rimless, braceless shallow cube...

[dkuster]

Interesting...

What's your take on RTV108 vs. SCS1200? Is one better than the other for aquarium applications?

Well the way Elos puts it, is what they use is not really a silicone, then they say it is not a standard silicone, that's made for them by a company in Italy, they call it glue, but it is silicone based, is low in "something that evaporates," but "I don't know what that is called," but the silicone... er glue shrinks as it cures... they let it cure for something like two months, (2013 MACNA) translation: a Low VOC RTV silicone polymer, that they are having custom formulated. They are making it very clear that it is proprietary. No miracles here, just marketing hype.

 

[uncleof6]

6 one way, half dozen the other. SCS1200 has tendancy to bubble up easier.

 

[dkuster]

OK, after doing all the research and due diligence, procuring the glass and other supplies, laying out and masking the glass, cleaning the glass with acetone, rigging up a flat work surface, going over the process multiple times in my head, I built my tank...

... And screwed it up :headwalls:

I had my bottom piece cut 1/8" shorter in one dimension to allow 1/16" of joint thickness for the sides, so the final dimension was 25 1/4" x 25 1/8". And even though I had labeled the brown paper that the bottom was lying on with "side", "front", "back", when I cleaned the bottom piece one last time I must have rotated it before putting it down.

I got three sides up before noticing the problem. I pulled it all apart, but it seemed like the RTV108 was beginning to set already so I just wiped off what I could and left the pieces to dry.

So, can someone tell me the proper way to clean up the glass? I'm thinking razor blades and acetone, but I'm not sure. I want the surfaces prepped correctly before trying again.

Feel free to mock my stupidity -- I deserve it :facepalm:

 

[uncleof6]

Couple boxes of razorblades, steel wool, acetone/MEK, a great deal of elbow grease, and a great deal of time. Squeaky clean, literally squeaky clean. Alcohol final clean sometime in the middle of the next week, to get rid of all the fingerprints.

 

[dkuster]

Thanks for the reply! Sounds like I have fun times ahead.

Question on the steel wool: Do I need to be concerned about scratching the glass? I don't care if the area is hidden in a joint, but I wouldn't want to scratch any viewing area...

Couple boxes of razorblades, steel wool, acetone/MEK, a great deal of elbow grease, and a great deal of time. Squeaky clean, literally squeaky clean. Alcohol final clean sometime in the middle of the next week, to get rid of all the fingerprints.

 

[uncleof6]

Thanks for the reply! Sounds like I have fun times ahead.

Question on the steel wool: Do I need to be concerned about scratching the glass? I don't care if the area is hidden in a joint, but I wouldn't want to scratch any viewing area...

Steel wool (actually steel) is softer than glass, and cannot scratch it. Something trapped in the steel wool (sand, dirt, concrete particles—well a bit far fetched) can. Other cleaning abrasives, such as an SOS pad, will—so don't use them.

The high end window cleaners use #0000 steel or brass wool, to remove what nothing else will.