RIMS Toolbox

Any reason why I should choose a plastic toolbox for my portable RIMS system instead of a metal one?

I guess a plastic tool box is just one less thing to ground and/or worry about? Plus the rust factor comes to mind.

Plastic is SO much easier to work with. I've made several plastic toolbox gadgets. And one metal one (ugh).

But the bling...

iijakii said:

But the bling...

Click to expand...

Well you could always Bedazzle it....

I made mine in a red metal roofing toolbox I got for Christmas when I was about 12.

Never became a roofer, but it made a great RIMS box!

Mine is in a .50 cal can. Cheap, tough & readily available.
Nice flat sides for pump mounting.

Just a thought.

I have seriously considered mounting my pump in a .50 cal can.

What did you use to cut the holes out?

I happened to have a bi-metal holesaw that a buddy and I used to de-baffle his motorcycle.

However, you don't need anything that big, really, assuming you are using the March pump. IIRC, you need unremarkable small bits for the screws, and something in the 1" range for the "dimple" where the center shaft goes through.

I've got the pump, a PID, a contactor (used as a saftey, no current to pump=no current to the heater) a fan that I still haven't hooked up, I forget what else. No SSR, as my element is only 200w, which the PID can pass through itself in relay mode.

If all you're putting in yours is a pump, it's a cakewalk.

My biggest recommendation is to mount the pump HIGH as you can. I'm going to do mine again, with the pump up as high as I can get it. Otherwise, you have the issue I have now, that the connectors for the hose on the bottom of the pump reach lower than the can itself. I just sit mine on another can in the meantime, but it would be nice not to have to.

Well, I need more than just the hole for the pump shaft. I also need to mount a switch and some power connectors.

I do have a Dremel with a diamond cutting wheel...seems like that could potentially work, albeit very slowly.

weirdboy said:

Well, I need more than just the hole for the pump shaft. I also need to mount a switch and some power connectors.

I do have a Dremel with a diamond cutting wheel...seems like that could potentially work, albeit very slowly.

Click to expand...

Oh, I used standard bits for those as well, except the pid and the receptacles. For those, I used a Dremel with the cheap, unreinforced discs.

I used a cheap plastic toolbox from lowes. It is strong enough to mount the pump and PID and what not, without worrying about structural integrity, but it's soft enough that I could cut holes with a utility knife!

Super easy to put together, and it cost about $8. Not the best picture, but you get the idea.

^ nice!!! I seriously thought about using a plastic tool box, but my project grew out of control and I couldn't find one big enough. One of my next projects is to put my 2 LG pumps into a tool box with on/off buttons mounted and panel mount power. I'd like to be able to take it to club brew days.