Plywood aquarium build
- Thread starter Homer Siped
- Start date
The idea of just adhesive holding the glass worried me lol. I made a recess and blocked glass in with lumber, yes over built lol. I'd rather be safe than sorry I guess. The plywood on outside is just scraps I had, when I do the finish work on it, will be a single piece, some dark cherry trim around glass and edges. Going to build a cabinet around the plumbing as well so that will be hidden. What is your opinion, do the plywood like what I have now, or stain it?
thanks, I been tossing up idea of doing plywood like that. I am thinking doing just the tank part that way and the stand in a regular stain finish. That plywood takes a TON of poly to get it glossy, I did 3 coats to the piece on the right and its still not glossy, but being that its not the finish wood, I am not sanding between coats or anything. Just kinda wanted to see how it would look and I like it alot
I've got to try another fiberglass project, the end results looks great. How did you get the resin to not run? What type of resin is this?
I ended up with a couple runs but sanded a lot of them out. I used max acr resin. It wouldn't pass my dad's smoothness test lol, I didn't really sand it as smooth as I could have, I'm going to do a 3d background, just because I didn't like the way the tint ended up being. When adding coats of resin I took my time with a work light so I could see the runs, the first coat took the most resin. I ended up getting a few air pockets under cloth so sanded through them with 80 grit sandpaper and laying a patch over them. All in all was a learning experience and would do it again, but without tint that was pretty much a waste of time lol
Okay is this the resin?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EPOXY-RESIN-AQUARIUM-TANK-PONDS-CONSTRUCTION-1-5-GAL-/310075939459
I did four tanks of 86 gallons each with http://www.uscomposites.com/epoxy.html the 635 thin resin and it went everywhere but where I wanted it. I made quite a few mistakes though, like too much cloth leaving overlaps. I'm still dealing with leaks in those media tanks.
How will you do 3d backgrounds? Well I guess I can wait and see.
Thanks for sharing.
Brian
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EPOXY-RESIN-AQUARIUM-TANK-PONDS-CONSTRUCTION-1-5-GAL-/310075939459
I did four tanks of 86 gallons each with http://www.uscomposites.com/epoxy.html the 635 thin resin and it went everywhere but where I wanted it. I made quite a few mistakes though, like too much cloth leaving overlaps. I'm still dealing with leaks in those media tanks.
How will you do 3d backgrounds? Well I guess I can wait and see.
Thanks for sharing.
Brian
Yes thats the stuff I used. That sucks you've had leak issues,hopefully I don't lol. I left like 8"overlaps on all the corners, cool thing with fiberglass is you can sand it smooth, if it's messed up, lay a patch over and sand that smooth. My dad builds huge RC aircraft and fiberglasses them, I don't have patience for the smoothness he gets. Lol will be 3 weeks before I get home from work to add water and do 3d background. I'm going to use 1" blue board, spray expanding foam on that, toss in a few rocks, maybe sticks from lfs and cover it all in sand, lol I dunno how it will turn out 
. Have a small pond water fall that I'm going to add too some how or another haha
. Have a small pond water fall that I'm going to add too some how or another haha
I'm right there with you on the patience issue. I finally added pond vinyl sheeting to two of the tanks as they have hydroton expanded clay beads for plants to grow in. They're in a loop with the fish tank and filters. I can not shut them off right now because they're full of the best tomatoes we've ever grown. I turn them off by pulling the stand pipes unless I'm here like today and I fill them and let them leak.
That's kinda what I want to do with the waterfall I have. I think it'd be cool to have plants growing above the tank, my turtle doesn't bask at all out of water any more, so don't really worry about him destroying it lol
