# Plexiglass solder?



## Praxx42 (Mar 4, 2005)

Morning!

I'm researching an upcoming project, and I plan on using plexiglass from the Home Despot (mostly because of the price), but I'm having trouble figuring out how to weld the pieces of plexi together. Is there an epoxy or glue that is commercially available that works well?

And, if Home Despot plexi isn't the best, is there an inexpensive source for table-saw-cuttable (?) clear materials that you can recommend?

Thank you in advance!


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

There is a solvent for plexiglass that Home Depot should have. I forget its name, but I remember using it on a project I did a long time ago. You dissolve some fragments of plexiglass in it, and it becomes thicker and can be used as a glue.


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Hi,

Depending on what you are planning on building, I would steer you away from the Home Depot plexi to standard acrylic- either cast (best) or extruded (OK). Look in the Yellow Pages for an acrylic supplier in your neighborhood and you'll get what you need.

Acrylic is joined by "welding"-chemically bonding the two pieces- or by "glueing"- using dissolved acrylic to glue to pieces together. Each type of bond has its pluses and minuses. It also depends on what you are building. The acrylic supply store will carry the joining material you need.

If you tell us what you intended to build, perhaps we can give you a shopping list.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Homedepot will cut it for you just now sand it, the smallest they will cut is 2x2 inches.


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## Praxx42 (Mar 4, 2005)

Art_Giacosa said:


> If you tell us what you intended to build, perhaps we can give you a shopping list.


<sigh> This is going to sound weird, but here goes:

I'm really psyched on terraces. I've decided to take my 240G (8'x2'x2') and turn it into a farm tank (3+WPG, pressurized CO2, shooting for 'easy-to-maintain, fun-to-look-at'). My inspiration was the #5 winner or Bronze Prize from this past year's International Aquatics Plants Layout Contest '04. I don't plan on winning any prizes, but I like the way it looks. (It's the photo at the bottom.) Granted, this entry seems to be constructed mostly from rock, but for personal edification, I need a different way to build it. 

I've looked into various ways to construct terraces (slate, rocks, individual pieces of plexi fronted by slate, welded plexi, and the current front runner, marine epoxy and foam). I asked about plexi because I have been entertaining the notion of constructing each terrace from cut sections of plexi that have been welded together and braced at the bottom with a long strip of plexi.

I'm leaning towards Epoxy and Foam mostly because of Chuck's construction. Price-wise, this seems more efficient to me and I can take the time to carve out exactly what I want while the tank is still wet (it's currently planted, if you want to see what I've been up to, check out my thread in the DFWAPC group.

Like I said, I'm looking to construct something that can farm well and that looks good enough that I won't want to tear it down and try something else in 6 months. I already have preliminary drawings for the terraces, but not finalized plans for construction yet. Hence the asking.

Sorry for the essay, I'm just putting it out there for future reference.


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Ah, in this case, it is probably easier for you to use the plexi but you won't be able to do they type of molding that Chuck did with his foam. Home Depot should have plexi glue that you could use to hold the pieces together.

Good luck and do take plenty of pictures!


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