I have an idea - do you think it will work? Funny or Stupid?

[angelatc]

I am not terribly handy or crafty. I can fix things if there's a Youtube video and I am strong enough to actually loosen the damned bolts. When I make things they usually look cheesy, not cute. And yet - I haz an idea that won't go away.

My son lives in an apartment with a roommate and his girlfriend is pretty regularly there too. He likes weir things.

So my blender went out. I was considering turning it into a fish bowl and putting a beta in it. There are loads of them available on pinterest - apparently I am not the first person to think about it. But what I want to do is to add a small pump that will squirt someone who actually pushes the "Power" button.

Here's what I'm thinking: My blender is perfect for it. It has a "Burst" button that is a momentary contact switch. I can easily swap that button with the one that's labeled power.

I also have a tabletop fountain (oh, the joys of owning a secondhand store!). So I might be able to take the pump out of that and use it. But I think it has to be submersed, so putting it into the water is a problem. I will look at it - if it can be "plumbed" I'm off to the races.

Where the water will squirt from? I think I can drill a small hole in the logo, and put a piece out of the nozzle of a squirt gun there. Not invisible, but the eye would not be immediately drawn to it.

I have to get water from the tank to the pump, which is problematic - if the hole is at the bottom and there's a leak, the fish doesn't stand a chance if nobody catches it right away. So I'm sort of stuck on that.

What do you think? How can I make this work? If I can pull it off I know the kid will love it. And I know his GF will change the water.
.

[specsaregood]

I like the idea, but what kind of special $#@! (who doesn't know about your modifications) would push the button to see if it works?

[helmuth_hubener]

What about making it pure mechanical? The button squeezes a squeeze-bulb, connected to a very small diameter rubber or plastic pipe, aimed up through a hole so small no one will notice it. Or maybe to a syringe needle. Something small diameter, anyway, so you can get the squirting distance you need.

[heavenlyboy34]

I like the idea, but what kind of special $#@! (who doesn't know about your modifications) would push the button to see if it works?

danke?

[oyarde]

My Beta died , I think he lasted 4 or 5 yrs . I like Angelas idea.

[angelatc]

I like the idea, but what kind of special $#@! (who doesn't know about your modifications) would push the button to see if it works?

In a 21 year old's apartment? Think "drunken idiot."

[angelatc]

What about making it pure mechanical? The button squeezes a squeeze-bulb, connected to a very small diameter rubber or plastic pipe, aimed up through a hole so small no one will notice it. Or maybe to a syringe needle. Something small diameter, anyway, so you can get the squirting distance you need.

I thought about that, but usually that type of set up would require multiple presses of the button to prime it. I am actually scouring garage sales for battery powered squirt guns - that might be the best of both worlds.

[helmuth_hubener]

I thought about that, but usually that type of set up would require multiple presses of the button to prime it.

Yes, but I'm thinking no priming, just direct action. Think of a whoopie cushion. Or actually, think of a syringe. So it would be a small squeeze bulb, maybe just the size of a grape. Those blender buttons have enough travel distance and typically require quite a bit of force that the person would be expecting to have to exert, so it could work. The stream would be tiny -- again, like shooting off a syringe.

Your battery-powered squirt gun is a great idea. Maybe this would be small enough (disassembled and minus the reservoir):

https://www.amazon.com/Nerf-Super-So...dp/B0060Y27O2/

[Suzanimal]

I have an idea - do you think it will work?

I have no idea.

Funny or Stupid?

Both! Do it! Do it!

[Suzanimal]

I like the idea, but what kind of special $#@! (who doesn't know about your modifications) would push the button to see if it works?

[Suzanimal]

We had a Beta fish once. He lived about 5 or 6 years. The boys named him Superfish because they thought his tail looked like a cape. We also briefly had an aquarium. That was a fiasco. I had a crab that kept escaping and a crawfish that murdered all the cool fish.

[luctor-et-emergo]

Use something like this;


I don't have a clue what these things are called in English but they exist in all sorts of sizes. I have a couple small ones that will fit 1/4 inch ID silicone tube. There's sealing rubbers and everything and they can hold a lot more water pressure than your application requires.

When it comes to the pump, you definitely need something that's a bit powerful.

Also, consider that if the outlet of your sprayer is lower than the water level, you are likely to empty your blender-fish-tank by siphoning.

[DamianTV]

[helmuth_hubener]

I don't have a clue what these things are called in English

Umm, compression-to-threaded adapter 90-degree elbow or straight pipe fittings?

[helmuth_hubener]

Buy an aquarium pump. Take it apart. Familiarize yourself with how it works.

The Aquarium pump will not have enough power for your purposes. What you need is:



More Power!

And luckily, you already have it close at hand! The motor in the blender will have plenty of power to give the culprit a shower.

[angelatc]

Buy an aquarium pump. Take it apart. Familiarize yourself with how it works.

The Aquarium pump will not have enough power for your purposes. What you need is:



More Power!

And luckily, you already have it close at hand! The motor in the blender will have plenty of power to give the culprit a shower.

I have rebuilt my fair share of aquarium pumps. I'm a little handy. But they pump air, not water. So I am having trouble picturing how I could use one to pump water.

And the motor....that has a shaft that turns in a circle. The not-handy part of me can't fathom how to make that motor do anything but turn the blade in a circle.


The buttons are all momentary contact with the exception of the "On" button. So I think I will move it to the "Off" position and make the "On" the momentary contact. I am handy enough to wire it so that any of those will turn it on.

Here's what the base looks like:

[Suzanimal]

I have rebuilt my fair share of aquarium pumps. I'm a little handy. But they pump air, not water. So I am having trouble picturing how I could use one to pump water.

And the motor....that has a shaft that turns in a circle. The not-handy part of me can't fathom how to make that motor do anything but turn the blade in a circle.


The buttons are all momentary contact with the exception of the "On" button. So I think I will move it to the "Off" position and make the "On" the momentary contact. I am handy enough to wire it so that any of those will turn it on.

Here's what the base looks like:

I'd be tempted to glue one of those jewelry box ballerinas to the spinney part and call it a day.

[helmuth_hubener]

I have rebuilt my fair share of aquarium pumps. I'm a little handy. But they pump air, not water. So I am having trouble picturing how I could use one to pump water.

Well, the air ones pump air. But there are circulating ones that pump water.

Even the air design could work here, too. They are diaphragm pumps.

And the motor....that has a shaft that turns in a circle. The not-handy part of me can't fathom how to make that motor do anything but turn the blade in a circle.

Lots of ways to do that. A diaphragm pump makes a membrane go back and forth to spit out the bubbles (or water). A centrifugal pump keeps the blades-spinning-in-a-circle motion, and uses it to toss the water out.

I have come up with a different idea, though. Retrofitting your blender motor into a water squirter would be super-cool, but maybe too involved and too much engineering for your taste. So back to pure mechanical: What about just using something made for the task:





Any kind of spray bottle where you pressurize it first, and then just a small press of the trigger releases the spray.

Of course you'll need to hide it inside the base and do some modification. The biggest problem I see is those buttons on your blender. They don't look like they are conducive to this (pushing the trigger button of the spray bottle). I was imagining the normal type blender buttons, that have a lot of travel and require a lot of force to push down:

[luctor-et-emergo]

I have rebuilt my fair share of aquarium pumps. I'm a little handy. But they pump air, not water. So I am having trouble picturing how I could use one to pump water.

And the motor....that has a shaft that turns in a circle. The not-handy part of me can't fathom how to make that motor do anything but turn the blade in a circle.


The buttons are all momentary contact with the exception of the "On" button. So I think I will move it to the "Off" position and make the "On" the momentary contact. I am handy enough to wire it so that any of those will turn it on.

Here's what the base looks like:

Well, in theory, that motor would be great for powering a very small impeller, since it has high rpm's, it would require a bit of machining though..

Or some kind of peristaltic pump.. (it would prevent siphoning but apart from making it fit you'd have to reduce the rpm's)


Not easy.

[luctor-et-emergo]

I have another idea.. Which might actually be practical.

If you take out the insides and fit a can of compressed air in there, place it so the air flows when the button is pressed, route the air to a container with water (look for pc-watercooling reservoirs if you want something small that allows you to connect a tube easily) that has a straw/stem connected to your nozzle. Push the button, increase air pressure, squirt water. Quite simple if you find the parts to make it work.

[angelatc]

OK - tomorrow is my night off. Might have to actually put some work into this. I am also thinking about encasing the blade in clear acrylic, just to keep my future fishy friend from slicing himself.

This is gonna end up costing more than the XBOX 360 LOL!

[angelatc]

I have another idea.. Which might actually be practical.

If you take out the insides and fit a can of compressed air in there, place it so the air flows when the button is pressed, route the air to a container with water (look for pc-watercooling reservoirs if you want something small that allows you to connect a tube easily) that has a straw/stem connected to your nozzle. Push the button, increase air pressure, squirt water. Quite simple if you find the parts to make it work.

Where would the water come from? I can do that, but the base has to be heavy. Otherwise it will tip too easily.

[luctor-et-emergo]

Where would the water come from? I can do that, but the base has to be heavy. Otherwise it will tip too easily.

Something like that... Only downside is, you'll have to open the case in order to fill it with water. You could use the fishtank as a source of water but it has to be reasonably airtight and the tubes would be visible. Also, it would be more complicated to make than a separate system.

There are also some of them that have pumps on them, not sure how much pressure they produce though and they probably run on 5V or 12V.

As far as the base goes, add lead.

[angelatc]

Something like that... Only downside is, you'll have to open the case in order to fill it with water. You could use the fishtank as a source of water but it has to be reasonably airtight and the tubes would be visible. Also, it would be more complicated to make than a separate system.

There are also some of them that have pumps on them, not sure how much pressure they produce though and they probably run on 5V or 12V.

As far as the base goes, add lead.

Yes, I think that keeping a separate reservoir would be easier than trying to hide tubing. Gosh I can't wait to get started on this !

[luctor-et-emergo]

OK - tomorrow is my night off. Might have to actually put some work into this. I am also thinking about encasing the blade in clear acrylic, just to keep my future fishy friend from slicing himself.

This is gonna end up costing more than the XBOX 360 LOL!

The clear acrylic is a good idea but I'd try to coat the blade instead of filling it in entirely. It would be to easy to spot. As long as it's not too sharp the fish will be okay.

oh and if you put the reservoir upside down it wouldn't need a stem or straw. You'd only have to figure out how to connect the can of air to the reservoir. Don't use a nozzle that's too small.

[helmuth_hubener]

This is gonna end up costing more than the XBOX 360 LOL!

It will be a very cool thing, though. You could even have a successful novelty product idea on your hands. Have it on the counter at your store, people are going to want it. And then have them press the power button and get sprayed? That will seal the deal, just take my money, I need this.

[Intoxiklown]

It's a good idea. Which means you really shouldn't have posted it on public forums.

That said, a product like this is fairly easy to get into a outlet like Walmart. And the build is very simple. If you'd like, I can put you in contact with people who won't try to steal your concept, and have you a working model within days. Then I can out you in contact with people who can offer finance, and/or wholesale leads. I do lots of consulting, and have ungodly ties within manufacturing. This is offered with, of course, no charge.

[DamianTV]

I'd also strongly recommend getting some sort of a live plant, a "Betta Buddy" is very soft and wont tear fins. Also, get a Snail! They do a fantastic job of keeping the stuff that grows on the sides to a minimum. Those should help to keep the ecosystem fairly well balanced and nitrogen / ammonia levels in check.

One problem I do hear about with Bettas is they have very fragile fins, so many decorations are out of the picture because of rough edges that can completely tear off those fins. Need to do something about the blades at the bottom, probably just cover up with aquarium rocks.

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/...overnment.html


I actually do like the idea of Aquarium Blender...

[luctor-et-emergo]

I'd also strongly recommend getting some sort of a live plant, a "Betta Buddy" is very soft and wont tear fins. Also, get a Snail! They do a fantastic job of keeping the stuff that grows on the sides to a minimum. Those should help to keep the ecosystem fairly well balanced and nitrogen / ammonia levels in check.

One problem I do hear about with Bettas is they have very fragile fins, so many decorations are out of the picture because of rough edges that can completely tear off those fins. Need to do something about the blades at the bottom, probably just cover up with aquarium rocks.

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/...overnment.html


I actually do like the idea of Aquarium Blender...

If you cover up the blades too much you lose the enticement for $#@!s to push the button... Gotta just make it smooth with some resin.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Sounds dangerous. Do you have a permit for that?