How bad are bubbles in acrylic seams?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
20150207_135623.jpg I do notice some small bubbles along the edges of some seams today, but for the most part I just have these lines.

20150207_135623.jpg
 
But what I'm not understanding is that the bonds that are created from the solvents all have a psi rating. Wouldn't that indicate the strength of the bond no matter what type of bond it is?
 
The choice is yours to make. I just don't want to see a thread in 12 months about a blowout.
 
I think I'm going to go with triangle rod pressed in with weld on 16, but I will known for sure on Monday.
 
Thank you. If I can find weld on 40 locally then I will go that route, but if not I will go the other way. I'm sure either way it will be more than enough to support the tank
 
davis101 said:
I think I'm going to go with triangle rod pressed in with weld on 16, but I will known for sure on Monday.
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Worst option to take imo...#16 is one of the weakest glues weld on offers. Its actually #4 with acrylic melted into it for thickness. Its very brittle and full of bubbles when dry. I did a tank with square rod and #16, it failed a couple yrs later. Save ur self the trouble and use #40 as its very user friendly for repairs and very strong. Sure its possible to use #4 and square/triangle rod if ur good... but id guess ud do more damage creating air pockets everywhere underneath the rod. I consider #16 craft glue or model glue lol...its for quick cheap fixes you dont intend on lasting long. #4 is intended for 1/4"-1/2" material, it also works best at a normal butt joint. Each # weld on glue has their own purpose for acrylic work. For a novice and even expert #40 is the best glue to construct acrylic tanks with thicker material and repair them. #40 is basically liquid acrylic and will improve the quality/longevity of your tank.. even for $100 to get it shipped to you, its worth every penny. I recommend using #40 and triangle/square rod if you insist on the rod. Its not necessary as the #40 tip and poured will reinforce the tank alone... but the use of rod can save $$$ on the #40 if you cant find it cheaper. There are no "quick fixes" in this scenario... be patinet, aquire the proper materials and do it right the first time. Sand down the areas you work on well, clean with nail polish remover and or alcohol and glue...I assure u your efforts with #16 will come back to haunt you down the road. I used #16 for years before i knew any better...spent twice as many years re-repairing my old mistakes/work with #40....

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davis101 said:
View attachment 1057694 I do notice some small bubbles along the edges of some seams today, but for the most part I just have these lines.
Click to expand...

That white area is seam seperation....first step is use weld on #4 (the watery glue applied with a needle syringe). Shoot it in that area inside and out to try and salvage any adhesion you can in the open pockets. Second step is use #40 and or rod to glue a new seam on the inside of the tank. Patches on the outside with #40 can also be used worst case scenario if the inside repairs fail.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
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