Plywood tank question

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Abruskin said:
I have heard the epoxies crack over time from brittleness though which makes it a hard decision


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Epoxy by itself is very brittle, and will likely crack in the corners first.

That's why you don't cheap out and just epoxy the bare wood. You use epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth. Just fiberglass the inside of the tank and be done with it instead of trying to cheap out and use pond armor or something like that. Fiberglass is more durable, easily repairable, and is the best choice in my opinion.

And fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin isn't going to cost very much more. The small amount of extra initial cost is well worth it down the road.
 
It's super easy to do. It's about like painting. You just paint the epoxy resin onto the wood. Then lay the fiberglass cloth on top of the epoxied wood. Then completely wet the cloth with more resin.

Once the cloth is completely wetted with resin, you use a fiberglass roller (the only special tool you'll need) to roll over the area to get out the air bubbles.

Then, you can:
-let it dry. Then sand. Then apply more resin coats.
-Let it not completely dry. Then apply more resin coats. (no sanding needed if the epoxy is in the "gel" state (not completely dry))

Seriously, an idiot could do it hahaha. And it's by far the best option out there. I'd seriously recommend checking into it. There's a ton of DIY fiberglass info out there.

Just make sure you get one of those $30 respirators made by 3M at a hardware store. Resin fumes are not good for your lungs. And if you fiberglass inside (garage, room, etc...) open a window and have a fan going. (Just some safety tips).
 
Abruskin said:
I think I'm gonna use the fiberglass in the corners and then cover the rest in redgard.. Does that sound like it would work?


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If you are going to fiberglass the corners and seams you will get the practice for the rest of the tank. Like mentioned earlier if you take your time and fully fiberglass it will be alot more durable and safe. Also if your going to put out the expense to build put a few more bucks and a few more hours into it and do it right the first time. It all comes down to what you want to do its your tank but if you read all the threads on here can you find any that leaked from day one that was fully fiberglassed? most fiberglass,top coat color of choice,fill and enjoy...
again just a suggestion its still your call.
 
I fully agree with what Ron said.

If you're going to spend the money to build one, spend the extra couple dollars to do it right. It'll be safer, more durable, and will last longer if fiberglassed.
 
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