DIY Tank (Dialup beware), Step by Step

[MADtanks]

Thanks for the heads up, But if my cuts are ate up on all sides how can i make a square cut? i mean from what i have been thinking regardless if my fence is square to the blade wont i be making bad cuts anyways? Would using a jointer help square the acrylic? a friend of mine told me he would bring one over so i can use it, but i was also thinking of taking a Square and just making some lines to have some fresh cuts and resquare the acrylic.... i just feel like this might make my acrylic really tiny.... i mean my cube was already going to be overkill lol but i wanted to make a buff! cube haha 7G with 1/2" lol imagine a 13X13X13(after adjustments) would render me a 12X12X12.5 on the inside lol.

I started to read info on wood working and what not and to my finding lol a good way to start your cuts is making sure the table is square which i did not do lol.... i figured hey its a table saw hahah.

frustration

 

[spleify]

It is frustrating, but can be very rewarding too. Depending on what type joiner your buddy has, that might work out good for you. The blades have to be VERY sharp and in good condition(no nicks or chips).
Are you saying that you are not getting clean cuts with the table saw, or are they just not square? If you can adjust the table saw to at least give you square cuts, you should be able to finish out with the joiner, I will let James jump in and confirm that though. I know James likes to use a router to finish out the edges, for perfect cuts.

 

[MADtanks]

well my cuts are really clean, as soon as i bought that blade i noticed a difference of nite and day! i had a cheap 80tooth blade on it when i did my 1/4" cube

and i had to sand it for a while b4 i could joint them up bc they were so bad, they were not perfect and i still welded them on(part of the reason i got so many bubbles) so i decided to get a good blade to do the 1/2" so i could get clean cuts.

the cuts are simply not comming out square, i measured the front of the blade from the fence and then the back of the blade from the fence, they were the same legnth, but you know how the other end of the fence moves slightly anyways not sure if that is what started my my problem but i know i did not help but flipping the acrylic and cutting it on all 4 sides! lol made for very very un-square cuts! lol.

 

[Acrylics]

Double face tape the parts together and then cut them. It's okay for them to be a little out of square as long as they are uniform. Just reference them so you keep the pieces lined up correctly.
Jointers cannot square the pieces, they are entirely dependent on the original cuts so these must be at least consistent in size and "squareness".
See ya'll in about 10 days, vacation time :bounce3:

HTH,
James

 

[MADtanks]

I tried that, i must have done it wrong lol... i had all the pieces about the same size but if i flipped say one of the sheets it would be out of wack compare to the rest but if i flipped it again they would measure up.... maybe i did not have a hard time with my 1/4" one bc it was 14X14X12? lol maybe i just cant get the square ones

i am just trying to picture what you mean by double sided taping them, lol i bet this entire thing is simple but my mind is making me think harder than i should be lol.

 

[MADtanks]

should i just use a square to make a new guide lines? lol i think i am just going to get new sheet of acrylic hahahah

 

[spleify]

If it were me I would consider getting the new sheet of acrylic. But first, I would use what I had to set up my tools and test my skills. Then I would have more confidence for my final project. You would be able to sell the other one to another reefer and at least get the money back for the materials, and some more experience.
Just my 2 cents.

HTH

Spleify

 

[melev]

James was suggesting you use 3M double stick tape to make a stack of acrylic that you push through the blade. That way they are all cut the same size.

If you have to cut off 1/8" or so from the offending sides, your project will simply be slightly smaller, but you should be able to use the acrylic you have now.

Get a large metal Speed (or Carpenter's) Square to make sure your cuts are square.

 

[MADtanks]

thanks for all the help fellas I actually got about 96x16 sheet of 1/2" so I will do as suggested and continue to better my skills. If the joints on the old acrylic come out good I will sell it for just the cost of material and finalize my project with the new material. I actually bought a square today so I can fix the old sheets but I just go ahead and try the double sided tape. Thanks again guys... Sorry for the bad Typing its kinda hard on the iPhone LOL.

 

[calvin415]

James have you ever done an edge to edge weld to extend a piece of acrylic? If so do you have any pics of your method? I've been able to get a very strong and very clear joint using just WeldOn 3 and some clamps on some scrap but to get something really long clamped would be a nightmare... I'm considering using 42 and then filling a small gap then sanding flush but just curious if you've done this before or have any advice?

 

[Acrylics]

cut both pcs at 45deg angles, fill with 40/42 then sand smooth.
There are other ways but the above is most common for a reason

HTH,
James

 

[H20ENG]

Hello James,
So you align them with a 90 degree valley, or is one flopped to mate tight to the other face? I'm guessing the valley, and the 45s give it more surface area?

I've done edge joints with #4 on a few sumps, where the panel was black, but I wanted a clear "sight glass". I used a 1" wide backer strip afterward though. Worked fine.

 

[calvin415]

Thanks bro! I'll give it a shot.

 

[Acrylics]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12345756#post12345756 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by H20ENG
Hello James,
So you align them with a 90 degree valley, or is one flopped to mate tight to the other face? I'm guessing the valley, and the 45s give it more surface area?

Mate them so that there's ~1/8" gap, don't want the valley. Surface area is same either way but the less you have to sand - the better If you cut them to 45s as above, the line will be nearly invisible provided you don't get any bubbles.

James

 

[calvin415]

What kind of prep work should be done for the 45s? Obviously a router is out... Light sanding or does it need to be flawless?

 

[Acrylics]

Shaper works well if you have one
Why would a router be out?

James

 

[calvin415]

Duplicate

 

[calvin415]

Guess I could use a 45* chamfer bit huh?

 

[H20ENG]

You got it Calvin

 

[Deceptive]

Looking to do the following :


Material = Acrylic
Tank Height = 22"
Tank Width = 42"
Tank Length = 60 "
Acrylic Thickness = 1/2"
Approximate Gallons = 240

This is what Aquarium Pro's suggested and I wanted to
make sure this would be accurate

Bottom = 60 " x 42"
Front = 60 " x 21 1/2"
Back = 60 " x 21 1/2"
2 Sides = 21 1/2 " x 41"
Top Front/Back brace = 59 " x 2"
Top Sides brace = 41 " x 2"

I was going to chage the Euro Braces to 6inch wide to add more support and possibly a center brace as well to help matters. My 2 questions are :

Are these dimensions and thinkness of acrylic accurate and would be fine as far as tank stability? ''Everything is going to be precut ready to assemble ''for the most part'' from the Acrylic/Plastics company. Also any help as far as bonding process goes would be greatly appreciated. Also I would like to have the overflow external so any suggestions as to size of overflow and bulk heads and returns would again be greatly appreciated. Its going to be a reef SPS dominated tank. If this ends in success I will build a 48x24x16 sump myself but most likely will just do a store bought sump set up. I would prefer only 1 over flow box.