Acrylic fabrication questions? I can help!
- Thread starter JohnL
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pfoxgrover
New member
Many Thanks!
Many Thanks!
That is an awesome thread. I found it years ago and I can't say how happy I was to find it. Before I found it I had tried using a standard router table and that worked like crap. I was using elaborate sanding jigs for edge prep instead of routing with a fence like in this tread.
Now that i'm doing it the right way the results are night and day better. I'm half way through building my new sump and it's coming together awesome so far. I will post some pictures when it's done.
Thanks James! Thanks Bud!
Many Thanks!
That is an awesome thread. I found it years ago and I can't say how happy I was to find it. Before I found it I had tried using a standard router table and that worked like crap. I was using elaborate sanding jigs for edge prep instead of routing with a fence like in this tread.
Now that i'm doing it the right way the results are night and day better. I'm half way through building my new sump and it's coming together awesome so far. I will post some pictures when it's done.
Thanks James! Thanks Bud!
I'd pretty much echo what Floyd said. 3" euro-brace with 6" cross-brace would be great.
Have all parts routed (machined) to size (NOT SAW-CUT) with tolerances +/-.005" this is not difficult at all for anyone decent. Do not accept a flame polished edge, your chances of crazing go through the roof if gluing flame polished edges.
I'd strongly encourage you to *not* pour WO40 over a glued joint. The propensity for crazing goes *way* up.
Don't use old WO4, just toss it. Get new stuff
Please please please get good material. Do not shop by price as not all acrylics are made the same. The two best are Polycast and Plexiglas G. Anything else is essentially garbage for our purposes.
For a little tutorial, look up a thread I started a few years ago called "DIY Tank, step by step" or something to this effect. I haven't started many threads so should be easy to find, you'll get pretty much all the basics in the first coupla pages
HTH,
James
Thank you - Do you know a cheap online retailer for Polycast and Plexiglas G who will cut these to size the quote i received was for saw cut cast not sure what manufacturer.
I don't. Though if you're in the US and relatively close to any large city, I'd guess there's a distributor near you. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics, sheet, rod, and tube" or something akin to this. Look for names like Laird Plastics and Piedmont Plastics, then you'll know you're in the right area. Either of these and many more have the material
James
pfoxgrover
New member
Does anyone have any suggestions on marking small clear acrylic pieces when you are gluing?
I am adding internal piece to my new sump and trying to find the best way to keep them aligned while gluing.
I am adding internal piece to my new sump and trying to find the best way to keep them aligned while gluing.
Quick question during the early stages of a shallow aio build: I'm looking to make a rimless tank with dimensions 24Lx15Wx10H with a 4x15x10 aio sump section. The display area of tank would be 20Lx15Wx10H. Would I be able to do this build rimless with 1/4 in. Cell cast acrylic or will it require a thicker cut? Thanks in advance!
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Can ir be done? Yes.
You MUST use the proper cell cast material.
You must have flawless seams.
Will it bow. Yes Alot!!!
Will it hold? Depends on your welding skills.
Would I do it?? NO
Spend the extra $100 and use 3/8''
I would use 1/2'' for a better looking tank, and very little bow.
pfoxgrover
New member
Any suggestions? Sharpie, crayons, grease pencils? I'd like to use something that wont show up later like a permanent marker but want to make sure the seam is still square after I remove the pins and the joint slides around a little. These are small pieces like sock holders bubble traps and baffles that are not easily clamped in place.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
mark a line with a razor blade. that will get melted away when you run the solvent.
You can mark a line on the opposite side with a sharpie, which you can remove with denatured alcohol afterwards (it comes off completely, try it) or blue tape on the opposite side, that's not perfect though because of light refraction.
Can't do anything on the bonding surface other than the razor mark
You can mark a line on the opposite side with a sharpie, which you can remove with denatured alcohol afterwards (it comes off completely, try it) or blue tape on the opposite side, that's not perfect though because of light refraction.
Can't do anything on the bonding surface other than the razor mark
pfoxgrover
New member
I tried the razor mark but it seemed to disappear when I pulled the pins. I will try marking the opposite side next time.
Thanks for the help!!!
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
1/2" is pushing it for a 48 L x 24 H x 24 D, I would say 3/4" for a 96" long tank just due to the bowing factor
That being said here is James' recommendation:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
24" high, use 1/2" minimum
30" high, use 3/4" minimum
36" high, use 1" minimum
6" wide crossbrace every 24" of tank length. So a 48 x 24" will have 3" eurobrace and a 6" crossbrace. If the same tank were 72" long - just one more crossbrace.
At 8' length, I recommend jumping up one material thickness to keep deflection down.
There are times when someone's lighting scheme doesn't match the above formula. Ie., if someone wants an 8' tank but only 3 cutouts in the top. In such cases, I recommend increasing the eurobrace width to 4.5" and increasing the width of the crossbraces to 8".
1.5" radius corners (euro cutouts)
If someone doesn't want the crossbrace - they simply have to make the material thicker, and/or increase the width of eurobrace to maintain rigidity.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Slight editing done
Also note that this is all using imperial thicknesses, i.e. Polycast (where 1/2" = 0.5" not the metric equivalent) so keep that in mind. Meaning your 1/2" material from Arkema/Plexiglas-G is actually 0.472" thick.
That being said here is James' recommendation:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
24" high, use 1/2" minimum
30" high, use 3/4" minimum
36" high, use 1" minimum
6" wide crossbrace every 24" of tank length. So a 48 x 24" will have 3" eurobrace and a 6" crossbrace. If the same tank were 72" long - just one more crossbrace.
At 8' length, I recommend jumping up one material thickness to keep deflection down.
There are times when someone's lighting scheme doesn't match the above formula. Ie., if someone wants an 8' tank but only 3 cutouts in the top. In such cases, I recommend increasing the eurobrace width to 4.5" and increasing the width of the crossbraces to 8".
1.5" radius corners (euro cutouts)
If someone doesn't want the crossbrace - they simply have to make the material thicker, and/or increase the width of eurobrace to maintain rigidity.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Slight editing done
Also note that this is all using imperial thicknesses, i.e. Polycast (where 1/2" = 0.5" not the metric equivalent) so keep that in mind. Meaning your 1/2" material from Arkema/Plexiglas-G is actually 0.472" thick.
I addition to the above, 1/2" will hold at 24" high - no problem with that. But it'll bow a good bit and bowing invariably leads to scratched acrylic reef tanks. Think flat scraper against concave surface - requires more force, more passes, and more chance of sand getting between the scraper and material = more scratched. Flat vertical walls = fewer scratches.
1/2" is fine for 18-19" high, same cutouts as above. The nice thing about going to 18-19" is you get perfect yield from (2) 4x8' sheets plus a drop for the ends
HTH,
James
Long Skinny Tank.. what thickness?
Long Skinny Tank.. what thickness?
Hello,
I am trying to plan out an aquarium for behind my bar. I have a space that could fit a 79"L x 9.5"W aquarium. Not sure how tall I would want it, but I am thinking around 12" Tall.
My questions are:
1. With a tank this long and narrow how thick would my acrylic need to be to go rimless? Is rimless even a possibility?
2. If rimless isnt a possibility then how narrow could I make the eurobrace? with only 9.5" wide. if I did the standard 3" euro brace I would only have 3" left over? Could I do a 1" euro?
3. How much does the height of the tank play into this?
Thanks in advance!
Long Skinny Tank.. what thickness?
Hello,
I am trying to plan out an aquarium for behind my bar. I have a space that could fit a 79"L x 9.5"W aquarium. Not sure how tall I would want it, but I am thinking around 12" Tall.
My questions are:
1. With a tank this long and narrow how thick would my acrylic need to be to go rimless? Is rimless even a possibility?
2. If rimless isnt a possibility then how narrow could I make the eurobrace? with only 9.5" wide. if I did the standard 3" euro brace I would only have 3" left over? Could I do a 1" euro?
3. How much does the height of the tank play into this?
Thanks in advance!
The height plays a large part. But with only being 9.5'' wide you will be fine with 3/4'' thick walls, without a eurobrace. 1/2'' would hold but it would bow like crazy at that lenght without a eurobrace. All based on 12'' tall.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
the length is what is going to be the factor in bowing. Being a shallow (front/back) tank, this will have a slight impact on bowing as the ends don't have much material to allow for a bow, but I'm not sure if that would make the front/back panel bowing better or worse.
12" tall is not much, so the pressure stress won't be a lot. Since feasibly, you're not going to be able to put a 3" perimeter brace on that sucker (which would leave an opening less than 3" wide) you can probably size that back to 1.5", and then have 3" crossbraces every 18" or something, and make it out of 1/2" or even 3/8" material.
To do it rimless, not sure...79" is a long span. A little bracing goes a long way, and that can be a big cost savings. I'm guessing rimless would need to be 1"...James might have better overall advice.
12" tall is not much, so the pressure stress won't be a lot. Since feasibly, you're not going to be able to put a 3" perimeter brace on that sucker (which would leave an opening less than 3" wide) you can probably size that back to 1.5", and then have 3" crossbraces every 18" or something, and make it out of 1/2" or even 3/8" material.
To do it rimless, not sure...79" is a long span. A little bracing goes a long way, and that can be a big cost savings. I'm guessing rimless would need to be 1"...James might have better overall advice.
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