ANOTHER question about acrylic thickness/bubbles in seams

[envyths]

tank thickness question


im working on building a 84L x 24H x 18D acrylic tank and i have 1/2" because thats what garf.org recommends but i have read a couple different times that 2 foot high should be 3/4 inch.
i already have all the pieces so i am kinda stuck with 1/2 but i could always just not fill it all the way.
not that i dont trust garf.org but a second opinion would ease my mind ALOT. i also have a 2 inch wide 1/2" thick eurobrace on the top with two 6" cross braces


bubbles in seam question

i have bubbles in my seams...not bad but consistent the whole seam on only a few of the seams. i have ordered 4 pieces 1/2"x1/2"x27 to reinforce my seams on the inside. will this tank hold? i am working on getting pictures of the bubbles. the bubbles are mostly on the edges the whole length of the seam and it is perfect in the middle of the seams (roughly 1/4" to 3/8")
if i have to redo it...god forbid...can i cut it apart and replane the seams and do it again.

i also read that i should wait 4 days to fill it with water and other places say 24 hours. what does everyone recommend?

[BruiseAndy]

Acrylics will give you a better answer on the bubbles and thickness most likely. I'd wait a couple weeks for the solvent to cure though.

[Acrylics]

Garf's DIY section leaves alot to be desired IMO but 1/2" will hold water for that size tank. 3/4" is recommended in your case due to the span involved (84"). Your tank will prolly hold water, but will also bow a bit. The part of your tank that concerns me is that you stripped the eurobrace rather than using a solid sheet. This has the effect of concentrating stress on those corners of the top cutouts where crack are apt to occur rather than using a solid sheet where you can use a 1"+ radius in the corners to distribute stress. I would also have recommended using a 3" eurobrace to keep deflection down.
FWIW, it may not bow much on first fill, usually takes about 12-14 weeks to see what the max deflection will be.

As for bubbles, I'd have to see it. Not knowing what your edge prep was and solvent used, etc., it's hard to say what might have caused it. Sound like iether the cutter was not straight and true ans/or the solvent was too fast. A pic would definitely help determine viability. I have seen lots of tanks hold water for long periods that were absolutely riddled with bubbles.

Waiting period should be a minimum of 72hrs IMO and I always wait at least a week as the joints continue to strengthen for at least that period of time.

HTH?
James

[envyths]

yes that did help. what will happen first...i mean what will be signs that i may not want to stand in front of it anymore. will the bowing keep getting worse? will i see changes in the seams?




thanks for your help, acrylics, im glad you seen this and replied so quickly.

[Acrylics]

There will be no signs that you may not want to stand in front of it. You'll know long before that could happen. The joints will usually turn white as they separate, the top could potentially crack at one of the access cutouts, and/or if the joints are bad - could leak at a joint.
I would definitely recommend first fill in the garage or in the yard, I know it's tough in the winter but you don't wanna risk 150 gallons in your home. Fill it and let that sit for a few days or (preferably) longer to see if any changes occur.
If the bowing gets bad, you *may* have a problem so keep an eye on things.
Hopefully, things are not as bad as could be and there is just a narrow string of bubbles in which case, should be fine for quite some time.

Pics would still be cool though, if you have the inclination :)

Good luck with it and lemme know how it turns out,

James

[envyths]

ok i am gonna wait the week and then fill it. my garage is heated and has a floor drain so it will be safe and trouble free if it does break. what thickness calculator do you use...since garf.org doesnt seem to be accurate to me anymore. im sure they have some other really good info, but i havent ventured into that just yet.

btw are the corner braces i added gonna help? they cant hurt and they werent any trouble really to add,but will it give it more support?
i read it in another post about a guys big acrylic tank.
i assume you are in the acrylics business right? i sure am glad there are ppl like you that "ppl" like me can ask questions of.

thanks
dan

[Acrylics]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9255611#post9255611 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by envyths
what thickness calculator do you use...since garf.org doesnt seem to be accurate to me anymore. Hi Dan,
Usually the one in my head, been doing this a long time. For just about everything I do, experience will tell me what I need to know. If that won't cut it, "Rourke's Formulas for Stress and Strain" will.


btw are the corner braces i added gonna help? they cant hurt and they werent any trouble really to add,but will it give it more support? Yeah, they do help

i assume you are in the acrylics business right? i sure am glad there are ppl like you that "ppl" like me can ask questions of.Yes, in the acrylics business for almost 20yrs now. I've learned alot from this site as well :)

James