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tank contruction Q's


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#1 madjak

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Posted 25 January 2003 - 07:01 PM

Hi all!

I have just finished building my first two tanks and I have some questions for the experienced tank builders out there...

On the first tank, a 3'x18"x2'(h) made out of 10mm, I just used heaps of silicon along all edges and it went together well, except for the excess silicon that when wiped with a finger smudged across the glass away from the join by about 2cm in some cases. I figured I used way too much silicon. So the next time I tried running less silicon along the glass, but it comes out of the gun to uneven (it's a bit old and dicky) , and I didn't think I was getting enough in some spots and too much in others. So is there any way to get the right amount of silicon onto the glass? is it just practice?

Anyway, the first tank is all together and dry now. Is there a way to remove the excess silicon on internal joints? It looks ok from the outside, it's neat and smooth, but just too wide. Is it worth trying to fix it with a razor blade or do you need to remove that silicon while it's still wet?

SO, then I tried the next tank, and 8x2x18"{h} grow-out tank with four dividers... What I did this time was run some masking tape around all joints on the glass, leaving about 5mm for the silicon to stick to. This works a treat, as long as you take the tape off as soon as the sheet is in place. If the silicon drys on it, it can start to pull the silicon with it.

I just thought I'd write this, Hopefully someone out there has some tips on how to get nice corners, but I suspect it's just a case of more experience and better equipment!

Thanks!
Rick



#2 Guest_Morley Aquariums_*

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Posted 25 January 2003 - 11:11 PM

Hi Rick,

The best method if you are not experienced (a clean bead is just practice) is to stick the tank together & simply trim all the excess away with a razor blade (you will need a few, very sharp ones), once trimmed apply another bead to the inside of the joins & wipe with your finger (you can use tape here for a really neat finish). This is the method we use to acheive the really good finish on our black silicone tanks. I would also suggest you use GE silicone, this runs beautifully.

Kind regards,

Paul.



#3 lunger05

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Posted 26 January 2003 - 01:39 AM

HEY RICK,,

Basically , Practice makes perfect !!!!!
choice of silicone A: GE.1200
B: DOW 999A..

A good bead comes with practice & correct
angle & size of your tip...(pending glass thickness)

A razor blade is the only tool / method of
achieving silicone removal ,,, Pearsonaly , i
prefer to clean-up when it's dry as this assures
minimal movement ( reducing air bubble risk ).....

As you get more aquainted with technique,
you will find that clean up's become almost
obselete.

In summary,,, Don't touch anything ya don't have
to, & have plenty hand towel avail...

Good luck & have fun ......

Safety tip !!!! Every piece of glass is sharp
so treat it that way.....

H.T.H.

ANDY...



#4 madjak

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Posted 26 January 2003 - 04:04 AM

Wow Andy! thats the clearest post I've ever seen you post!

Thanks heaps for the tips guys... I'm going to try cleaning them now with the rasor blades. I got a packet of them so I'll have lots of sharp ones. I'll have to experiment with my next tanksto see which way I prefer... cleaning it wet or cleaning it dry.

It was actually suprisingly quick to put the tanks together... Once you start you kinda have to just keep going till you've done all of it! It was good fun.

Thanks
Rick



#5 lunger05

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Posted 26 January 2003 - 11:56 PM

Carefull Ricky,,,

It's addictive ,, i'm having withdrawalls from not
cutting & glue-ing glass ... Call me a junky if you will
though, i would @ least be the " productive " junka !!!!!

P.S. remember every peice is deadly !!!!!!!:eek :eek :eek
and COMPLACENCY is an enemy....:good :good :good
have fun ...

ANDY... ( thats 2 nice posts , no more 4 a year )



#6 madjak

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Posted 27 January 2003 - 01:22 AM

haha... must be the fumes from the silly-con!
:lol :lol :lol :lol :good :good :good

oh no! I've caught the lunger disease! :neener :neener :neener :neener

I put the rails and straps on the big grow-out tank today! (is that what you call them... I'm just making up names for them as I go!) I must say it's looking good... can't wait to fire this baby up! :) Now I'm having dreams of 4x4x12 tanks :good

The new silicon gun I got works a treat. Much better than the crap I was using! Now this tank making gig is looking way easier!

I've got all the bits for my automatic timer, for dumping out 100ltrs of water every day to water the garden, and I'm going to get a dunny float so that it auto-fills back up. I'm still going to feed them manually, but I'd like an automatic feeder so that I can feed them at mid-day while I'm at work. Any ideas on a home made feeder? I could make one out of lego!

cheers!
Rick



#7 shaperau

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Posted 27 January 2003 - 10:50 PM

Does anyone know of any plans for some sort of automatic water changing device, including water treatment (dechlorination etc)
Cheers



#8 madjak

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Posted 28 January 2003 - 01:48 AM

what about my dunny float and tap timer idea? though it doesn't dechlorinate but I figure that if I'm only changing 10% of the water daily it should be ok... plus it will ween out the weeker fishies!

I'll post some pics of my new setup when I get it finished!

Rick



#9 madjak

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Posted 28 January 2003 - 05:06 AM

ok my tank is all set to go... it's sitting in location all ready, how long do I need to leave it before I can start filling it?

I'm only going to fill the tank about 1/3 every day till she's full just to let the foam below settle... but how long till the silicon is dry and strong enough?

It says on the packet maximum strength is reached after 48 hours.

It's been nearly twice that.

Cheers,
Rick



#10 BengaBoy

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Posted 28 January 2003 - 05:42 AM

fill her up.
have you checked it is level?
1/3 at a time is a good idea



#11 madjak

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Posted 28 January 2003 - 04:39 PM

she isn't exactly level... sloping a little down to the right but that should be ok... only 10mm difference or about that. The surface it's sitting on is flat. I've spaced up all the supports so that they are equal.

Cool... I'll start filling tonight! wooo can't wait!

Rick



#12 BengaBoy

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Posted 28 January 2003 - 09:21 PM

10mm over 3' is a lot imho
get it level



#13 madjak

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Posted 29 January 2003 - 06:13 AM

yeah she's now level and half full :)

no cracks or leaks yet! so I'll wait a few days now before I fill it up any more. The foam I'm sitting it on is 50mm thick so it will settle a fair bit I suspect.

woooo can't wait! :)



#14 John West

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Posted 03 February 2003 - 08:10 PM

Tank Builders One and All,

Reading the posts, I guess that when you use masking tape you place it 5mm or so above the point at which the class will join on both sheets, then apply silicone and make the joint. I gather you then use a digit to run along the joint to even out and round of the silicone. Then finally remove the masking tape before the silicone goes off to leave a clean joint.

Have I got it right?

Regards


John West






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