Getting Glass Baffles cut? HELP!!!

[dsn112]

Hey all, I got a glass guy cutting my baffles today. I am going to get 1/4" glass with polished edges.

The tank is 30x12x18

Do I get them cut 12" wide, or am I geting them cut a few cm short of the 12" I just want to make sure they fit.

Thanks for your help!

Dave

[scottdwh]

Cut them an 1/4" short so you have 1/8" on each side. If you cut them right at 12", it can put pressure on the side of the tank if there ever is expansion.

[mbussart]

I will second that. They should be able to put in there easily with no pressure having to be applied. I tried to force one on a 40g long sump I made and cracked the whole back panel.

It is not worth all the money to try to force it in there.

[dsn112]

cool, Thats what I will do, my bubble trap will be 8x 11&3/2 10x 11 &3/2 and another 8" piece

[new_world_disor]

i got all my baffles cut 5mm short . leaving a small amount of room for error. as a lot of places will cut to +/- 2mm or so. and then u can just silicone the gap.. which will be tiny anyways

[RandyStacyE]

One way to get this baffle done and give it a clean look would be to position the glass and use tape (or something) to hold it in place. Then use silicone to tack it into place then allow these 'spot shots' to solidify.

Now you can mask nice lines on both sides of where you will be applying the silicone. Once you finish applying your primary seal ... just remove your tape and you will have flawless lines.

It's a bit more time consuming than just 'winging it' but I like the way the seams turn out when they're masked.

[Bud's Reef]

Originally posted by dsn112
cool, Thats what I will do, my bubble trap will be 8x 11&3/2 10x 11 &3/2 and another 8" piece

Did you get this done already? I had the exact same question today since I'm also making a sump out of a 29G, 30X12X18 tank. It looks like the real inside width of mine is 11 7/8" so I think that means I will get it cut 11 5/8". Are you having them polish all edges or just the exposed ones? How did you decide on how tall to make them? I need to get 4 pieces cut since I'll have a refugium section in the middle and a return section on the end.