Building a tank, help
- Thread starter Lillyan
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GoldLenny
Senior Member? Do I get a 5% disc.?
Yep, obviously I mean "wouldn't", NOT "would". LOL
I don't think you need to Euro brace the 10x10 tanks. As you can see, they are not bowing. It was the 20" long tanks that I suggested bracing on the two long sides to keep those long sides from likely bowing.
All you need for the 10" cubes are some kind of inexpensive wood or plastic framing on the top and bottom to protect them from possibly hitting something or being hit by something which would cause a small break or crack which would then spread into a BIG break or crack... like a windshield. Read my previous posts for my suggestions. An 8' strip of 1" by 1/4" firring strip would be pretty cheap and would be suitable. You could silicone the wood to the glass, with the wood sticking up about an 1/8" and then also run a bead of silicone along the top edge of the glass which would also help protect you from glass cuts from that inside edge of glass on the top of the tank. Watch out for the four corners on the sides too since they could be very sharp as well.
I don't think you need to Euro brace the 10x10 tanks. As you can see, they are not bowing. It was the 20" long tanks that I suggested bracing on the two long sides to keep those long sides from likely bowing.
All you need for the 10" cubes are some kind of inexpensive wood or plastic framing on the top and bottom to protect them from possibly hitting something or being hit by something which would cause a small break or crack which would then spread into a BIG break or crack... like a windshield. Read my previous posts for my suggestions. An 8' strip of 1" by 1/4" firring strip would be pretty cheap and would be suitable. You could silicone the wood to the glass, with the wood sticking up about an 1/8" and then also run a bead of silicone along the top edge of the glass which would also help protect you from glass cuts from that inside edge of glass on the top of the tank. Watch out for the four corners on the sides too since they could be very sharp as well.
Hm, so you are saying the 10in cube may not need bracing from it's own water's pressure? That's great. I will still be looking to make a frame for it. ^.^
GoldLenny
Senior Member? Do I get a 5% disc.?
From your pictures of the filled tank, I don't see any evidence of bowing so I don't think any Euro style bracing is needed.. and if you do put some kind of wood or other type of framing around the top, that will further stiffen the glass... but the frame is MAINLY to protect the edges of the glass from getting chipped, which could then lead to a major break... and to protect the edges from cutting you or someone else.
If you have a straight ruler, you could place the flat edge against the glass at the top to see if you have any bowing... and there might be some very slight bowing and that would not be a major concern. I've seen improperly built or tanks where the frame was modified (like removing the center brace) and the tank was bowing out more than an inch in the front and back. This was thicker glass than you are dealing with and although the glass on that tank never exploded, it certainly could have. Glass will bend easily to a certain point and then it just catastrophically breaks.
If you have a straight ruler, you could place the flat edge against the glass at the top to see if you have any bowing... and there might be some very slight bowing and that would not be a major concern. I've seen improperly built or tanks where the frame was modified (like removing the center brace) and the tank was bowing out more than an inch in the front and back. This was thicker glass than you are dealing with and although the glass on that tank never exploded, it certainly could have. Glass will bend easily to a certain point and then it just catastrophically breaks.
GoldLenny
Senior Member? Do I get a 5% disc.?
That would work on a rectangular tank, for keeping the long sides from bowing but this is a 10" cube so all four sides are the same. If a brace is needed from front to back, then it would also be neede from side to side... but I don't think a brace is needed on a 10" cube... just a protective frame to protect the glass and the handler.
GoldLenny
Senior Member? Do I get a 5% disc.?
Someone mentioned using a Dremel to sand down the sharp edges but even an emery board... preferably one of them permanent kinds... would work. You don't have to round it off, just take away the very sharp edges. Very Lightly sand the corners. Don't use much pressure as that could cause a break. If you have sand paper, a 6" to 8" long strip, maybe 2" to 3" wide could be used where you'd hold each edge and lightly work the sand paper back and forth and up and down each corner of the tank and that whould make the four corners safe from cutting. Just don't use the sand paper on the flat parts of the glass as it would scratch the glass... just the very corners.
Hm, ok. The outside tall edges have silicone on them, so they are not sharp. The only edges that may be sharp are the 2 on the top of each of the 4 sides. I have a metal nail file, would that work to soften the edges a bit?
GoldLenny
Senior Member? Do I get a 5% disc.?
I'm just theorizing the following as I've never tried this with a metal nail file and if it was me diong this, I'd use soft sandpaper with a very fine grit to do this task.... but that said...
The metal nail file may work but the softer, more flexible emory board would be less likely to damage the edges while sanding. Use the fine side and only VERY LIGHTLY sand the edges in only one direction, kind of like they tell us to do with our own nails. DO NOT go back and forth on the length of the sharp edge, at least not in the beginning. Just drag the file from the inside of the tank to the outside of the tank in an arcing manner on the inside edge and then repeat on the outside edge. This would have to be done on all four sides... or rather, eight sides. Once you have taken the sharpest edges off of the glass, then you can be a little faster in how you do things and should be able to go back and forth along the long edge to finish the job.
How did you silicone the four side corners that you've elimated the cutting edges on them? I realize that the ends of one piece of glass will be covered by the other glass but there will still be the very outside corner of glass on each side corner that should still be sharp.
The metal nail file may work but the softer, more flexible emory board would be less likely to damage the edges while sanding. Use the fine side and only VERY LIGHTLY sand the edges in only one direction, kind of like they tell us to do with our own nails. DO NOT go back and forth on the length of the sharp edge, at least not in the beginning. Just drag the file from the inside of the tank to the outside of the tank in an arcing manner on the inside edge and then repeat on the outside edge. This would have to be done on all four sides... or rather, eight sides. Once you have taken the sharpest edges off of the glass, then you can be a little faster in how you do things and should be able to go back and forth along the long edge to finish the job.
How did you silicone the four side corners that you've elimated the cutting edges on them? I realize that the ends of one piece of glass will be covered by the other glass but there will still be the very outside corner of glass on each side corner that should still be sharp.
i would not want to spend the time to sand glass with an emery board. the dremel was mentioned as an illustration that sanding glass is possible. anything but the most flexible/fine metal would cause the glass to chip... effectively causing imperfections and possibly sharp edges again. the fingernail sander would work but i don't think one would make it through too many glass panes before it's useless.
either way... low speeds, fine grit and a gentle touch as has been mentioned are your best bets.
i agree that uni-directional euro bracing on a square tank makes no sense but if you think the tank needs it you could certainly corner brace it. the trick would be getting triangle shaped glass for the corners all the same size.
either way... low speeds, fine grit and a gentle touch as has been mentioned are your best bets.
i agree that uni-directional euro bracing on a square tank makes no sense but if you think the tank needs it you could certainly corner brace it. the trick would be getting triangle shaped glass for the corners all the same size.
Oh, didn't know you could corner brace it, it was a fleeting thought though, lol!
If you guys believe it doesn't need bracing, then I will not worry too much over it.
There is silicone over the outside edges, so you wouldn't be touching the sharp side, just the silicone.
It's much like this picture. Sides are next to the bottom pane, not on it.
If you guys believe it doesn't need bracing, then I will not worry too much over it.
There is silicone over the outside edges, so you wouldn't be touching the sharp side, just the silicone.
It's much like this picture. Sides are next to the bottom pane, not on it.
