Questions about Fixing acrylic tank with Weld-on 40

[FJB]

Hi All,
I have been advised by some of you to reinforce the seams in a new-to-me used acrylic tank (~115 gal, 6 foot long). The tank is not currently leaking but upon the advise, I bought Weld-on 40 and plastic dispenser bottles. I am now ready but since I have never used Weld-on 40, I have doubts about what to expect, and will be grateful for suggestions.

- I will be using a futon as a support for the tank in various positions, so I can pour the weld-on onto each seam, thus avoiding it to run out of the corners.
- How can I know about how much Weld-on to mix for each seam?
- I believe I need to do one seam at a time, wait for each seam to cure completely, and only then do another seam. Is this correct?
- How long do I need to wait after doing one seam, and before starting on the next? Depending on how long it takes to cure, it seems that I would need several days to complete the whole tank. Is this correct?
- I plan on doing first the longer seams, then the short ones.

Any other general suggestions you would offer somebody who has never done this?
Many thanks!!!

 

[fishguy1978]

- How can I know about how much Weld-on to mix for each seam?
Measure your seams and estimate depth of Weld-on. You should then be able to calculate weight of needed adhesive.

- I believe I need to do one seam at a time, wait for each seam to cure completely, and only then do another seam. Is this correct?
Yes

- How long do I need to wait after doing one seam, and before starting on the next? Depending on how long it takes to cure, it seems that I would need several days to complete the whole tank. Is this correct?
24hrs to fully cure. Might be able to pour another seam after 12hrs though.

- I plan on doing first the longer seams, then the short ones.
Should work

If you can pour outside in a protected area that would be the best option as Weld-on 40 is highly noxious and definitely wear a respirator. Wipe down the area to be sealed with an alcohol or other solvent. If you use something other than alcohol to clean with do a trial on a spot that won't be visible so that if it blemishes the acrylic you won't have to buff it out. Solvents like paint thinner, MEK, tolulene would be bad.

 

[deeda]

If you haven't already read through This topic , it might give you some additional tips and answer your question on how much product you need.

 

[FJB]

Thank you Friends. I will be reading some more, and fixing it this weekend. I knew I would get good suggestions here. Cheers!