No harm asking?

[ladyfsu]

I have had many sheets of acrylic donated. I've checked out the DYI stuff on the GARF site and well...I'm going to try to build some refugiums and shallow tanks. A couple people who operate machinery just a BIT better than myself are going to help me (they are none reefers so they have never built tanks).

I want to learn to do this stuff so I can build any of this on my own, and I'm sure others out there do to.

Is there anyone interested in teaching me one weekend at school, and anyone else who wants to come and learn, to do this stuff? We can pick a Sat. or Sund. soon. I'll have all the supplies to make them.

Tank Building Class?


Thx,
Laine

 

[ladyfsu]

HA! So I did it ......err well sort of I was just looking at old PM's and I saw something I wrote in March and I was so excited about my first piece of live rock ever and it had a mantis in it and I thought that was the most excitiing thing...now I am building tanks and growing corals. LOL, who'd a figured!

OK so I was going for this but a 25 gallon - this is a pic from Melevsreef:

If I had my camera at home, I'd show you....I'm kind of glad I can't show you, lol!! It looks mostly the same except mine has giant chunks of glue on every corner, has pieces of legos under the middle baffle that I was raising but forgot to remove the legos,and the sides are 3/8" higher than the front and back --- pure genious!! ...and no, I haven't tested to see if it will even hold a drop. I get to do that tonight!

:rollface:

Now for my next trick since that went so, erm, well.....this is what I'm building for my class with the acrylic sheets.

The lettering on the tanks will be smaller and not that type font. My silly paint program won't let me change from my halloween font. There will be 5 stations. Each station will consist of 2 45" tanks, each tank divided into 3 sections (for a grand total of 30 student tanks) with relatively large holes for water to flow through but hopefully not fish. The stand will be staircased so that 1 big tank sits just above and behind the other. Both will be plumbed individually into a refugium/skimmer area, and they will share a mutual light. The white stick that is painted on each tank is so they can somewhat measure growth without having to always stick their hands in the tank or remove the corals/plants.

I'll post up as I go in case someone sees something terribly wrong, or if you have a great brainstorming idea to make something better.

 

[Steven M]

This well give you some idels for your 4'x4' tank

 

[reefrubble]

Steve ,are you going to build a cube? Ted

 

[Steven M]

Laine wanted a 4x4 tank for school. I would help if I had time.
Laine can you post pics of the sump you made?

 

[ladyfsu]

Yes...I'll take a pic of it when I get home. Please understand this is my first attempt. It will work fine but it looks really bad, lol. I'm actually very embarrassed about it, but at the same time, excited that I did it. Hopefully I can only get better!

What is best for sealing acrylic?

Fortunately I have some 3rd year shop students in my class that are anxious to cut and build these tanks --- wOOt! I've got everything measured out.

AND...I just had a student come up to me and ask what size tanks I would like. His dad owns a glass company and they build things like this all the time and are willing to build me some tanks OH things are starting to move (perhaps too fast )

 

[Steven M]

My first sump had more weld-on 3 on the acrylic the on the seam. When under the stand and water flowing, no one can tell.

 

[ladyfsu]

My camera took a poo I have so many things I want to be taking pics of in class...but I'm going to have to buy a new one maybe...mine has been wonderful and only 18 months old...can't believe it anyways...borrowed one!

Here's my sump...yes I know, I'm a nub...BUT I DID IT! The first of many I hope!!! (not because they stink and I need to replace them but because I want lots of them in class )

LOTS Of weld on in the wrong spots, lol

This is a fuge/sump

 

[Steven M]

Looks good. Did you water test it?

 

[ladyfsu]

yes...holds water fine...3 tries later but been holding with no drips for 2 days!! I'm still going to seal it one more time I think...I don't trust it. It's going to screw me up somehow, lol, I JUST KNOW IT!!!

 

[Steven M]

lightly tap on the sides. If it is going to fail you want to find out now.

 

[ladyfsu]

I've banged the sides many times. Still holding