First plywood tank build

wednesday13

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2008
4,279
3,933
1,629
The deep south
What are your plans for attaching the acrylic sheet? I don't think you can use silicone. Screws? A flange of some type? I don't know if I've ever seen a plywood/acrylic build.

I have come into possession of a sheet of 1/2-inch acrylic that I am thinking about using somehow...

I summon thee, Acrylic Man! wednesday13 wednesday13 :)
Plausible… Ive made 2 pond liner tanks with acrylic windows which is a worse bond than acrylic to pond armor. 1 bolted, 1 un bolted. I do not recommend using regular silicone tho. For starters the acrylic needs sanded with a decent grit to help the poor adhesion of acrylic to silicone. The best silicone for acrylic is Hutton Products Gold Label aquarium and pond sealer. Its expensive and hard to get in the U.S. but its worth every penny around $17-22+ a tube. My #2 is 3m 5200, a bit cheaper but a bit less bonding. I lightly bolted in the window with 3m5200. In both cases the silicone is more of a gasket so a generous, generous amount in needed. Seal in between the glass, the inside of the tank to the glass and also the outside of the tank to the glass. Most people skimp here and only do between the glass. I used 12 tubes for my unbolted window 8’x30”.
John, that new silicone u recently found/used should be similiar to Gold Label or 3m5200 💀🤙… If it adheres well to pond liner it should b able to do an acrylic window as well.
 

jjohnwm

Sausage Finger Spam Slayer
MFK Member
Mar 29, 2019
3,785
9,244
164
Manitoba, Canada
John, that new silicone u recently found/used should be similiar to Gold Label or 3m5200 💀🤙… If it adheres well to pond liner it should b able to do an acrylic window as well.
You read my mind! :) That's exactly what I was thinking...

Oooh! Do you smell that? Burning insulation! That means I'm getting an idea...:)
 

wednesday13

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2008
4,279
3,933
1,629
The deep south
What are your plans for attaching the acrylic sheet? I don't think you can use silicone. Screws? A flange of some type? I don't know if I've ever seen a plywood/acrylic build.

I have come into possession of a sheet of 1/2-inch acrylic that I am thinking about using somehow...

I summon thee, Acrylic Man! wednesday13 wednesday13 :)
Theres an old school thread on here somewhere where a guy used “sanitred” a liquid rubber type paint/sealer. He sunk the window in flush and pretty much just used the paint to seal the window in. Many ways to skin the cat as always. It did require a special primer for the paint also sold by sanitred. He also used reg silicone to no avail before the rubber paint sealed the deal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey

wednesday13

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2008
4,279
3,933
1,629
The deep south
You read my mind! :) That's exactly what I was thinking...

Oooh! Do you smell that? Burning insulation! That means I'm getting an idea...:)
Send it my friend 💀🤙 lol… 1/2” will hold well at ur regular 24” heights with minimal to no bowing even at an 8’ span… if ur feelin froggy it will hold 36” height fine with a front center brace to cut the spans to 4’.
 

jjohnwm

Sausage Finger Spam Slayer
MFK Member
Mar 29, 2019
3,785
9,244
164
Manitoba, Canada
Send it my friend 💀🤙 lol… 1/2” will hold well at ur regular 24” heights with minimal to no bowing even at an 8’ span… if ur feelin froggy it will hold 36” height fine with a front center brace to cut the spans to 4’.
If I proceed, it'll just be my typical 4x2x2 size, since the acrylic is only 46 inches wide.

It'll be what my wife refers to as my "signature ugly-box build". :)
 

wednesday13

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2008
4,279
3,933
1,629
The deep south
If I proceed, it'll just be my typical 4x2x2 size, since the acrylic is only 46 inches wide.

It'll be what my wife refers to as my "signature ugly-box build". :)
perfect then really… 1/2” wont bow at all at that size. I would’t bolt it either if ur ugly boxes have a snug top trim.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store