Help with Weldon 40

[hrdneglcry]

Hi. I am attempting to brace the top (lid) of my acrylic 180. I purchased Weldon 40 and the 1/8" piece of acrylic arrived today. I was going to use one 24"x 7.5" piece of acrylic over the entire section. I have never used Weldon 40 before but I read that it has a short working time. It seems like a lot of solvent (glue) to put down. I thought about cutting the acrylic piece down into two pieces that only cover the cracks. I could use some guidance and also some tips on Using Weldon 40. One pic is of the cracks, one is of the piece over them and one is of the piece diagonol to see it better. I already drilled holes in the ends of the cracks.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

The solvent is like water, hope this "lid" comes off. It will need to be clean and dry. If the aquarium is acrylic, do not let any run on it. If the lid comes off, and it was cracked by accident, I personally would put some on the crack also. You will need an applicator to put it on. I'm no pro at it but watch this you tube video for information. They use weldon 3 but the use is similar

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@Troylee or @Lowell Lemon may have some good advice for you here.

 

[Troylee]

40 is a good choice for what you wanna do! I would have liked to see a thicker piece laminated on top thou! Just read your post again! That’s a 180 gallon tank with a 1/8” or 1/4” top? That’s kinda scary! It should be 1/2” thick… anyways mix the 40 up to the directions or at least get it close unless you have a scale to really measure it… since you won’t have a centrifugal vacuum to pull the bubbles just mix it up in a disposable plastic cup such as a painters cup! “ not a solo cup” it will melt! Let it sit for a good 10-15 minutes till the bubbles are mostly gone and pour it on or use a ketchup bottle to apply it etc.. place your patch on top and clamp it down with mild pressure you don’t wanna squeeze all the glue out… also make sure to mask everything off around it as it’s really messy and gets everywhere it’s got a syrup consistency. Side note be ready to peel the masking tape around it after you have the patch on and before it kicks cause once it’s hard you’re not gonna get it off! Packaging tape works good or yellow 3m masking tape etc. indoors you’ll have close to 25-30 min working time with it..

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Troy covered all the bases. Moisture can cause problems for the bond. Make sure the parts are dry before bonding. Hard to due with the aquarium full of water and condensation.

 

[hrdneglcry]

Been cured now for awhile. Pretty solid. Not as pretty as I'd like but I think its pretty solid.

 

[Troylee]

Been cured now for awhile. Pretty solid. Not as pretty as I'd like but I think its pretty solid.

It would have been much stronger had you used a single piece.. you created a weak a spot in the center of those 2 pieces now.. I’m not sure how long that will last unfortunately…

 

[hrdneglcry]

Yeah but that is not cracked. The guy ran the tank for 12 years with cracks and no brace at all. I agree and I was afraid I couldn't mix enough of it. It was my first time. I spoke with the company that sold me the weldon and they said it should be ok. Also when my lids arrive I will have less to modify to get it to fit on this side. I think it should be alright.