I want to preface this post by stating that this is not an advertisement for custom pipe sales. Nor is it in any way intended to get PMs for custom work or sales in any way. This is purely for the informational value, and to help others who'd like to give this a shot.
Just wanted to share some of the lily pipes, drop checkers, etc, that I've made.
I had a video up here a while ago that was a basic walkthrough on how to bend acrylic tubing, but it somehow got deleted. If anyone is still interested in a brief walkthrough on bending acrylic tubing, for making lily pipes, filter hardlines, drop checkers, etc, let me know and I'll do another short video on the matter.
The basic process is mostly a matter of heat control and patience. I've tried fillers from sand, flour, to silicone tubing, and nothing seems to get quite the same results as bending the tube freehand.
I use a 1500watt heatgun that I've modified to sit pointing straight up(like a burner), and bend most of my tubing(6mm, 10mm, 13mm) on it's low setting. Heating about a two inch portion of tubing at a time, I make very minute bends, using my fingers to keep the hot tubing in shape.
For the lily cups, I get the end of the tubing hot and pliable, and then seal it off by pinching it with pliers.
I then heat a 2" section just behind the sealed end. Once very pliable, I blow a bubble in the tubing, and hold pressure until the tubing is cooled. I then cut the bubble diagonally in a hobby miter block, with a very fine toothed razor saw.
Here is some of the things I've made(for myself, and for others):
13mm Lily Pipe
10mm Hang-On-Tank Lily Pipe
13mm Clear Eheim replacements
10mm ADA style nano pipes
Hang-On-Tank Drop Checker
Another H-O-T DC, curved to match the ada style nano pipes
10mm nano pipes, in use on buddy Zeldar's tank:
Crazy 10mm pipe set I made for dxiong5, upturned intake so filter sponge will stay in place
(a design originally devised by msnikkistar)
Aimable spraybar in 13mm for 7.5g cube that I made for beedee
Another aimable spraybar in 13mm for standard 10g, also made for beedee
That's about all the pics I have right now. If anyone has any questions, I would be more than happy to answer!
-Paul