Will silicone bond to epoxy / pond armor as well as glass?

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Blisco

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 29, 2016
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As per the title. Will silicone adhesive bond to epoxy / pond armor as well as glass?

To give you an example of intended use:

If i where to use either a heavy duty epoxy (the kind of stuff used for boats), or pond armor to coat and seal a plywood base and back panel, could i then use a 'top end' silicone adhesive to assemble glass panels to them (as if it where a regular glass aquarium build)?

I was thinking to use a very thick ply (1.5-2") so it doesn't flex. Depending on the assembly method that could also increase the surface area for adhesive. Also, to use a thicker than usual bead of silicone to account for differing expansion rates. As far as i can tell it would basically all boil down to the bond between silicone and epoxy, and between epoxy and wood.

Why? I don't want a glass base unless i have to. Not for cost, but for durability and versatility. This build method would also be simple. If it would work for the base, why not do the back panel too and get the same benefits.

That is unless there are other materials that will bond to glass better (maybe GRP or modern composites?).....

I have seen the plywood bases with a rim around them to mechanically hold the glass, but i am not keen on that route for this particular build due to the extra bulk and the (presumed) small tolerances for differing expansion/contraction rates of glass and wood. Plus i was reading reference to plywood tanks being bonded together with silicone (no screws!) and reportedly holding up without issue. So i guess it might not be so crazy or stupid.
 
3m5200 works well from liquid rubber to glass as well as high end marine epoxy and paint to glass. Beauty part is if you have a leak during testing 3m5200 also cures under water. It is what they use to patch cracks in hulls of boats
 
That stuff sounds promising, i'll bookmark it. Have you used it for something similar?

Would more 'traditional' adhesives, say perhaps RTV100 also work?

I figure the bond between epoxy or pond armor and the plywood should be a non issue. It's pretty solid stuff. However the tank will probably have around 6'x3'x30" of water, so quite a bit of pressure on the seams, i might be wrong.
 
Thought i would post a screenshot of what exactly it is that i'm thinking about doing and some of the things i had in mind. If anyone has more input it would be great.


Front Shot:
front.png

  • No screws at all to reduce chance of leaks, just good silicone adhesive or similar.
  • Black bits are epoxy coated plywood, 35 or 50mm (1.5-2") to minimise flex.
  • The footprint will be either 6'x3' or 5'x2 with a max water height of around 24" and max total height of 4'.
  • The full height model (preferred) has no extra bracing at all, fully rimless, but the extra material should give it structure.
  • The low height model would allow for eurobracing and a seperate lightweight top section, but it won't look as good.



Base:
base.png
  • Routed channel with rim to create extra surface area (if needed). The rime is on the inside of the tank to reduce bulk, so relies purely on the adhesive.
  • Thick bead of silicone to allow for expansion/contraction rates.



Rear Panel:
back.png

  • The glass could be lapped onto the side of the rear panel to increase surface area of the joint, but i am unsure if that would be a problem with the overall structure (especially if fully rimless/braceless). The rear panel would be a bonus though, the base is the main goal.
 
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