Just a quick comment. Looks like a nice job on the sillicone, but I would go around the outside perimiter of the glass also. Water under pressure WILL find a way out, a pinhole can be a heartbreaker at filling time. Trust me, I have learned the hard way.
Beginning my plywood monster!!!
- Thread starter nero6370
- Start date
I second the opinion of gluing around the glass edge. Not for leaks since your glue is more than enough but to fill any gaps because you will soon get algae and scum buildup between which will be impossible to remove. Just run a small bead enough to seal water out.
I though about using a round piece of glass before, I can't wait to see how this tank looks when it's done.... great work,, hurry and finish it so I can is what it looks like.....
andy
andy
More progress; I had to recruit the wife to help!! She's a trooper, I'll have to admit
I need a few more just like her...
I was going to do the front, but it was around midnight when I put the last screw in the side; a little late to be running a drill. My only complaint is a cosmetic one; the liquid nails stands out bad against the light blue epoxy. Oh well, the substrate will cover the bottom seam anyway and a few tall plants will camoflage the vertical seam...
I need a few more just like her... I was going to do the front, but it was around midnight when I put the last screw in the side; a little late to be running a drill. My only complaint is a cosmetic one; the liquid nails stands out bad against the light blue epoxy. Oh well, the substrate will cover the bottom seam anyway and a few tall plants will camoflage the vertical seam...I thought earlier you mentioned some intent to topcoat everything once it was fully assembled anyway... did you change your mind, or am I on crack?nero6370;1064825; said:
You could also run white GE silicone over the liquid nails as a second line of defense, and it would look better than the brownish goo.
Plywood seams with that many screws are surprisingly strong... but they still don't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. When I did my tank I ran thick moldings inside all the seams and screwed the plywood into the moldings as well, just as reinforcement. The nice thing about this too, is the water would have to leak past the molding AND past the plywood joint to escape. I'd be tempted to run a molding in those back corners - home depot sells 2x2's that have been ripped lengthwise at an angle (so the cut runs from corner to corner if you look at it end-on). These are perfect for putting in corners. It gives you a more flowing look too.
Just some thoughts! Looks really good. I'm jealous of your deal on glass. I'm going to have to start sniffing around used building supply stores. Every time I walk into a gas station or something and they have a 3'x7' solid glass door I wonder to myself where all the glass from these places goes when they renovate.
No you're not on crack; I was going to wait until she was all screwed together to put the last topcoat on. However, I would have been climbing in and out of the tank, for one thing or another, while I was painting it and that was not something I wanted to do with all that nasty epoxy laying around. With my luck, I would have busted my *** and /or spilled epoxy; so for the sake of conveniance I painted it all first. I like the idea of the white silicone; I could do all the seams like that. My 1st thought was to get some lt blue paint and a small brush to cover the liquid nails...I like the idea of corner moulding as well; but I wonder if the integrity of the wood will be compromised when screwing in the moulding, seeing as I have #8 2" screws every 3" already in place...too many screws, not enough wood, so to speak?
Hah!nero6370;1066035; said:
Yeah that is a concern (isn't everything?) I used smaller screws for fastening the mouldings in on mine, and used polyurethane glue as well. My joint was a lot more sketchy than yours though before the molding, as it was a 45 degree joint instead of a 90, so I couldn't drive screws in very easily. After the woodwork was done I also fiberglassed the joint, because I'm anal that way
