PVC Sheet Bonding - DIY Sump

[dburt520]

I am thinking about building my own sump and was considering using PVC Type 1 sheet - I have never worked with this material. Can anyone recommend a product to bond / seal the PVC Type 1 sheets?

I have worked with acrylic a little bit in the past and of course Weld on 4 and 16 did a great job for that purpose, just not sure what to use on the PVC sheet.

Thank you
Dave

 

[mav3rick478]

I would think your standard PVC primer and clear glue used for plumbing would work. Otherwise just ask the local hardware store workers.

 

[Frank_Aaron]

Dave - Did you ever get an answer? I'm thinking about making a PVC Frag tank, and cant find any information on what needs to be used to bond edges together. There is a local STL company that makes them and I see them use a "glue" in their build videos, but I figured it was a bit rude to ask them what they use.

 

[dburt520]

I never did get an answer I was comfortable with.

It seems hot air welding is the way to go, but I don't have and wasn't interested in purchasing one.

I got two "sample" pieces of 3/8 type 1 White PVC and tried the common Weld-On PVC primer/Cement and while it did stick well it didn't appear to form the typical PVC bond that I would have liked to have seen.

 

[Frank_Aaron]

Bummer. Answers are all over the place with PVC. I'll continue to dig and report back if I find an answer.

 

[fade2black]

There is some info in this thread about how to bond PVC sheet together.

Any PVC sumps out there?

I've been considering building a PVC sump to replace my current 60 gal (48x18x14H) and provide extra volume (and backflow space, mostly). There have been a few people here and there that have built smaller sumps out of the sheet PVC one finds at Home Depot, etc. Wondering what experience...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I would think your standard PVC primer and clear glue used for plumbing would work. Otherwise just ask the local hardware store workers.

careful here... typical hardware stores don't often deal with this material so make sure you vet out your source.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I am thinking about building my own sump and was considering using PVC Type 1 sheet - I have never worked with this material. Can anyone recommend a product to bond / seal the PVC Type 1 sheets?

I have worked with acrylic a little bit in the past and of course Weld on 4 and 16 did a great job for that purpose, just not sure what to use on the PVC sheet.

Thank you
Dave

just curious, why are you thinking about this material over acrylic?

 

[Frank_Aaron]

I'm thinking about it, as my local sign shop has 12mm 4x8 sheets of white PVC for $80.

I did find some info showing that Weld-On #2007 should bond PVC to PVC without issue. If I were to do a see through window, bonding acrylic to PVC, it sounds like Weld-on #16 Is the way to go.

 

[mav3rick478]

just curious, why are you thinking about this material over acrylic?

I'm guessing he saw acrylic and poly carbonate are really expensive right now with the pandemic. $80 for a 4x8 12mm sheet is a good price! Similar spec acrylic is probably $200 right now and scarce.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I'm guessing he saw acrylic and poly carbonate are really expensive right now with the pandemic. $80 for a 4x8 12mm sheet is a good price! Similar spec acrylic is probably $200 right now and scarce.

I'd say . Considering 6mm is all you'd need too!

 

[Frank_Aaron]

Update guys, I went right to the source.

Thank you for contacting TAP Plastics. Each type of plastic has its own solvent cement that melts the plastic then evaporates away leaving the melted plastic to “weld” together and harden. The 2007 does this for the PVC but doesn’t touch the acrylic and conversely, the Weld-On 4 melts the acrylic but really doesn’t touch the PVC. Now, I have mixed the two solvents together and glued these materials together and the bond seemed strong, but I did not check it for watertightness. You have to mix and apply the solvents right away as a reaction occurs that discolors the solvent if it sits around not being used. The Weld-On #16 is a cement with a syrup consistency so it is a little harder in my mind to apply that the water-thin solvents, but it will bond both the PVC and acrylic. You can read about it HERE… note gluing Acrylic and PVC is mentioned in the first paragraph…

 

[TrevN64]

I personally hot air weld PVC - it is the best way. If I'm not backwards on this - Type 1 is very brittle - chips/cracks easier so keep that in mind when moving it around and milling - sharp blades!!

 

[adreef]

I personally hot air weld PVC - it is the best way. If I'm not backwards on this - Type 1 is very brittle - chips/cracks easier so keep that in mind when moving it around and milling - sharp blades!!

What hot air welder(s) have you used and/or recommend? I have thought about trying that out. Do you have any issues with finding good PVC welding rods? Any luck finding them in different colors?

 

[TrevN64]

The welder I use was made by my Grandfather inlaw in the early 70's - handmade jobber - They started a manufacturing facility to make vent hoods for chrome plating/enviromental - mostly made of PVC sheeting - but they used alot of plastics at one point.. ABS, Polypro, ect...

I was lucky enough to inherit a welder when they moved manufacturing out of the building about 10 years ago - However its probably useless without the knowledge. Its like welding metal, there is a technique.

Welding rod shouldn't be an issue to find in - white, grey (multiple shades) black

Harbor Freight tools carried a welder at one point in time and even welding rod - I had the pleasure of using one and I couldn't recommend it over the tool he made. It will weld though.

Unfortunately he has passed, Along with a lot of the guys who put their heads together to make these "torches" - My father inlaw has passed the "torch" onto me so to speak - and I hope to teach my kids one day.

I could talk for days about plastic welding!! Ill cut it short here.

**Edit: Ill post some pictures later this evening.

 

[TrevN64]

 

[adreef]

Thanks for the info on the hot air welder. I had looked at what Harbor Freight was selling and have been tempted to buy one just to play around with it. Just haven't justified it yet. They seem to get somewhat mixed reviews like everything else at HF, but I'm sure it will work once you put some time into figuring out the process.

 

[JPG@CFI]

You will need to hot air weld that together. A good welder is in the 12-1500$ range. Acrylic is a better material to use. I’m not a fan of Weldon 16, as it shrinks too much. If you have a gap to fill, re machine the part. If you want to back fill a joint, use WeldOn 40. It is superior in strength. Just my .02

 

[dburt520]

Yes, was looking into pvc stictly from the cost and more importantly availability versus acrylic. The pandemic has the acrylic industry in a whirl wind with shields and sneeze guards and locally a sheet of acrylic was 10+ weeks out and 2.5 times the price as it was pre pandemic.