I am building a plywood tank with an acrylic front... i just need to laminate 2 pieces together and thats all... no full on tank...
Help with acrylic please???????
- Thread starter hurricane_redbone
- Start date
OK that's better...mb_barton;724441; said:
the way I'd do the lamination is to start on a very flat surface...
to prepare the surfaces, make sure to use a clean lint-free cloth.
I used this product for the cement:
http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=131&
Lay the top sheet over the cemented surface of the bottom sheet then weight with plywood and allow to dry...
This is really a simple task, compared to building the entire tank of acrylic...
Id I do this will it be just as clear as normal? I dont want it to make vision into the tank blurry. and Also will it be just as strong as a solid 16mm sheet?
It will be a challenge, but it can be done. The trick to not getting air bubbles is to give the air a way to escape. If you just drop one piece onto the other, you will be guaranteed a ton of air bubbles. The only way to make sure you don't get bubbles in it will take two things.
1. Use way too much glue or solvent. If you use glue, it will dry fast and quickly skin over if you take too much time. Also just pour the glue on.
2. Using three or four people...have two people holding two opposing ends so that the middle sags down. The third (and/or fourth) person should guide the sheet to the other and work the glue out to the edges as the first two people slowly lower the ends. The sheets should be started in the middle so that the air and extra glue can be pressed out. There is no second chances. If the sheets are separated after the glue has been spread to both surfaces, the air bubbles will not work out. Additionally, if there are air bubbles suspended in the glue, they will be difficult to work out.
1. Use way too much glue or solvent. If you use glue, it will dry fast and quickly skin over if you take too much time. Also just pour the glue on.
2. Using three or four people...have two people holding two opposing ends so that the middle sags down. The third (and/or fourth) person should guide the sheet to the other and work the glue out to the edges as the first two people slowly lower the ends. The sheets should be started in the middle so that the air and extra glue can be pressed out. There is no second chances. If the sheets are separated after the glue has been spread to both surfaces, the air bubbles will not work out. Additionally, if there are air bubbles suspended in the glue, they will be difficult to work out.
