Acrylic Fabrication Q & A
- Thread starter Turbo's Aquatics
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TherealplexiG
Well-Known Member
That web actually belongs to the one who does exclusive capillary. He is responsible of causing damages worth thousands of $ or may be more to hobbyists worldwide. I don't know about the calculator though!
TherealplexiG
Well-Known Member
@Lowell Lemon
Could you check out the seams on cromag's post? My phone is messed up, but i think those are saw marks? The edges are not prepped! WT H...or i'm going blind either ways..
Could you check out the seams on cromag's post? My phone is messed up, but i think those are saw marks? The edges are not prepped! WT H...or i'm going blind either ways..
West1
Valuable Member
What would a ball park price be to make this .5-1" shorter in length?
Biocube 29 stand is working with 17.5L x 18
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...ef=3554&subref=AA&CA_6C15C=530005150000186141
Biocube 29 stand is working with 17.5L x 18
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...ef=3554&subref=AA&CA_6C15C=530005150000186141
imustbenuts
Active Member
I didn't know that. I just saw the calculator and it seemed to be close when rounding up.
imustbenuts
Active Member
@Floyd R Turbo @Lowell Lemon when I was looking at thickness calculators on-line, I kept seeing for water vessels to use 2 part. Solvent shouldn't be used. What say you?
OP
OP
bad calculator
Well that explains it
Because, they are looking at spec sheets on bond strength and don't actually know the first thing about actually building an aquarium. Talk to any of these guys long enough and you will learn that they don't know a dang thing about actually fabricating an aquarium.
This is all you need to know:
24" high, use 1/2" minimum
30" high, use 3/4" minimum
36" high, use 1" minimum
3" perimeter eurobrace on any tank and then add 6" wide crossbrace every 24" of tank length.
So a 48 x 24" will have 3" eurobrace and a 6" crossbrace. If the same tank were 72" long - just one more crossbrace. At 8' length, jump up one material thickness to keep deflection down.
There are times when someone's lighting scheme doesn't match the above formula. Ie., if someone wants an 8' tank but only 3 cutouts in the top. In such cases, increase the eurobrace width to 4.5" and increasing the width of the crossbraces to 8"
ALL EUROBRACE CUTOUTS 1.5" radius corners MINIMUM (that's 3" diameter)
Also keep in mind that these figures are generally reflective of actual thicknesses, meaning Polycast which is where 1/2" is actually 1/2" thick vs every other brand which uses the metric equivalent which means 1/2" is actually 0.472.
OP
OP
There are a few really good rants by James Steele in the big thread on the other site about the properties of 2-part vs solvent and why the data sheets don't mean jack when it comes to comparing the two.
He also has some really good explanations of why one brand is better than another, as well as some good rants about the acrylic sheet manufacturer's recommendations about thickness calculators for rimless vs eurobraced tanks and why they are all wrong to the point where you should just use what I just posted above and ignore just about any advice any of them give you. About anything related to building an aquarium.
TherealplexiG
Well-Known Member
Two parts applications are recommended to anneal. Annealing crosslinks the polymer chain to the fullest giving a strong bond. Annealing is not practical and economical in high production commercial or at amateur level. Hence the bond is no greater to solvent. As stated by turbo, man of steele and lowell, a proper formulated solvent under proper conditions with a sense of fabrication pulls out stronger joints than two part.
I'm in debt to alot of people who made me pull the best out of me, mentoring me even with the stupidest questions. My sincere thanks to Floyd turbo, Lowell Lemon, James steele, Cromag, Adam, Taylor and Jason.
dbl
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I'm crying "Uncle" on working with acrylic :mad:. To be honest and not trying to be a braggart, there really isn't much I can't do. But this is one craft that has completely whooped by behind.
I've been following this thread from the beginning and I'm following @Floyd R Turbo's steps, and the advice of other contributors, but for some reason I just stink at it. I don't give up easily but after my umpteenth attempt today just practicing trying to get a good seam on a simple ATO container, I think I have to concede acrylic and I will never be friends.
I'm merely admitting defeat here, I'm not asking for help. I will continue to follow this awesome thread and maybe someday I'll give it another try. For now, I'm going to leave playing with acrylic to you experts
.
I've been following this thread from the beginning and I'm following @Floyd R Turbo's steps, and the advice of other contributors, but for some reason I just stink at it. I don't give up easily but after my umpteenth attempt today just practicing trying to get a good seam on a simple ATO container, I think I have to concede acrylic and I will never be friends.
I'm merely admitting defeat here, I'm not asking for help. I will continue to follow this awesome thread and maybe someday I'll give it another try. For now, I'm going to leave playing with acrylic to you experts
.
I know you're not asking for help, but some of us have no problem with helping anyhow. can you tell us what you're doing, exactly, step by step?
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Well, I appreciate the offer @cromag08. I really don't want to take your's or anyone else's time, but I will give you a brief run down.
On today's attempt, a simple ATO storage container, I got everything cut on my table saw. Then ran the edges through the router table to prep them for solvent welding. To be honest, it's the best prep work I've done in the numerous attempts. I had high hopes.
Got started by trying to put one of the side panels to the front. I use the foam pads on the MDF as described on post #23 above. Got everything pinned and shimmed, everything seemed to be lined up perfectly. Again, I really thought with was going to nail it this time.
Using Weld-on #4, I started running my seam. This is the part where I really suck wind. The solvent seemed to be wicking in the seam just fine, then it started coming out the front of the seam, running down towards the shims, etc. I just kept going thinking I was committed to get this seam done at this point. Let is sit for maybe 20 -30 seconds, pulled the pins, and I thought maybe I had it! Think again...
Long story short, I ended up with a mess. The seam ended up with air bubbles, and worse than that, the solvent made it down to the foam and it stuck to the panel. At that point, I said a few choice words and quit for the day.
In the end, I think it's the actual application of the solvent that I struggle with. Like I said, some things are just better left for the pros to handle, and I'm thinking for me, acrylic is one of those things.
On today's attempt, a simple ATO storage container, I got everything cut on my table saw. Then ran the edges through the router table to prep them for solvent welding. To be honest, it's the best prep work I've done in the numerous attempts. I had high hopes.
Got started by trying to put one of the side panels to the front. I use the foam pads on the MDF as described on post #23 above. Got everything pinned and shimmed, everything seemed to be lined up perfectly. Again, I really thought with was going to nail it this time.
Using Weld-on #4, I started running my seam. This is the part where I really suck wind. The solvent seemed to be wicking in the seam just fine, then it started coming out the front of the seam, running down towards the shims, etc. I just kept going thinking I was committed to get this seam done at this point. Let is sit for maybe 20 -30 seconds, pulled the pins, and I thought maybe I had it! Think again...
Long story short, I ended up with a mess. The seam ended up with air bubbles, and worse than that, the solvent made it down to the foam and it stuck to the panel. At that point, I said a few choice words and quit for the day.
In the end, I think it's the actual application of the solvent that I struggle with. Like I said, some things are just better left for the pros to handle, and I'm thinking for me, acrylic is one of those things.
I just did a test using thick gauge wire and I had solvent run out. I normally use 28g wire. if you used appropriately sized wire, and you were working on a level surface, and made sure there was even pressure on each pin, you shouldn't have that problem.
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See, one more confirmation to leave it to you pros...lol. I used 28g picture wire on a perfectly flat surface. At least in my mind, all the pins had the same tension on them. Snug but not too tight. They pulled out with just a slight amount of force. I even cut the ends with wire cutters and not the little cutter on the package because I remember reading that along the way. I will try to get a picture of the seam if I can.
I appreciate your trying to help!
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Here are a couple shots that I will share, albeit it's rather embarrising!!! I really wouldn't care (well I would but I would live with it) because it's just an ATO going under my stand, but I would never trust this seam to hold water.
Side panel seam against the front panel:
The foam stuck to the front panel:
The side panel, where it ran and ruined that finish:
Side panel seam against the front panel:
The foam stuck to the front panel:
The side panel, where it ran and ruined that finish:
Two possible things going on here - way too much solvent, and not enough pins.
I squeeze the solvent bottle before I apply. this give me more control over how much comes out.
I also use pins every 6". and I blow out the seam with air before apply the solvent.
I squeeze the solvent bottle before I apply. this give me more control over how much comes out.
I also use pins every 6". and I blow out the seam with air before apply the solvent.
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