whats wrong with homedepot acrylic?

nicolicious

New member
ive never seen anyone mention they got the acrylic
from homedepot...is there something wrong with it?

i have a 30 gallon i want to use for a refug. and i just want to make baffles out
of the stuff...is it ok to use?
 
I used it to make my kalk reactor and the white eggcrate to make shelves in my sump. No problems as of yet.
 
Eggcrate?

I thought he was talking about acrylic / plexiglass sheet.

It used to be cheap at the Home Creepshow.....but last time I looked they wanted cRaZy prices for the thicker stuff.

Better to look for a local plastics or glass company and talk to them.
 
What's wrong with HD acrylic?
Its too easy. You cant just go to a store and buy something.

First you have to post detailed plans of what you plan to make.
Then debate with hardheaded people for two weeks about why what you want to do wont work because its not complicated enough.
Then you place an order online with a company in China that will be sure to put what you need tomorrow on backorder for six weeks. When it arrives it has to be the wrong size/color/shape so you can send it back and wait another six weeks to actually be able to start your project.
 
Omni.,..that should be some kind of Murphy's Law of DIY...I have heard more than I care to the past few weeks
 
I used the 1/4 stuff they have at homedepot to make baffles. It was on the high side as far as cost, but it was handy since Home depot is only 5 minutes away, is open past 4pm and on weekends, and I was already there picking up some 1/4 round to finish up trim on a tiling project. Sure i could have saved 10 bucks or so, but my time is worth more than that.
 
There is an acrylic/plastics store in just about every major metro area in america. They will sell you scraps for less than a new big piece of 1/4 inch low quality acrylic from Home Depot
 
Omni, LMAO!!!!!
I love it,I was just telling my wife how some people make things way way harder than it has to be.This site is full of them.Now if you will excuse me I have to go make a CAD drawing of my new 10 gallon turtle tank.
 
I did not mean to trash this site though.I hope that is not how it sounds.I also learn a lot from some very smart people here.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9839475#post9839475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wrenchhead
I did not mean to trash this site though.I hope that is not how it sounds.I also learn a lot from some very smart people here.
OMG, I do not think you are trashing it. Now after several posts I just realize that it is all about acrylic and I posted my answer in the wrong thread! :rolleyes:
I think I'll better go to sleep early tonight...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9840116#post9840116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdieck
OMG, I do not think you are trashing it. Now after several posts I just realize that it is all about acrylic and I posted my answer in the wrong thread! :rolleyes:
I think I'll better go to sleep early tonight...

JDieck, dont you know that no good deed goes unpunished:lol:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9840223#post9840223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobbyG
JDieck, dont you know that no good deed goes unpunished:lol:
Specially if you do it all by yourself Hara Kiri style ... :D
 
Back to what's wrong with HD acrylic. There isn't really anything wrong with it. It is most likely extruded acrylic sheet not cast. It is harder to machine a nice edge because it likes to chip and melt when you cut it. I've used it for baffles many times. You just wouldn't want to use it to build a tank. And actually after shipping cost the price at HD is really close to the same as online.
 
If looking to buy online, look for "good" cell cast acrylic such as then materials made by Cyro (Acrylite GP), Spartech (Polycast), and then there's always Plexi-Glas G. There are some cell cast acrylics that are really not very good so please do ask for the mfr of the acrylic you are looking at. Despite what the link above states - there *is* a difference.
As for HD acrylic, there's nothing wrong with it for baffles and such. It is extruded acrylic (Crystalite brand IIRC) last I looked so is okay, but wouldn't recommend it for tanks or other pressure vessels.
I believe USPlastics sells acrylic sheet, don't know anything about price though. I usually recommend folks go to their local distributors, every good sized city has at least one. They'll usually have the materials, solvents, applicator bottles, and will usually cut to size as well. Look int he yellow pages under "Plastics, Distributors, sheet, rod, tube" or something to this effect.

HTH,
James
 
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