Want to Create a Sticky: The OVAS DIY Equipment List

[Adam.Derome]

Hey all,

Do you think that maybe there's something missing from this section of the OVAS forum?

There are a lot of great ideas that get thrown around, and sometimes you get to read about some exotic building material, or someone jury-rigging a lighting system out of a garbage can. Those ideas - are fantasic.

However, once you've read it, thought about it, maybe fantasized about doing the same thing yourself, you soon forget about it, and the next time you're in a creative crunch, you have no where to go except the search function on the OVAS Equipment/DIY section. You try in vain, searching for something you can't even remember the name of...

We could use a great big organized list. That's what we could use.

It would have all kinds of information, in an easy-to-reach area for when you've just got to get that phone number, or the name of that food-grad silicone. And maybe it could also provide a few creative ideas as well.

So, here's an example. It's not very professional, and it's not accurate, but I hope you get the idea.


The OVAS DIY Idea Center (Or something)

Vendors
Acrylic Supplies
Advanced Plastics of Ottawa (Canotek)(##3-#3#-####)
Canus Plastics (Lisgar)()

Plumbing Supplies
The Ottawa Super Plumbing Store
The Other Guy

Lighting Supplies
Buchanan
Home Depot (Which location)(This particular unit availalbe here)

Construction
Tank-Safe Building Materials
Styrofoam Sheets - can be cut and molded
PVC Tubing - tunnels/caves
Acrylic
Glass
What kind of glue do you use?
What type of rocks are reef safe?
etc. whatever gets posted here and there, can be added here

Misc Materials
Plumbers Silicone - Food-grade lubricant, available at local hardware store, learned that one today, haven't checked it out yet
Other interesting items that people have used in their tanks

Projects (Links to threads)
-Lighting
-Tank Building
-protein skimmer
-etc..


It would be nice to have this sort of information available easily. All of this can be found in the forum using the search function, but this would make it a lot easier for those who are just beginning, or aren't really farmiliar with searching forums. It would be a cumulation of vendors, materials, tools, and projects involving everything outside of the local pet store.

Sections could be eventually broken down even further, for example, in the materials section, it could be broken down into lighting, equipment, and in-tank. Under lighting, there could be some suggestions for reflectors, and a place to get them, ballasts, bulbs, etc..

This list could always stay at the top of the equipment/diy forum. Maybe it could be called the equipment/diy FAQ, and have some questions at the top before the list. Whenever someone notices a new vendor that's not on the list, or some material that you've always used that no one else seems to have thought about, or maybe you just finished a project, and we'll put a link to it, so it doesn't get buried and people can still reference it easily.

In the end, the question is - do it? Would anyone find this useful?

[darkdep]

Sounds like "I volunteer!" to me. 

I think this is a fantastic idea.  We just need someone to do it.

[barabe]

I am a newbie looking for information on plumbing material and I came across this post in my search...

I agree!!! This sure sounds like a GREAT idea...

And yes... I do volunteer to make such list if someone offers to send the information AND if the Webmaster highlights a link for me at the top of the forums subjects!!!

[dan2x38]

sending the info is like writing the list... first search OVAS forums using the serach for the topics then start a list... then post to get the blanks filled in... Great project... CO2 supplies are not on that list. LMK I can add somethings but I have a few projects on the go already.

[barabe]

Oh well... I tried!

[Adam.Derome]

Wow.. as if someone brought this post back from the dead.. Original post was in January, lmao

I would still really like to see something like this come to fruition. Would it be possible to make this an OVAS Web-site feature, as opposed to a forum post?

Ie. on the left-hand side, in the Do-It-Yourself section, would it possible to create a FORM that anyone can fill out and add another "resource" to the list of shops around town?

Form Fields would include:

Category: (Lighting/Plumbing/CO2/Tanks/Livestock/Acrylic/Misc)
Store/Shop/Website:
Location: (If website, still would be nice to know where the facility is located)
Hours: (If possible, could be a nice additional feature)

And actually.. that's about it really - it can stay quite simple me thinks.

[barabe]

That, Adam, is one great idea!!! Make it a group effort. However, you would still need someone to monitor duplication and such...

[OttawaFolkFestivum]

Here are some nuggets extracted from the forums. Please add.

• Black Egg Crate - Rona (Home Depot doesn't have it)
• Air-line T's, valves etc - Home Depot (Irrigation section)
• Bulkhead fittings from Dynamic hobbies on Concourse gate off of Colonade Rd. 225-9634
• Rubber stoppers: Defalco's 130 Robertson Road (Beside McDonald's)
• Champagne Yeast: Defalco's, also somewhere in South Key's
• Small measuring spoons - 1/16th, 1/32nd: Canadian Tire, Ikea
• T5 Light Fixtures: B&B Hydroponics, 1780 Woodward Dr
• Dry Ferts: B&B Hydroponics
• Buchana Lighting: 129 Loretta Ave N Ottawa ON, K1Y 2J7
• Litemor, 1290 Old Innes Road, www.litemor.com
• plumbers silicone paste (to prevent leaks with rubber seal on canister filters (i.e Fluval)), can be found at Preston Hardware
• Silicone: GE Silicone I in the blue tube (get it anywhere)
• CO2 Cannisters: Davidson fire extinguishers - 144 Percy St. Ottawa,Tele. (613)235-1629 or (613)235-1133
  & Pyromateck (fire extinguisher...) in Gatineau at 819-568-2096.

[dan2x38]

Is someone really going to organize this data? It needs to verified really. OR is this thread just going to be a random posting? For it to be successful the data should be collect, collated, verified best as can be, and then posted either as a sticky or in the sidebar.

There are a lot of small 1/4" air line and parts at Canus Plastics (a lot of fittings)
Dry champagne yeast http://www.brewingstation.com/ next to MacDonalds South Keys
etc. etc. etc.

[OttawaFolkFestivum]

Hi Dan -

I would think that it would be of the most benefit if people added to the list, to get the most info possible in a brain-dump type fashion (somewhat randomly as you put it). The work to gather it into one post is fairly small relative to gathering all the resources in one place and can be done in the future if there are enough links to make it necessary. I think the rigor of verification as you set out is very important and perhaps a verified or unverified column could be added in the future. 

Thanks for the brewing station link - I was looking for it.

Thanks to the OP for a good idea.

[OttawaFolkFestivum]

The work to gather it into one post is fairly small relative to gathering all the resources in one place and can be done in the future if there are enough links to make it necessary.

Didn't take long!
http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=30441.0

[RossW]

I think the rigor of verification as you set out is very important and perhaps a verified or unverified column could be added in the future. 

IMHO, I think the verification is a "nice to have" but like any piece of documentation I would take it with a grain of salt.  Just cause Rona stocked black eggcrate last Saturday does not mean they will reorder when they run out.

[OttawaFolkFestivum]

6 Gallon buckets with tight fitting lids, foodsafe: Corkery Winestores (I use location 1181 Richmond Rd) for $2 including taxes.

Probably other wine making places as well...

[nelson]

A brilliant and very progressive suggestion!!  Well done Adam.Derome

[dan2x38]

I am still saying in order for this to be productive the data will need to be collated in an easy to scan list... alphabetize it. For people to just keep entering random entries here it will be very hard to search.