HELP!!!! I JUST CRACKED MY NEW TANK!!!!!!

[Camshaft Ramrod]

With weld on, the higher the number, the thicker the liquid, I believe. When it comes to weld on, I stick with either #4 or #16. 16 is easy to work with and what I would suggest using for this job since it's thicker and less messier for a noob. But be careful, if you do it wrong, you could have alot of little bubbles between the two pieces using thicker weldon. Wich isnt really a problem with what your doing. it would be more of an eyesoar problem. With #4, it's alot soupier, so you can get a nice clean looking seal. It's what you would use if your building a tank and putting together the pieces, so the edges look smooth. But #4 is a little harder to work with. Especially if you've never attempted using weld on. But I've used #16 to repair tanks and to build them, so either way, your good.

Look up Plastic and/or acrylic in your are on google maps and start calling. I get a tube for like 4 bucks by me.

If you want, I can post up some picks of patch jobs and stuff I've built with weldon. The stuff is awesome.

edit/ lol, pacu mom. Is that acrylic in the shape of a fish? Nice patch job.

 

[dopeydiveruk]

you could try fibreglassing (gelcoating) the area over and around the crack or the entire bottom. test fill it and leave a couple of days for the chemicals to leach out, drain and refill

 

[pacu mom]

you could try fibreglassing (gelcoating) the area over and around the crack or the entire bottom. test fill it and leave a couple of days for the chemicals to leach out, drain and refill

Why would you fiberglass an acylic tank?

 

[mrwinkle]

Thanks for the help guys I will try to get some pics by getting i my tank and taking them, i will post later on today. I have been look at others crack tanks in the Forum and man some make mine seem like child's play compared to mine. Thanks again pacu mom, mine is in the exact same spot only radiates out a little longer. What size (thickness) acrylic did you use for you patch job and what type (#) of weld on did you guys use?

 

[pacu mom]

The tank builder sent it to us. Acrylic is 1/2 inch. Don't know about the weld, as he sent it to us. He said as long as the crack did go under the overflow box, it was repairable. (we sent him pics of the crack).

I had very poor communication with the salesman for our new tank. My understanding was the back of the tank would be made from two pieces of acylic. I did not read the fine print on the order form, and it turns out the back, top and floor are made of joined pieces of acrylic. Ugh! Very ugly for a bare floor tank.

Anyway, they can do all kinds of things with acrylic, including joining two pieces to make the floor, so I guess a crack is nothing...

 

[mrwinkle]

Naw its not under the overflow thank goodness

 

[mrwinkle]

does my patch have to be the same thickness as the bottom of my tank or can i go to homedepot and buy a thinner piece since it is on the bottom?

 

[BODYDUB]

Don't tank a chance on filling it up without repairing it. I would replace the plane completely. Just give yourself a week or two to calm down........

 

[Camshaft Ramrod]

does my patch have to be the same thickness as the bottom of my tank or can i go to homedepot and buy a thinner piece since it is on the bottom?

It doesn't have to be equal thickness, but you definitely want it thick, not that thin HD stuff. Think about it, that peace that is going over the crack isnt just to seal it, but reinforce it so it doesnt get any worse. I would go with at least 1/2 an inch. If your worried about price, do what I said about finding an acrylic shop on google and go to it at night. Look in the dumpster, or scrap bin behind the shop. Most places will have a bunch of throw aways, witch would work perfect. I've gotten literally thousands of dollars worth of acrylic for free that way. Over 700 square feet in one trip, one time..."no I didn't steal it"...

 

[mrwinkle]

thanks camshaft excellent idea!!!!