Acrylic Fabrication Q & A

[SerpentSlick]

Oh, thanks! Let me know what you find. That would be great!

Is the vacuum for administering the WO40 or is that something needed to house the entire tank as it cures?

Your comment about trim reminded me of another question.

I like to paint the backs of my display tanks and was thinking that I wanted the bottom of this frag tank black.

Is there a superior product to acrylic enamel paint, that is reasonably priced, to use on this project? If so, I was thinking that I could just carry the black from the bottom up the sides to cover the visible areas of the gusset.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Is the vacuum for administering the WO40 or is that something needed to house the entire tank as it cures?

no, after you mix 40 it has air bubbles in it. You place the mixing container in a vacuum chamber and it makes all the bubbles go huge and rise out and you are left with a perfectly clear liquid mixture

Is there a superior product to acrylic enamel paint, that is reasonably priced, to use on this project?

I think just krylon fusion, but any paint is fine on the outside

 

[cromag27]

+1 on lotion fusion for plastic.

@Floyd R Turbo would wo40 in the seams help structure wise, no gusset just dried wo40. In general, not related to a fix necessarily.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

lotion

it puts the lotion in the basket

@Floyd R Turbo would wo40 in the seams help structure wise, no gusset just dried wo40. In general, not related to a fix necessarily.

Yes, that is a fix that sometimes is used to shore up a joint that you're not overly confident is quite "perfect", and also something that some use on "blind joints" where you are bonding black/black, like if someone wants bottom & back out of black, where you don't have visual confirmation that the solvent joint is good. So you run a "bead" of 40 on that joint and that's your insurance policy. 40 is great stuff for things like that, it's a gap filler, it's machinable, etc.

 

[SerpentSlick]

I have FoodSaver hard containers and I could dedicate one for this purpose.

I believe Fusion is a latex based paint. I would have figured an oil would have been better or even perhaps a different all together. (I have no idea what else there could have been for this, but I know there are millions of products I have no clue even exist, I'm sure. Lol)

 

[SerpentSlick]

Could I use the technique Cromag mentioned here?

 

[cromag27]

It puts the lotion on the skin too.

Good to know for insurance/assurance purposes. what's the shelf life of opened 40? Do you prefer 40 over 42?

it puts the lotion in the basket


Yes, that is a fix that sometimes is used to shore up a joint that you're not overly confident is quite "perfect", and also something that some use on "blind joints" where you are bonding black/black, like if someone wants bottom & back out of black, where you don't have visual confirmation that the solvent joint is good. So you run a "bead" of 40 on that joint and that's your insurance policy. 40 is great stuff for things like that, it's a gap filler, it's machinable, etc.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

It puts the lotion on the skin

or else it gets the hose again

what's the shelf life of opened 40?

it's unopened shelf life is 1 year, this es.ipscorp.com/pdf/assembly/Assembly_PB40_Apr08.pdf says tightly sealed, kept cool, etc...same life I think

Do you prefer 40 over 42?

I prefer not to purchase a $500 applicator gun when I hardly ever use either. I would suspect that I would prefer 42 if I had money to blow.

 

[cromag27]

Are these not the correct guns? bottom of page.

http://www.theengineerguy.com/Weld-On-42.html

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Those are the cartridges. This is the gun

http://www.theengineerguy.com/Weld-On-Gun-230ml-101.html

Sorry $300 not $500

 

[cromag27]

That's for the 230ml. on the link I posted the 50ml gun is only $76.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

mind blown

 

[SerpentSlick]

Could I use the technique Cromag mentioned here?

...but what about this?

 

[SerpentSlick]

Before I listen to the wrong internet dumb dumb, is there a "beginner's post" that you guys like?

I was going to read about the basics, tools, and solvent selection.

 

[cromag27]

This one!

Before I listen to the wrong internet dumb dumb, is there a "beginner's post" that you guys like?

I was going to read about the basics, tools, and solvent selection.

 

[SerpentSlick]

Turbo doesn't cover the solvents or the basics here. He skips that and says this post is for those that are assumed already somewhat knowledgeable.

 

[cromag27]

You gotta read every page. Solvent types have been discussed.

Turbo doesn't cover the solvents or the basics here. He skips that and says this post is for those that are assumed already somewhat knowledgeable.

 

[SerpentSlick]

Dang it! Lol. I just got past where he said he wasn't. Haha. To be continued...

 

[dbl]

I am also new to the art of acrylic. If you read this entire thread, I'm pretty sure you'll pick up the basics. It's not easy and it's taken me numerous attempts, but I'm finally starting to get the hang of it....I think...lol.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

I intended to keep the first post updated with links to other posts within the thread that covered as many aspects as possible but I haven't had time to get to them all or back-link to good posts