working with acrylic

[SLOreefer]

hey guys i am wanting to build my own refugium but was wondering how difficult it is to get the acrylic to bond without leaking...is it fairly easy? i kknow how i want to make it already but i need to make it right so my carpet is spaired....thanks in advance

[Neo]

New to acrylic myself, but here is a few links to get you started.

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/jg/index.htm

http://www.kingvinnie.dynip.com/aquaria/diy/#Acrylic

http://www.aquariacentral.com/diy/

http://ozreef.org/diy/index.html#ACRYLIC

http://atlantisaquatic.com/DIY.html#09_Acrylic

http://www.reefaquariumguide.com/forums/sh...#Acrylic%20Tips

 

Rgds,

Neo

 

(Edited by Neo at 6:38 am on April 28, 2002)

[quiksilver5768]

You said you know how you want to make it already but lemme give you a good an simple design.

 

Get a base acrylic sheet attach your sides on that. Then attach your front and backs covering the whole front width of the base and side panels. Dont get a front and back panel to fit in between the sides. Having it covering the whole area will provide better suppoer and also make it easier to glue or bond these pieces tofether. I would recommend Weldon 3. If you cannot find this then use several layers of Contact Cement with a final layer of silicone sealant.

[jstewart0]

I just finished making my tank w/ acrylic it was much easier than I thought it would be.  Are you going to get the acrylic from a hardware store or a plastic distributor?  I got mine from a local plastic supplier (sometimes they have scrap that they will sell you really cheap).  Anyway you can have them cut the sheets down to the sizes you need, which makes the rest really easy.  Otherwise you can cut the acrylic with a circular saw but you have to make sure the blade is made for cutting plastic or alluminum (you want the teeth straight on the blade).  It is critical that your cuts are straight so that the pieces fit together without any gaps.  Now you definately want to find some weldon 2 or 3 will work but i would go with 3.  The plastic store will have this, all you need is a small bottle $3.  You will also want to get an aplicator, its a small bottle with a long, thin metal nose for pushing the solvent out with.  The rest is cake just put the pieces together with the piece you want to glue at a horizontal angle and put a bead of the weldon along the edge (it will run into the joint like water).  Hold it for a few minutes and it is set.  Hope this helps.  I did not know too much before I built mine but the plastic supplier told me everything to do.  Just look up plastics in the yellow pages.  

[SLOreefer]

hey thanks guys...you all have been helpful....unfortunately i cut my hand and just had surgery so this will have to wait a couple of weeks. i already have the plastic but i will need to get the weldon 3. ill keep you all updated when i do it and maybe ill make a dyi article with step by step instructions for everyone else to see since it looks like many of us are uneducated on this topic...thanks again