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Cutting Glass sucks!

OK, so I want to make a temp sump with a glass AGA 29 g I happen to have. So I went to HD and bought a piece of glass 16x20 for $5 and a $6 glass cutting tool. The glass is really thin 3/32" but it was going to be a baffle, not a tank wall.

Anyway, I go to cut it and rotate the glass ... it bumps into a hand plane that I stupidly left on the workbench and the glass cracks in a diagonal. However, the crack ends at a point where I could still recover a piece to use as a baffle, So I cut it with the glass tool. Then as I pick up the glass to break it along the score .... the diagonal crack (because it's a crack and not just a scored line) takes over and just breaks the whole piece of glass.

yes, it was way too thin. I just chucked it in the garbage can in disgust. Should have just thrown $5 in the garbage and saved myself the frustration.

So then I went and found a similarly thin piece of acrylic in my workshop and cut/routed it.

I will be siliconing in the acrylic baffle tonight. Yes, I know "silicon doesn't stick to acrylic. But it's a baffle, not a tank wall, so all it needs to do is be gummed into position with silicon and hold back a few inches of water.


I plan to make a custom acrylic sump, but my wife keeps saying to me "Done is better than perfect" so I need to get a sump under that thing fast and this will do it.

Maybe thicker glass, custom cut at a glass shop would work.

Hmmm... come to think of it, I have a large glass sump with baffles that is not being used (it doesn't fit the stand), I could butcher out the baffles and .... nah forget it. I hate glass.

V
 
I have read that acrylic baffles in glass tanks can actually hold quite well and for a respectable period of time. I would have tried the acrylic before glass myself, I am really not a fan of sharp glass haha
 
if you want cheap used acrylic, go to a electronic store call Wierd stuff in Sunnyvale near Yahoo head quarter. You will find use acrylic panel of difference size for a fraction of the price if you buy from store like tap plastic. http://www.weirdstuff.com/
 
Suggest West System G/flex epoxy for gluing glass to acrylic.
Especially if you sand both glass and acrylic slightly where they bond.
(Obviously not on a display tank)
 
if you want cheap used acrylic, go to a electronic store call Wierd stuff in Sunnyvale near Yahoo head quarter. You will find use acrylic panel of difference size for a fraction of the price if you buy from store like tap plastic. http://www.weirdstuff.com/

I actually work a block from Weird Stuff! I've looked before and never saw acrylic, just old TRS-80 parts.

I might pop in though, if they are starting to keep an acrylic bin!
 
Tap plastics has a great bin of leftover small pieces.
Cheap, and easily glued together.

Note: Lowes has pretty good pricing on Lexan (polycarbonate).
I actually like that better for little things. Easier to work with, stronger, less chipping.
 
Yeah I remember cutting an old tank pane for a baffle. I figured "hey I got a fancy tile saw, I'll cut right through it like buttah!" however the spinning blade caused a bunch of vibrations and yeah crack..

That said use something like Dow 795 and it will stick to acrylic. I don't trust the stuff at the big box stores anymore. Silicone I or whatever for doors and windows, and hope they didn't do you a "solid" by having some mold inhibitor put into their new formulation.
 
I actually work a block from Weird Stuff! I've looked before and never saw acrylic, just old TRS-80 parts.

I might pop in though, if they are starting to keep an acrylic bin!
I bought many from them. After get through the first computer/monitor area, you will get to the second area look across those rack cabinet again their entry to the employer working area you will find a lot of door, panel with difference size and thickness. Also when you get into the second area turn right right away, look near those used chair, you will see large acrylic panel/door. Some time I bought a whole door and bring it to tap plastic and ask them cut to pieces. I just bought a 3ft x 4ft for $10 to make my ATO reservoir.
 
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