Question about acrylic

[jtrux]

I have made up my mind that I am going to start a 65 gallon up and i want to do as much as possible myself. Not to save money or anything but just because I want to be able to say I did it. I've visited several stores and seen a couple friends' tanks and I like the idea of having a sump under the tank and I want to make my own rather than buy it. I know I could just go get a 20 long and use that but how dificult is it to cut and join acrylic panels together?? I have a ton of tools accessible to me including jig saws, table saws, band saws, table routers, all kinds of stuff.

[JimD]

"but how dificult is it to cut and join acrylic panels together??"

lol, You wanna answer that one Ace?

[erikharrison]

Pressure Locking Sump Baffles (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Baffles/baffles.htm)

That should make it easy.
For sump ideas, www.melevsreef.com

[hobogato]

hmmm.... loaded question. depends on your skills to begin with, and there is definitely a learning curve. my sump (which was the first one i ever built) doesnt leak, but it is no where near as nice as the ones i am building now. if you measure and cut very well, the "gluing" part isnt bad at all.


"but how dificult is it to cut and join acrylic panels together??"

lol, You wanna answer that one Ace?

[Texreefer]

Pressure Locking Sump Baffles (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Baffles/baffles.htm)

That should make it easy.
For sump ideas, www.melevsreef.com (http://www.melevsreef.com)

very cool idea1

thanks Eric

[erikharrison]

Any rough edges need to be sanded down so the edges will touch before you try to bond the pieces together. :) That is, if you build it COMPLETELY from scratch.
np, Mike, I saw it posted here from someone else, so I try to keep people informed! :)

[Bill S]

I think I have the second one Ace built. Maybe the 3rd. He's also made a bunch of other things for me.

If you don't care how it looks AND if you are willing to test it well, go for it. I can assure you, it will probably look ugly. The learning curve may also be steep. On top of that, your upfront costs will likely be more than if you had someone build it. Ace gave a demo a couple of years ago at a meeting.

[ckimble]

Here are a couple of links to get you started...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1171757

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_acrylic_aquarium.php

http://www.melevsreef.com/tools.html

Good luck and take your time

[Darth-Tater]

I have one that Ace built maybe 2nd or 3rd one. It ain't pretty either :wink_smile: and the edges cut my hands too:eek: but it works like a champ. Still doesn't leak and probably never will. But my sumps looks better than the one he built with wood.:rofl:


David

[LoneStar]

If you have the tools, build it yourself. If your a weekend warrior in the garage, it will be fairly easy. Just start with drawings. Figure out what size and shape will work with you the best. From there contact a supplier (Regal Plastics or Allied Plastics) and see how much the material will cost you. 1/4" thickness would be the minimum I would use. Most of the suppliers can even cut out the shapes for you, IF you have good drawings with measurements. Plus it won't cost you too much in the process. The solvent application is easy enough. Be prepared with a good work surface and lots of bar clamps.

[hobogato]

tough crowd! i thought everyone forgot about frankensump! :D


But my sumps looks better than the one he built with wood.:rofl:


David

just so you dont think i am a hack, this is what you can do with some patience and good router bits :wink_smile:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/projects/DSC01292.jpg

if you are using a table saw, get a good finishing blade - it will give you a nice clean cut. go slow so it doesnt get hot while you are cutting it. over size your outside pieces a little so after you glue it you can trim them to the perfect size with a laminating bit on a router. then round off the sharp edges with a 1/8" rounding bit on the router so you dont cut your fingers on the edges like david and bill do.

[jtrux]

Thanks for all the responses

[erikharrison]

lol Ace. :)

[tomanero]

http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiytank/bndiytank.htm

I found this a helpful link for acrylic building.

[jtrux]

Thank you.