Making A Reserviour

[Lancelot59]

That's one of the things I'm planning for my new machine. I did some looking around and I'm thinking of using acrylic to make the reservoir. I'm thinking of making the res 12cm wide and 6-8cm high to fit in two drive bays.

I wanted to know where I can get large, hollow cylindrical sections of acrylic. I also might make it rectangular to get the most out of the drive bay's shape. As well I wanted to know what some good glues are that would resist water or other coolants? I was thinking a two-part epoxy.

[ShadowNyfe]

http://www.estreetplastics.com/Acrylic_Tube_s/45.htm

some pretty good tubes there, dunno bout glues :]

[Lancelot59]

LOL! Mini fishtank. Those tubes are a bit long for what I had in mind, but I guess I could cut them and keep a chia-pet in the extra. I'm starting to think a rectangluar shape now, it'd make better use of the drive bay shape. Or rectangular with a curved front.

Does anyone sell rectangular tubes? JK. I can make that easily. So now all I need to figure out is the glue.

[Collinstheclown]

IPS weld-on #4
http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/Plexiglass_Glue

Hmm, Plexi at estreetplastics glue at eplastics... fancy!

*edit: eplastics.com also sells tubes.




-CollinstheClown

[Lancelot59]

I decided to make the res rectangular shaped BTW. I've actually used glue similar to this stuff in electronics class...guess I forgot about it. LOL! I might have some lying around. Thanks!

[Aud1073cH]

For the Glue question:

for acrylic, I'd go with an acrylic cement (usually the main ingredient is methyl chloride) That stuff pretty much welds the acrylic together, to make one piece of acrylic. there's a brand called IPS that has methyl chloride cement, as well as poly-methyl methacrylate acrylic cement. If you have a Tap Plastics nearby, they have the same stuff in their own brand, for a little less money. but they're usually around $5 for a small can.

A 2 part epoxy would work fine.

super glues tend to craze acrylic (that white fog that won't come off) and you still just have 2 separate pieces being held by the glue. (can fail under a strong shear force)

Gorilla glue is usually better for porous surfaces. - and I don't know how it would hold up under a shear force.

[Eclecticos]

Good advice, though I would recommend against the gorilla glue,
stuff is a mess and hard to remove if a mistake is made.
The trick to glue is using the right amount, less is best,
application is also very important, spread evenly.

[Lancelot59]

Thanks for all the helpful input guys. I think I'll try the IPS acrylic cement. I have experience working with it before.

[The_Crippler]

Here is the specific product from IPS (as they have an extensive line):

IPS Weld-On #16 (http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=132).

This is the one that you generally see for gluing acrylic. It's what I used when making my plexi computer case.

A few notes:


Use sparingly - a little goes a long ways
Careful where you slop it - it fuses plastic by melting it...once on a surface, it doesn't come off.
Don't use it for weaker plastics. Once upon a time, I tried to use it while building a model. A drip fell on the project and melted a line right down the side of it.
Glue w/o pressure is like no glue at all. To ensure a solid join, be sure to use some clamps until hardened.


Don't let those warnings scare you - it's fantastic stuff. You just need to be careful with it, since you're using it on a clear surface.

[sirkillalot617]

Make your own

http://guides.pcapex.com/modding/diy_acrylic_cement.php

:D

Mark

[jiggiwiddit]

Just had a look at estreetplastics. They have extruded acrylic tube that has poor optical quality and aint too good for bonding/drilling etc. Try cast acrylic tube at http://www.mcmaster.com/#acrylic-tubing/=67f6qj

[billygoat333]

wow this thread is almost 2 years old!
http://www.etsu.edu/math/gardner/batman/batmanrobin.jpg
holy thread necromancy batman!