woodnaquanut
Active member
What Diablo blade do you use?
It seems like you are saying there is no advantage to a 'made for acrylic' blade. Am I reading this correctly?
Acrylic fabrication questions? I can help!
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
What Diablo blade do you use?
It seems like you are saying there is no advantage to a 'made for acrylic' blade. Am I reading this correctly?
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
The Diablo blade I speak of is the one that is specifically for plastics, it is a triple-chip blade, it cuts through acrylic with less "bogging down" of the saw motor (you can hear the difference) and it also "chews" less and actually cuts the material (this is due to the triple-chip teeth). This leaves a cleaner edge that is also less pitted because the material is not heated up as much (i.e. energy is not transferred to the material like in a cheap blade)
No matter what though, IMO, you still need to route the edge. This is for many reasons, not just because the router leaves a cleaner edge, but also because unless you're using a panel saw, you just won't get a straight edge. It is also difficult to square a piece of material on a table saw, esp when you get to larger pieces. For that I use a squaring jig on the router table.
No matter what though, IMO, you still need to route the edge. This is for many reasons, not just because the router leaves a cleaner edge, but also because unless you're using a panel saw, you just won't get a straight edge. It is also difficult to square a piece of material on a table saw, esp when you get to larger pieces. For that I use a squaring jig on the router table.
Palytoxin718
New member
do you guys water test your acrylic creations? If so, how long do you typically test?
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
I don't unless I'm asked to. When you use good material and solvent welded joints, you can tell right away if they are good or bad.
When I have water tested, it's usually only for a few minutes. Either it's going to hold, or it's going to give way.
Now if you use cheap material, like Chemcast (at least when they had the historic problems) it might take a while, and then like 6 months down the road, the tank might simply fall apart. Also if you do WO40 joints wrong, a tank can literally fall apart on initial fill.
When I have water tested, it's usually only for a few minutes. Either it's going to hold, or it's going to give way.
Now if you use cheap material, like Chemcast (at least when they had the historic problems) it might take a while, and then like 6 months down the road, the tank might simply fall apart. Also if you do WO40 joints wrong, a tank can literally fall apart on initial fill.
shred5
Premium Member
I am sure this has been asked:
When gluing do the sides go on top the bottom piece or on the outside the bottom piece?
What is a decent table saw blade to cut the sheets?
What is the right router bit for the edges?
What is the right router bit for teeth on over flow?
Dennis where do you buy your acrylic from?
When gluing do the sides go on top the bottom piece or on the outside the bottom piece?
What is a decent table saw blade to cut the sheets?
What is the right router bit for the edges?
What is the right router bit for teeth on over flow?
Dennis where do you buy your acrylic from?
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woodnaquanut
Active member
Just to be totally anal about this, are you are talking about the 'Freud D1080N Diablo 10-Inch 80 Tooth TCG Non-Ferrous Metal and Plastic Cutting Saw Blade'?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008WQ38#productDetails
There is also the 'Freud LU94M008 8-Inch 64 Tooth MTCG Plexiglass Cutting Saw Blade'
http://*******.com/n8l45fk
Have you used it?
edit.....
OOOPS. I seem to have entered a forbidden URL. Tiny mistake on my part! A search for the name listed on amazon will get you to it.
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TropTrea
New member
Last time I bought a full sheet it was 1/2" 48" X 96" and it was over $600.00 with some places listing it close to $1,000.00. If I recall correctly 1/4" was close to $350 for a sheet the same size. The last time I bought a precut sheet of 1/4" it was $8.00 per square foot. Looking at an 4 X 8 sheet at that price would be $256.00. But I'm sure there was a cutting charge built in.
Also keeping in mind that on some projects I use polycarbonate rather than acrylic and there is a big price difference between the two. Prices on plastics of all type also fluctuate with the price of oil.
TropTrea
New member
Presently from Midland Plastics. They are higher than web prices but after calculating shipping costs they are cheaper.
Prior I bought from Badger plastics but someone bought them out and there prices roughly doubled at that time and about a year later they went out of business.
The interesting about Midland is if tell them your using it for Aquariums they won't sell to to you? Also if yu look at there pricing sheets buying in quantity with out a rush oin the order if your willinbg to wait a week at the most can give you a fantastic savings, They have some good quantity discounts and some fantastic rush charges. Without the Rush charge I never waited more than 3 working days for something though.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
That is the exact blade I have used for the last 2 year, haven't needed to sharpen or replace it.
Lay the back piece flat and stand the end piece on it, and bond that joint. After both ends are bonded to the first piece, then lay the front piece flat and flip the assembly over on to it and bond the front-to-end joints. (you can flip 'front' with 'back', that order is irrelevant in most cases)
Then bond on the top euro (if you have one)
Then bond the bottom on.
dood. crazy prices if that is acrylic. If that's PC, then maybe not. But why use PC? It doesn't form as strong of a solvent bond. If it was better, then everyone would be using it to make tanks. plus it is more 'grabby' and therefore more difficult to route.
My acrylic prices shot up starting around May of 2011 but have come back down and are generally pretty stable. $600 for a sheet of 1/2" is more than double what I pay for at Sabic Polymershapes. $350 for a sheet of 1/4" is insane. I get Plex-G 1/4" for nearly 1/3 of that.
shred5
Premium Member
I think I have used midland plastics for stuff before.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
Plexiglas-G is the cell cast acrylic with print on the mask on one side. It is covered by a warranty/guarantee, but that's only good until you cut it. Sounds silly yes, so it's pretty worthless unless you feel like peeling the mask off, checking the material for imperfections, then putting the mask back on. So it is pretty worthless until you become a top 1% consumer of their products, i.e. you make a lot of tanks. Then they will pay for your tank and material if you find, after you peel the mask off your brand spankin' new tank, that there is an imperfection in the material.
Beyond that, "GP" is a term that Sabic Polymershapes is now putting on the Arkema brand (Plex parent company, also on the mask print) "generic" cell cast material. Basically the same, except without the (useless) warranty. I have referred to it on this thread as "General Purpose" and I think I got that from Sabic, and they since have incorporated it into their system as well. For reference, they now refer to Plex-G as "GM". Extruded is still MCM.
So that's a long way of saying it's pretty much the same stuff for 25% less. It is meant to compete with the cheaper import cast products. It's pretty much all I use for sumps and frag tanks, and I've used it for smaller display tanks without any issues.
I have compared it to PC processors - for example, quad core and dual core processors are sometimes made on the same line, they are all quad core. When they test the cores, sometimes one or two are not "up to spec" so they shut them down and sell them as dual core. This is why with some AMD processors you can "unlock" additional cores.
GP would be the same - maybe not quite up to spec, maybe too much thickness variation, maybe an inflection, etc - so they don't put the print on the mask and sell it cheaper.
Beyond that, "GP" is a term that Sabic Polymershapes is now putting on the Arkema brand (Plex parent company, also on the mask print) "generic" cell cast material. Basically the same, except without the (useless) warranty. I have referred to it on this thread as "General Purpose" and I think I got that from Sabic, and they since have incorporated it into their system as well. For reference, they now refer to Plex-G as "GM". Extruded is still MCM.
So that's a long way of saying it's pretty much the same stuff for 25% less. It is meant to compete with the cheaper import cast products. It's pretty much all I use for sumps and frag tanks, and I've used it for smaller display tanks without any issues.
I have compared it to PC processors - for example, quad core and dual core processors are sometimes made on the same line, they are all quad core. When they test the cores, sometimes one or two are not "up to spec" so they shut them down and sell them as dual core. This is why with some AMD processors you can "unlock" additional cores.
GP would be the same - maybe not quite up to spec, maybe too much thickness variation, maybe an inflection, etc - so they don't put the print on the mask and sell it cheaper.
Will it dry out and leak?
Will it dry out and leak?
I'd like to start by thanking everyone who contributes to this thread--what an incredible resource!
Will a watertight seal around an acrylic panel leak IF the entire panel is not fully immersed in water?
Specifically, I'm interested in a custom FRP tank with a 48" Polycast viewing panel. If I decide to operate the tank with only, say, 40" of water, will I risk a leak due to the bonding sealant drying out? Are there any steps to take to avoid this risk?
Many thanks.
Will it dry out and leak?
I'd like to start by thanking everyone who contributes to this thread--what an incredible resource!
Will a watertight seal around an acrylic panel leak IF the entire panel is not fully immersed in water?
Specifically, I'm interested in a custom FRP tank with a 48" Polycast viewing panel. If I decide to operate the tank with only, say, 40" of water, will I risk a leak due to the bonding sealant drying out? Are there any steps to take to avoid this risk?
Many thanks.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
Not really - nothing to worry about IMO.
When you bond acrylic, it is a welding process. Solvent actually dissolves the material on either side of the joint being welded, then when the solvent evaporates, the 2 piece become one. With a good joint, the material will actually break before the joint snaps.
When you bond acrylic, it is a welding process. Solvent actually dissolves the material on either side of the joint being welded, then when the solvent evaporates, the 2 piece become one. With a good joint, the material will actually break before the joint snaps.
Floyd,
Is this also true for the joining of acrylic with fiberglass?
The reason for my question is that I want the option to have a 48" deep tank, but fear that the depth will make routine maintenance too challenging. My fallback position would be to just lower the water level to something more manageable, maybe 36".
Thanks again!
Is this also true for the joining of acrylic with fiberglass?
The reason for my question is that I want the option to have a 48" deep tank, but fear that the depth will make routine maintenance too challenging. My fallback position would be to just lower the water level to something more manageable, maybe 36".
Thanks again!
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
That I can't say for sure, but I can't imagine the joints would dry out.
Do you think this will buff/polish out?
Just bought the tank, I was told it was some glue that ran down the tank (weldon maybe?) and so going across the front of the tank is very very fine little 'cracks' or what looks like cracks anyway. Too small to catch my fingernail on, and from looking through the side of the acrylic they look to be on the surface. I have never buffed out an acrylic tank before, and I know it would drive me nuts to leave it as-is if I set up the tank. The rest of the tank is in great shape, I just was wondering if you have had any luck getting imperfections like this out of acrylic before or would it be a waste of my time to try?
Sorry about the pics, its tough to get my phone to focus on the right spot
Just bought the tank, I was told it was some glue that ran down the tank (weldon maybe?) and so going across the front of the tank is very very fine little 'cracks' or what looks like cracks anyway. Too small to catch my fingernail on, and from looking through the side of the acrylic they look to be on the surface. I have never buffed out an acrylic tank before, and I know it would drive me nuts to leave it as-is if I set up the tank. The rest of the tank is in great shape, I just was wondering if you have had any luck getting imperfections like this out of acrylic before or would it be a waste of my time to try?
Sorry about the pics, its tough to get my phone to focus on the right spot
brian cummings
New member
Hi, I just got a Bosch router and router table. I was going to use it to to clean up the sawcut edges of some 3/4" and 1" plex. I set up the router table as a jointer, to shave off 1/16", and used a straight cutter. I got some chatter and a rougher than saw cut edge. I tried a couple of different router speeds, and didn't get much better results. The bit I used was a 1/2" shank, three bladed, 1/2" carbide straight cutter. Looking for some recommendations/insights... Thanks!
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