small tank made of plexiglass

BIGgourami said:
ok where is tap plastics cause i really only intend to MAKE small tanks right now. bigger ones id' just buy (i don't really trust my handiwork for large and costly stuff)
does anyone know which is more important for determining glass thickness in a DIY tank, length or height?
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height would, the taller the tank the bigger the pressure is on the bottom. also it's probably not as cost effective to make small tanks out of acrylic instead of just buying it.
 
tapplastics.com
 
If you want to make a small tank but dont want to pay for the small sheets, you can buy the large sheets and cut them. To cut them you will need a scroll saw, jigsaw, or, preferably, a band saw. Make sure to use a very fine toothed sawblade, and move very slowly so as not to melt the acrylic. But before you do any cutting make sure to put masking tape over the entire piece of material. This will use up alot of tape but will prevent the material from getting scratched as you work.
 
fballguy said:
If you want to make a small tank but dont want to pay for the small sheets, you can buy the large sheets and cut them. To cut them you will need a scroll saw, jigsaw, or, preferably, a band saw. Make sure to use a very fine toothed sawblade, and move very slowly so as not to melt the acrylic. But before you do any cutting make sure to put masking tape over the entire piece of material. This will use up alot of tape but will prevent the material from getting scratched as you work.
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A few local custom aquarium shops can do some cuts for a small fee. tapplastics makes the cuts for you.
 
mellowvision said:
any plastic shop will cut sheets for you for cheap. find a local one, you're better off walking in than ordering online.

you might also consider bending the plastic, you can buy heat strips that melt straight lines, very cheap.
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You know I never would have thought of that, but that is an excellent idea. And really you could use anything. A steel dowel heated by flame would do a good job I would imagine.
 
no, acrylics need to be heated slowly, evenly otherwise they will distort or crack. a hot metal rod will only heat a small area, quickly, and will melt into the plastic. a heat gun or hot strip are the prefered methods... let's just say I've melted a lot of plastic... lol

here is one guy's set up... but there are cheap commercial heat strips available, you don't have to make your own http://flickr.com/photos/javamoose/87088307/
 
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