First off I would like to thank all who helped me along the way especially Joey02 and Fishdog. Without all of the help I never would have attempted such a large project.
I have very few carpentry type skills and cannot guarentee what your finished results might be. This is for information only.
Enjoy.
First, decide what size tank you want. I went with acrylic mostly because of weight.
Research what thickness of acrylic you need.
Many people agree you must go with cast only.
It is recommended to build a small tank first to understand more about the process.
My tank dimentions are 6'x4'x24" and I went with 1/2" cast acrylic.
Locate several acrylic dealers and find out who can do precision cuts then shop for price.
I had my acrylic sheets cut to the dimentions needed before starting.
Be sure to measure the sheets!!! Mine were off which would have left a 1/4" gap...not gonna fill that in with weld on! Not to mention 2 cuts were off by almost a foot! Make sure they are within 1/8th of an inch and square. Those dealers that make precision cuts can do this easily. They have CNC machines.
As you can see, 1 sheet already has cut outs for the lids. I did this myself for cost savings. ** I left 8" of acrylic around all edges, and 8" for the center brace for strength.
View attachment 690569
I drew the cut outs for the lids (using a full sheet for the lid to evenly distribute the force being applied to the filled tank). This adds alot of cost (1 extra sheet of 1/2"). Some people go with 1/2" strips for top braces also. Either way works. Personal preferance.
Using a drill bit for starter holes I cut out the lids with a jig saw (use water as cutting to prevent the acrylic from melting). I didn't cut very straight , so I cleaned it up with a router.
Next I cleaned up the edges of the side panels. The smoother the finish the better it bonds together. I used a straight edge and a router with a 3 flute bit. Take the lightest cuts possible. If the cuts are too deep the finish suffers and the acrylic starts to melt. A router table would work much better than what I did (aka diy red neck).
There are different ways to smooth these edges. So study what works right for you. Remember, these side panels are what the top and bottom sit on, so each cut must be even and square or it will cause migranes later.
Next, I cut out the holes for the over flow and return. Where these holes are cut is up to each individual. Using water prevents the acrylic from melting. I cut from both sides and meet in the middle to prevent break out.
Many people do this next part differently. Some weld the sides to the lid first. I did not as I wanted to be sure my bottom and side panels were as perfect as possible. This ment flipping the tank onto saw horses for access to bond the lid.
For this part, having the tank on a level table, using clamps and jigs to be sure all sides are straight, and even is recommended. I did it on the floor with duct tape...once again, red neck and sore back.
Using a feeler gauge on the entire bottom edge I made sure there are no gaps. To correct gaps, I used wooden shims.
I used weld on. I welded the bottom first, let it cure at least 12 hours, flipped it on the side (use feeler gauges) I did the same, other side, then upside down for the lid. letting the weld cure 12 hours each time. **Remove any tape from the side being bonded or it may be bonded to the surface.
I noticed my corners were not perfect when I set the lid on top. Using a hand sander, I used 220 grit paper and smoothed the corners to where they were even (one of the reasons I did the bottom first).
When applying the weld on ( I used weld-on 4 and then 12 to seal it all at the end) I had someone shine a flash light so I could see the solvent getting sucked into the gap. When I saw air bubbles that I couldn't fix from the inside, I went to the outside to try to fill it in with solvent. * If too much solvent is applied, it will run over the edge and cause the acrylic to stick to whatever it is touching...not good.
I bought pieces of 1/2" acrylic cut 1"wx 6"l (these were not cast money savings). I also welded these in for strength in the corners and along the middle. These can be used to strengthen and seal anywhere there are bubbles in the seam.
Finally I went over all the seams with weld on 12 which is the consistancy of rubber cement. This must be applied slowly to prevent air bubbles. I flipped the tank and let each side cure 8 hours. (almost like a silicone seal for the inside, a little extra peace of mind)
Finally, I made my lids. Using the acryilc I cut out of the top. 1/2" thick, so maybe a little heavy in the long run.
I bought 2" strips of black acrylic, cut it to the dimentions I wanted, and bonded it with weld on.
With proper tools, this would have been much easier but it can be done with basic tools and some hard work.
View attachment 690592
I have very few carpentry type skills and cannot guarentee what your finished results might be. This is for information only.
Enjoy.
First, decide what size tank you want. I went with acrylic mostly because of weight.
Research what thickness of acrylic you need.
Many people agree you must go with cast only.
It is recommended to build a small tank first to understand more about the process.
My tank dimentions are 6'x4'x24" and I went with 1/2" cast acrylic.
Locate several acrylic dealers and find out who can do precision cuts then shop for price.
I had my acrylic sheets cut to the dimentions needed before starting.
Be sure to measure the sheets!!! Mine were off which would have left a 1/4" gap...not gonna fill that in with weld on! Not to mention 2 cuts were off by almost a foot! Make sure they are within 1/8th of an inch and square. Those dealers that make precision cuts can do this easily. They have CNC machines.
As you can see, 1 sheet already has cut outs for the lids. I did this myself for cost savings. ** I left 8" of acrylic around all edges, and 8" for the center brace for strength.
View attachment 690569
I drew the cut outs for the lids (using a full sheet for the lid to evenly distribute the force being applied to the filled tank). This adds alot of cost (1 extra sheet of 1/2"). Some people go with 1/2" strips for top braces also. Either way works. Personal preferance.
Using a drill bit for starter holes I cut out the lids with a jig saw (use water as cutting to prevent the acrylic from melting). I didn't cut very straight , so I cleaned it up with a router.
Next I cleaned up the edges of the side panels. The smoother the finish the better it bonds together. I used a straight edge and a router with a 3 flute bit. Take the lightest cuts possible. If the cuts are too deep the finish suffers and the acrylic starts to melt. A router table would work much better than what I did (aka diy red neck).
There are different ways to smooth these edges. So study what works right for you. Remember, these side panels are what the top and bottom sit on, so each cut must be even and square or it will cause migranes later.Next, I cut out the holes for the over flow and return. Where these holes are cut is up to each individual. Using water prevents the acrylic from melting. I cut from both sides and meet in the middle to prevent break out.
Many people do this next part differently. Some weld the sides to the lid first. I did not as I wanted to be sure my bottom and side panels were as perfect as possible. This ment flipping the tank onto saw horses for access to bond the lid.
For this part, having the tank on a level table, using clamps and jigs to be sure all sides are straight, and even is recommended. I did it on the floor with duct tape...once again, red neck and sore back.
Using a feeler gauge on the entire bottom edge I made sure there are no gaps. To correct gaps, I used wooden shims.
I used weld on. I welded the bottom first, let it cure at least 12 hours, flipped it on the side (use feeler gauges) I did the same, other side, then upside down for the lid. letting the weld cure 12 hours each time. **Remove any tape from the side being bonded or it may be bonded to the surface.
I noticed my corners were not perfect when I set the lid on top. Using a hand sander, I used 220 grit paper and smoothed the corners to where they were even (one of the reasons I did the bottom first).
When applying the weld on ( I used weld-on 4 and then 12 to seal it all at the end) I had someone shine a flash light so I could see the solvent getting sucked into the gap. When I saw air bubbles that I couldn't fix from the inside, I went to the outside to try to fill it in with solvent. * If too much solvent is applied, it will run over the edge and cause the acrylic to stick to whatever it is touching...not good.
I bought pieces of 1/2" acrylic cut 1"wx 6"l (these were not cast money savings). I also welded these in for strength in the corners and along the middle. These can be used to strengthen and seal anywhere there are bubbles in the seam.
Finally I went over all the seams with weld on 12 which is the consistancy of rubber cement. This must be applied slowly to prevent air bubbles. I flipped the tank and let each side cure 8 hours. (almost like a silicone seal for the inside, a little extra peace of mind)
Finally, I made my lids. Using the acryilc I cut out of the top. 1/2" thick, so maybe a little heavy in the long run.
I bought 2" strips of black acrylic, cut it to the dimentions I wanted, and bonded it with weld on.
With proper tools, this would have been much easier but it can be done with basic tools and some hard work.
View attachment 690592
