Need acrylic help

C

crash519

[I know Marc is the man when it comes to acrylics, but he seems rather busy right now :D I'm sure there are others who have tried their hands at acrylics.

I built my refugium (24"L x 16"H x 10"D) this weekend and thought it turned out great (until I started looking closely). All the joints look good except for one. Evidentally, I didn't get everything perfectly plane and ended up with a gap about 3" long and just big enough for the needle of the applicator to slide through. This is on the bottom seam. What can I do to fix / fill this seam in and still retain the structural integrity? Or do I jsut scrap it and kiss it goodbye? Can I make a paste from Weldon 4 and shaving or use Weldon 16?

Any help would be dearly appreciated. I'd hate to scrap this thing as 1/4 cast isn't cheap whatsover and it's looks pretty good other than this.

Thanks Everyone!]



Edited By crash519 on 1092065439
 
[Okay, I do NOT work in acrylic, so this may be a stupid question.

Can you melt the acrylic with a blow torch, to seal that gap?

Or even melt another piece of acrylic, and let the melting run into the gap?]



Edited By kitty32 on 1092069880
 
[I would think you could fill this small of a crack with weldon 4. I would for sure try this before I scrapped the project.

Maybe Marc will read this before the end of the day and let you know for sure.]
 
[Go with Barry suggestion, Weld-on 4 will hide the mistake. I have had this problem on my overflows (note I have made a couple trying to get them right) and a little Weld-on 4 did the trick every time.

Todd]
 
[I would make some acryllic shavings and pack that into the gap. Then apply the solvent. You can also apply another strip to the inside edge. That will give you the strength, but It just wouldn't look as neat.]
 
[Weld-On #4 will not work in this situation, because it is too thin. Use Weld-On #16, which is a gel. Remember that this stuff is a solvent, and it will melt a lot of material and leave a larger gaping hole if you use too much.

It is not caulk, so a thin bead will suffice. Because #16 comes out of a hole that is too large, I recommend you go to a hobby shop and buy a package of thin long glue applicator tips. They cost $0.99 for 4 or 5 tips. Bring your #16 with you to make sure it will fit onto the tube. You may want to trim off the tip, to make the hole a little bit larger, but not much.

Once #16 cures, it will contract about 1/3 of the original bead. You may even see an air pocket in the seam, usually caused by using too much.

Using a small piece of acrylic over that area to act like a band-aid, and secured with #4 will make it perfectly safe to use.

Once you are done dealing with this minor problem, let it cure for a few hours (half a day), then fill it up with water and let it sit for 24 hours outside. If the ground around it remains dry, you've done a good job.

Be sure you put a piece of 1/2" rigid foam under your sump, to avoid any pressure points that could weaken a seam.]
 
[So your saying to use the 16 to fill the gap? Not use it like caulk? I'm just trying to verify this. That is what I figured, but I didn't know about the tip being to big. I'll swing by Regal on the way home and try to make it to the hobby shop before they close.

Thanks everyone!]
 
[Darnit,

Marc I was thinking #16 when I wrote that I have used it not #4 (to fill gaps). So much for my attempt to help before my caffine kicked in on a Monday morning.]
 
[Yes, #16 is thick gel. Just use it sparingly, not like you might with Elmer's Glue like you did as a kid. :p It should be a bead that is maybe 1/8" thick. If you have to add more after it cures, you can do so.

Hobby Lobby sells those tips.]
 
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