Wet Dry/Sump Project

[zamboniMan]

I recently came into a large supply of new 1/2 plexiglass. I would like to try turning it into a WD/Sump. Does anyone have any experience doing this? I tried regular silicon which of course was not strong enough.

Can I use silicon if I predrill the plexiglass and screw it together? (It's not going to be in seen except by me so I really don't care how it looks as long as it works)

I have heard people talking about using Weld On for acrylic. Would that work? If so where can I get it?

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

1/2" acrylic??? That is some heavy duty stuff. Silicone wont work no matter how you use it. If you google DIY acylic sump you should get a decent amount of results back. Weld-On #4 is good to use. I have only used Weld-On #32 (2 part epoxy type) on my sumps, so I can only speak with experience using that. #4 however does seem to be rather easy to use, just a bit of prepwork and knowledge is involved....again, all common info found on the web.

-Ryan

[zamboniMan]

Yeah heavy duty and heavy :-p. I came into about 80 square feet of the stuff. Should be more than enough to do a sump or two :wasntme:

any other suggestions?

[tcyiu]

To do it right, you need acrylic cement which melts the plastic and joins the two parts. All other "glues" do not do this and is less strong. Silicone is the least effective because it does not adhere well to the acrylic.

Cost is super cheap. The real hassle is making sure that the surfaces are flush. So if you have a dull table saw blade, you will need to sand down the cut edge and make sure it is a perfectly straight and square edge.

There are two types: the liquid stuff, and the gel stuff. The liquid spreads very easily and a syringe applicator is recommended. It flows like water so if you set up your joint just right, the capillary action will soak up the cement.

Tim

[zamboniMan]

There are two types: the liquid stuff, and the gel stuff. The liquid spreads very easily and a syringe applicator is recommended. It flows like water so if you set up your joint just right, the capillary action will soak up the cement.

Tim

Which one do you find easier to work with.




The capillary action will soak up the cement.

Tim

?


Thanks,
Josh

[tcyiu]

?

Sorry. Capillary action refers to when there are two flat surfaces that are really close together and the seam comes in contact with some thin liquid (like water). The seam will soak up the liquid.

The goal is to have your acrylic seams be as flush as possible. Then you can use capillary action to scuk up the liquid cement which is really runny.

As to which is easier for me ... I'll be honest. I suck at both. The gel is easier to spread and much more like the old modeling glue I had when I was a kid. But it looks awful when I get done.

The liquid looks much better, but somehow my edges are never truly straight, so there are gaps that stop the capillary action cold. which means the glue didn't really cover the whole seam.

Practice on some scrap pieces is all I can suggest.

Tim

[zamboniMan]

Should I sand the seams to get a better seal?

[tcyiu]

Should I sand the seams to get a better seal?

That's what I do, but I do a lousy job. The reason is that with hand sanding, I end up rounding the edges, which is exactly what you do NOT want. The edges should be square.

The best way is to have a good saw table (with good fence) with the right saw blade (sharp and lots of teeth - they say a plywood blade is good. I think TAP plastics sell a specialty blade CLICK HERE (http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=363&)). Then you'll know your cuts are square and very little clean up is necessary.

Also, you should put together a jig to hold the pieces square for when you're applying the glue. I don't do this which is again why I do a lousy job. BUT then again, I do very small projects, nothing large like a sump or an aquarium.

Good luck.

Tim

[D!NGO]

Should I sand the seams to get a better seal?

The only way to really get a smooth edge is to rout or plane the edges after you've cut them. Even the best table saw blade will leave you with tiny ridges and ripples...and when you weld the edges together you'll get bubbles in the seams.

But if you don't mind the aesthetics and you have a fairly good saw blade, you can use the gel type to weld them together. The gel is more forgiving than the liquid and will fill in some imperfections in the edges. Just pay more attention to the corners and make sure the edges are flush with each other, especially at the corners that will be at the bottom when you're done(make sense?). You would want to do one edge at a time, starting with the 2 sides (and partitions if you have them) to the front, then the back, then bottom.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

[jeff@zina.com]

I recently came into a large supply of new 1/2 plexiglass.

You will need to know what the material is, whether acrylic, Plexiglass or whatever. Hopefully it's labeled. The type of adhesive or cement you use makes a difference. Router cuts are best, tablesaw works okay. US Plastics is a decent source.

Jeff

[zamboniMan]

It is 1/2" plexiglass. I signed for the shipment when it came in (I work part time at an ice rink for extra money. We replaced all the glass on one rink and they were going to throw the scraps out (most of which was quite sizeable) so is loaded it in my car instead figuring I could use it for something ;) ).

[DavidC]

do something with it... how bout finding a place like rid out plastics and buff scratches and make monster tank

[Cakes]

do something with it... how bout finding a place like rid out plastics and buff scratches and make monster tank


Exactly if it's a full sheet make a wood tank and that would be the front pane. It's actually the cheapest way to make a tank.

[GuitarCrazyo]

Im also curious about dry sump. Looks like most of the kits are still a mechanical accessory. Are there any that use an electric motor?