Building a 620 gallon acrylic stingray tank

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
rdbrown;3466867; said:
Weldon makes 4 commonly used solvents/resins. Weldon #3 and #4 are both water thin.

I personally don't like #3 as it evaporates to quickly which means it doesn't soften the acrylic enough to give a good strong weld. I use #4 for all my joints.

#16 is a solvent with acrylic resin in it. It comes in a tube and reminds me of plastic model glue. It is used when you have a joint that is uneven. It doesn't soften the acrylic much, so although it may appear to make a good joint, it is a weak joint. I only use #16 to fix problems such as a small pinhole leak.

#40 is a two part acrylic resin. This is basically the ingredients to make acrylic. I is recommended to use this when welding acrylic thicker then 1/2" or can be used to fill holes, etc. My experience in using this is it is very hard to use. You must mix it and wait just until it sets(it gets very hot) then use it otherwise you must use clamps and hold them for a very long time.

The secret to getting clean bubble free joints using weldon #4 is the finish on the edge. When you cut acrylic on a saw even though it may look very clean, it has an uneven surface. The best and easiest way to fix this is with a jointer, our a router using it like a jointer to finish the edge.





I am not sure what brand it is. I purchased it new on ebay and it came in unmarked packaging. It seems to be pretty good quality.
Click to expand...
#14 is the stuff I was thinking about, in a tube...
So #4 is the dope huh?...I'll have to give that a try...thanks ~Ben
 
Awesome man, acrylic tanks are almost non existent down my way. Wanna come down and build me one ;)
Seriously though, great skills.
Hope to see finished shots soon:drool:
 
Wow... How much did it cost? If you put that up i missed it and im sorry (also if youd ont feel comfortable answering please dont, and sorry for asking)...
 
wow congrats, im only hoping that the one i will make will turn out as incredible as yours!
 
Where did you get the acrylic? How much $$ too may I ask?
 
stunning!!!!!

I need one of those!
 
This is awsome! I never knew you could weld it together instead of silicone it. It makes sense, I just never thought of it and this is the first time I've seen anyone mention it. That must make the process much faster since you don't have to wait for it to cure. Is it very difficult to do?
 
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