# Prototype terrarium hinge for DIY front opening terrariums.



## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

Sorry guys, but I hate sliding glass doors. They get full of dirt, baby thumbs always get through the cracks, not to mention fruit flies and isopods. Generally speaking their a not so-easy-solution to a front opening conundrum.

This weekend after trying to fix my 3D printers, I took a crack at this problem once again, with an attempt at a side opening solution. This time I decided to forget the frame. Why put a frame in a frame? Why not make the aquarium frame work for you? So I came up with a frame mounting hinge for an aqueon aquarium. I still need to test them on 20, 20L, 40B, but since it's 3D printed, I can customize them however I want. 

The design is simple. The hinges are sized to fit snugly on the frame of a 10g aquarium, with 2 screws to keep them in place, and a bolt for the hinge to swing on. One side of the hinge gets cemented onto the front opening glass before it's bolted together.






The video pretty much explains it all. I was thinking of using 3 on each size of a double door system for a 40 gallon breeder. I'll also build a latch for the glass that also fit on the frame. As it's Sunday, we'll see if I ever get to finish this project. Anyone have a 40B I can test on?


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## jturner (Nov 26, 2014)

I really like this idea. It would make it so easy to convert tanks to verts. Have you thought of making one that fits over just the glass? What I mean is you would remove the black plastic rim, which is not too difficult, then make the hinges so that they fit directly over the glass rim of the tank. Then the hinges could just be siliconed into place. I just think that by taking the rim off, it might make the finished product look better. Just an idea. I wish I had a 3D printer to play around with.


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Yes! I think there is a lot of potential in this concept. As jturner suggested, a glass to glass version might be a great option, especially since it could work with DIY glass tank builds that don't have a frame. 

I have recently put a good deal of time into trying to find a hinge that would allow the doors to swing horizontally from a vertical axis. There aren't a lot of good options that aren't super expensive and/or require a notch to be cut out of the glass to serve as a seat for the hinge (think glass shower hinges, also very expensive). The best option I have seen is a pivoting hinge, not all that different from exo terra and zoo med designs. *This link* shows one version of this concept. There is a seat for the hinge that would attach to the base and the second piece that sits in the hinge base and holds the door in place. One hinge for the top, one for the bottom, per door. 

The reason I suggest this is due to the stress placed on hinges that attach to the sides. The bottom- and top-mounting pivot hinges should be better able to support the doors without the hinge or the adhesive holding it in place eventually failing. Take a look at the exo terra/zoo med hinges sometime, maybe there is a way to create something similar (without requiring an entire frame) that can fit snugly or clamp to the glass, with or without some epoxy or silicone to adhere it.

I have been working on a project that will put this into practice, but it won't be a glass to glass hinge unfortunately.

Mike


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## Phyllobates (Dec 12, 2008)

Really like this idea. I'm with you on your dislike of sliders.

Is there a way to make them protrude a little less off to the side so that in a rack multiple tanks could sit flush up against one another?

Keep us posted with your prototypes!

Chris


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## ExoticRepublic (Apr 28, 2014)

Hey Jay, do you sell frogs? Your site has the frog cubes and frog faces, but do you breed any frogs? Just curious.

And I love this idea, especially having recently converted a 10 gal. It's been about 3 days and still not quite done. Hope it works out! 

Matt

Sent from my HTC Desire Eye using Tapatalk


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...3d-printing-terrarium-kits-6.html#post2452354

Please comment from the above link, but you can still watch the video here:






To answer questions:

jturner - Kinda defeats the purpose of what I'm trying to do. For that I'd just make it all from glass. 

roxrgneiss - I tried the pivot. Too much space for a frog to get smushed or fruit flies to get out. I want to use the frame on the tank to my advantage. If you come up with a good way to make it work, I'm all for it!!!

Phyllobates - I wish. If you don't have 8mm of space to screw the hinge into the side, then it will fall!

ExoticRepublic - Thanks. I breed pumilio san cristobal which is why I tend to focus on small terrariums. However the next $1 gallon sale. I'll get more sizes in and see if I can build them for up to 40 gallons! Double Doors!!!


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

> roxrgneiss - I tried the pivot. Too much space for a frog to get smushed or fruit flies to get out. I want to use the frame on the tank to my advantage. If you come up with a good way to make it work, I'm all for it!!!


How about a minimalistic approach? Drill a hole in the glass base and top (where the hinges will be installed), insert with epoxy a small, durable cylinder, then print out a thick "sleeve" that is epoxied to the glass, which has a solid cylinder "pin" that seats inside the hollow one that was inserted in the glass. The doors might need to be inset 1/2", and any open space could be blocked with those silicone strips made by Folius (I think that's the sponsor who makes them). Sounding more doable? I just have ideas, but I'm afraid only those like yourself have the ability to make it work.

Using the frame is not a bad approach, but the available framed aquarium sizes are limiting for larger, more creative builds. Even if you don't use something like this for yourself, I can imagine some hobbyists would be eager to buy a few sets, maybe even a vendor or two. 

Mike


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

Sounds intensive and not easily manufacturable. But maybe I'm wrong. A graphic might explain your idea better.



roxrgneiss said:


> How about a minimalistic approach? Drill a hole in the glass base and top (where the hinges will be installed), insert with epoxy a small, durable cylinder, then print out a thick "sleeve" that is epoxied to the glass, which has a solid cylinder "pin" that seats inside the hollow one that was inserted in the glass. The doors might need to be inset 1/2", and any open space could be blocked with those silicone strips made by Folius (I think that's the sponsor who makes them). Sounding more doable? I just have ideas, but I'm afraid only those like yourself have the ability to make it work.
> 
> Using the frame is not a bad approach, but the available framed aquarium sizes are limiting for larger, more creative builds. Even if you don't use something like this for yourself, I can imagine some hobbyists would be eager to buy a few sets, maybe even a vendor or two.
> 
> Mike


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

konton said:


> Sounds intensive and not easily manufacturable. But maybe I'm wrong. A graphic might explain your idea better.



Took me a while to get to it, but I am willing to make a little time for a good cause. See the attached firgure showing the general concept described above. The hinge pin slides into the hinge insert, then it pivots. As I mentioned before, the inserts would need to be set back away from the front, probably at least a half inch up to an inch, for structural integrity - it would be a little wasteful, but probably easier than the design and fab of an entire frame. The top and bottom should be 1/4" glass minimum, but the doors could be about 1/8" or 3/16" (like exo terra) to reduce strain on the hinges and drilled glass. I admit, it's not as simple as clipping onto an existing frame.

Thanks,
Mike


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## Alan (Jan 12, 2005)

On the assumption that its a vert - why not just use standard acrylic hinge and fasten it to a top acrylic insert panel (in which vents are drilled)?


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

roxrgneiss said:


> Took me a while to get to it, but I am willing to make a little time for a good cause. See the attached firgure showing the general concept described above. The hinge pin slides into the hinge insert, then it pivots. As I mentioned before, the inserts would need to be set back away from the front, probably at least a half inch up to an inch, for structural integrity - it would be a little wasteful, but probably easier than the design and fab of an entire frame. The top and bottom should be 1/4" glass minimum, but the doors could be about 1/8" or 3/16" (like exo terra) to reduce strain on the hinges and drilled glass. I admit, it's not as simple as clipping onto an existing frame.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike



Thanks Mike. I see the concept. What I don't see is how it's tight enough to keep fruit flies from escaping. That's what I was saying before. I know how I could make it work. But like the current options on the market, you've got a huge space for things two crawl out of around the edges.


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

Alan Zimmerman said:


> On the assumption that its a vert - why not just use standard acrylic hinge and fasten it to a top acrylic insert panel (in which vents are drilled)?


Sounds like a very bad visual. Black opaque plastic with transparent acrylic drilled into it? And opening from the top, not the side? And how do you make up for the space from the lip of the tank to the edge? I like when things have great form as well as function. 

I just got my system to work in ABS with all M5 screws:


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