Large Plywood Tank
- Thread starter tomason
- Start date
Mastino Mike
New member
All I used was a pond liner to seal the plywood. I dont want to ever worry about leaks. I have more pics of construction if you want. I sanded the area first, used weld-on 16 to glue it to the acrylic and then I siliconed over it. Thanks tomason, It is going to be a fowlr.
Mastino Mike
New member
If you buy a flexible rubber preshaped liner to fit your tank you wont have to worry about wrinkles. The water pressure also smooths it out. The liner is very tough and strong. My liner cost me 225 including shipping. Firestone edpm 45 ml thickness.
Mastino Mike
New member
My pond liner is a 20 x 20 sheet and is very easy and simple to install.
EnglishAl
In Memoriam
Mastino Mike
I am considering a plywood and glass tank and had thought of the idea of using pond liner but having installed on in my Koi pond I was not happy about all the wrinkles I would get trying to fit it into the corners. I know that you can use adhesive to glue pieces together so I guess you could cut the liner to fit and overlap and glue the seams. I was headed down the 1/4" acrylic liner route until I saw you post.
Where did you get it from? Also did the manufacturer custom make it for you because in your next post you mentioned a sheet of pond liner?
Alan
I am considering a plywood and glass tank and had thought of the idea of using pond liner but having installed on in my Koi pond I was not happy about all the wrinkles I would get trying to fit it into the corners. I know that you can use adhesive to glue pieces together so I guess you could cut the liner to fit and overlap and glue the seams. I was headed down the 1/4" acrylic liner route until I saw you post.
Where did you get it from? Also did the manufacturer custom make it for you because in your next post you mentioned a sheet of pond liner?
Alan
Mastino Mike
New member
Whats up EnglishAl?
I bought my liner from justliners.com it is 45mil rubber edpm. Very flexible. Im not sure if they will make a box cut liner to your specs but there are rubber flexible box cut liners you can purchase if you are worried about wrinkles. If you are going to use bulkheads make sure you only cut through 1 layer of the liner when installing, so you will have a flush fit.
I bought my liner from justliners.com it is 45mil rubber edpm. Very flexible. Im not sure if they will make a box cut liner to your specs but there are rubber flexible box cut liners you can purchase if you are worried about wrinkles. If you are going to use bulkheads make sure you only cut through 1 layer of the liner when installing, so you will have a flush fit.
Mastino Mike
New member
I may be wrong about the edpm box cut liners? I used a flat sheet. They make them in butyl rubber, and Vinyl. Butyl is very flexible, strong and uv restistant also. I dont know how flexible the vinyl is but you could call and get a sample. To me the wrinkles arent that bad, because of water pressure, and Im just happy to have tank that big. If you are looking for no wrinkles then preshaped is the way to go.
http://www.pearlsofparadise.com/page2.htm
http://www.pearlsofparadise.com/page2.htm
Mastino Mike
New member
Mastino, You're right about the water pressure smoothing out wrinkles! That picture looks great! Because I wouldn't need any liner for the window side, like you, I would only need a 5.5'x15' sheet, which would be $34.65 before shipping at www.justliners.com. An acylic viewing panel is also cheaper than glass!
As for bulkheads, you said to "only cut through 1 layer of the liner when installing, so you will have a flush fit." What exactly do you mean by that?
Where did you hear to use Weldon-16 to attach the liner to the acrylic? I'm not sure how that would work, because all that would do is soften the acrylic, so it doesn't seem like a very good bond would form. Just curious!
So does your acrylic viewing pane butt up against the endpanels? The "standard" plans call for a viewing pane that ends up being about 1/4" from each side and resting on the bottom.
Thanks!
-Tom
As for bulkheads, you said to "only cut through 1 layer of the liner when installing, so you will have a flush fit." What exactly do you mean by that?
Where did you hear to use Weldon-16 to attach the liner to the acrylic? I'm not sure how that would work, because all that would do is soften the acrylic, so it doesn't seem like a very good bond would form. Just curious!
So does your acrylic viewing pane butt up against the endpanels? The "standard" plans call for a viewing pane that ends up being about 1/4" from each side and resting on the bottom.
Thanks!
-Tom
Mastino Mike
New member
I went out and picked up scrap acrylic pieces and ordered some pond liner samples of various types of pond liner materials. I Like the edpm best. I then tested several types of glues. The thinner weld-on numbers dont adhere as well as #16. Super Glue adheres very well also. All of this was after sanding the area of the acrylic before making attatchment. Weld on #40, I here might work best but I didnt try that one. I would silicone over the attatcment after it dries for two days. Then let that dry for another two. The water pressure holds the liner in place and helps form a water tight seal. Make sure you position the liner so the glued area has no tension wen filled. When folding the liner you create more layers of liner to cut through for bulkheads. Just be mindful of bulkhead holes and folds.(dont cut holes through folds). I have 3 1/2 inch frame going around the front(braced with 4 x4s), and it rests on the bottom.
Attachments
Mastino Mike
New member
If you are going to try the liner route, Purchase a liner that is also too big for your tank that way you have room for error.
Mastino Mike
New member
I just tacked down the top of the liner around the rim of the tank with 2x4's but if you are using just plywood with no frame you might have to figure a way to tack it down. Maybe you could fold it over the rim of the tank and then tack it down with some type of decorative molding.
Sean : EbN
New member
On a side note...
A friend of mine built several plywood tanks, mostly 50-100 gallons each. He build and repaired boats for a living and he had many interesting ideas for the strong construction of the plywood tanks.
#1 - Ever think of using a 3/8 inch rabbeting bit on a router to make all the edges more complex. This is more surface area to glue to and seemed to make a stronger bond.
#2 - He also used some Epoxy Resin that was thickened and made a "D" shaped applicator and used that to fill the seams on the inside. It resembled a silicone bead and seemed to strengthen the design and also made a "seamless" appearance to the inside.
#3 - After all that he painted it with an FDA approved 2-part epoxy paint but I am unsure of exactly what brand name or type it was. I remember him saying they use it to coat potable water containers on ships.
I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about taking part in a wooden tank just for the hell of it. You guys really got me thinking....
Hope this helped...
Sean
A friend of mine built several plywood tanks, mostly 50-100 gallons each. He build and repaired boats for a living and he had many interesting ideas for the strong construction of the plywood tanks.
#1 - Ever think of using a 3/8 inch rabbeting bit on a router to make all the edges more complex. This is more surface area to glue to and seemed to make a stronger bond.
#2 - He also used some Epoxy Resin that was thickened and made a "D" shaped applicator and used that to fill the seams on the inside. It resembled a silicone bead and seemed to strengthen the design and also made a "seamless" appearance to the inside.
#3 - After all that he painted it with an FDA approved 2-part epoxy paint but I am unsure of exactly what brand name or type it was. I remember him saying they use it to coat potable water containers on ships.
I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about taking part in a wooden tank just for the hell of it. You guys really got me thinking....
Hope this helped...
Sean
ChrisB
New member
I am also thinking of building a plywood tank. Can't decide on size. I have a basement that has a finished rec room with an adjoining area that is 16x30 that is unfinished. I am thinking of building a 300 to 500 gallon tank in the wall.
I had my mind made up about how I was going to do it, until I read this current thread about using pond liners. Hmm. I am using glass. If I thought I could get a good bond of the liner with the glass without weakening the liner I might just try it.
One question about the epoxypaint. I noticed someone saying they were going to add pigment to theirs, blue or black. Does adding pigment to a two-part epoxy paint not alter/weaken the paint? I would love to paint mine black inside if I decide against the liner idea. My project is still a month or so away from starting but I'll continue to lurk until then. Just trying to line up a those darn ducks.
Thanks
I had my mind made up about how I was going to do it, until I read this current thread about using pond liners. Hmm. I am using glass. If I thought I could get a good bond of the liner with the glass without weakening the liner I might just try it.
One question about the epoxypaint. I noticed someone saying they were going to add pigment to theirs, blue or black. Does adding pigment to a two-part epoxy paint not alter/weaken the paint? I would love to paint mine black inside if I decide against the liner idea. My project is still a month or so away from starting but I'll continue to lurk until then. Just trying to line up a those darn ducks.
Thanks
Mastino Mike
New member
The edpm pond liner works when sealed with just silicone against glass. I have a friend that has a 750 or 800 sealed with silicone against glass. Silicone would be all you would need. His tank is at least 8 years old but all he has now is a huge olive green moray in it.
EnglishAl
In Memoriam
Everyone
In light of the potential for some critters to bore through corraline, liner and plywood is anyone concerned with using pond liner???
I hadn't thought of using rubber (was thinking of using 1/4" acrylic) until I started to read this thread then I saw the problem that TommyC had with the urchin.
Any thoughts on the subject?
Alan
In light of the potential for some critters to bore through corraline, liner and plywood is anyone concerned with using pond liner???
I hadn't thought of using rubber (was thinking of using 1/4" acrylic) until I started to read this thread then I saw the problem that TommyC had with the urchin.
Any thoughts on the subject?
Alan
