Acrylic fabrication questions? I can help!

[kgross]

They are partially correct in the cell cast is what most cast acrylic is other than I believe one company does make a continuous cast product. With that said, there is a big difference between the brands when you try working/bonding them.

Can't help with who might have it, but I would not be surprised if James chimes in with a source for you.

 

[jimmyj7090]

I have been having a hard time finding Polycast, Acrylite GP, Plexi-Glas G brand acrylic. Every acrylic company in my area tries to tell me that there is no difference between cast and cell cast.
They say that the name brand doesn't matter. Its all the same. Some guy tried to sell me Lexinite. (I think thats what he said) Im in North East Pennsylvania. (poconos) Anyone know where I can get it from? Or who has it in stock?

IME www.mcmaster.com is good to deal with. Not local entirely local, but easy

 

[troylee]

I have been having a hard time finding Polycast, Acrylite GP, Plexi-Glas G brand acrylic. Every acrylic company in my area tries to tell me that there is no difference between cast and cell cast.
They say that the name brand doesn't matter. Its all the same. Some guy tried to sell me Lexinite. (I think thats what he said) Im in North East Pennsylvania. (poconos) Anyone know where I can get it from? Or who has it in stock?

lucite????it's not that bad of acrylic if you get the cast.....what are you making??

 

[shikhyung]

I have 2 questions:
1-How and what tool to use to pre-cut 1/2" thick?
2-How to polish the edge like miror finish after glue?

Thanks.

 

[henrystyle]

IME www.mcmaster.com is good to deal with. Not local entirely local, but easy

Thanks. Will check it out.

lucite????it's not that bad of acrylic if you get the cast.....what are you making??

Making a tank . 48x24x30. 150g

 

[chriscobb]

Hey Henry....you can try Grim's plastic....they are in Harrisburg and easy to deal with.....TotalPlastics has a shop here as well, but they put a min purchase amount to deal with them....And there is a another good place down around Downingtown PA that has really good prices and they carry Polycast and Spartech

 

[chasekwe]

Hey guys, 30"x20"x16" for a sump. My calculator says use slightly over 1/2" for rimless in this size, but my calculator is often wrong. Anyways, if I want rimless will 3/4" be an ok thickness?

If I go with eurobraced, what would you use?

 

[troylee]

3/8th will be fine for a rimless...the baffles add support where the walls don't deflect to bad...it might have a slight bow but it will be fine....

 

[melev]

I have 2 questions:
1-How and what tool to use to pre-cut 1/2" thick?
2-How to polish the edge like miror finish after glue?

Thanks.

You'll want a carbide-tipped saw blade, with 80 teeth. Look for ATB on the blade, as that is the best for plastics. Freud is a brand you can find at Home Depot.

You can polish it with various grits of sand paper. It will take time, but look great.

 

[melev]

Hey guys, 30"x20"x16" for a sump. My calculator says use slightly over 1/2" for rimless in this size, but my calculator is often wrong. Anyways, if I want rimless will 3/4" be an ok thickness?

If I go with eurobraced, what would you use?

That's a 40g sump right there. Rimless, you'll want it to be thick. 1/2" is probably best, but 3/8" could work. You will see some deflection on the 30" side unless your baffles are all the way to the top (normally we don't do that).

I'd recommend the top flange since it keeps water inside, including drips or splashing. Less chance of salt creep getting on the stand's woodwork. A simple 30 x 20 piece can be glued to the top, with the opening cut out to create a 2" perimeter. In that case, 3/8" is plenty strong for the sump.

 

[henrystyle]

Hey Henry....you can try Grim's plastic....they are in Harrisburg and easy to deal with.....TotalPlastics has a shop here as well, but they put a min purchase amount to deal with them....And there is a another good place down around Downingtown PA that has really good prices and they carry Polycast and Spartech

Thanks bro. That the info I needed.

 

[shikhyung]

You'll want a carbide-tipped saw blade, with 80 teeth. Look for ATB on the blade, as that is the best for plastics. Freud is a brand you can find at Home Depot.

You can polish it with various grits of sand paper. It will take time, but look great.

Thanks.

 

[troylee]

My current 55gal sump is 3/8th rimless with very little deflection..1/16th and it is 36 long...
My 220gal sump is rimless 1/2" material and bows about 1/8th"...24x24x72....water height at 10inches...
If you want just brace the long sides if it is gonna bother ya...no need to waiste a big piece of material on a euro for a sump....just my opinion on it...
Any sump pretty much 100gal and below I use 3/8th and go rimless....I do raise the center baffle height in the bubble trap to where it is 2" shy off the top....so if my water height is 8" in a 16" tall sump I have the first and 3rd baffle at 8 high and the center at 14" high with 1.5" gap under it....hth..

 

[melev]

You should post some pictures at different angles. I think that will help others wanting to copy you.

 

[chicken]

I am thinking of replacing my current fuge with a frag tank. I have moved onto vodka and mb7 dosing and my fuge is just not really doing anything more and I dont have any space for a frag tank besides there. Current the tank is an old 100g tank built into a cabinet in my garage where all my filtration is for this tank. I am thinking about building a 60" long x 24" wide x 14" tall frag tank. I would like to go rimless as it is a tight fit in the cabinet and the rim on the existing fuge just makes it near impossible to get in and do anything with it. So if I want to go rimless without any cross supports what thickness acrylic would you guys recommend? Can I get away with 1/2" or do I need to go thicker? or could I just get away with thinner and put a small center brace only on the tank. Thanks!!!!

 

[melev]

It's 87g using outside dimensions. How do you feel about that much water in a rimless tank? It would be best to have cross bracing or a top flange. Since it is only 14" tall, you don't have a lot of pressure on the walls, but 60" long isn't anything to ignore either.

 

[chicken]

If I went 1/2" could I get away with like a 2 1/2" rim around the top? The thing is if I build a full top I need two sheets of acrylic vs one if I go rimless. I have not checked pricing recently on acrylic here in NorCal but it possibly could be cheaper to go up a size or two and buy 1 thick sheet vs 2 thinner sheets. Thanks !!

 

[troylee]

If I went 1/2" could I get away with like a 2 1/2" rim around the top? The thing is if I build a full top I need two sheets of acrylic vs one if I go rimless. I have not checked pricing recently on acrylic here in NorCal but it possibly could be cheaper to go up a size or two and buy 1 thick sheet vs 2 thinner sheets. Thanks !!

That pretty much goes for any where......a sheet of 1" is cheaper than 2 sheets of 1/2" for the most part, when buying single sheets it is...if you buy pallets the price will change a lot....a sheet of 1" will run ya 450 to600$ depending on the supplier and area and would be perfect for your tank....you could get a away with 3/4" but you will have some deflection prolly around 1/4" which kinda stresses the joints a little more than it should but it will hold water.....

 

[troylee]

You should post some pictures at different angles. I think that will help others wanting to copy you.

I only have my 55gal currently running but I will get some shots of it....from my exp. With building sumps the whole rimless thing is way different than tanks in a since because you run them at or around 50% of water volume....now if there is a power failure and it fills 3/4 of the way up I'm sure there would be a significant delfection to where they normally run.....but out here in our neck of the woods we might lose power once for 10 min every 5 yrs....not really a big deal....I always use high quality cast material and never go below 3/8 thick material even on a 5 or 10 gal ato. Resevior....its just a lot easier to work with imo....

 

[henrystyle]

Once again I made some calls and every acrylic company is telling me that it doesn't matter what acrylic brand it is, Its all the same. They say cell and cell cast acrylic is the same thing...