would 1" plate glass be secure enough for a plywood build, roughly 8' long x 4' wide x 3' tall. i am looking to be completely secure in this decision, i do not like leaks or waterfalls in my house. lol any input would be great thanks guys!!!
thick enough???
- Thread starter hardwood07
- Start date
I doubt that even 1/2 is going to give you an issue.
The weak spot - from what I'm reading, wouldn't be the glass, even if it were like 3/8s.
The weak spot in sealing and structure would be your issue.
At 3ft tall, it's evidently MORE than double the pressure than at 2ft tall.
So the base of your tank is ongoing some real science and physics just to hold the water in.
1" glass is more than enough.
1/2 would probably be fine too from what I"m seeing. You'd have to hit the glass REALLY REALLY hard to break it.
Trust me, I took apart a 1/2" tank yesterday (so I can use it's glass). Guitar string, fishing string, razor blades, NOTHING - would fit between the glass panels they were pushed together so tight.
So I broke the bottom of the tank and the rest of the silicone gave away. In order to break the bottom of the tank - I basically had to throw a 20lb weight against it as hard as I could. and it still didn't shatter, just cracked.
^That being said, unless you want to just spend the money. But I think you could probably put the money elsewhere in the tank to secure it (you'll need to at 3ft tall). Then size your glass down to 3/4 or 1/2 to save.
The weak spot - from what I'm reading, wouldn't be the glass, even if it were like 3/8s.
The weak spot in sealing and structure would be your issue.
At 3ft tall, it's evidently MORE than double the pressure than at 2ft tall.
So the base of your tank is ongoing some real science and physics just to hold the water in.
1" glass is more than enough.
1/2 would probably be fine too from what I"m seeing. You'd have to hit the glass REALLY REALLY hard to break it.
Trust me, I took apart a 1/2" tank yesterday (so I can use it's glass). Guitar string, fishing string, razor blades, NOTHING - would fit between the glass panels they were pushed together so tight.
So I broke the bottom of the tank and the rest of the silicone gave away. In order to break the bottom of the tank - I basically had to throw a 20lb weight against it as hard as I could. and it still didn't shatter, just cracked.
^That being said, unless you want to just spend the money. But I think you could probably put the money elsewhere in the tank to secure it (you'll need to at 3ft tall). Then size your glass down to 3/4 or 1/2 to save.
thanks chris.... i am going with a minimum of 3/4 just for piece of mind. my 125 was made of 5/8" and the panel i have on my 350 is 3/4". there is no doubt in the structural integrity of my builds... thanks for the input bro. as far as sealing the tank... all of my builds sport seams reinforced with poured fiberglass resin. and as far as wood goes that is as close as you can get to a weld. so all of the interior corners are actually a 22.5 degree turn. and than i coat with pond armor or devoe 233H epoxy paint. as chevy says "like a rock" thanks again chris..... any other input would be greatly appreciated, not to shoot you down but 2 heads are better than 1
3/4" in a standard structure would be inadequate (safety factor = 2.6.) If you go with 3/4", then be sure to provide adequate reinforcement to reduce deflection. Since you've got experience, I'm sure it will have the support it needs to work.
i guess i may just go for the 1" and end it. i want the veiwing panel to be a large as possible so i dont really want to build the lip out to high or wide that the glass rests against. thanks guys
Bong on here has a 48" tall that is 1/2" and he has had it setup for some time now with no issues.
3/4" float not good enough for a 36" plywood build? Hmmm, you sure about that?
Don't forget, the glass won't go to the bottom of the tank and the water won't be up to the very top either. 36" ends up being more like 28". Using the full 36" in a calculator made for all glass tanks is misleading at best. Mostly, it's wrong. 1/2" is plenty, 3/4" is overbuilt (a good thing IMO). 1" is starting to get a little crazy with it.
Looking forward to your build, hardwood. Loving the dimensions!
Don't forget, the glass won't go to the bottom of the tank and the water won't be up to the very top either. 36" ends up being more like 28". Using the full 36" in a calculator made for all glass tanks is misleading at best. Mostly, it's wrong. 1/2" is plenty, 3/4" is overbuilt (a good thing IMO). 1" is starting to get a little crazy with it.
Looking forward to your build, hardwood. Loving the dimensions!
well i am going to pick up the two glass panels for a smaller tank build i am almost done with. while i am there i am going to get some quotes on a few rough measurements of glass panels, 90" x 36" and 92" x 36" both in 3/4" . place i use is pretty cheap usually so lets see what they come up with.
if i did a build with rough measurement as listed in the original post ( 8'x4'x3' ) would 3/4" glass still be thick enough if i made it entirely of glass with only a plywood bottom ? maybe i will get some prices for all 4 pieces just to have an idea in the event that i go that route.
