Gluing acrylic to glass PLEASE HELP!!!
- Thread starter apedroza
- Start date
mr pink floyd
New member
it wont work, silicone wont glue to acrylic well, you would have been better off with glass, you might be able to somehow stick a pane of acrylic flat onto the back of the aquarium, so its flush with it, then use weldon to chemically bond the acrylic to acrylic
actually...you may try this. If the aquarium is glass, and the overflow is acrylic. Try sanding the acrylic with 80 grit (something to give the silicone something to bite to). Then clean off your glass with acetone. Put a thin amount of silicone smeared around the acrylic (after you dusted it off and cleaned it with alcohol, of course!). Then stick it to the glass...I've had one on my tank that has been on there for a WHILE! ! ! I even tried to get it off, but couldn't. SO...it isn't supposed to work, but it did! SO...it may be able to be done!
-Jon
-Jon
chocolateblnt
New member
bullfeathers ... I used silicone on my sump and it holds fine.
Thanks for all the replies. The Acrylic is actually textured and not smooth so I think it will stick better. The filter is actually going inside the tank not behind. I just didnt want it moving around when I put the water in even though the sand bed should keep it in place. Its actually a modified DAS filter that is meant to be glued inside the tank
Agu
Premium Member
Here's some info to make the job look professional.
Use masking tape to outline where you want the overflow to be in your tank. Don't put the tape right on the line put it about 1/4" out from where it'll be. Do the same thing with the overflow box wherever there's going to be silicone. When putting on the tape make sure the ends of the tape are easily grabbed. I double over a little bit at the end of the tape so it's easy to grab
Before installing make sure the box fits right. If the box is square it may not have a snug fit against the bottom seam because of the silicone connecting the joint. If it doesn't fit you may want to sand down the back corners of the box to get a good fit.
Lay the tank on it's back and have something heavy ready to lay on the box while the silicone is curing.
Now you're ready to install the box. Lay a bead of silicone in the tank a 1/4" in from the tape in the aquarium, set the box in please pressing firmly but not hard enough to break the glass. Smooth the silicone on the outside of the box. ( I wear disposable latex gloves for this and just use my finger ). After the caulk has set up for a couple of minutes hold the box in place with one hand and remove the tape with the other hand. This can get messy, so wear a new latex glove. When you're done put the weight on the box and let it cure for a couple of days.
The purpose of the tape btw is to get perfect caulk lines and keep the silicone from looking messy. It's not necessary but it sure makes for a professional looking finished product.
fwiw,
Use masking tape to outline where you want the overflow to be in your tank. Don't put the tape right on the line put it about 1/4" out from where it'll be. Do the same thing with the overflow box wherever there's going to be silicone. When putting on the tape make sure the ends of the tape are easily grabbed. I double over a little bit at the end of the tape so it's easy to grab
Before installing make sure the box fits right. If the box is square it may not have a snug fit against the bottom seam because of the silicone connecting the joint. If it doesn't fit you may want to sand down the back corners of the box to get a good fit.
Lay the tank on it's back and have something heavy ready to lay on the box while the silicone is curing.
Now you're ready to install the box. Lay a bead of silicone in the tank a 1/4" in from the tape in the aquarium, set the box in please pressing firmly but not hard enough to break the glass. Smooth the silicone on the outside of the box. ( I wear disposable latex gloves for this and just use my finger ). After the caulk has set up for a couple of minutes hold the box in place with one hand and remove the tape with the other hand. This can get messy, so wear a new latex glove. When you're done put the weight on the box and let it cure for a couple of days.
The purpose of the tape btw is to get perfect caulk lines and keep the silicone from looking messy. It's not necessary but it sure makes for a professional looking finished product.
fwiw,
Thanks for the info. I got the box exactly the size I needed by using a dremmel and sanding the edges a bit (those things are incredible and you can do so much with them). I will be putting the silicone in later. Watch out for my new post. I'll be posting pics while in progress. Thanks for everything.
