Hi guys , I recently cut down my old acrylic tank into a sump and for the baffles I used "Acrylite FF" .236 thickness
[I wouldn't again if I had it to do over]
I used 80% of the scrap from the old tank so not to waste it.
[it was 3/8 thickness]
Comparing working with the two materials ,the Acrylite FF seamed harder and more brittle. And just generally snaps n breaks easier.
So is this a accurate [read rookie] description of the two materials.
And why you recommend the brands you do.??
Used material and new material will behave differently so no surprise that there is a difference. But to answer your question; no - not an accurate description IMO. From a physical properties perspective, there is very little difference between cell cast, continuous cast, and extruded. There will be some differences in the way they fabricate; how they cut, glue, bend, etc., but these are due to the primary difference between cast and extruded - namely how the molecules are chained together and the lengths of those molecular chains. Cell cast material had very long molecular chains which makes the material more stable under load (stress) whereas extruded material has very short molecular chains which makes it relatively unstable under similar loads.
If you wish, think of it as the difference between plywood and partical board. One has long grain structure which provides some stability while the other is made oup of small particals stuck together. Place a load on each and see how they perform. While not an accurate analogy, it should show the difference well enough
Please note that none of the actual numbers are published on any physical or chemical properties page by any mfr that I know of.
What would you guys recommend for a 48x24x24 120g acrylic tank?
Acrylic thickness & euro bracing?
I use 1/2" with 3" eurobrace and a 6" centerbrace, yielding 2 top openings measuring 18 x 18"
I need some advise in creating an internal wier box, with an external overflow box. My internal wier box will be roughly 16" x 2.5" x 5". My external box will be 16" x 4" x 5". I will be using 1/4" acrylic.
1. I will be having this acrylic cut to the right dimensions for me by a local plastic company that sells acrylic sheets. Is there anything I need to tell them before getting the acrylic sheet cut? I remember reading somewhere not to get it flame polished or something of that nature.
2. How do I go about getting this glued to my acrylic display tank? The internal wier color will be blue to match the tank back color (not sure if this makes a difference in the type of glue to use). I will be attempting to use weldon #4. I am a little worried that since this is a used tank the back wall of the tank where the wier box and external overflow will be attached may have a very slight bow.
BTW, this is the first time I will be attempting to glue acrylic pieces, hence I'm a little paranoid that I may screw this up :worried:
1) no flame polishing, nor any other kind of polishing. Personally, I'd ask for the pieces to be routed or machined smooth (not sawcut) to within .003-.005" this should be no problem for any plastics shop worth it's salt
2) you should expect some bowing to it but let gravity do some of the work for you. When you place the tank on it's front to glue the outside overflow on - the back should flatten out a little. If it's still too bowed, add a little weight to the back as needed to flatten it out.
Once you get the outside glued on, the inside should be relatively flat.
other than that, take your time and make sure it's all correct. If you feel the need to post pics every step of the way to make sure you're doing it correctly - that's okay. It's what we're here for
HTH,
James
