Acrylic Aquarium Repair & Buffing - 250Gal Example

Tongue33

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Feb 11, 2006
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Repairing My 250 Acrylic..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well

I DIY'd my repairs on my newest addition to the tank family. MY 250 I repaired with the advice of a Leading and tenured acrylic frabrication company.. here in Utah
And an Extra Special Thanks to MY Beautiful Wife Marissa for her patience and help in this project :) She's done most the work on the stand ...:) You remeber her:D

Also a special thanks to Oddball and Rallysman for their knowledge and experience!! ANd answering their PM's :)

At first the task was said to be not worth it and that I should just replace the tank? Now it is almost ready to enter the house. It holds water beautifully and is in the finishing stages ..

Process

1- I used weld on #3 to pull the separation of the front bottom and walls together.

2-I then did it again and again.. Like 3 days of this ..

3-Cut my patches (to cover the cracks that I fixed as well as the separation just incase.)

4-I mixed up the Weldon #40 as Directed

5- I finished filling with Weldon 40 the separation

6-I immediately added a nice coat of Weldon 40 to about 4? of the bottom, thus covering the base and the bottom of the face wall..

7-Immediately after.. I placed the first patch.

8-then completed step 6 on other half of face..

9-Completed step 8 for other half..

10-Placed to small patches on both sides to act as a 3 corner brace for the front (just in case)

11-let dry and then sanded down to flush

12-1.5 days later I filled it.

13-a week later (this morning) I drained it..

Now I am going to refinish it and build my stand and filter system :)

The Lead tech at of the acrylic company approved with amazing delight when I told him how I would perform this. And said it would be as strong as if it were new or stronger.. His main concern was vanity :) .. But after I explained my full plan and that the patches would either be barely or not visible at all ? He then was overly excited in telling me it would work:)

Sorry no Pictures as it was my first time and I was not really thinking .. Plus when working with Weldon # 40 you do not have more than a couple of seconds to get it done and get it done RIGHT!! So written will have to do :)

Next phase in next DIY will be my experience for the next couple days of wet sand and polishing scratches out :) they are not an issue but I don?t want to take any chances where pictures are concerned :) I would be very angry if it was cause I didn?t take the time to finish everything before moving this awesome tank into my house and placing my Monsters in it :D

Joey G.

P.S. I almost blew myself up with the weldon!! Do not I REPEAT DO NOT MIX IT WITH WELDON #3 :ROFL:


DIY Repairs and refinish of acrylic tank 9/13/2006

Well today I did all the WET SANDING

Tools

>Wet/Dry sand Paper 1000/2500 or higher grit

>Rag for wipe rinsing or Ring rinse

>Small pale of water

>An hour or 3 depending on how much sanding you?ll be doing..

1-I got a 2 or 3 gallon bucket of water and utilized as well the water that was still in the bottom of the tank..

2-Dropped a 1000 grit and a 2500 grit in the water and let sit ..

3-After a few minutes I wet the inside face of the tank down and started with the 1000 grit

4-Sand section Rinse?. Sand? Rinse sand rinse? Suggestion.. As to make buffing easier and less swirl scratching sand back and forth.. Not wax on and off?

5-It is good to have a rag in your bucket for rinsing purposes.

6-completed with the 1000

7-Went over in the same process with the 2500 grit

8-Buffed a small area to see how well it worked

09/13/2006

Tomorrows chore BUFFING ACRYLIC

Buffing acrylic?

Completed 09/19/2006

Tools..

>Buffing kit from acrylic co.
-Comes with compound.

>Drill

>Arbor for buffing kit

>Time and Patience!!

>Research!!

Well this took me around 4 total days to complete. And I?ll tell you what.. I now dislike compound and refuse to use it again til I see it done by a pro?

I started and within 5 minutes I decided I was going to give it a whirl without the compound to a point as I changed the color of my tank? LOL .

Anyway if you haven?t done this the key seems to be ? Keep the wheel moving or you?ll get to re-sand areas !! Acrylic melts under even cotton wheel !!!

I started at one side of the face of my tank and worked my way to the other side.. This was done in all manner of motion. I have a limited attention span and not only get a little antsy but angry when I have to take more time than what ?I? think to complete something.. But mainly I went in an up and down motion or a circular motion with wheel turning against or with the sanding scratches not cross ways as such +? I don?t remember now and a couple of times it could have went one way or the other? I would suggest going one way the hole time.. I believe the best results are with the drill in ?forward?. I worked my way in squares.. DO NOT USE ANYTHING FASTER THAN A DRILL with this kit... I got 2 bad little deals within 2 seconds of hooking up the cotton wheel to my grinder ... As stated below.

I ended up with two blemishes that I was unwilling to go back over.. Looks pretty good to me. And the tank was mighty clear when I filled it before I buffed it. So it should look awesome when I get it filled.

Here are pics in order somewhat :)


In the beginning /Before Pics














After
Brace For extra support


Cover patch






Before buffing







After buffing





Picture for clarity of tank after filling :)



So what do ya think ?


Joey G.
 

eh1421

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Dec 14, 2005
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*indiana*
nice read and great work saving the tank bro
mike
 

Tongue33

Feeder Fish
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Feb 11, 2006
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www.davescichlids.com
Thanks !1 This has been probably the most researched thing i've done in the hobby well the most detailed :)
 

Gr8KarmaSF

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Jul 23, 2005
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Quarantine Tank
SWEET!!!

very inspiring...
 

Tongue33

Feeder Fish
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Feb 11, 2006
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www.davescichlids.com
Thanks for all your Help Oddball!!! Your a PIMP!!
 

RadleyMiller

Feeder Fish
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Aug 15, 2006
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Congrats! Great job, what's going in the tank?
 

Carg R

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May 7, 2006
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Very well done Joey, I need to come over and see it in person.

And look, your diy is a sticky!!!
 
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