

Jim

[kstockman]

Kharma points are good, but I am still working hard at the billion dollar idea--just haven't had the right one yet.

If there are any capital venturist here on RC, then I would love to talk to them, since I do have some ideas that I have no idea how to commercialize.

[adrinal]

Ebaying them wouldn't be that bad. If you end up selling more than it is worth your time to make, you can get some kid to make them for you. If it turns out even better than that perhaps you can sell the Idea for a few grand to a plastic company or something....
main problem is how much can you sell them for subtract cost and your time worth (say only 10 bucks an hour because you enjoy doing it). probably you can't make any money since you can't buy bulk.

[sdmike]

Originally posted by craigb315
I am considering making a stockman standpipe for my loud overflow. The question I have concerns the size of the standpipe. Looking at your plans you mention a 12� piece of 1� PVC, my overflow is rather small (see attachment) and the total depth is only 8". Any suggestions as to how I can fit one of these in my tank? Has anyone else succesfully used this standpipe with a similar overflow?

if all you wanna do is quiet down that HOB overflow, there's an easier fix. Shove a length of airline tubing down the hole till it gets quiet.

I had an overflow that was bad enough that I built another box for the outside of the tank to install a Durso/Stockman standpipe.

Then a friend suggested the airline trick.

MUCH quieter. Lots less work.

Hope that helps.

Mike

[ErikS]

The question I have concerns the size of the standpipe. Looking at your plans you mention a 12� piece of 1� PVC,

The height of the pipe is irrelevent. You can make it as short as you'd like. Make one a bit taller than you'll need & shorten it until you get the height you want.

In your case be sure that the water intake is HIGHER than the bottom of your U-tube or else you'll end up with a siphon break.

[axlerod]

Originally posted by kstockman
Here is a picture of how the water intake portion of the reduction fitting is fitted to a 1" pipe. In this picture, I did not dremel out the inner lip of the reduction fitting, so the pipe will not slide down around the fitting. I had enough of the inner piece to not worry about it.

Ken how far in should the water intake portion of the reduction fitting be slide into the 2" coupling
thank you
brian

[vmichael]

I found another trick that will silence this unit ten-fold.

On the cap that you have drilled a hole to allow air in.
Insert a piece of 1/4" flex tubing about 5" long and about 1/2" into the cap.

I'm sure someone else already dicovered it. BIG Difference, I can bareley hear anything going on now and I have to look to see if there is water really going down the pipe.

IT IS! Enjoy!

[hipertec]

vmichael,
so does the hole have to be 1/4" wide and you put the flex into the hole? and do u need to seal the hole?

[vmichael]

yes 1/4" hole and no seal needed if just fits in there snugly.

[Snailspace]

Ken and SoCal... made SoCal's version (black and white pics posted earlier on this thread) just as specified using 3" parts for a 1.5" drain. It works GREAT. I have the top cap "nut" portion about flush with the top of my overflow slits. That keeps my OF water level at about 2" below the slits. The water only has to fall that far and is virtually silent (as is the drain gurgle). I am using a Mag 24 in a 150g (single center OF). The 24 powers my EV-180 skimmer as well as my fuge flows. The tank return is estimated at 1050gph through two 3/4" lines (and Loc-lines).

One mod I'd suggest...the thread slot is not enough. With the cap closed (screwed inall the way), the water level rises and falls in waves. When you crack the cap open and let in air, it stops but an be too low. I can remove top completely but then gurggling. Suggest TWO similar notches 180 degrees apart but be careful not to cut too low as to not have them covered by cap threads if needed. Clear as mud?

I very easy $10 remedy for a QUIET overflow. Thanks so much.

Now I have a contri. Loc-line has a "tee" that snaps inline to regular nozzle. The tee has a smaller (1/4"?) nozzle that points at right angle to normal nozzle flow. This nozzle will blow straight down the overflow wall and behind rocks while still giving you most of the flow to main Loc-line nozzles. If you let your return pump sump some air, you will see just how well this circulates a normally hard-to-reach deadspot. Will post elsewhere but wanted to relate in turn for the standpipe remedy.