Siliconing plastic to glass...

[Tay690]

I think scuffing the edge of the acrylic you plan to silicon to the glass is a very good idea

give it some extra threads to bond to instead of a flawless piece of plastic

 

[Hebily]

There are certain plastics that have a very low surface charge (HDPE, for one) and because of this, almost nothing will bond to them. If you have a plastic that silicone won't bond to, there are two things you can try to improve the bonding ability of that plastic. The first is to rough the surface with sandpaper. The second, more effective method is to 'flame treat' the surface. If you run the flame from a lighter over the surface for several seconds (not enough to melt or noticeably soften the plastic) it will charge the surface and improve the bonding characteristics. Obviously, you need to be careful with this method. Kids, don't try this at home. Polyethylenes are particularly known for their low surface charge and poor bonding characteristics.

 

[Tay690]

LOL

"Kids, don't try this at home."

you just had to throw that disclaimer in there huh?

 

[Hebily]

Last thing I want is some kid trying it, and winding up with no eyebrows and a puddle of milk jug on the kitchen floor...

 

[ayra321]

yeah it works

 

[jpappy789]

Any types of silicone that are aquarium safe but cheaper than the AGA stuff you see in stores?

 

[jpappy789]

Nevermind....http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100128841

 

[Hebily]

Just make sure it is "100% pure silicone" and read the label to make sure that there are no ingredients besides silicone.

 

[paperdragon]

The plant shelves in my hex tank are acrylic and the tank is glass. That's holding up pretty well so far.