Acrylic fabrication questions? I can help!

[Floyd R Turbo]

Hey one more question then as far a general purpose vs. plexiglas-G... Does P-macs glue up fine? Like for sumps it's cool, so I imagine it will hold water... Correct?

yup

Another quick question, there were some pictures, I believe on this thread that had the build order of a sump. does anyone have a copy of those or can provide me? I saved them on my phone, but lost them in a format..
:debi:

looks like you found the right order (in pic)

Also how are you guys doing this inset for sock to sit in?

When I have that done, it's on a CNC. By hand would be tougher, but a "hacked" way of doing it is make the hole in the main piece slightly larger than the OD of the sock ring, then make another piece that matches the OD of the neck of the sock, and bond that to the underside.

 

[Acrylics]

Also how are you guys doing this inset for sock to sit in?

If using a hand or table mounted router; route the smaller hole first, then use a rabbet bit of the appropriate size, usually 3/8" or so to make the "step'."

HTH,
James

 

[pandimus]

You two dudes are awesome. Thanks again. If you are ever in Palmdale stop by for free beer

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[pandimus]

If using a hand or table mounted router; route the smaller hole first, then use a rabbet bit of the appropriate size, usually 3/8" or so to make the "step'."

HTH,
James

Would a hole saw be ok for the first hole? And the use rabet bit to follow that hole with bearing?

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[Acrylics]

Would a hole saw be ok for the first hole? And the use rabet bit to follow that hole with bearing?

Sure

James

 

[aryth]

New tank build

New tank build

I am almost ready to start cutting acrylic for peninsula tank, need your opinion on a few details. The tank is about 68"x30"x30", 1" thick sides, 3/4" top and bottom, 1/2" overflow box. The top braces are 4" wide, and the big central one is 6" wide.
One thing I am concerned about is the overflow area. The cross-brace there is 7" wide, but has 3" cutout almost along the whole length making it effectively 4" wide, and not attached to the back.
Another question (a few actually) is about drilling the eurobrace for CL returns. Where is a safe/good place to drill and are there any special considerations about it? I plan to drill at least 3, one inch holes on each side. Apologies if this seems like a basic question, it was certainly done many times, but I could not find any specific info about it.
So:
1. How is the plan in general?
2. Do you see any problems with the overflow area?
3. Are (all, or some of) the braces wide enough.
4. Where would you drill the CL holes in the brace? How large can they be/are the braces wide enough for them? Do I need to do anything special there, e.g., make brace wider, reinforce, etc.. (btw, I do plan to route them to have a clean hole)?
Thanks a lot,
Andrey

 

[Meshmez]

Hey everyone, I may be picking up a used 60"x18"x20" acrylic tank that I would be using for a sump. I would like to cut the 20" height down to around 18". im planning on just using a circular saw to cut around the outside. would this be acceptable? it doesnt have to be super pretty since its just going to be a sump, but i would probably then sand the edge so its not sharp..

 

[pandimus]

Hey everyone, I may be picking up a used 60"x18"x20" acrylic tank that I would be using for a sump. I would like to cut the 20" height down to around 18". im planning on just using a circular saw to cut around the outside. would this be acceptable? it doesnt have to be super pretty since its just going to be a sump, but i would probably then sand the edge so its not sharp..

I suspect it has euro bracing, that you are planning on removing? Your going to lose a lot of stability. Also welding in baffles would be a pain, due to the flex of the tank. Trust me I did just that. Now I've just bought new acrylic to build one correctly, because the old one is falling apart. Also you can use a circular saw. I used my table saw to take the top off, but wouldn't do it again.

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[adova]

I am almost ready to start cutting acrylic for peninsula tank, need your opinion on a few details. The tank is about 68"x30"x30", 1" thick sides, 3/4" top and bottom, 1/2" overflow box. The top braces are 4" wide, and the big central one is 6" wide.
One thing I am concerned about is the overflow area. The cross-brace there is 7" wide, but has 3" cutout almost along the whole length making it effectively 4" wide, and not attached to the back.
Another question (a few actually) is about drilling the eurobrace for CL returns. Where is a safe/good place to drill and are there any special considerations about it? I plan to drill at least 3, one inch holes on each side. Apologies if this seems like a basic question, it was certainly done many times, but I could not find any specific info about it.
So:
1. How is the plan in general?
2. Do you see any problems with the overflow area?
3. Are (all, or some of) the braces wide enough.
4. Where would you drill the CL holes in the brace? How large can they be/are the braces wide enough for them? Do I need to do anything special there, e.g., make brace wider, reinforce, etc.. (btw, I do plan to route them to have a clean hole)?
Thanks a lot,
Andrey

I recently built a peninsula tank about a year about and I can share some of my thoughts:

I think I would have been much happier if I had constructed the sides of the over flow to be a continuous piece of acrylic rather than have the overflow "bolt" onto the DT.

Why are you creating the cut out in the euro-brace over the weir section? One of the things I did here was to create a mesh grate of Gutter-Guard to keep the snails out and attached it to the euro-brace.

1" sides seems a little overkill. I used 1/2" bottom and top and 3/4" sides for a 78" x 24" x 24" build.

Shawn

 

[Meshmez]

I suspect it has euro bracing, that you are planning on removing? Your going to lose a lot of stability. Also welding in baffles would be a pain, due to the flex of the tank. Trust me I did just that. Now I've just bought new acrylic to build one correctly, because the old one is falling apart. Also you can use a circular saw. I used my table saw to take the top off, but wouldn't do it again.

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i assumed if i added baffles and cross braces it would help the stability issue, but i didnt think about the trouble of welding in the baffles if the tank is already bowed... may have to rethink this...

 

[pandimus]

i assumed if i added baffles and cross braces it would help the stability issue, but i didnt think about the trouble of welding in the baffles if the tank is already bowed... may have to rethink this...

Yeah I welded in baffles as well. My tank currently has a clamp holding it together from the separation Not to mention the fact, it was near impossible to get the baffles square due to the bowing

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[aryth]

I think I would have been much happier if I had constructed the sides of the over flow to be a continuous piece of acrylic rather than have the overflow "bolt" onto the DT.

Why are you creating the cut out in the euro-brace over the weir section? One of the things I did here was to create a mesh grate of Gutter-Guard to keep the snails out and attached it to the euro-brace.

1" sides seems a little overkill. I used 1/2" bottom and top and 3/4" sides for a 78" x 24" x 24" build.

Shawn

Shawn,
This is not complete design. There will be another panel of thin black acrylic inside the tank that covers the back and that have some sort of screen. The panel will be bowed, kind of like traditional internal overflow box, only 2 inches thick and perforated, and will cover/hide CL return pipes that go down under the bed, and two or three CL intake pipes. The cut-out would allow servicing/cleaning the CL intake pipes and the panel. The main reason for all this is that I want to have 2 or 3 CLs, but don't want to drill the bottom or the back side of the tank. It may be a bit confusing, I will make another picture later.

As for the thickness, it was suggested on this thread for similar size tank (basically because it is 30" tall, and to minimize bowing).

I plan to glue the overflow box using proper pins/solvent method with tank standing on its front (will have to take it off the stand anyway at some point)... or there is another reason you did not like it.

Finally, do you have any opinion of drilling holes through the top braces? This is very important question for me now.

Thanks,
Andrey

 

[adova]

It would be interesting to see some more representative pictures. I think 1" is great, but if you could do 3/4" I think it will be better for other things as well (e.g. cleaning magnets, overall weight, etc.). But, you gotta do what is best for the integrity.

I have drilled a couple of smaller (1" holes") in the brace for wire access by the gyres, but other than that, I have no experience. Basic engineering would say that it is all relative to the quantity, size and spacing. I would say as long as it does not resemble swiss cheese, you are probably ok .

 

[OhMatic]

Who has Worked with mirror acrylic?
Could I bend/melt mirrored acrylic into a cylinder or half cylinder?
I want to make a light reflector for an Algae Reactor...

 

[Acrylics]

I am almost ready to start cutting acrylic for peninsula tank, need your opinion on a few details. The tank is about 68"x30"x30", 1" thick sides, 3/4" top and bottom, 1/2" overflow box. The top braces are 4" wide, and the big central one is 6" wide.
One thing I am concerned about is the overflow area. The cross-brace there is 7" wide, but has 3" cutout almost along the whole length making it effectively 4" wide, and not attached to the back.
Another question (a few actually) is about drilling the eurobrace for CL returns. Where is a safe/good place to drill and are there any special considerations about it? I plan to drill at least 3, one inch holes on each side. Apologies if this seems like a basic question, it was certainly done many times, but I could not find any specific info about it.
So:
1. How is the plan in general?
2. Do you see any problems with the overflow area?
3. Are (all, or some of) the braces wide enough.
4. Where would you drill the CL holes in the brace? How large can they be/are the braces wide enough for them? Do I need to do anything special there, e.g., make brace wider, reinforce, etc.. (btw, I do plan to route them to have a clean hole)?
Thanks a lot,
Andrey

Plan in general is good. I wouldn't make the extra cutout around the overflow, just keep the overflow end straight and either use gutter-guard or make a removable grill or a single slot or a bunch of 1/4" slots.

As a generality, the safest place to drill is at the intersection of the cross-brace with the perimeter flange.

Also, on my stuff, I want to see at least 1.5" of "meat" between any hole and the edge of the cutouts. So if you want a 1" (standard ABS) bulkhead on the flange, using 1" material, the flange should be ~5" wide. If you want holes in the corners, you can use either a very large radius in the corner or widen the flange, or best - a combination of both.

If you plan on drilling in the top bracing at all, please please please use a 1.5"+ radius in the access cutouts.

As for the material - it's perfect and exactly what I'd recommend. Deflection is the primary culprit in scratches in acrylic reef tanks. Use thicker material and you'll be happier in the long run

HTH,
James

 

[Acrylics]

Who has Worked with mirror acrylic?
Could I bend/melt mirrored acrylic into a cylinder or half cylinder?
I want to make a light reflector for an Algae Reactor...

depends entirely on the radius of the cylinder you want. 1/8" mirror can be cold formed - meaning just bent without heating it up, but you're limited. Do not heat bend or form it - you'll kill the mirror.

Does the mirror need to be structural? or just slide inside another tank?

James

 

[OhMatic]

Thanks James.
The acrylic does not have to be structural...
I wanted to make a six inch diameter cylinder, But I guess I could get a clear cylinder and put a mirrored/non structural acrylic cover on the outside.
Would a 1/8' mirrored acrylic sheet be able to be bent around a 6 1/2" tube?

 

[jason2459]

Thanks James.
The acrylic does not have to be structural...
I wanted to make a six inch diameter cylinder, But I guess I could get a clear cylinder and put a mirrored/non structural acrylic cover on the outside.
Would a 1/8' mirrored acrylic sheet be able to be bent around a 6 1/2" tube?

If this will be external type of reactor to the system have you thought of using highly polished aluminum to wrap around it or mirror spray paint?

 

[aryth]

James,
These numbers are exactly what I needed. Thanks a lot!

Here are more pictures of the tank, overflow area, and CL pipes (all 3 intakes, but only left return pipe for clarity). The back panel inside the tank with the slots is of black 1/4 acrylic to hide the CL intake and return pipes, and hopefully it is seen that the cutout in the brace is needed for installation (actually mostly for future maintenance) of the intake pipes.
This is the latest design, and the back brace is even thinner here. Do I need to make it thicker?
Better yet, can I remove it completely?

 

[ArmanS]

James,

I purchased a large acrylic tank and want to know if you think the tank thickness is fine.

120" x 34" x 30" with 1" Acrylic Sides, 3/4" Acrylic top & bottom. Euro braced with 4 openings. Here is a pic to help.



Thanks,
Arman