acrylic overflow, traps, etc.

[4r00p3r]

Could someone please explain to me how to bend and connect pieces of acrylic with a professional quality?

I want to make a larger overflow box and a fish trap to remove a butterfly.

[hobogato]

you can bend acrylic with a heat strip, heat gun, or a torch (very carefully). i use a benzomatic torch; fast, but you have to be very careful. to attach it you need some kind of acrylic adhesive like weldon.

are you trying to build an overflow for a tank that is not drilled? if so, be prepared for a lot of work. took me about 8 hours to build this one:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/projects/louieoverflow.jpg
or you could build the j tube style, which will work ok, but not as well as that one.

[matt]

When I make corner overflows, I don't bend the acrylic. I use two pieces. After I cut the notches in both, I solvent weld them together and use a round-off bit (1/4" radius) to round off the corner, then I use micromesh to sand the joint until you can't see it. It looks great when it's finished.

Ace, how do you get all the air out of the channel in your overflow box? Looks like quite a project!

[hobogato]

Ace, how do you get all the air out of the channel in your overflow box? Looks like quite a project!

real PITA to make. when you are ready to use it, you just start the siphon the same way you would with a J tube overflow - suck out the air with air line tubing.

[greenmako]

nice work Ace! you could put a small air port on the top and attach a aqualifter pump and you would never have to suck out the air again