Building a tank from Sch.80 PVC and acrylic

[electric130]

I also posted this in the DIY forum, but hoping to get some more info/exposure here too.

I want to build a tank using sch 80 pvc for the back and sides and then an acrylic panel for the front. it would be 4 ft long, 2 ft wide and 12" high. what thickness would the front panel need to be? i have 1/4" acrylic, but i didn't know if that would be thick enough. since the tank will only be 12" high, i don't think there will be too much bowing.

has anyone done this? i have weldon 3 and weldon 16, but i don't know if it will bond the acrylic to PVC. any advice would be helpful.

[texasreefer]

I don't know about bonding acrylic to pvc, but for pvc you can get a little welder and weld it together. Basically it is like a small hot air gun and you melt a rod of pvc to it and it welds it together. It is similar to brazing metal together w/ a torch. As far as the thickness required I don't know what thickness you will require but I know they make it up to 1/2" thick. We've welded pvc together and tried to break it apart but if you weld it right it will ont break. The pvc will break before the weld.

[mars2001]

You might have a really hard time welding those together....from my experience, you'd be better off trying to weld ABS to acrylic, or try to use some sort of resin.....but in general, it's a good guide that most materials (PVC, PP, PE, etc.) will only weld to themselves.....

[electric130]

thanks for your replies. i finally got a response from IPS Corporation (makers of weld-on) they said that weld on 16 would do it, but weld on 40 would be the best thing to use. the reason i want to do it this way is because i have access to lots of FREE 1/2" thick sch 80 sheet PVC. i can use this for the sides and back, now i just need a bottom and a front. any suggestions?