if you have followed my posts I showed a few acrylic aquariums that I have built. Now those tanks were cut using a computerized wet tile saw for granite countertops. It cuts with extreme precision to the point where the edges required no preparation for glueing. Now I understand this Equipment is not accessible to everybody. Thus I took a few old sheets of spare 1/2” acrylic and used everyday accessible tools to show how to build an acrylic aquarium. Some parts I missed taking pictures of but I will explain the entire process.
First I started by cutting the acrylic. To cut the acrylic I used a skill saw/circular saw with a 80TCT blade and a rip cutting guide. I used the kreg rip cut. I adjusted the guide to account for the blade width so every cut was exactly the size I wanted it to be. From there I reduced each piece using a handheld router with a flush cut bit. I started with the two end panels. In order for this to work an assumption needed to be made. I would have to assume either the factory cut edge or my skill saw cut edge was perfectly straight. Not square, but straight. I chose to go with the factory cut edge. From there I marked the front or back panel to the height I want the tank using a square. I then used the factory cut edge of the other sheet as a guide for the router with the flush cut bit. This provides two parallel edges. Once that sheet was cut I then alligned the two factory cut edges of both sheets and made the other one identical in size to the first one, again using the flush cut bit. From there i did the side panels. Started off by placing the factory cut edge of one of the sides flush with the factory edge of the front or back panel. I then routered this side panel to match the height of the front and back panel. Repeat with the other side panel. From there I used a square and the factory edge to create one square side. I then routered the edge flush using any straight edge from another sheet and the marked line from the square. Repeat with the other side of the panel. Do the same with the other side piece but only square off the one edge. place the two side pieces together, align them based off of the manufactured edge and the squared off edge then cut the pieces flush with each other using the router. You should only need to correct one edge on one panel. At this point the front, back, and side panels are finished. The router should allow for a gluable prepared edge. As for the top and bottom. Reduce the sizes down to the size of the tank. I allow a little excess in all directions. To cut out the lid there is multiple ways. You could use a jig saw, skill saw, router. I chose to go with a router. Here I used a drill to mark out each corner of the lid opening. Then insert the router and go from one corner to the other. After the holes were cut out I cleaned up the edges (as I did not use a guide) with the flush cut bit and a straight edge. At this point the paper on the tank can be removed and the tank can be glued.
Now here is a breakdown of everything used and the cost to buy it all new (CDN$$)
Work table-$50 for an 8x4. I went with an 8x2 as I made a 4x2 and 2 8x2 tanks
Router-$200 for a good one
Flush cut bit-$30 don’t skimp
Skill saw-$60 doesn’t need to be great, edges are cleaned with router
Rip cut guide-$50
Clamps-$10-20 each, at least 6
Weldon 4 quart-$9
Weldon applicator bottle or syringe with needle-$5
Square-$20
Material-up to you
Important notes
-make all cuts outside. Very messy material.
-don’t be afraid if you feel a weak shock while routering, the acrylic becomes heavily static when cut with a router
-wear both safety goggles and a mask. Acrylic dust can’t be good for the lungs. If you smoke, you can ignore the mask
First I started by cutting the acrylic. To cut the acrylic I used a skill saw/circular saw with a 80TCT blade and a rip cutting guide. I used the kreg rip cut. I adjusted the guide to account for the blade width so every cut was exactly the size I wanted it to be. From there I reduced each piece using a handheld router with a flush cut bit. I started with the two end panels. In order for this to work an assumption needed to be made. I would have to assume either the factory cut edge or my skill saw cut edge was perfectly straight. Not square, but straight. I chose to go with the factory cut edge. From there I marked the front or back panel to the height I want the tank using a square. I then used the factory cut edge of the other sheet as a guide for the router with the flush cut bit. This provides two parallel edges. Once that sheet was cut I then alligned the two factory cut edges of both sheets and made the other one identical in size to the first one, again using the flush cut bit. From there i did the side panels. Started off by placing the factory cut edge of one of the sides flush with the factory edge of the front or back panel. I then routered this side panel to match the height of the front and back panel. Repeat with the other side panel. From there I used a square and the factory edge to create one square side. I then routered the edge flush using any straight edge from another sheet and the marked line from the square. Repeat with the other side of the panel. Do the same with the other side piece but only square off the one edge. place the two side pieces together, align them based off of the manufactured edge and the squared off edge then cut the pieces flush with each other using the router. You should only need to correct one edge on one panel. At this point the front, back, and side panels are finished. The router should allow for a gluable prepared edge. As for the top and bottom. Reduce the sizes down to the size of the tank. I allow a little excess in all directions. To cut out the lid there is multiple ways. You could use a jig saw, skill saw, router. I chose to go with a router. Here I used a drill to mark out each corner of the lid opening. Then insert the router and go from one corner to the other. After the holes were cut out I cleaned up the edges (as I did not use a guide) with the flush cut bit and a straight edge. At this point the paper on the tank can be removed and the tank can be glued.
Now here is a breakdown of everything used and the cost to buy it all new (CDN$$)
Work table-$50 for an 8x4. I went with an 8x2 as I made a 4x2 and 2 8x2 tanks
Router-$200 for a good one
Flush cut bit-$30 don’t skimp
Skill saw-$60 doesn’t need to be great, edges are cleaned with router
Rip cut guide-$50
Clamps-$10-20 each, at least 6
Weldon 4 quart-$9
Weldon applicator bottle or syringe with needle-$5
Square-$20
Material-up to you
Important notes
-make all cuts outside. Very messy material.
-don’t be afraid if you feel a weak shock while routering, the acrylic becomes heavily static when cut with a router
-wear both safety goggles and a mask. Acrylic dust can’t be good for the lungs. If you smoke, you can ignore the mask
