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RWD
06/17/2000, 08:47 AM
Has anyone tried making round tubes out of acrylic sheets? If you heat up a sheet of acrylic and bend it around a pvc pipe used for a form will it hold it's shape. Then you would have to glue the joint. I know clear pipes are available but it would be nice to be able to make your own any time and size. This would be for DIY skimmers and calcium reactors and not in a high pressure situation. Any thoughts? Bob

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Snailman
06/17/2000, 09:41 AM
People use round tubes because they have no joints so they are less labor to build something out of. In making things to sell labor is often more expensive than the materials. Look at the bill for the last time you got your car worked on and you will get the idea. If you don't mine joints then just make a square tube. Skimmers and calc reactors don't have to be round, in fact some of them are not.
RWD
06/17/2000, 04:18 PM
Snailman,
Since I have more time than money I wanted to try doing this. I do see what you are saying but I still think for a DIY'er being able to make large diameter pipe would be useful. No waiting for parts to arrive.Bob

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Dwayne
06/17/2000, 07:15 PM
I molded some plexi into a square tub, just wanted to see if I could do it. Never used it for anything, but I did bend the plexi into a square tube abd glued the seam.

FWIW

Dwayne
Larry M
06/17/2000, 07:21 PM
Bob--I've bent a lot of acrylic using a heat gun for stripping paint. I think your idea would work, but does it really save that much money? The main problem I see is uniformity--it will be hard to get the pvc (or whatever you are using for a bending form) in exactly the right size. Personally, I don't think it sounds like it's worth the trouble.

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Larry M

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