Building sump...where to buy acrylic?

[Edward]

I'm currently trying to get my 90gallon up and running to where I want it to be for now and give myself room to be able to add whatever i feel necessary to it in the future. I have basic blue print, large fuge, a return and a skimmer section and think I should be fine with that for now.

I'm going to be building this sump, I've done my research and am ready to start building, my only question is where to buy acrylic? Does home depot carry it? and do they sell the sealants?

Eddie

 

[Royalty]

I've seen acrylic at lowes . 1/2 thick sheets for $54 bucks 24x48 not to bad I guess.

 

[Turbosnail]

Altec plastic in boston.

 

[Muddskipper35]

Depends on where you want to travel to.. Boston, worchester, warren RI.. All have places to buy acylic.. The one in worchester ( yes I know Im spelling it wrong) has had everything Ive needed every time Ive gone in there.. From sheets and tubing up to 6" round.. Has also had the 1" acylic tubing I needed that fits pvc fittings.. Nice..
They also carry some colored acrlic as well..
Be careful as to what you buy from lowes and home depot.. Not all acylic is made the same- I would not use this for making the main tank for a sump but would be perfectly ok on anything in the sump.. IMO it doesnt glue up solidly and is easy to POP it apart after glueing. Also Ive never seen anything thicker than 1/4" at HD or lowes. Be careful to not by lexan as you will never get it to take glue and is harder to cut as well..

Ohh and for glueing it your gonna need weldon # 4 and #16 no other real alternatives ( that I would use) and youll need an applicator for the #4 to apply it.
All cuts can be made on a table saw using an 80 plywood sawblade or finer.. meaning more teeth.. you can also buy a specific blade for acrylic called a chip out blade but these run about 300 and up.. buy the 80tooth at HD itll work fine and if you cut slow enough you wont need to finish off the edges before glueing. Edges need to be darn near perfect for #4 weldon .. Do use #16 as this is a glue.. Use #4 as this is a solvent and melts it seams together.. After leak testing then use #16 to fill in the spots that leak and or use it as a reinforcer along all the seams as added measure.

 

[dcforester1]

+1 to Altec

 

[JohnK]

HD/Lowes do carry some "acrylic" but IMO it's crap.

You definately need to go to altec or another real plastics supplier to get deccent material and the appropriate solvents (not adhesives).

Also, before you buy, at the very least make sure you have some idea of the difference between "extruded material" and "cast" / "cell cast". You need to make an informed decision which you will be using, then make sure to be specific with the supplier. Not all acrylic is made the same


Personally I have had very good luck with altec, and also www.mcmaster.com. You won't really save any $ ordering online as shipping kills you and the local vs online prices are usually competitive.

 

[Bob P.]

Does the place in Warren RI, sell Weld-on? If so, what is the name of the place, and where is it located. Somewhere off rt 136?
Thanks

 

[newenglandreef]

HD/Lowes do carry some "acrylic" but IMO it's crap.

You definately need to go to altec or another real plastics supplier to get deccent material and the appropriate solvents (not adhesives).

Also, before you buy, at the very least make sure you have some idea of the difference between "extruded material" and "cast" / "cell cast". You need to make an informed decision which you will be using, then make sure to be specific with the supplier. Not all acrylic is made the same


Personally I have had very good luck with altec, and also www.mcmaster.com. You won't really save any $ ordering online as shipping kills you and the local vs online prices are usually competitive.

Is the Home Depot's acrylic okay for a small 10G sump do you think? I was thinking of building one this weekend, because I've got a corner tank with limited space, so I want to custom build it to fit.

 

[JohnK]

It probably can be done, but I wouldn't suggest it. (I think someone here did build a sump a while back out of HD material, as far as I know it hasn't blown apart..)

Even if you do try to use that material, you will need to get proper acrylic solvent from a real plastics supply place. If you're gonna have to go there anyway, why not just do it right?

 

[newenglandreef]

What's the acryllic solvent for? Is this the adhesive or a curing/bonding agent?

 

[dcforester1]

Like John said I would go to Altec to get your supplies, and if you are not sure what you need. I would read up alittle bit more before attemping anything. Lexan looks like acrylic, and HD/Lowes will give you wrong info. Go to the source. They usually have scrapes, and you will be able to save yourself some money there.

GoodLuck Derek

 

[Dave McReeferson]

There are also shops in both Billerica and Peabody. I forget the names, but a quick google search for "plastics" in either city ought to bring them up. These places both will have the acrylic and solvents necessary.

On a side note, I noticed recently when looking for something else that my local Home Depot carries MEK (methyl ethyl keytone), this is the stuff we used at a local plastics manufacturer (my first job) for working with acrylic IIRC.

 

[jayman10134]

Is the Home Depot's acrylic okay for a small 10G sump do you think? I was thinking of building one this weekend, because I've got a corner tank with limited space, so I want to custom build it to fit.

i built a 20 gallon sump for my corner tank out of HD acrylic and #33 adhesive stuff i got from KCA and it seems to be working great.

 

[newenglandreef]

Thanks to all--
I got the GEII silicone that I've read is non-toxic for adhering the joints for aquarium purposes, is there additional material I need? I suppose I'll have to do some DIY reading, I thought it would be as easy as measuring and binding the joints...

 

[JohnK]

No silicone is adequate for building anything out of acrylic. Silicone doesn't bond to acrylic properly.

You need a proper solvent. I haven't seen the stuff Dave mentioned, but it sounds like it should be appropriate. Otherwise "weld-on #4" is the most common solvent to use. (don't be confused when you see "weld on" brand PVC cement at HD, that is not the right stuff.)

You also should do some homework so you have some idea of the difference btw cast vs extruded acrylic. Both can be used in building a sump, but you should have some idea of the difference so you know what your buying.

 

[newenglandreef]

Great, thanks for the info. So thin coat of #4 followed with silicone application?

Will do about casting versus extrusion, thanks again...

 

[beckbrass]

Silicone will not bond to acrylic. Weldon is the way to go

 

[beckbrass]

Check out melevsreef.com. great ideas and examples.

 

[JohnK]

Yup, silicone has no use in working with acrylic.

Kind of like welding steel then adding duct tape.

You'll also want to look up the "pins method" for bonding acrylic. It's more complicated than just applying a thin coat, but it's not hard to do (though you should practice on some scrap first to get a feel for it.)

Cast vs extruded is the method of manufacture. Cast is much stronger, and much easier to machine/cut. Extruded is much cheaper and will work for a lot of projects, but cast pretty much always better. The material won't be marked as one or the other, you need to ask the supplier for help or do some homework on the different brand names.

 

[newenglandreef]

Thanks again to all, really great information. Probably delay my sump build until I read up a little... really appreciate the info, I've learned to do things right the first time...