Can't Glue Acrylic Baffles In A Glass Tank?!
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TaylorPilot
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Just living the good life. Well, that and making overflows...LOL
TherealplexiG
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Glad to know, happy for ya.
It's easy to keep the acrylic from bowing. Glue acrylic supports to them. Like a 2x4 that keeps plywood from bowing. Like a rafter.
Craig Stuart - Reefscaper
New Member
Hey guys.... some random ideas within this thread...but also some great truths.
Acrylic makes for some great sump baffles, filter sock supports etc etc. Having your ideas later cut into acrylic is very cool and a lot of fun.
Acrylic does have a very different expansion criteria to glass as will crack a glass tank if the glass tank has thin side walls, the acrylic panel fits too snuggly and temperature differentials between the time the tank is made and operated differ greatly.
To avoid all of this potential drama simply avoid it with an expansion joint. This just means (depending on the sump span) leave about a 2mm gap between the acrylic and glass sump tank wall on sumps under 36" wide. Also ensure the material (silicone) you are using to bond it is soft and has a shore hardness under 40.
Finding a "silicone" to seal the baffles, that bonds to both acrylic and glass can be tricky. However if you use a polyurethane based sealant with the appropriate primers placed on both the acrylic and glass you will get reasonable adhesion to both.
Sika flex 295uv is a good one. Great adhesion to acrylic (with primer) not so great on glass but fine for a sump.
3m 5200 is another good one... however allow a 3mm gap as it is harder. Also while it is great it does not tool as easily as the Sikaflex 295UV.
Allow (as a rule of thumb - at room temperature) 1 day for every 1mm of seal thickness for the "silicone" to cure. Some deep rebate sealants however are 2 part and can cure in a matter of hours.... in this case however 2-3 days will be fine.
Some very cool ideas here!
Acrylic makes for some great sump baffles, filter sock supports etc etc. Having your ideas later cut into acrylic is very cool and a lot of fun.
Acrylic does have a very different expansion criteria to glass as will crack a glass tank if the glass tank has thin side walls, the acrylic panel fits too snuggly and temperature differentials between the time the tank is made and operated differ greatly.
To avoid all of this potential drama simply avoid it with an expansion joint. This just means (depending on the sump span) leave about a 2mm gap between the acrylic and glass sump tank wall on sumps under 36" wide. Also ensure the material (silicone) you are using to bond it is soft and has a shore hardness under 40.
Finding a "silicone" to seal the baffles, that bonds to both acrylic and glass can be tricky. However if you use a polyurethane based sealant with the appropriate primers placed on both the acrylic and glass you will get reasonable adhesion to both.
Sika flex 295uv is a good one. Great adhesion to acrylic (with primer) not so great on glass but fine for a sump.
3m 5200 is another good one... however allow a 3mm gap as it is harder. Also while it is great it does not tool as easily as the Sikaflex 295UV.
Allow (as a rule of thumb - at room temperature) 1 day for every 1mm of seal thickness for the "silicone" to cure. Some deep rebate sealants however are 2 part and can cure in a matter of hours.... in this case however 2-3 days will be fine.
Some very cool ideas here!
TherealplexiG
Well-Known Member
IMHO,
Taylor has the most effective and economical design out there which is optimum. Incase if you're wondering where you could take hybrid sumps in design and concept pic attached for refrence built by yours truly ofcourse. But its pain in the rear with all those man hours put into it, and in this case actual acrylic sump would cost less.
Taylor has the most effective and economical design out there which is optimum. Incase if you're wondering where you could take hybrid sumps in design and concept pic attached for refrence built by yours truly ofcourse. But its pain in the rear with all those man hours put into it, and in this case actual acrylic sump would cost less.
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