Question for all you Ply tank builders!

[Dreadnought]

I know it might be a hassle, but that is one reason this project appeals to me so much. I love the challenge to see if I can make it work and if I succeed that would be great. I am currently still on the planning stages of this build no sense jumping into something like this and risk failure. What I was thinking is making the Box frame collapsible and have a Box inside a box and seal it with the Liquid rubber stuff cause I heard many good things about it.

 

[Dreadnought]

Cool question. Maybe you could have a modular construction where you could increase in one or two dimensions by adding more "boxes". Then some sort of flexible liner that you could drain and collapse. It could stay attached to the section that has the viewing window and roll up into that section for storage. When you get to your new location. snap the sections together, unroll the liner and fille her up.

I definitely like this idea I will see if I can try to incorporate it in the build and I will look at the portable pond ideas they might solve a few issues thanks for the help!

 

[nes999]

being and engineering and drafting students i might just have to work this up on my cad program

 

[badreverend]

I like the idea too, but another possible way to use the liner would be after cutting the wood for each wall to size, cut a piece of the liner and glue it to the inside of each panel- then glue rubber gasket material to the seams where the panels are going to butt together- then on the outside perimeter of each panel run a 2"x2" frame so you can run thru bolts made of all-thread to squeeze the sandwich together, if the exposed all-thread looks too industrial, sheet it over with thin paneling or instead of the all-thread sandwich idea- youll still use the outer frame but secure it with bolts and heli-coils (theyre basically steel springs that you use to replace stripped threads in car engines) so you can bolt the panels together without nuts-
glueing the liner to the walls would take the concern away from the front glass, because it would be a permanent solid piece

 

[john73738]

How about the Permidri pond coat? It is luquid rubber. Assemble the sides using 1x2 and 3/4 ply. then paint the edges where the sides will come together with a couple extra coats of pond coat. Call it a painted on gasket.Run bolts out of the sides so it can be securly assembled.

Just my humble Opinion

Bear

 

[nolapete]

It would be easy to make the walls modular with threaded rod. Just build the walls like my 4300 where the corners connect like flat dovetail joints or make them tenon and mortise joints. Anything where the wood interlocks and you can put the threaded rod through a hole.

Either Pond Coat or a regular pond liner could be used.

My friend's 2600 and 2200 gallon tanks use pond liners and each have 3 windows. Each window has a hard rubber gasket rubber cemented to the pond liner. Then the window is attached to the gasket with Dow 795.

That said, unless you're going to move the tank a lot, it's not going to be worth the effort. And it would be limited by using a liquid rubber product or a pond liner. None of the hard curing glycol based products would work.