Working with acrylic

bullet_buddy · 09-10-2006, 11:42 PM

How hard wold it be to build a 2'x2'x30"aquairum out of acrylic?.I'm somewhat handy but I hav'nt worked with this stuff before.All help will be appreciated.

boozeman · 09-11-2006, 09:08 AM

its not really all that hard to build...its building one 'neatly' that's a PITA.
go to melevs site and learn all you can...then get lots and lots of practice gluing scrap pieces together untill you get those seams bubble free(that's the
pita part.)

sasquatch · 09-11-2006, 11:18 PM

Bullet Buddy, its fun, once you start tho you spend a lot of time in plastic shops cut off bins, my very very best advice when cutting plastic with power tools, WEAR EYE PROTECTION nothing is more painful than plastic shards in the eye. Its never happened to me lol

bullet_buddy · 09-12-2006, 12:25 AM

Anyone have advice on bending the front corners?

RanRoc · 09-12-2006, 12:47 AM

Jeez, I was just thinking about the bending corners thing! I was trying to recall the website. I think that it involved a heat gun (?) device, looks like a hair dryer, and using PVC to act as a guide in bending the plastic. I've read it can get pretty tricky, so have plenty of scrap to practice! Also, as you may have read, the taller the tank, the thicker the plastic. But Weld-On products are pretty good for acrylic project, so thickness may not be an issue. It may just have a bit of a bowing issue if not thick enough. I didn't have to bend pieces on the sump I made for my tank. Good luck.
-RY

bullet_buddy · 09-12-2006, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RanRoc

Jeez, I was just thinking about the bending corners thing! I was trying to recall the website. I think that it involved a heat gun (?) device, looks like a hair dryer, and using PVC to act as a guide in bending the plastic. I've read it can get pretty tricky, so have plenty of scrap to practice! Also, as you may have read, the taller the tank, the thicker the plastic. But Weld-On products are pretty good for acrylic project, so thickness may not be an issue. It may just have a bit of a bowing issue if not thick enough. I didn't have to bend pieces on the sump I made for my tank. Good luck.
-RY

I was thinking of 1/2" think that's thick enough?

boozeman · 09-12-2006, 09:36 AM

in most applications the corners aren't bent...they are welded together then rounded over with a router and polished smooth.

RanRoc · 09-12-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullet_buddy

I was thinking of 1/2" think that's thick enough?

Haven't worked with that thickness, but I think that would be plenty. Hope others will chime in with their opinions.
-RY

09-10-2006, 11:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
bullet_buddy Limpet Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 128 View Gallery Karma Komment	Working with acrylic How hard wold it be to build a 2'x2'x30"aquairum out of acrylic?.I'm somewhat handy but I hav'nt worked with this stuff before.All help will be appreciated.

09-11-2006, 09:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
boozeman The CodFather ~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: new york Posts: 8,800 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Working with acrylic its not really all that hard to build...its building one 'neatly' that's a PITA. go to melevs site and learn all you can...then get lots and lots of practice gluing scrap pieces together untill you get those seams bubble free(that's the pita part.) __________________ ...and when I'm old and wise little things mean little to me like autumn winds they'll blow right through me and someday, in the mist of time when they ask you if you knew me remember that you were a friend of mine

09-11-2006, 11:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
sasquatch Brunt of all Jokes~ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: the very farthest west coast of canada Posts: 8,917 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Working with acrylic Bullet Buddy, its fun, once you start tho you spend a lot of time in plastic shops cut off bins, my very very best advice when cutting plastic with power tools, WEAR EYE PROTECTION nothing is more painful than plastic shards in the eye. Its never happened to me lol

09-12-2006, 12:25 AM	#4 (permalink)
bullet_buddy Limpet Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 128 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Working with acrylic Anyone have advice on bending the front corners?

09-12-2006, 12:47 AM	#5 (permalink)
RanRoc Scopas Tang Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central Florida: GO KNIGHTS!!! Posts: 443 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Working with acrylic Jeez, I was just thinking about the bending corners thing! I was trying to recall the website. I think that it involved a heat gun (?) device, looks like a hair dryer, and using PVC to act as a guide in bending the plastic. I've read it can get pretty tricky, so have plenty of scrap to practice! Also, as you may have read, the taller the tank, the thicker the plastic. But Weld-On products are pretty good for acrylic project, so thickness may not be an issue. It may just have a bit of a bowing issue if not thick enough. I didn't have to bend pieces on the sump I made for my tank. Good luck. -RY __________________ My Disclaimer for any Advice I Give: I Could Be Wrong... Randy's Rockin' Reef MANGROVE ROOT GANG

09-12-2006, 09:36 AM	#7 (permalink)
boozeman The CodFather ~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: new york Posts: 8,800 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Working with acrylic in most applications the corners aren't bent...they are welded together then rounded over with a router and polished smooth. __________________ ...and when I'm old and wise little things mean little to me like autumn winds they'll blow right through me and someday, in the mist of time when they ask you if you knew me remember that you were a friend of mine

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)