| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
chewie10 
Guest
Joined: August 28 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 11
|
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote  Reply
 Topic: Plexiglass help
Posted: December 17 2004 at 3:20pm |
|
Does any one know how or a good source on how to work with
plexiglass and acrylic? I want to build my own sump/refugium. What glue
is best and where is the best place to get it?
|
 |
Suzy
Guest
Joined: January 03 2003
Status: Offline
Points: 7377
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 17 2004 at 4:20pm |
|
Regional Plastics has everything! A blade for your jigsaw, glue,
and lots of pieces of scrap to goof off with!
Some of the guys here have a better saw. Maybe somebody
will offer to cut the pieces you need.
You can use my jigsaw, blade if nobody pipes up.
Or, the guys at Regional will cut 'em for you, for a price!
|
|
Adam Haycock
Guest
Joined: August 23 2003
Location: Fiji
Status: Offline
Points: 2647
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 17 2004 at 5:39pm |
Id get "Acrylite GP" (It MUST be GP if you go with Acrylite brand) from Regional Supply and have them cut it for you. The cutting charge is cheap ($10-15) and they cut to within 1/16". Then you need to find someone with a good jointer or router table to smooth the edges of the acrylic. Then use the "pin method" to connect the pieces (search "pin method" on reef central for more info). Use Weld-on 4 for joints (this is the "glue"). You will need an applicator bottle to apply it. If you get lots of bubbles in the joints, run a bead of weld-on 16 along the edges. There may even be some members that have weld-on you can use.
|
|
|
|
Adam Haycock
Guest
Joined: August 23 2003
Location: Fiji
Status: Offline
Points: 2647
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 17 2004 at 5:44pm |
|
|
|
|
|
j's55
Guest
Joined: November 22 2004
Location: Sri Lanka
Status: Offline
Points: 966
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 17 2004 at 5:52pm |
|
Regional is great I am going there monday. I think
you need to have an buisness account to buy acrylic.
My mom has one for her work you can order off of
that if you need to. But like Suzy said it is free for
scraps and they have A LOT.
|
|
Josh Zorn
45G reef
lots of tropical plants
Cell it 910 3924
|
|
chewie10
Guest
Joined: August 28 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 11
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 17 2004 at 10:24pm |
|
thank you, that will help out very much
|
|
chewie10
Guest
Joined: August 28 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 11
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 17 2004 at 10:27pm |
|
by the way where is Regional Plastics
|
|
Adam Blundell
Presidency
Joined: June 24 2002
Location: Davis County
Status: Offline
Points: 18526
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 17 2004 at 11:03pm |
On 300 west, and about 3400 south. Someone here probably has the read address and phone number.
Adam
|
|
Come to a meeting, they’re fun!
|
|
Mark Peterson
Paid Member
Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21437
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 18 2004 at 9:17am |
Just a word of caution: Many in this group have seen their Acrylic Sumps and even one acrylic 250 gal tank fail recently, even some manufactured by professionals. I have always used and will continue to use a plastic storage tub or a real aquarium for my sumps/refugia. It's much safer and cheaper as well.
I'm really serious about this, because I've seen hundreds of tanks in Utah over the years.
My advice: buy a $10 tub that fits in the stand and use a large submersible pump OR find a good glass tank and have it drilled for an external pump.
I have a 40 gal acrylic tank for my frags but I reinforced it with wood braces surrounding it in such a way that it will last a long time.
|
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
|
|
Adam Haycock
Guest
Joined: August 23 2003
Location: Fiji
Status: Offline
Points: 2647
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 18 2004 at 11:25am |
If you use the correct acrylic, tools, and fabrication technique, you have nothing to worry about. Just make sure you have a nice, smooth, flat edge on the acrylic and use the Pin method with weld-on 4. I doubt anyone that has done it that way has run into problems. I have made a 15 gallon sump, 25 gallon refugium, and 90 gallon display tank. Using the pin method, I got beautiful seems with no bubbles.
I agree with mark though...if you can get a rubbermaid tub to work, do it. But if you have size restrictions under your tank or want it a certain dimension to maximize your space....and have some extra time and money to spare, then acrylic may be what you need. Also, doing baffles in a rubbermaid tub is tricky!!
Edited by BananaTropics
|
|
|
|
Mark Peterson
Paid Member
Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21437
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 19 2004 at 6:18am |
 BananaTropics wrote:
doing baffles in a rubbermaid tub is tricky!! |
Huh?!
Rock or Eggcrate stuck in the sand holding back a mass of macroalgae stops the bubbles!
The powerhead sits inside a small shallow tupperware type container to keep the sand out!
No offense intended toward those few that successfully diy their own acrylic, but it's not too difficult to come up with surprisingly thrifty means to accomplish the same end as an expensive, complicated and sometimes falable acrylic box.
|
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
|
jfinch
Guest
Joined: March 06 2003
Location: Pleasant Grove
Status: Offline
Points: 7067
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: December 19 2004 at 11:41am |
|
Rubbermaid tubs are ok if you're using submersible pumps. But if you prefer external pumps then acrylic is the way to go, imo. Glass breaks too easily in a sump environment and isn't as easy to custom fit, as always... ymmv.
|
|
|
|
