The tools I use for acrylic work

[melev]

I put together a page to help some of your DIY'ers out there.

I hope this helps!

http://www.melevsreef.com/tools.html

[Purple Haze]

do you use the wax to lubricate the blade on acrylic only projects?

[melev]

Yes. And even then, I probably only apply it once a month.

[6LINE]

Nice work Marc. I am sure everyone appreciates you taking time to do things like this to help educate, i know that i do. And your designs are awesome. Thanks.

JD

[melev]

Thanks for your input JD. :)

[Inflames]

those needle tip applicators get blocked so often. Is there a better solution?

[ErikS]

Ah, the tested & true BT3100 - once you get past the "PlaySkool" colors it does do some fine work.

Have you found the ZCTP to help chip out?

I gather you replaced the stock blade - I assume it's a ATB blade? Did you try the stock blade, it gives jointing smooth cuts in wood.

I gather you've found the edge guide more effective than using a template & trim bit?

Thanks for sharing, nice to see how "Johnny Homeowner" does the work w/o having all the fancy tools.

[Mai]

Thanks for posting the info Marc!
I know that you have helped me in the past with some of my projects

[grim]

Originally posted by Inflames
those needle tip applicators get blocked so often. Is there a better solution?

Which solvent are you using? If you are using one of the non-gap-filling solvents (weld-on 4 for example), the solvent will not harden in the needle. If you are getting hardening in the needle, it's because you are stabbing into the soft acrylic, make sure you drag your needle, not push it. I used to have this problem quite a bit until I found the proper technique. Also, when you finish applying, make sure to squirt a bit of solvent out to ensure the needle is clean and clear.

jb

[reefkeeps]

Your Awesome Marc!

[Inflames]

grim i use weldon 3 and its comparable to water consistency. I only drag the needle i dont apply more pressure than whats needed to keep it steady. Ill try what you said, thanks!

[melev]

Originally posted by ErikS
Ah, the tested & true BT3100 - once you get past the "PlaySkool" colors it does do some fine work.

Have you found the ZCTP to help chip out?

I gather you replaced the stock blade - I assume it's a ATB blade? Did you try the stock blade, it gives jointing smooth cuts in wood.

I gather you've found the edge guide more effective than using a template & trim bit?

Thanks for sharing, nice to see how "Johnny Homeowner" does the work w/o having all the fancy tools.

Believe it or not, I didn't understand at least 50% of your post. :D

Is the BT3100 the speed square? Bright colors never bother me. In the picture, they came out pretty garish for some reason, but once I started editing pictures for the site, I didn't bother taking a better one. I know that I can find bright colored tools far better than boring gray ones.

ZCTP?

The stock blade in the table saw? Yes, immediately. The Freud blade is ATB, but not the most expensive one out there. I remember shopping and they had one that was over $125. Too rich for this Johnny Homeowner. ;)

You know, I meant to take a picture of my template panel for the flange (top piece), but it really wasn't anything to look at. Since each sump is custom built, the flange varies. Length of sump, width of sump, even the width of the flange change from project to project. So what I end up doing is taking 10 to 15 minutes to rebuild my template, then I can route out the opening more easily.

However, the router guide does the job nicely, and it only takes about 3 or 4 minutes to cut out the opening. So really it is all up to my mood.

[melev]

<b>Mai & reefkeeps</b>, I'm glad it helped!

<b>Grim</b>, thanks for chiming in.

<b>Inflames</b>, buying a couple of bottles is really ideal. That way if you get stuck, you have a back up. However, I have had to stab into some seams to get airbubbles out. When that happens, the tip gets clogged. Clogging also happens when you rework an already softened seam. Using matches, a lighter, or even a propane torch on the needle can open it up again. However, the metal can only handle the heating so many times. My guess is that the metal expands more and more, reducing the inner diameter each time until finally nothing can come out.

Btw, this stuff is flammable, so keep that in mind. I never have had anything flame up, but the potential is there.

[PUGroyale]

Tremendously helpful resource! [your site :D] Not to be a thread hijacker... :lol: But, I'm looking at modifying a standard glass tank for a sump with acrylic baffles. [Don't think I'm up to complete fab]I'm gonna copy the one with the refugium and skimmer on opposite sides with the ball valves providing flow to the fuge' etc... I really like the simplicity and thought to the design.

Question: I've read recommendations that for optimum skimmer performance, make vessel holding skimmer very near skimmer size... but since the flow thru the sump is dictated by the return pump volume, if the skimmers pump flow is less than the main return flow... won't a substantial amount of overflow water just pass through the baffles before it's skimmed? I'm gonna use baffles any way for bubbles... I just wondered about the logic of the recommendation. Thanks for your thoughts and way helpful site ;)

p.s. is the a-miracle overflow box a good one?

[melev]

Yes, the water will bypass the skimmer. However, that really isn't an issue. The skimmer will continue to do its job, sucking out DOCs as it can from the water around it.

Try to avoid the tempation to push too much water through your sump, or you'll end up fighting microbubbles. 3x to 5x the volume of the display is plenty for the sump. I keep the refugium running even slower, but not stagnant.

[PUGroyale]

Thanks again melev, makes sense. Even though some water bypasses... it's still the highest concentration of DOCs within the smaller chamber for the skimmer to work with. ;)

[ErikS]

Sorry 'bout that :)

BT3100 = the tablesaw, the colors on the front = blue, orange etc - lol.

ZCTP = zero clearence throat plate, the thing around the blade.

I remember shopping and they had one that was over $125.
Yeah, probably a Forrest Woodworker, to me the Freud line seems every bit as good (and @ about 1/2 the price).

even the width of the flange change from project to project.

Makes sense, no need to keep making templates (unless you suck with the edge guide like I do - lol)

Again, nice to see the average guy type setup for those "non-professionals" among us.

[melev]

Thanks for clarifying Erik. Wow, I never would have guessed you were referring to the model # of the table saw. Hmm. I should dredge up some pictures of my older table saw. I wonder if I have some images on my site. :D The original was a B&D 8" tablesaw that I got on my 5th wedding anniversary. We were poor, and bought it on clearance at Walmart for $75. I did lots of remodeling on our home, and that little table saw got a workout for years. I'd say it is 13 years old now, and still works although it is in sad condition. For two years, it was taken from job to job when I did custom trimwork for new homes, when my boss didn't bring his along. I went through a lot of blades over the years. I still have it, but was happy to upgrade to this far nicer one last year. What I always wanted was the DeWalt one, but that thing is so expensive. I still roll my eyes when I see the pricetag, and it has been out for about 8 years now.

The ZCTP! Totally forgot that acronym, but remember reading about it here on RC once I bought my new tablesaw. I have to remove it any time I angle the blade, and use the stock metal one that came with it, but for acrylic work this has been great. I have a second one that has never been used.

If all my sumps were the same size consistently, you can bet a template would be used. But that isn't what I call custom. ;)

[ReeferMac]

Great stuff Marc, thanks for sharing and putting it all in one place!

- Mac

[mothra]

Marc - great job man. I was thinking of putting together a similar resource for our reef club, maybe I can talk w/ you about linking to yours as well. I don't do a lot of DIY acrylic so I try to stick w/ tools/materials that I can buy locally or cheap. I'm still very much honing my acrylic working skills and I'm curious about a few things if you don't mind:

- Do you use the pins method with water thin weld-on? I've never tried it, I usually just make sure my edges are sanded fairly well and go for it.

- I actually use the TAP brand water-thin 'weldon'. I sometimes use #16 also for things that 'don't quite fit'. Locally I can't get #4 so I'm curious if it's thicker that #16?

- Do you ever cut round holes w/ your router? It's not difficult to make (or buy) a hole cutting jig, but when the holes are smaller than the router base it can get a little tricky. I'll use a hole saw if possilbe, but sometimes (like pipe sizes) there isn't a hole saw size available. Any tips on making a good hole cutting jig or method for small holes? I ended up making a new baseplate for my router that has several holes in it that I can pin to the material w/ a 1/4" dowel. It works only ok because of issues w/ the way things fit between the router/base/dowell.

- Ok, last thing, a comment really; I use a Freud 60-tooth blade which also works well for cutting acrylic, not as good as the 80-tooth but it leaves a pretty clean cut. It cost about $25 I think, which is why I got it.

[melev]

Sure, you can link to my page, I don't mind at all.

Yes, the pins method works for most any project. I find that tiny projects like fan brackets still benefit from using the thin wires. One of my worst faults is being impatient. When I see stuff Weatherson has made, I'm blown away by the quality and the seams. Mine don't look nearly as perfect, with a few microbubbles here and there. Usually this is because I get excited and can't wait to try out the idea, and so things look less than 'store-bought'. I guess that is my signature DIY proof. :lol:

Using #3 or #4 is very watery. It actually falls back out of the turkey baster so I have the little plastic bottle very close to the can when transferring some of the solvent. #16 is used for those spots that I feel might need a little extra insurance. Again, don't use much of this stuff, or it will ruin an area you were hoping to improve.

I totally forgot to include my stuff about cutting holes. I'll be sure to update the page in the next few days. I use a hole saw. I drilled through some 3/8" material (that was given to me for that sump) recently, and it was amazing how beautifully it came out compared to the 1/4" Acrylite FF I normally use. I've never tried to use a router for that, but if you had a jig it would work. Perhaps finding some PVC that is the perfect size, embedded in a template. Then the hole could be cut using the laminate trimming bit, with the bearing following the inside diameter of the PVC fitting. It could be done with wood as well.

[mothra]

Usually this is because I get excited and can't wait to try out the idea, and so things look less than 'store-bought'. I guess that is my signature DIY proof.

Haha... good thing you haven't seen anything I've done! Well my sump came out nice because it had to. Other things have not been quite as good. I have seen Weatherson's work and he does a very nice job. I may have to try the pins method one of these days.

When you refer to the 'turkey baster' - I assume that's the syringe bottle? A trick I use to keep the solvent from dripping out as I tip the bottle is to squeeze it a little so it starts sucking in air then tip it and wait a second or two. WRT #16 yeah it gets messy quick. It fills little gaps and non-critical areas though.

Interesting idea about using a pipe fitting and flush trim bit for hole cutting... hmm I'm going to have to think about a way to implement that.

[melev]

The turkey baster is on that page. Here.

http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/tools/glass_baster.jpg

[Vincerama2]

Ah, the Ryobi BT3000/BT3100 tablesaw! There is a whole website devoted to it!

I've been looking at table saws. One option was the BT3100 (Home Depot, right?) It has a weird cult following, though "serious woodworkers" deride it as a plastic toy, but that's cuz they all have $1500 cabinet saws and the skills to actually use that extra $1200 worth of equipment! Incidentally, just to pass on the info...Sears makes a new "hybrid" saw called the 22124 which comes with a Biesmeyer fence. Apparently, it's the new sweatheart because Sears often has sales and if you join the free Craftsman club, you can sometimes get %20-%30 off. But I digress (greatly)

Hey, that tooth template you use. Are you using the flushtrim bit and putting the template UNDER the piece you are cutting, or do you use the template with template guides on the router and put it on top of the work piece?

V

[Vincerama2]

Oh yeah, "Forstner bits" work decently for cutting holes (of small diameter).

I've found for cutting acrylic and making a good edge, you can use a jigsaw with a plastic cutting blade ($5 at Tap) to make a "mostly straight" line. Then clamp the acrylic to a table with a STRAIGHT edge. Line the desired edge of the acrylic with the tables edge, then run that flush trim bit in a router along it. It helps if you use that non-skid rubber padding between the acrylic and the table. For smaller pieces, I also clamp a big wood board over top of the acrylic, with the boards edge pulled back so the flush trim bit will not hit it. Then run the router along this table-acrylic-board sandwich.

V

[melev]

Originally posted by Vincerama2
Ah, the Ryobi BT3000/BT3100 tablesaw! There is a whole website devoted to it!

I've been looking at table saws. One option was the BT3100 (Home Depot, right?) It has a weird cult following, though "serious woodworkers" deride it as a plastic toy, but that's cuz they all have $1500 cabinet saws and the skills to actually use that extra $1200 worth of equipment!

Hey, that tooth template you use. Are you using the flushtrim bit and putting the template UNDER the piece you are cutting, or do you use the template with template guides on the router and put it on top of the work piece?

I remember that website. That is where I learned a few ideas, and still have it bookmarked although I've not looked it in a long time. And hopefully I won't have to shop around for a new table saw anytime soon! Yes, I bought it at Home Depot.

The tooth template is placed on top of the new piece that needs to be routed. The shank of the router bit is extended down beneath the base of the router, so that it (the shank) spins along the edge of each tooth. The cutting portion of the bit cuts the soon-to-be-used baffle below.

I've never tried to use a Forsner bit on acrylic, but have a couple. I'll give it a shot some time to see how it does.

Your other idea about using a sheet of MDF as the straight-edge guide works, but it is very important to keep the sheet perfectly straight. I tried this method in the beginning, so that I could make several baffles at a time, but if I wasn't careful, they wouldn't stay true. One end would be 9" wide, while the other would measure 8 15/16" wide.

[Vincerama2]

Ah, I used a straight edge (3 foot rulet) to mark of the edge I wanted and aligned it with the mdf/table edge. But under the acrylic, I put some of that rubbery stuff (carpet tape would work too) that is used as anti-slip material (looks like a spider wed of rubber) for carpets. Then, when clamped down, the acrylic would not move. I tried doing this with TWO pieces of acrylic and it was a disaster, but done one at a time, it works well for me.

I'm sure you'll have fun with that jointer!

Oh yeah, for people with dremels, the bit that you need costs about 11 bucks and it's the 1/4" router bit (it's a dremel rotary tool bit, not an actual router bit). It works great (but takes a lot of acrylic with it) since it works like a router. If you can guide it properly, you can use it to make teeth. Like if you ran the dremel's "base" along a guide or something...trying it freehand doesn't work so well.

V

[Alex Kwong]

Thanks! A free lesson from Marc again. Also thanks to Zeph & acrylicman as well as everyone had sharing & contributed their knowledge & experience.

[H20ENG]

Cool Mark! Do you ever work? :D

Mothra,
Tap solvent cement IS weldon #4 with a tap sticker on the can- from the mouth of a TAP employee:)

A tip for unclogging needles:
Fill the applicator bottle almost to the top with solvent. Invert the cap with the needle so it sits submerged in the solvent. Leave it overnight and it usually does the trick.
You can also pull a wire from a fine wire brush with some needlenose pliers and push it through the tip to break the stuff up. (that trick has unclogged my carburetor jets for years:) )

[melev]

I've tried both of those methods with my applicator bottle without results. Glad it worked for you though!

[kenny77]

Marc i just love all the sump! very nice job. you got PM. i need one sump soon.

[eidillitih]

melev thanks for all your time and knowledge I think I'm going to try my hand at a DIY calcium reactor. If that goes well I'll adventure out into a frag tank. I'll see how it goes. Thanks again, you're an asset to the D.I.Y.ers in the hobby.

I'll be back to pick your brain.

[melev]

Uh oh.






;)

[H20ENG]

Marc,
I guess you really stuffed it in there!:D Good tip about heating it. I guess you'd empty the solvent out of it first, huh.:)

Did the t-slots in your tablesaw come with it? I have an old BT3000 and there are no t-slots- which makes using common jigs a PITA.
Have you made new shims yet for the carriage? I read about them breaking, looked at mine, and they were just about to go. Keep em clean and lubed, and they'll be fine.
Also, I use my router in the table portion to clean up my edges and have never had to touch a scraper or sander. Kind of a pain to take out and put back, but if you have 2 routers....

[melev]

First of all, can I get your first name so I don't have to refer to you as WaterEngine? ;)

No, I never empty the bottle. Just heat the needle for a few seconds, and squeeze the bottle over my work area to re-establish flow. That is why I put the warning about it being flameable. Of course, using a match limits how much flame you have in the first place as well as the duration of the burn. (Using my propane torch is probably a tad riskier. ;) )

T-slots have never been used for anything except to hold the acrylic up on edge. I stand it up in the slot, move the rip-fence against it snugly and clamp it. This held my workpiece nicely while I cleaned up the edge facing up. Then unclamp, rotate 90 degrees and scrape the next edge, and so on until all edges are prepared.

I've played with router tables in the past, but never had the desire to make a decent one and my own is a toy. I tried the router attachment of my table saw, but wasn't impressed with that either. Running my router hand-held is my routine for the past couple of years. Btw, I'd love a second router because I'm forever swapping two bits back and forth.

I'm not aware of any shims or problems with the carriage, but I did notice that I was having problems raising and lowering the blade. So one day I got under there and looked at how it worked, spraying teflon spray on the worm drive screws. Now it is nice and easy again.

However, the throat plate bracket has four screws, and one would not come out at all. I finally drilled it out, and can't use one hole until I drill and tap it again for a new screw. That was annoying, but I'm assuming fixable.

[H20ENG]

Sure, its Chris. I went to school for water treatment stuff and was an operating engineer at several water plants, then a chief engineer at a public aquarium for 5 yrs(FUN job- NO money) Now a stationary engineer, so H20 Engineer kinda still fits;)
Water engine..... Hmm I want to build one!!
Did your saw come with the slots? Or an accessory?
So you leave the rocket propellant, err, solvent in the bottle, OK.:D
Chris

[melev]

Yes, it came with a few goodies in an accessory pack. What I tend to use is that extra straight edge that clamps onto the sliding panel on the right side of my saw. I don't use it often, but from time to time it's useful.

What I really need is a monster work area around the table saw, so that I can work with huge sheets of acrylic. Right now, I have the 4'x8' stuff cut down as it is easier to transport and easier to cut up, but occasionally I've worked with full sheets and it is nearly impossible even with a few DIY stands I whipped together.

[Alphabet]

Nice work........a few more tricks of the trade.

write that down!

[eidillitih]

Is their a certain blade needed to cut acrylic?

[melev]

Yes, ideally it should be an ATB (triple cut) blade with at least 80 teeth. ATB blades have the teeth pointing in three angles, and usually those are slightly wider than the blade itself. As the teeth work their way through the acrylic, the blade itself doesn't rub against the material and thus avoids heating and melting the plastic.

I've used cheap blade, DeWalt and Freud. I prefer Freud.

[Ruminari]

Marc - I'm just trying to make the leap into DIY. Haven't quite built up the confidence yet. Your website is really going to help me get the ball rolling. Thanks!!!!

[melev]

Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and go for it. The worst that can happen is that you wasted your time and a little money. Anything else is a plus in my book.

[Vincerama2]

I agree with Marc here. The only way you can gain confidence is to try doing it. Um, that's not to say you should use powertools that you don't know how to use, but if you don't start somewhere, you can't get anywhere!!

My suggestion is to go to Tap Plastics and root through the "scrap bin" my local Tap cuts all their scrap to 8"x8" squares (which means you can't find nice big pieces in the bin, you have to buy them) and sells the pieces for 50 cents each. At another Tap near my work, there is more random pieces for 50cents a pop. And if you have them cut you a piece, you can often get them to toss in a few pieces of scrap for you to practice on! I bought 2 baffles, cut to size by them for like 10 bucks or something, and the guy told me to grab a few scrap pieces on my way out so I could practice gluing.

Try a small project first, like cut and glue some small brackets or something to clip onto the side of your tank. OR simply make an acrylic box.

Once you make the first step, it's easy! But again, make sure you know how to use your tools before you cut off a leg. Maybe get Tap to cut pieces for you to glue together.

Good luck!

V

[H20ENG]

The triple cut blade is called Triple Chip Grind (TCG), and is recommended by most for plastics.
I have found them to cut slower than a sharp ATB (Alternating Top Bevel- if that helps anyone:)) even at work on a big cabinet saw. Not sure why.
I have actually had great results with the stock Freud blade that came with the saw. Even on the rare occasion I get slight chipping, I route the edge anyway before gluing.
Just make sure you get a lot of teeth ; 60-80 for a 10" blade.
I run my blade about 1" higher than the material thickness and it seems to cut the cleanest for me.
$0.02,
Chris

[Ruminari]

The primary reason that I haven't dived in is the fact that I don't have a router currently. I hopefully will be getting a handme down from my father in law in about a month with a router table. Do you think doing Calc Reactor would be too big of an initial project? That is where I'm wanting to start at.

[melev]

That would be a good project, and quite doable. The router would definitely come in handy. Here's one:

http://www.melevsreef.com/dj88.html

[Homebrew]

Originally posted by melev
I've never tried to use a Forsner bit on acrylic, but have a couple. I'll give it a shot some time to see how it does.


Hey Marc,

Just FYI, a Forsner bit works fine on acrylic. I have normally used hole saws, but needed to make a smaller hole for a float valve and didn't have a hole saw small enough. The Forsner bit worked great.

Cheers,
Greg

[melev]

Thanks for the seal of approval. I had to drill a 1/2" hole today, but used a common paddle bit.

[AQUAN8TOR]

Just a word of (very) recent experience with forstner bits:

I was drilling a hole in the top of a keyhole flange for a fluidized media reactor yesterday; forstner bits have to be able to drill the pilot hole---that is, I tried to use the pivot-hole in the center that I used to spin the circle on the router table. The forstner bit bucked and wandered all over the place. I wasn't using a press b/c the chuck is bent. At any rate, I thought that little tidbit might save someone out there from making a new keyhole flange like I had to do..... :) the resulting hole was slightly larger than needed for a proper fit with a Uniseal.

[melev]

I've never made a keyhole. If you have a working method, let me know.

[H20ENG]

Jazzy,
If its only a tad oversize, you can wrap a uniseal with teflon tape:D Dont ask how I had to learn that one....

[AQUAN8TOR]

No, actually I just cut perfect squares, then draw diagonals very carefully in pencil to find the center of the square. Then, I use a speed square to mark corresponding perpendicular lines through the midpoints of the sides of the square to make 8 even pie wedges. I cut the hole in the midpoint with a brad-point bit to ensure the hole is in the very middle, then spin the piece on a router table ("paintable" plywood-paper backed) using a metal shelf-pin. Works great. I drill a slightly smaller hole in the table, then tap the pin in with a mallet. The pin needs to be VERY snug to be safe. (safety goggles of course). Using a drill press and a 3/4" forstner bit, I cut the first part of the opening for the 'keys'. This is for knurled head thumb screws. Then, using the router table again with a closer pivot hole, I spin the piece just a very small amount--3/8" or so. I have to make 2 passes with 2 different pivot holes to make the narrow openings for the screw shanks to slide into--1/4" shanks all around make for a mighty small tolerance on a circle 8" around. By using 2 passes, I make the slide holes about 9/32-5/16" wide. This allows the screw shanks to slide easily, but still allows a good mounting surface for the 3/8" contacting surface of the screw head to evenly press down on the flange. Hope this helps some DIY'ers out there.

Maybe someone in DIY land will post a link on flange templates so that every time I do a run of them they aren't slightly different.....experienced guys will laugh here.....yes, I'm REALLY still learning, here.

[AQUAN8TOR]

I probably should've said something of a disclaimer about my method and safety.....without a fence or stops of any kind on the router table, it can be quite dicey, pardon the pun. 18,000 rpm by a pair of razor blades is something TO BE RESPECTED IN THE UTMOST REGARD!!!

[AQUAN8TOR]

I should also add that this method is pretty time consuming, but with a FUNCTIONAL drill press, unlike mine, drilling the forstner bit holes is very easy--just bolt a board to the deck of the press, use the same metal shelf pin method to spin the piece around, and voila, you have the first part done.

If you make several sets of flanges at one time, this method is great---you can crank out 20 sets of flanges in a few hours if you're fast.

[dattack]

For flanges, I just buy a set of flanges from someone or use the one on my skimmer. I can copy all the flanges by using a router bit that would trim the excess edges off the holes I made with the drill press. The key is to get a router bit that fits into either holes of the flanges.
This bit only fits on a 1/4" collet given that it's so small.
Just be careful.

[adrinal]

MELEV, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

:)
Thanks for the instruction!

[melev]

Glad it helped you! :)

[Cprowler]

I made my first project out of acrylic today.:worried:

I figured it was time to take the plunge. Thanks for the great information on you site.

I used Weld-On #16, that's all my plastic shop had.

http://www.zld.ca/reef/ato1.jpg

http://www.zld.ca/reef/ato2.jpg

[melev]

Very nice!

You <b>do</b> realize that design isn't locked in stone, right? I was just trying to make something work on my glass sump, and it came out the way it did. ;)

The benefit is you can remove it easily to clean it when you want to.

[FunkieReefJunkie]

Hey guys, I just want to put out a friendly "be careful" when you play with solvents and acrylic. They contain benzene which is known to cause leukemia, myelodysplasia, and other blood disorders. So wear gloves and don't breath it. That being said, rock on DIY'ers!

[poknsnok]

Hey Melev.. i have a question. i have a 200 gal that I need to put the largest possible sump in. The access doors are 36" wide and the available depth of the stand is 21.5" can you tell me what size sump I can squeeze in that baby??

[Cprowler]

Originally posted by melev
You <b>do</b> realize that design isn't locked in stone, right? I was just trying to make something work on my glass sump, and it came out the way it did. ;)

The benefit is you can remove it easily to clean it when you want to.

With a glass sump, I thought it works so why do a different design and hope it works. It was my first project with acrylic so I didn't want to get too crazy.:D I'm quite pleased with it so what should my next project be... a topdown box possibly?

I'm going to install it today, I hope everything goes well.

[melev]

Originally posted by poknsnok
Hey Melev.. i have a question. i have a 200 gal that I need to put the largest possible sump in. The access doors are 36" wide and the available depth of the stand is 21.5" can you tell me what size sump I can squeeze in that baby??

You have two choices really. Either one large one, that you must navigate into your stand (even removing the upright stile perhaps), or two separate containers joined together with bulkheads.

If you make a sump that is 48 x 16 x 16, you might be able to remove the doors and navigate it into your current stand. Your best option is to cut out that footprint (48 x 16) out of cardboard and do a trial run to see if you can insert it. If you can't, figure out what you have to change to make it fit.

[melev]

Originally posted by cprowler
With a glass sump, I thought it works so why do a different design and hope it works. It was my first project with acrylic so I didn't want to get too crazy.:D I'm quite pleased with it so what should my next project be... a topdown box possibly?

I'm going to install it today, I hope everything goes well.

Keep in mind that if your snails do that to you again, as the tank overflows quietly on the floor, your top off will continue adding water until it has run out and your salinity has dropped. Plan accordingly. :)

[TheCoralNabber]

melev, what do you suggest for cuting acrylic tubing. I'm in the process of purchasing the materials needed for a calcium reactor that greeneyedblackcat came up with. I am going to have to cut some tubing, and need an idea on how will be the best way to do it. I think that he had used a fine toothed hack saw. He had gone around slowly, turning the tube and not trying to saw straight through it. What would you suggest to clean up the edges afterwards? I have a dremel, but didn't know if I could use a sanding bit to clean up the acrylic. Thanks

Dan

[melev]

Personally, I would either use a Miter Saw or a table saw myself. I have seen people make a type of jig that the tubing rests in, to avoid it rolling/rotating during the cut.

Since I've only worked with flat sheets, I don't have any personal experience with rounded material.

Cleaning up the edge can be done with a razorblade, sand paper, or a dremel. That isn't a problem. Do your best to keep the edge straight and smooth (not wavy) because you want to get a good seal where it bonds to the next piece.

[TheCoralNabber]

Thanks marc, good thread by the way. If I ever decide to build anything else out of acrylic I'll be sure to use it as reference.

Dan

[ReeferMac]

I recently had to cut some 6" Diameter PVC tubing, and found my Miter saw to be very useful. I was able to do a fair job freehand, but would recommend some kind of jig if you want to be hyper accurate ("Nice acrylic work" is more demanding than my ghetto-style kalk Rxrs ;) ).

- Mac

[Vincerama2]

Acrylic and pvc cut completely differently. Acrylic can crack with a bad cut.

V