First time acrylic advice?

D

Drewbaby

New member
I've gone to lowe's and had them cut acrylic for me to use as a wooden table cover, but never done anything with it and fishtanks.

My plan! Nothing big, just adding a baffle to my sump. Yea... So I've never cut acyrlic myself, but don't want to keep going to lowes everytime I need a piece. Can I use a skill saw or circular saw? If so will it leave a clean cut edge?

Secondly, can I use silicone to seal it instead of acyrlic glue? If so what kind of silicone is aquarium safe and dries clear. The reason i want to use silicone is just in case I want to move the baffle later on.
 
It all depends on what kind of acrylic you have. The best tool is a router (and fence) with a straight cut blade. Cell Cast is the only kind you should use.

You can cut cell cast with a skill saw or a circular but again, a table saw is best. If it is not cell cast you will find that you will melt cheap plexi and it will actually fuse right behind the cutting blade or shatter.

For your application (a baffle) you can get decent results using an panel cutting blade in a circular saw and a fence. I would suggest you use a fence. And make sure it is cell cast Acrylite.

Silicone... here is where you will get as many opinions as posts... Yes you can, I have and with great success... many will say never. Use GE I silicone (window and door)... read the fine print and make sure it does not have mildew inhibitors. Cut your acrylic so that it fits easily (not snug) as it may swell with water.

Silicone the ends of the acrylic and place in position. support it using blocks of wood, books, whatever. After that cures for at least 8 hours, silicone a corner bead on both sides and/ or whereever it meets the glass. Allow to cure COMPLETELY.

You will have a baffle that will not move until you razor it out. I guarantee.
 
Thanks for the advice and details. It helped clear up alot. One other thing, is the acrylic from home depot and lowes cell cast? If not where can I get cell cast
 
be carefull when using a saw, i di this last week when the peice i was cutting kicked back, it happened so fast i didnt even know i was cut

lost 1/4 inch
utf-8BSU1HMDAwNTEtMjAxMDA0MTYtMTI0M.jpg


i have been cutting acrylic for years and have had some close calls, but its funny that it happend while i was doing a hobby, the orthopede doctor i saw in the ER said that he is supprised i still had all my fingers being that i have been an aicraft mechanic for 16 years
 
One other tip I would suggest is to use painter's tape on the sides of your bead of silicone. After you run your bead, you can peel back the tape and have professional looking seam edges instead of a sloppy mess.
Also, if you are unsure about what silicone, just go to your local petstore and get a tube of aquarium sealant. For the amount you're going to use, it's worth it for the piece of mind.
 
table saw, and yes the guard was installed, i had actually moved my hand to the back of the peice to suppotr it while it was comling out, and i guess i was holding it a little tight when the blade decided it wanted the peice to throw back at me LOL, that finger was under the back of the peice, it wont grow back, its permanently shorter, but i will still have a nail, they wouldnt sew it back on because they said it was too small and would just die and cause trouble in the long run
 
jeepguy242 said:
table saw, and yes the guard was installed, i had actually moved my hand to the back of the peice to suppotr it while it was comling out, and i guess i was holding it a little tight when the blade decided it wanted the peice to throw back at me LOL, that finger was under the back of the peice, it wont grow back, its permanently shorter, but i will still have a nail, they wouldnt sew it back on because they said it was too small and would just die and cause trouble in the long run
Click to expand...
 
Drewbaby said:
Thanks for the advice and details. It helped clear up alot. One other thing, is the acrylic from home depot and lowes cell cast? If not where can I get cell cast
Click to expand...
Look in your local yellow pages for distributors under "Plastics, sheet, rod, film" or something to this effect.

You can also call a fabricator if the distributors will not sell a small amount, these guys will be under "Plastics, fabricating, finishing, and decorating"

HTH,
James
 
I asked if it would grow back because in some cases depending on the amount of tissue damage (clean cut or excessivly shredded) the tip of your finger can grow back over a few years.

I hope there's someone near me that carries cell cast acrylic. I'd hate to have a small piece shipped across the US
 
Drewbaby - I am totally busting chops. No offense intended at all. I had gotten a pretty funny starfish hand visual going on when you wrote that.

I would be suspicious about HD or Lowes acrylic and agree with Acrylics post. I have found some good pieces that were offcuts from a fabrication shop I found in the phone book.
 
I know you were i was just clarifying for anyone who didn't understand why I asked.

I'll try fab shops and hope for some cheap scraps.
 
there is a good plastics/fab shop in orlando that i got all my acrylic from whan i lived in St. Cloud FL, im gonna see if i can find the number for you, how close are you to orlando
 
I'm only about an hour from Orlando. I'm in leesburg. I appreciate the help. If you can't find the number do you remember the name of the place?
 
IF all Op is doing, is putting in a baffle he can get away using the extruded stuff they sell at home depot/lowes. The melting is dependent on feed speed, the blade your using (how sharp/worn it is) and the type material your cutting.
However, it's possible you can get a piece of scrap from a plastic shop cheaper than Home Depot/Lowes... localy, a .220 18"x24" run 20-22$ vs a full 4'x8' sheet of cell cast at the local shop is $125 (closest doesnt sell scrap/drops)


...example, extruded, 'home depot' acrylic cube.
 

Attachments

  • tc1-wet.jpg
    tc1-wet.jpg
    85.4 KB · Views: 10
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
What happens if you cut into glass while removing a baffle from the tank?
Replies
6
Views
366
wvned
wvned
guserto4
Planning a New Build - Acrylic Thickness 80x30x24T euro-brace?
Replies
1
Views
393
griss
griss
S
Small Sump Leak - Worth fixing?
Replies
1
Views
110
griss
griss
J
Plumbing 300 gallon acrylic aquarium
Replies
4
Views
3K
corvinridge
C
P
New installation / No a new Hobbits
Replies
14
Views
254
Pump_Guy
P
Back
Top