Sealing in an overflow

[ctylermast]

I’m installing this overflow, holes already drilled for this one, I’m not changing it.
I ordered this silicone will it do the job properly. Should I scuff the edges to promoted adhesion.

 

[NanoSteam]

Looks like acrylic? Silicone doesn't bond acrylic to glass very well long term so it will likely eventually start leaking. I don't know if there exists a good way to bond the two together.

 

[twentyleagues]

Looks like acrylic? Silicone doesn't bond acrylic to glass very well long term so it will likely eventually start leaking. I don't know if there exists a good way to bond the two together.

I am not sure why this is always stated and its not wrong but it is what most tank manufacturers use to seal/attach over flow/weirs like that. Standard silicone. Deep blue, Marineland, Aquaeon all use silicone for their overflows. Does or can it fail eventually? Probably my 180 is a Marineland and has the corner overflows attached with silicone. I replaced one purchased directly from Marineland and they sent me regular black silicone to attach it. Just make sure the glass surface is super clean, wipe it down with alcohol before applying silicone.

 

[ctylermast]

I am not sure why this is always stated and its not wrong but it is what most tank manufacturers use to seal/attach over flow/weirs like that. Standard silicone. Deep blue, Marineland, Aquaeon all use silicone for their overflows. Does or can it fail eventually? Probably my 180 is a Marineland and has the corner overflows attached with silicone. I replaced one purchased directly from Marineland and they sent me regular black silicone to attach it. Just make sure the glass surface is super clean, wipe it down with alcohol before applying silicone.

Thank you, this is kind of what I was thinking as well, I have acitone I was probably gonna prep with

 

[UncommonSense]

Thank you, this is kind of what I was thinking as well, I have acitone I was probably gonna prep with

Do NOT use acetone. Modern hardware store acetone has too many impurities in it, and will leave a film of residue on the glass if left to dry… I learned this the hard way…

— Use 90%+ isopropyl alcohol for best cleaning results prior to applying silicone!

Also, the ASI silicone you picked is a good choice! — shoot for a silicone bead width roughly 1/3 of the desired final squished out silicone width! — wait a full 7 days for it to fully cure before filling (petroleum distillates in the silicone need to off-gas)

— don’t stress if you make a mess with the silicone inside the tank; leave it to dry out, then scrape it off with a razor!

 

[twentyleagues]

Do NOT use acetone. Modern hardware store acetone has too many impurities in it, and will leave a film of residue on the glass if left to dry… I learned this the hard way…

— Use 90%+ isopropyl alcohol for best cleaning results prior to applying silicone!

Also, the ASI silicone you picked is a good choice! — shoot for a silicone bead width roughly 1/3 of the desired final squished out silicone width! — wait a full 7 days for it to fully cure before filling (petroleum distillates in the silicone need to off-gas)

— don’t stress if you make a mess with the silicone inside the tank; leave it to dry out, then scrape it off with a razor!

Good point on the acetone! I was not sure on this and have always used alcohol.

 

[UncommonSense]

Good point on the acetone! I was not sure on this and have always used alcohol.

I had a structural joint (butt joint, not a face joint I mistakenly siliconed to the tin side of) just randomly tear free on me around six weeks after putting it under load early in my experimentation process….

I had an identical joint in another location which is still holding strong to this day…

— the single difference in my process was running out of acetone after making the bad joint, and switching to 99% isopropyl alcohol for the still holding joint!

— Further research led me to this article on cleaning lab glassware: