Acrylic Reservoir??

[MitaPi]

Okay, So you have the acrylic and you have it all cut out to your specifications. Now how do you attach the pieces??

[MitaPi]

Nvm, I found the perfect stuff! Good ole tap plastics comes through again!

[gobygoby]

well.....you already got it.....but....

its called "Weld-On" acrylic solvent. They come in different thicknesses. #3 & 4 cure very quickly (15 seconds to a minute). the bond is pretty tight. then you can go all the way up to 16 which takes a few minutes to setup, and a day or two to cure. its the strongest bond though. 3-4 will probably be fine, its not like your building an aquariumthat has to hold back TONS of pressure.

ps. I used to build aquariums and stuff out of acrylic.

little late, but hth.

Kyle

[MitaPi]

Oh yea? That is actually really handy info there. I might require your assistance in the future if thats ok. :P

[gobygoby]

sure no problem, i know the tricks of the trade for acrylic building and stuff. its really....IMO...easier then building anything out of wood. Acrylic is a fun material to play with!!!

Kyle

[xpc]

any tips on how to attach acrylic to metal?

i used some kind of acrylic paste (i dont know that name) but the paste seen when metal and acrylic combine, i mean to say when metal and acrylic attach, the paste must not be seen. lol.

[gobygoby]

to my knowledge there is no specific way. I guess try super glue....seriously. other then that There is really no specific cement for metal to acrylic. what are you try to accomplish?

[MitaPi]

Yea.. try the cement or super glue it. ANd then get like a corner joiner piece and put that on too for extra precaution?

[meticoeus]

Yeah you can bend acrylic with a torch. Try that with wood (watches the pretty flames dance). For attatching plexi to metal, consider the old fashion nutand bolt route. That way you can easily remove it later for cleaning, etc. Also the "bond" should more secure than an adhesive, unless it sticks *really* well to both substances. There are more complicated routes but I'll refrain from ranting here...

[.Maleficus.]

I recently bought this foamy tape stuff that is used for sticking heavy things to walls and stuff. It's also made for outdoors, so I'm sure it will stay on tight.

BTW, I haven't used it yet, so this is all just a guess, it might not work very well.

[chedabob]

NO MORE NAILS :P

hmm, that gives me an interesting pc case idea (stick it to the underneath of my desk with no more nails :P)

[NamesAreUseless]

there is this acrylic solvent thatisnt sticky if u pour it on yyour hands its kinda watery but wen u put it on plexi it sorta melts the 2 peices together

[gobygoby]

there is this acrylic solvent thatisnt sticky if u pour it on yyour hands its kinda watery but wen u put it on plexi it sorta melts the 2 peices together

Yes, its called weld-on. It comes in different consistancies. For what we use it for (reservoirs) Weld-on 3-4 is fine. No need to go up to #16

[MitaPi]

I wonder how weld on works?? Thats kind of wierd...

[Razors Edge]

For attaching plexi to plexi go to a pet shop. They have special aquarium glue for fish tanks, its like basicley hot glue. Its a special kind when ur working with glasses and plexies. Its like 10 bucks.

[gobygoby]

I wonder how weld on works?? Thats kind of wierd...

its an acid and melts the acrylic. When it cures, it "welds" the acrylic back together. similar to metal welding. you basically create one piece out of two with a strong, but weaker joint.


For attaching plexi to plexi go to a pet shop. They have special aquarium glue for fish tanks, its like basicley hot glue. Its a special kind when ur working with glasses and plexies. Its like 10 bucks.

Its just silicone. They put an aquarium label on it and jack up the price. It is additive free and 100% silicone. You can get the same thing at Lowes for $2.50 a bottle.

It will glue acrylic together, but it is a very poor bond. And similar to hot glue, you can pull the joint apart VERY easy with silicone and acrylic. Use weld on, you'll be much happier.

[tybrenis]

Weld-On is simply a name brand. All you need is a solvent to "glue" your acrylic ("plexi").

There are numerous types and brands of solvents, but anything that will work for acrylic or polycarbonate will work fine. I actually use pure methylene chloride. Solvent gluing works like this:

You use a syringe or squeeze bottle with a needle to apply the solvent to your surfaces that need to be connected. The solvent will be about the consistancy of water, perhaps thinner. The solvent should flow along your joint, and began eating away at your acrylic, or similar plastic. The solvent "melts" the plastic that needs to be joined, and when it evaporates, you are left with, technially, one piece of acrylic.

With glues, they sit inbetween the surfaces and hold them together. With a solvent, it actually bonds their molecular structure together, forming one object.

[tybrenis]

For attaching plexi to plexi go to a pet shop. They have special aquarium glue for fish tanks, its like basicley hot glue. Its a special kind when ur working with glasses and plexies. Its like 10 bucks.

Thats a very bad idea, all that is is silicon. Silicon works fine for glass, but will not work for plexiglass (acrylic) very well at all. It will easily peel off, and you'll be lucky to get a good seal on it. Plus, its messy and ugly, solvent gluing provides a crystal clear finish if done correctly.