my supplier is officially out of arkema. they will be ordering marga cipta and chemcast (unigel) for now. they may also look into plastiglas (also unigel).
Acrylic Fabrication Q & A
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Cabinetman
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I just made 2 tanks. One 8x3x2 and one 6x3x2 both made with marga cipta both I let the solvent soak for 3 mins before pulling the pins. I do clamp mine after I pull the pins.
Troylee
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How exactly are you soaking them for 3 min???? Are you just flooding the joints over and over? After about 45 seconds the solvent is normally gone and the plastic is mushy.. lol… @cromag27 id go with chemcast over that marga cipta crap! I’ve heard horror stories about the marga cipta..
i’ve used both many times, going back 10+ years. no issues with either. no issues with plastiglas either, which is unigel’s version of plex-g.
Cabinetman
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I’m using bigger pins and this is on 3/4. ? Do you build a lot of big tanks? I’ve built quite a few big tanks 300 gallons plus using marga cipta and I find it’s fine to work with as long as I soak it a little longer to get a good melt but I only use three-quarter inch thick material.
Cabinetman
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I do sometimes it re-flood it once but it’s definitely not over and over. I’m just telling you how I achieve perfectly clear bubble free joints.
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
I’ve built plenty of tanks.. I do plastic everyday for a living just not building fish tanks lol.. that’s my side hustle and personal projects… I’ve been doing acrylic for 30 years and got plenty of experience with it..
Cabinetman
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May I ask what you make out of plastic? What size fish tanks have you made? Here’s a few I’ve made. They aren’t just crappy builds. They turn out nearly flawless. My biggest is my own personal tank that’s 560 gallon. I’ve built at least a dozen 375’s and a bunch that are all over 240 gallon.
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
Search my name in this diy forum.. I’ve been around man… I was the first in the states with a drop off tank that I built myself. I have plenty of acrylic threads in this forum also I started 15 years ago lol..
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/troylees-diy-500gal-build.35051/ here’s one of many! I even built cone skimmers etc..May I ask what you make out of plastic? What size fish tanks have you made? Here’s a few I’ve made. They aren’t just crappy builds. They turn out nearly flawless. My biggest is my own personal tank that’s 560 gallon. I’ve built at least a dozen 375’s and a bunch that are all over 240 gallon.
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
Read the first post of this thread.. it’s got my name and a link to my thread I started many years ago.. I took a long break from the hobby but never from fabricating as that’s what I do for a living. Turbo started this one.
Cabinetman
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I’m not trying to start a ticking contest I’m just trying to get the point across that I build alot of big tanks that have pretty much 0 bubbles in the seams. Long lasting tanks too. My 560 gallon is 120” long x38.5” wide and 29” tall made using 1” acrylic. It must be 6-7 years old now and the seams are still nearly perfect. I’ve always done long soak times before I pull the pins.
Troylee
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It’s just weird to me a soak time of that length and keeping the solvent in solvent form that long.. I was curious how you were doing is all.. cipta glues up okay it’s a cheap junk acrylic that I wouldn’t build displays with personally… I do use it at work a lot thou. “I’m not building pressure vessels here” chemcast isn’t the best either but it’s one of the better options today since Acrylite gp and plexiglass g are gone..
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Here’s a vid of a 500 gallon 8x4x2 I made 8 years ago. I talk to the guy and it’s still full.
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Wnen I pull the pins and give a squeeze with clamps I wanna see melted acrylic ooze out and I found 3 mins is the best to get a good ooze using marga cipta. It’s a harder acrylic that takes longer to melt. I used to let it soak for 2 mins when I used acrylite. It was a lot softer.
Troylee
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I use number 3 and soak for about 45seconds with .035 pins.
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Do you end up with any air in your seams?
OP
OP
There's definitely more than one way to skin the cat - clamps vs weights, big gap, small gap, long/short soak time, and +/- to both. I'll say that 3 minute soak time is way outside of anything I've ever heard of before - and I'm guessing others as well, which is why the questions are popping about it.
But, I'm not against learning what others do. I've learned from several that a longer soak time can be a negative factor, I've shortened my soak time for 1/4" and maybe 3/8" from 30-40 seconds down to 15-20, which leaves plenty of "bite" time and results in plenty of squeeze-out, at least for Plex G and PMACS
On Plex-G/PMACS or Trinseo (Arkema and Altuglas are under that company) they are still making it, but in Italy. It's supposed to be back into the supply chain later this year.
Also Plaskolite/Optix bought the 2 factories in MX and will be spinning them back up to make cell cast (which they don't make now), but who knows what the quality will be
But, I'm not against learning what others do. I've learned from several that a longer soak time can be a negative factor, I've shortened my soak time for 1/4" and maybe 3/8" from 30-40 seconds down to 15-20, which leaves plenty of "bite" time and results in plenty of squeeze-out, at least for Plex G and PMACS
On Plex-G/PMACS or Trinseo (Arkema and Altuglas are under that company) they are still making it, but in Italy. It's supposed to be back into the supply chain later this year.
Also Plaskolite/Optix bought the 2 factories in MX and will be spinning them back up to make cell cast (which they don't make now), but who knows what the quality will be
Troylee
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I don’t… if it’s really hot or humid out I have, so I use a temp controlled room now.
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Cabinetman
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Think of this. When you weld the top and bottom on if it’s a big tank it takes 3min to just wick the solvent In. At least it does for me. Then by the time I pull the pins and tighten the clamps it’s over 5 mins. Unless you guys get help…
