8 replies to this topic

[Bryce]

Is anybody making them for sale? I need 50 or so. 16mm x 2mm through 16 mm x 5mm

Edited by Bryce, January 17 2018 - 5:19 PM.

[nurbs]

If you can't find any, just use tape to thicken the test tube. One or two wrap arounds should do. Poor man's method. 

[Bryce]

Yeah been there . I thought with all the new 3 d printing some of these kids might make some. I have gone to 100 percent test tubes to start my ants. Looking for a reduction coupling. I don't like feeding inside of tube.

[Mettcollsuss]

Do any of these work?

• http://www.antscanad...st-tube-portal/
• http://www.antscanad...accessory-pack/

[Bryce]

The 2nd link is what I'm looking for. A reduction coupling. I need male fittings to fit into 16 mm test tube. And come out between 2 mm to 5 mm . I don't want to feed inside of tube. But still want the ants to come and go yet still have a sealed nest. I know I could just stick whatever size tubbing through the cotton. I was just looking for something nice.

Edited by Bryce, January 17 2018 - 6:30 PM.

[Kevin]

Test tube adapters are quite difficult to make from what I have experienced. LCM Lab, one of the more common test tube distributors around here have an obnoxious sub-millimeter lip on their test tubes that prevents any kind of hard printed adapter from wrapping around the outside. Tolerances of test tubes are also quite often extremely poor and a connector that would fit on the inside of one tube will likely not work on several others. The best route would be some kind of soft adapter like vinyl tubing that fits well or using electrical tape. You could possibly have someone print you parts to be used with o-rings or something similar.

Edited by Kevin, January 17 2018 - 7:04 PM.

[Bryce]

Thanks Kevin! I just don't know anything about 3 d printing.

[noebl1]

I've done a bunch of 3D printing for my ants, but definitely not a kid (though wouldn't mind being one again...)  I've had the same issue Kevin describes as there's a variance in test tubes regardless if glass or plastic which is frustrating (not even factoring lip vs lipless as Kevin mentioned).  The plastic test tubes are a bit more forgiving as can squish a little, but the glass ones obviously shatter (I've done that a couple times testing fits.)  I started instead using vinyl tubing from the formicarium into the test tube.  I hadn't thought of using o-rings as Kevin suggested; I like that idea a lot actually.  I was initially going to try to print with some of the more flexible filaments as adapters, but the o-rings are a really simple and probably effective solution.  I had tried going slightly larger with the hole size and using tape around the test tube for a snug fit, but had really small ants like Lasius somehow find a hole.

[Jamie_Garrison]

 

Do any of these work?

• http://www.antscanad...st-tube-portal/
• http://www.antscanad...accessory-pack/

 

Theses are cool.... i can tell I should not take breaks on this hobby