How hard is it to build a tank? If you already have the glass cut to size, is there any special glue to piece it together with, or is it just the silicone? Also, does all the pieces need to be clamped in place, or do you just build it in a jig, such as a wood base with sides to keep all the sides perfectly vertical, glue the pieces in and let it sit til cured?
How hard is it....
- Thread starter Lonewolfblue
- Start date
put the base down, apply silicone generously where the pannels will cometogether and fold together, adjust with a framing square and hold in plasce with a GOOD masking tape.
press the panes together hard enough that the silicone oozes out but not hard enough that it all oozes out, and once its presed together dont let it go, air might get into the seam. once all the pannels are up and taper inplace you can apply a bit more silicone on the inside and smooth the inside seam out into a nice V although the silicone inbetween the glass where the glass meets has more to do with the strength and water retention of the tank then the inside seal. but this never stops me from maskin off the unside and sothing it out anyway, then lifting off the masking tape to reveil a nice straight seam...
i do use clamps and lightly clamp the tank intoplace then apply tape to hold it together but you dont have to.
all you need is silicone no other glues, GE I or GE II(without bioseal) work realy well, its the same as the allglass stuff the lfs's carry.
then you let the tank sit for a week, and no shorter then 3 days. test fill, empty place and enjoy.
press the panes together hard enough that the silicone oozes out but not hard enough that it all oozes out, and once its presed together dont let it go, air might get into the seam. once all the pannels are up and taper inplace you can apply a bit more silicone on the inside and smooth the inside seam out into a nice V although the silicone inbetween the glass where the glass meets has more to do with the strength and water retention of the tank then the inside seal. but this never stops me from maskin off the unside and sothing it out anyway, then lifting off the masking tape to reveil a nice straight seam...
i do use clamps and lightly clamp the tank intoplace then apply tape to hold it together but you dont have to.
all you need is silicone no other glues, GE I or GE II(without bioseal) work realy well, its the same as the allglass stuff the lfs's carry.
then you let the tank sit for a week, and no shorter then 3 days. test fill, empty place and enjoy.
I know it probably should take 2 people to put together, but how hard would it be for 1 person to assemble it? I don't have much for help around here. Anyone done it by themselves? It will take at least 4 people to lift the tank after I'm done, but to just assemble it. Any thoughts?
Lonewolfblue;976125; said:
It would be prety damm hard to do by yourself, i can always count on my brother to help out or even do it for me, but putting a tank together by yourself isnt imposable, but you might nees a bunch of cut pieces of tape ready, like wrapeing tape inder the botom piece and placeing the front and back into place(roughly) then all you have to do later is apply silicone inbetween the panes and fold up, then one side, tape the joint. then the other side, tape that. then the front and your done, Iff all of the pieces are cut and ready to go it shouldnt take more then 1hour to put together... keeping in mind that your silicone working time is only 10min.
as far as needing 4 ppl, how big is this tank Que pa?
300G Wide 96 x 30 x 25 Tall
Bottom will be 3/4" glass, sides will be 1/2".
I figure with the bottom glass sitting on some boards on the floor, to give a gap so it can be lifted, I should be able to get 2 sides up really quick and taped, then the 3rd taped, and the final. My only concern is time to get to that 4th side, so that the silicone on the first wall at the bottom isn't too far cured. Would hate to get it done to have it leak at that last bottom corner, lol.
Bottom will be 3/4" glass, sides will be 1/2".
I figure with the bottom glass sitting on some boards on the floor, to give a gap so it can be lifted, I should be able to get 2 sides up really quick and taped, then the 3rd taped, and the final. My only concern is time to get to that 4th side, so that the silicone on the first wall at the bottom isn't too far cured. Would hate to get it done to have it leak at that last bottom corner, lol.
It's the tank I was thinking about getting from glasscages.com. But now I might try tackling the building of it myself. Who knows, if I can successfully do it, maybe I can build for others here. It's impossible finding large tanks for sale.
One last question, for the cross-braces across the top, how many would I need, and how do I make them, or where can you buy them?
Well, a little disappointment here, lol. I went out and got a quote at the glass shops here in town. Here's my results......
Buy from Glasscages.com, 300G Wide is $900.00 (shipping is 770.00 plus I have to drive 2 hours to get it, they won't ship all the way here)
Buy glass from town and build my own, cost is $1190.00 plus tax.
OUCH!!!!!!!
Buy from Glasscages.com, 300G Wide is $900.00 (shipping is 770.00 plus I have to drive 2 hours to get it, they won't ship all the way here)
Buy glass from town and build my own, cost is $1190.00 plus tax.
OUCH!!!!!!!
GEEZ, my lfs had 240's for $1300CDN, and i thought that was steep, i wanted to make a sweet 8'X4'X2"deep and the 3/4tempered glass, 1"regular or 1.5"acrylic would hace cost the same, about $3000-$4000 for all 5 pieces.
Have you concidered making it from acrylic, like 3/4 cellcast?
Have you concidered making it from acrylic, like 3/4 cellcast?