Articles

The two most common problems when cutting and routing acrylic welding of the material and poor edge finish. In this article, I will focus on routing. The top reasons for chip welding and poor finish are: 1) inappropriate tool selection 2) improper chip load 3) small tool diameter size 4)...

The gold standard for bonding acrylic to itself in larger aquarium builds is polymerizable cement bonding. It is the go to method when joining pieces greater than 1 inch in thickness and some cases, as thin as 1/2 inch. Polymerizable cements are those in which a catalyst is added to an already...

Before you continue, I suggest first reading this article describing the different bonding methods. Capillary bonding is the most well known method for joining acrylic. And from the number of posts, easy to assume it is the only way. As in all methods, surface preparation is key to success. For...

Satisfactory joints between acrylic sheet and other plastics as well as non-plastics are more difficult than joining acrylic to acrylic and the resulting joints are usually lower strength. In most cases, there is a substantial difference in thermal expansion between acrylic sheet and non-plastic...

Acrylic pieces may be joined three ways: 1) mechanical means such as bolts or screws 2) thermal means such as welding 3) chemical methods such as cementing For our purposes, I will focus on the third method, cementing. There is a great amount of misinformation regarding this topic. The...

The simplest method of forming acrylic sheet along a straight line is to use a strip heater. Strip heaters are typically used to for the rapid production of simple boxes, and frames. They are generally limited to straight line bends. The process is usually used for small parts where the length...

Corner pentagon aquariums have two symmetric back walls and a bent viewing panel. The back walls are at 90 degrees to each other and the viewing panel completes the vertical structure. The final assembly consists of a top and a bottom. The challenge is the short leg dimension of the front...

Routers are used in edge-finishing operations and for cutting flat or formed acrylic sheet parts to size. For our purposes, the two main types of router configurations I will discuss are 1) table and 2) portable. For edging small parts, the table router is convenient. When a part or assembly is...

Acrylic sheet can be cut in three ways: 1) Sawing 2) Routing 3) Scribing and breaking Sawing and routing can be used for straight and curved cuts on any thickness of material. Scribing is limited to straight cuts in thin pieces of sheet .236 inches or less in thickness. It is practical for...

Hello everyone, There is a great deal of R2R interest in forming and fabricating with acrylic. There is also a great deal of misinformation. This is will be the first post, in a series of posts, discussing and explaining just about everything you ever wanted to know about working with acrylic...

These are an inexpensive way to create some functional and stylish dosing containers and you’ll be recycling/repurposing, too! The “GHL Edition” in the title is just a little humor because these happen to match my GHL Doser perfectly! A little added bonus for any other GHL owners out there. But...

Hello fellow reefers, I hope you enjoy this article about the Halichoeres wrasses we know and love. Before we start, I would like to thank @SaltyT and @Crabby48 for allowing me to use some of their photos. So, lets get into it. The genus Halichoeres is differentiated from other genera of...

Snake Eels: The Safe Moray Alternative? by @Slocke Myrichthys Colubrinus - The Banded Snake Eel Snake eels are a more rarely seen but available eel in the aquarium hobby but are they a viable option for someone looking for a more unusual eel? Quick Guide Care Level: Moderate Aggression...

Wrasses are a very well known family of fish brought into this hobby, however one species that isn't known about as well but we often recommend for small tanks is the stunning Pseudocheilinops ataenia. These are a small species of wrasse, often maxing out around 2 inches, now one of their...

Wrasses are a very beloved family (Labridae) in this hobby, the biggest reason is obvious, they're bright, colourful, and for the most part 'reef-safe'. Cirrhilabrus are often the first genus you look at and think of when Wrasses are mentioned. I can understand why, they resemble everything...