Sherman Ventilation

[Sherman]

Hello,

I have come up with a new method for under door ventilation that I would like to share with you all.

The "Sherman vent" preforms the same way as the "Euro vent", it allows air to be drawn in under the doors preventing condensation. However, the Sherman vents vertical screen does not allow water to drip down through it. The "Euro"s horizontal screening seems to act as a target for funneled misting water, causing water to leak out of the tank.

It is also a more elegant design, disappearing under the doors. It does not create the dead space in the front of the tank. (You know, where the spiders and dust live.)

Photo 1.
Materials Used (Top to Bottom):
(4) scrap pieces of 1/4" glass. Used for spacers.
(2) lengths of 1/4" x 1/4" plastic L-channel. (Other one on very bottom of photo.)
(1) Piece of screen material. I use Stainless Steel.
(1) 3/4" wide length of 1/4" glass.
(6) 1" x 1" pieces of 1/4" glass.
(1) 1" wide length of 1/4" glass.


Photo 2.
I silicone two of the 1"x1" pieces of glass onto the ends of the 1" strip. I also silicone one in the CENTER of the strip. (If you do not get the middle one centered, it will show in the final product. I know.)


Photo 3.
Stack another set of 1"x1"s on top of the others. NOTE: These 1"x1" pieces are just spacers. They can be substituted for a different material or used in any thickness that your application requires.


Photo 4.
Silicone the 3/4" strip on top of the 1"x1" spacers. Notice that the top edges of the 1" strip, 1"x1" spacers and the 3/4" strip are all aligned. The small scraps of glass are also placed below the assembly, ready for the next step.


Photo 5.
Rotate the assembly 90 degrees toward you so the 3/4" strip now rests on the scrap pieces of glass. (see Photo 7.) Now is a good time to make sure that all the pieces are lined up correctly before the silicone begins to set up. I try to set the 1"x1" spacers just inside the edges of the 1" and 3/4" strips. It is also critical that the 1" and 3/4" strips are lined up. You do not want a crooked vent assembly


Photo 6.
Cover the top surface of the assembly with silicone and lay the screen material on top of it. Be sure to work the silicone into the mesh material to ensure a good bond. You can now apply the L-channel to the edges of the assembly to protect any rough edges of the screen material.


Photo 7.
Completed vent assembly.


Photo 8.
Vent assembly installed in a tank. (This photo is of a smaller vent that only used one set of 1"x1" spacers.) The front of the tank is to the left. The assembly rests on top of the front glass. The bottom window track sits directly on top of the assembly. The screen material and the 1/4" L-channel are on the interior of the tank.


Photo 9.
Here is what they look like when they are done.



Thanks for reading,
Chris Sherman
Sherman Tanks

[Philsuma]

LOVE this.....love the genesis of hobby innovation !

[joneill809]

Very cool - glad to see experimentation with venting design strategies. Very professional look! How long have you been using them? Any observations on their effectiveness? Thanks for sharing!

[Sports_Doc]

I posted a big post about the Sherman Vent on DB.

Chris is a 'local' sorta, to me, and Ive known him for years. Stand up guy and his innovative design is a major improvement.

I have 30 vivs from him and they are fantastic.

He also custom makes a channel for the glass sliders that is so smooth I can open the front with my pinky and not disturb frogs....for pics

Very impressed. The dude is a genius.

I 'think' Chris is selling local New England now at the Reptile shows in NH, MA, NY with Black Jungle as well in a limited capacity.

[Sherman]

LOVE this.....love the genesis of hobby innovation !

Thanks!

Very cool - glad to see experimentation with venting design strategies. Very professional look! How long have you been using them? Any observations on their effectiveness? Thanks for sharing!

Jim,
These have been in use for six months or so. Sherman Vents are every bit as effective as the traditional "euro" vent. There was some initial concern that the bottom of the doors would remain full of condensation due to the vents location. This is simply not the case. Doors clear up evenly top to bottom after misting.

The other concern that was brought to my attention was the possibility of nose rubbing on the vertical screen. I have not seen this, mostly due to the fact that there is no way for the frogs to sit directly infront of the screen. If however there were cage furnishings and plants that allowed such perches, then this should be monitored. But again, as of yet, this has not been reported.

The minimal visual impact, the reclamation of the front two inches of substrate, the effectiveness of venting and the loss of the spider/dust shelf make Sherman Vents, in my opinion, the only way to go.

I have 30 vivs from him and they are fantastic.

He also custom makes a channel for the glass sliders that is so smooth I can open the front with my pinky and not disturb frogs....for pics

Very impressed. The dude is a genius.

Shawn,
Thank you. Not so sure about the genius thing, as that I have never been tested.


I am currently building these tanks for others on a small scale. If anyone is interested I can be reached by PM.

Thanks,
Chris Sherman
Sherman Tanks

[joneill809]

Thanks for the response! The design is very sleek and appealing. I don't see nose rubbing as an issue based on how I setup my vivs but that is me . I was mostly wondering about condensation performance which you summed up! Thanks again for the detailed description of the build out.

[Ghostvivs]

I like! What about a thicker screen to stop any nose rubs? I'm thinking if they couldn't see through it, they wouldn't try to get out. I think the problem is the frogs not seeing the thin threads right at eye level.
I would also bet the folks in Europe had the vent closer to the substrate and that is probably what really caused the issue. If they have to clime to reach it i can't see your vent design having any problems.

If you want shoot me a PM and i will send you some thick screening to test, that's the least i can do for you sharing your Sherman's vent with us! 8)

[Sherman]

Casper,

Thank you for the offer, but I respectfully decline.
I truly feel that there is not going to be an issue with nose rubs.

I use a high grade stainless steel for my venting. It is fairly dense. This particular material allows the most light penetration yet will not allow fruit flies through.
Please do not think of the Exo-Terra stainless steel. The material I use is far superior in quality. When I first received this material a year ago, I cut a small piece and stuck it half way in the substrate of one of my tanks. I water it daily and routinely check on it. Even though roots have penetrated it, there has been no sign of deterioration or discoloration. This is in stark comparison to my Exos that begin to discolor within weeks of covering them with plastic.

Chris Sherman

[Ghostvivs]

Screen thickness with a comparison with standard stainless mesh.

[Ghostvivs]

No worries! I don't think you will have any problem either.

And i definitely know what you're talking about with having to spend more on stainless. It's not cheap, definitely worth it though. I'm glad i am only a 30 minutes from a manufacturers warehouse so i got to check it out before i spent the cash.

Casper,

Thank you for the offer, but I respectfully decline.
I truly feel that there is not going to be an issue with nose rubs.

I use a high grade stainless steel for my venting. It is fairly dense. This particular material allows the most light penetration yet will not allow fruit flies through.
Please do not think of the Exo-Terra stainless steel. The material I use is far superior in quality. When I first received this material a year ago, I cut a small piece and stuck it half way in the substrate of one of my tanks. I water it daily and routinely check on it. Even though roots have penetrated it, there has been no sign of deterioration or discoloration. This is in stark comparison to my Exos that begin to discolor within weeks of covering them with plastic.

Chris Sherman

[Sherman]

Dang Casper, quick draw on that photo.

Looks to me that we are about on the same page.

[Ghostvivs]

Looks about the same.

The phone makes pic posting fast...grin

[randommind]

After implementing the "Sherman Vent" (with Chris' blessing) in a few of my recent builds, I have to say...this system is leaps and bounds beyond the classic "euro" style. From aesthetics to the structural integrity of the enclosure itself, this system is hands-down the way to go when looking for the added benefits of passive air-flow in a solid & streamline package.

Chris...you killed it with this design and I am sure I am not alone when I say, THANK YOU for this contribution to the hobby!

[Sherman]

I am very happy to see that this design has caught on. It seems to have solved many of the problems associated with the standard "Euro Vent", and I get the feeling that people are genuinely pleased with them. I think that this design will quickly become the "normal" way to build ventilation under doors. These are now being built in all corners of the country, including right here in New England.

People have contacted me asking permission to build this style vent. I am grateful for the sentiment, but no one needs my permission to build these.

I will ask one thing:
Please donate $1.00 for every Sherman Vent that you build to the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center (C.R.A.R.C.).
link->http://cramphibian.com/central-caribbean...nitiative/
There is a yellow Donate button at the bottom of the page.

I will begin doing this for all tanks that I build using this ventilation method.
If you are building these commercially, please work this donation into your price and proudly advertise that portions of the proceeds will promote conservation and research.

Sincerely,
Chris Sherman