D.I.Y. Aquarium
A while back i have showed how i recovered several pieces of glass from a broken window. The glass that i'm using for this project came from a similar source.
Because the glass is thicker it can be a bit tricky to cut it but if your paying attention it can be done without paying someone else to cut it. The process is similar with thinner glass up to a point , using a straight edge as a guide for the glass cutting tool i've made the score line and after that i've moved the piece of glass on the edge of my workbench and applied downword pressure. (the score line should be aligned with the edge of the workbench before applying pressure).
After cutting the glass i have sanded the edges using 120 grit sand paper.
With the glass prepared my next step was to use masking tape for aquarium glue up.
To glue up the aquarium i have used ceresit cs23 glass transparent silicone, it's a good product i have used it in the past with great success.
The glue up can be done by one person but i think it will be easier if someone else can help during this process - at least until 2 sides of the aquarium are glued together.
Using a square i've made sure that the sides are perpendicular on the base/sides. During the glue up i had used several pieces of tape to keep the pieces of glass in place until the silicone will be fully cured (recommended time was 3 days) but i let is cure for 1 week to be on the safe side.
The last step was to fill the aquarium with water and i did this in my garage because if the silicone will fail i wont have problems inside the house (i've let the aquarium with water in it for 2 days to see if the silicone will hold properly). Now i have an 110 L (29.0589 gallon) aquarium. If you want to calculate the volume of your aquarium you can use this formula: LxWxH (length x width x height).
Note for myself for the next time when i'll make an aquarium:
- take your time - with the silicone that i've used i have plenty of time around 20-30 minutes until it's making a film and starts to cure. I'm saying this because i was able to get some silicone on the sides and had to clean it afterwards.
- don't use as many pieces of tape - one or two pieces it's more that enough per side.
And another advice that i can use for myself and give it to other is proper ventilation during the glue up process because the silicone has a particular smell (strong smell).
Thanks for reading.
To glue up the aquarium i have used ceresit cs23 glass transparent silicone, it's a good product i have used it in the past with great success.
The glue up can be done by one person but i think it will be easier if someone else can help during this process - at least until 2 sides of the aquarium are glued together.
Using a square i've made sure that the sides are perpendicular on the base/sides. During the glue up i had used several pieces of tape to keep the pieces of glass in place until the silicone will be fully cured (recommended time was 3 days) but i let is cure for 1 week to be on the safe side.
The last step was to fill the aquarium with water and i did this in my garage because if the silicone will fail i wont have problems inside the house (i've let the aquarium with water in it for 2 days to see if the silicone will hold properly). Now i have an 110 L (29.0589 gallon) aquarium. If you want to calculate the volume of your aquarium you can use this formula: LxWxH (length x width x height).
- take your time - with the silicone that i've used i have plenty of time around 20-30 minutes until it's making a film and starts to cure. I'm saying this because i was able to get some silicone on the sides and had to clean it afterwards.
- don't use as many pieces of tape - one or two pieces it's more that enough per side.
And another advice that i can use for myself and give it to other is proper ventilation during the glue up process because the silicone has a particular smell (strong smell).
Thanks for reading.
