New Tank Delivered Today..Need Help...Cosmetic or Bad seams

[MaddyP]

more pics, This is looking down at top panel edge

If solvent had been in this joint, the little dust particles would have been melted (fused) into the big panel. I think this picture clearly shows this section was never properly bonded from the beginning.

 

[Y2KReef]

1 more

 

[Y2KReef]

I think the tank was built dirty

 

[Y2KReef]

This is another spot. Top panel and rear panel seam. I can put my finger nail in the seam on the left edge. I sent pics before signing and he said maybe too much solvent and didn't seat all the way, but not a problem

 

[prsnlty]

This is another spot. Top panel and rear panel seam. I can put my finger nail in the seam on the left edge. I sent pics before signing and he said maybe too much solvent and didn't seat all the way, but not a problem

Geeze how can it not be a problem with all the weight and pressure that will be in it? Sounds like he is going to be a problem.

 

[awais98]

This is junk.
He can take his tank back and return full cost. Go somewhere else.
This seller doesn't deserve another chance I'm sorry. No quality control and then discounting the problems when you call him.

 

[prsnlty]

This is junk.
He can take his tank back and return full cost. Go somewhere else.
This seller doesn't deserve another chance I'm sorry. No quality control and then discounting the problems when you call him.

Sorry to hear that. There is no good excuse for the "workmanship" on the tank. You pay for a proper build which especially include great seams. With out well made seams it is doomed to fail. It will not only lose its contents but cause damages to your home. Is he willing to do a full refund?

 

[Macdaddynick1]

This person does not know how to build an acrylic tanks at all. Don't let him come up with any excuses. Since acrylic is expensive as hell he will do whatever to say that it's perfect, even after the panel falls off. Or most likely he will try to blame the shipping guy. I ordered my tank and it had all of the sides perfect except the back side had bubbles and one of those dust particles (ONE) . I brought it back to the guy and he said no problem I will remake it . He remade the whole tank because of some bubbles I didn't even argue with him. But here is another thing I realized, I was trying to save money and went to a mom pop shop. The problem with that is they usually don't have the type of equipment to build the tank without the bubbles in the seams regardless. Those bubbles and imperfections will be the weak points and crazing usually starts there when the acrylic is exposed to the heat or stress. So save yourself headache pay a little more to one of those professional acrylic tank manufacturers that's probably contracted with your lfs and you won't have to worry about this problem. Just my 02 cents

 

[Robert Vacchiano]

It is definitely a big problem

 

[TheEngineer]

@Floyd R Turbo is an acrylic expert... let's see what he thinks...

 

[Y2KReef]

New day, New discoveries.

1. I've got 2 text messages sent and left 2 voice mails and no response. Should have been his first order of business this morning!!

2. Seam work.......

 

[OGFrenchHorn]

Oh man! Yeah that was a poor build. Hope you get a proper resolution

 

[revhtree]

Doesn't look good at all. Hope the manufacturer will build you a new perfect tank or refund you.

 

[hybridazn]

Wow that's awful! Hopefully the vendor works with you on this.

 

[ArtFully Acrylic]

Ok, I just got pinged by a couple customers/fans emailing this thread to us to chime in. Rarely do we participate in threads like this, but I've never had one make me so furious.

These pictures make me ANGRY more and more as I look at them. I'm not kidding. DO NOT let them make you another tank. They DO NOT know what they are doing. You will end up with water all over your floor and a much more massive/expensive mess. Shipping damage?! No. The most poor crafstmanship I've ever seen in my life....Yes. The biggest thing perplexing me is I can't see putting the extra several hours worth of work into polishing all those edges while looking at such horrendous work all while thinking this is perfectly fine and that the customer won't have an issue with it. A few bubbles here or there in the seams wouldn't be anything more than cosmetic, but this is just absolutely awful.

The tank is riddled with dry joints (cloudy joints shown at bottom, joint at back that you banged out and got paper through, joint with acrylic shavings in it). In all likelihood, they ran the solvent on straight butt joints with no separation (pins) or dwell time. This will almost always cause problems. Solvent is FINICKY! I have people tell us all the time that we make it look easy when running solvent in seams...yet I have employees working in my shop that have been here a few years and I STILL won't let them run solvent. The prep and setup is critical and when you start running the seams you are on a short clock. There is not much time to stop and fix something. It took me YEARS to get this process down and I still wouldn't call myself perfect by any stretch.

As someone else alluded earlier, acrylic that is properly welded is STRONGER at the seam than the surrounding acrylic. If you weld two small pieces of acrylic together and let properly cure and then try to break the pieces apart, the break will not be clean and will jaggedly run along both connecting surfaces. Improperly bonded seams on the other hand will break clean at the seam. This is what you experienced with the seam in the back which you have paper through.

Sorry for the rant....I'm not one to talk bad about anybody and don't claim I'm perfect by any stretch. But that tank would have never left my shop nor even been completed. The first dry seam on the first panel would have resulted in the pieces being scrapped/pulled apart and starting over.

 

[Brew12]

Ok, I just got pinged by a couple customers/fans emailing this thread to us to chime in. Rarely do we participate in threads like this, but I've never had one make me so furious.

These pictures make me ANGRY more and more as I look at them. I'm not kidding. DO NOT let them make you another tank. They DO NOT know what they are doing. You will end up with water all over your floor and a much more massive/expensive mess. Shipping damage?! No. The most poor crafstmanship I've ever seen in my life....Yes. The biggest thing perplexing me is I can't see putting the extra several hours worth of work into polishing all those edges while looking at such horrendous work all while thinking this is perfectly fine and that the customer won't have an issue with it. A few bubbles here or there in the seams wouldn't be anything more than cosmetic, but this is just absolutely awful.

The tank is riddled with dry joints (cloudy joints shown at bottom, joint at back that you banged out and got paper through, joint with acrylic shavings in it). In all likelihood, they ran the solvent on straight butt joints with no separation (pins) or dwell time. This will almost always cause problems. Solvent is FINICKY! I have people tell us all the time that we make it look easy when running solvent in seams...yet I have employees working in my shop that have been here a few years and I STILL won't let them run solvent. The prep and setup is critical and when you start running the seams you are on a short clock. There is not much time to stop and fix something. It took me YEARS to get this process down and I still wouldn't call myself perfect by any stretch.

As someone else alluded earlier, acrylic that is properly welded is STRONGER at the seam than the surrounding acrylic. If you weld two small pieces of acrylic together and let properly cure and then try to break the pieces apart, the break will not be clean and will jaggedly run along both connecting surfaces. Improperly bonded seams on the other hand will break clean at the seam. This is what you experienced with the seam in the back which you have paper through.

Sorry for the rant....I'm not one to talk bad about anybody and don't claim I'm perfect by any stretch. But that tank would have never left my shop nor even been completed. The first dry seam on the first panel would have resulted in the pieces being scrapped/pulled apart and starting over.

Thank you for confirming that. I know it is very difficult when it comes to criticizing someone who could potentially be a competitor but I feel your advice was needed.

Am I think only one thinking that in light of this post it would be best if the manufacturer of this tank never be mentioned in this thread? While I am personally very curious who made it I worry it could cause undo friction in this case. @ArtFully Acrylic is a fantastic sponsor of this forum and has been gracious in offering his professional advice. I would hate to see this devolve into a battle between manufacturers which will not reflect well on anyone.

 

[TheEngineer]

Thank you for confirming that. I know it is very difficult when it comes to criticizing someone who could potentially be a competitor but I feel your advice was needed.

Am I think only one thinking that in light of this post it would be best if the manufacturer of this tank never be mentioned in this thread? While I am personally very curious who made it I worry it could cause undo friction in this case. @ArtFully Acrylic is a fantastic sponsor of this forum and has been gracious in offering his professional advice. I would hate to see this devolve into a battle between manufacturers which will not reflect well on anyone.

We have a feedback forum for just this reason. I think the OP should post about his experience, which will hopefully come to a happy conclusion.

 

[Brew12]

We have a feedback forum for just this reason. I think the OP should post about his experience, which will hopefully come to a happy conclusion.

I agree. It would be very appropriate for the OP to leave a post in the vendor feedback section about this. I hope they do.

 

[Flippers4pups]

The other pictures from today sealed the deal with me. Totally agree that this tank was completely put together wrong. Man, what was the manufacturer thinking? Clearly doesn't have a clue how to build a tank. Hope you get your money back and soon!

 

[Cabinetman]

I also build a lot of tanks and I'm horrified to look at how crappy those seams are. What thickness is it made out of? It looks like 1/2" which is just pathetic. All my 8x2x2 are made outa 3/4 and you could drop them of the back of a truck and they wouldn't open up like that. I think they must have not let the solvent work long enough or there was simply not enough or the seams were not prepared right. Something isn't right that's for sure. I'm just a cabinet guy who builds big tanks once In a while and if mine turned out like that I'd quit for sure. I hate to see even a single micro bubble let alone seams like that. You deserve a refund.