Trimming the top brace on a 40 breeder...

[musicsmaker]

Well, I screwed up. I drilled the holes in my 40 breeder about 1/16" too high, and now my overflow won't fit because it catches on the top trim piece of the tank.

The easiest option for me would be to cut a small section out of the trim. I wouldn't need to take the whole section out, as can be seen in the pictures. I just need to remove a little material. I feel like I could do this myself, with a dremmel.

Another fix would be to trim down the top of the overflow box. I feel like that's a job for a table saw, though, which I do not have access to.

The last option is obviously to get a new tank and start over, but that means drilling, painting, and reaquascaping it. Not my favorite option.

 

[JoshH]

Of its only 1/16" off you could sand the overflow box down that thickness. What do you have on hand tool wise? Or do you know anyone who has a table or miter saw?

 

[WVNed]

I would trim the rim of the tank with the Dremel. Go slow and don't melt it. I would try the sanding tool with the changeable drums and put one on half way and tighten the screw so the drum sticks out. Maybe tape the glass to cut down on scratching.

or tape a wood block to the overflow and sand down to it.

In any case I would cut which ever part was cheapest in case things go south.

 

[oreo54]

just belt sand the overflow tank down...........

 

[musicsmaker]

I had thought about sanding, but it sounds like a lot of work without a belt sander.

Maybe if I got a big sheet and layed it flat on a piece of glass I could do it that way.

 

[WVNed]

Make a sanding block out of a piece of 1x4.

 

[musicsmaker]

I would trim the rim of the tank with the Dremel. Go slow and don't melt it. I would try the sanding tool with the changeable drums and put one on half way and tighten the screw so the drum sticks out. Maybe tape the glass to cut down on scratching.

or tape a wood block to the overflow and sand down to it.

In any case I would cut which ever part was cheapest in case things go south.

There is enough clearance behind the trim that I could dremmel it without hitting the glass. What about a diamond wheel? I think I could make a nice, clean, straight cut with one of those, and I have several elcheapo ones.

I'm just worried about the integrity of the tank.

I think I'll give sanding a shot first, but I'm not too optimistic about that working out. I imagine it taking hours, even with a sanding block.

 

[WVNed]

A diamond wheel will simply clog on plastic. So will a stone. That is why I would use a sanding wheel and light passes.

 

[oreo54]

Remeber.. you onl

I had thought about sanding, but it sounds like a lot of work without a belt sander.

Maybe if I got a big sheet and layed it flat on a piece of glass I could do it that way.

Remember you only need to sand the back dimension and a wee bit of the side..

 

[AdamNC]

Not ideal but I did the same thing on my 40br and this has been going strong for about a year now.

 

[WVNed]

The overflow box might be quit a bit more fragile do to the glue joints putting it together. If you are going to put pressure on it support it well.

 

[musicsmaker]

The tank is about 1/3 the cost of the overflow, so I'm just going to cut a notch out of the trim. The diamond wheel I have will zip through plastic like a a hot knife through butter, but it makes a big mess. Hopefully I can figure out a better way to cut it.

 

[High ICP]

It’s a brace for a reason

The glass is too thin

The glass is chipped underneath the plastic

It’s a $40 tank

It takes way too much time and effort to get all the plastic and silicone off

I guess you have to try at least once. I have.

 

[musicsmaker]

High ICP, I know what you're saying, but it's not that bad. I'm not removing the whole thing. I felt up underneath the part that needs to be removed, and the silicone doesn't even come down that far. I won't be exposing the jagged top edge of the glass.

ETA: I wont be going anywhere near as high as AdamNC did in the picture he posted above. I'm literally only removing the lip that sticks out.

 

[Mjrenz]

I had thought about sanding, but it sounds like a lot of work without a belt sander.

Maybe if I got a big sheet and layed it flat on a piece of glass I could do it that way.

Do this and keep it flat and even, it'll work. My second hobby is gunsmithing and that's exactly how I get a perfectly flat slide on a 1911 after fitting it to the frame

 

[musicsmaker]

Do this and keep it flat and even, it'll work. My second hobby is gunsmithing and that's exactly how I get a perfectly flat slide on a 1911 after fitting it to the frame

I appreciate the precision required to do some quality gunsmithing. I've tried my hand at it, and I was successful at eliminating a jamming problem associated with HP ammo. I think I would like to try my hand at watchsmithing next. Have you ever?

 

[Mjrenz]

I appreciate the precision required to do some quality gunsmithing. I've tried my hand at it, and I was successful at eliminating a jamming problem associated with HP ammo. I think I would like to try my hand at watchsmithing next. Have you ever?

That's one thing I've never tried... But now I'm thinking about it

 

[Reef-junky]

Don’t know how much it will help but you could probably cut that lip with a cutters like this. Cutting the trim would make me uncomfortable though. Another option would be to remove it and put a glass brace. Worst case pick another tank up during a $/gal sale for $40.

 

[oreo54]

$/gal sale doesn't "do" 40's anymore.. Biggest is 29
40 or 55... 1/2 price..

 

[musicsmaker]

This turned out to be a lot easier than I expected. I was able to cut into the lip by taking a jigsaw blade by hand and just working it for a few seconds. I made the lengthwise cut with a utility knife. I scored it once at first, then folded it back and hit it a second time with the blade, which took it right off.

It might have taken me 5 minutes to make the cut, then another 5 minutes worth of sanding after that.

If I would have known it would be this easy, I would have not waited so long to do it. Haha.