DIY baffles for acrylic sump

[Abhishek]

Hi,

Got a simple cube sump with no baffles from a friend of mine. As I understand, the best bond for acrylic is with acrylic .
Where do I buy acrylic baffles online and what solvent do I use to bond them to the sump ?

Request your thoughts.

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[Nick.B]

You can get the baffles pre-cut from http://melevsreef.com/catalog/sump-baffles-diy or you can just order some 1/4in acrylic from ebay like I did and cut it yourself. Is the sump glass or acrylic?

 

[Abhishek]

Thanks for the reply .
The sump is acrylic and hence looking at acrylic baffles.I do not have ways to cut the acrylic myself ..

Regards,
abhishek

 

[cromag27]

Welding in baffles after a sump has been built can be very difficult. there's a certain build order that should be followed.

 

[Abhishek]

Oh crap !!! So you mean there's no point in getting the baffles if icannot weld them

 

[jsker]

As suggested above and since you have the ability to cut the plastic look here in your area to acrylic material you might buy more than you need but one can also practice and build something else. I know I have to buy hole sheets for $130.00 .223 thick. Some may sell half sheets but what out that they are not charging to much Get some Sicgrip 04 to weld the edges. Here is a video on how to use the sicgrip 04 Make sure the edges are tight to the side to use the 04, over-wise use the sicgrip 16 to fill in the edges of there are to gaps.

 

[cromag27]

Possibly. acrylic absorbs water and can warp. so if this has been used already there's a possibility the panels are no longer straight. in order to weld the baffles you need a perfect fit along the sides as well as the bottom. when building a sump we weld the baffles at the same time as the ends - which is step #1 in the construction process.

A workaround that *may* work - weld the baffles as best as you can, then seal with momentive rtv 100 series silicone. silicone doesn't bond with acrylic but in this case it wouldn't be completely structural, just for waterproofing purposes. the structural bond would be with the acrylic cement.

Oh crap !!! So you mean there's no point in getting the baffles if icannot weld them

 

[Pepcrylic]

I have done this many times for people who want to modify an acrylic tank into a sump. I cut the baffels 1/8'' shorter than the inside dimen. of the tank. I then cut 1/2'' X 1/2'' strips of acrylic by the height of th baffel. Cut 2 per baffel. Hold the baffle were you want it placed and mark it with a marker. Pull the baffle out and weld 1 of the 1/2'' cleats to the mark. Use weldon 16 if you can not get weldon 3 or 4. After you have welded all the cleats in place, you can weld the baffle in place. You will need to let the cleats set for min 8 hours befor you weld the baffles

 

[Abhishek]

Thanks for the advice guys .

@Pepcrylic - I didn't understand the role of the cleats and how big they should be cut .
Did you mean that I should get 2 small pieces of acrylic which are 1/2 in X 1/2 in and glue them on both sides of the baffle and then insert the baffle in the middle of them ? Sorry for the stupid question..

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[cromag27]

Yes, 1/2" x 1/2" acrylic cut to the same height as your baffle. weld one stop to the back panel, one strip to the front panel. then weld the baffle to the strips. repeat for more baffles. this method would most likely not be water tight (at least in the long-run), especially if you use 16. that stuff is juuuuuuunk.

 

[Pepcrylic]

I only recomended the 16 for the fact that you may not be able to get the weldon 3 or 4. I agree that 16 is not a good product, but it can be used.
As stated above . Weld the cleats to the front pane of the tank, and to the back pain of the tank. After they have cured, you can the weld the baffle in place.
This is only for sections of the sump that are not going to be water tight. Used only to divert water movement.

 

[Abhishek]

Thanks guys a lot for the info ..

One dumb question :-

1. Can I first use Weldon 4 and then use weld on 16 if there are gaps in welding ?

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[cromag27]

Yes. if you insist on using 16, I'd use a good amount all over the joints. it won't look pretty but it could work.

 

[SDdiver]

If you don't care about seeing glue seams, and want another option to Weldon, you could use a product from GE that is designed to adhere plastic sheeting and is very strong, also found at homedepot. It comes in a standard caulking tube and is easy to work with, fills gaps, excess can be wiped or scrapped off. I used it on my current sump build and would also recommend at least 1/4 inch thick plastic baffles, anything less will warp with the weight of the water pressing on it. I originally had glued only one side of the baffle and used 3/8 inch thick plastic baffles, when I siphoned out the water in one of my sump chambers, the weight of the water was too much and the seal broke, lesson learned.

GE Silicone Caulk for Plastic Sheets and other plastics
http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-10-oz-Silicone-Cartridge-GE-55/202038071

 

[dutka2678]

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[mdlc805]

You can go to your local home Depot and get acrylic sheets of different sizes for under 20 dollar cutter for 3 dollars and they sell aquarium safe silicone for 5 dollars just measure and cut and place where you want them super easy and inexpensive

 

[Abhishek]

Thanks everyone . Got my acrylic cut 1/8th less than the actual measurement in .25 inch thickness and welded with Weldon 16 . Couldn't use weldon4 as it was not smooth 100% . Not the prettiest but it's water right and anyways am gonna grow algae in it . So not bothered about looks ..