How To Make A Rectangular Aquarium?

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

If something happened to you, and you wanted to have an aquarium, but either there is not enough money to purchase it, or from all the holes on the body, an unsatisfied desire to surprise the world with your golden hands rushes, you, of course, will start to think, how to create this miracle vessel yourself. I hasten to reassure you: everything is not as difficult as it seems. The only request (this is in your best interest): do not try to create something grandiose, entrust it to professionals (i.e. me).

For a beginner aquarium maker, the upper volume limit is 200 liters. Trying to create something incomparably greater, you risk being left without pants, because the same 200 liters can ruin another 2-3 apartments, besides yours. Now think about what a sensation will be caused by liters, say, 500? Do you have money to repair half of the entrance? If there is, then all the more there is nothing to puzzle; you should rather run to the nearest aquarium shop and order (or buy) the coveted jar there. If it falls apart, you still have a chance that they will help you with the repair.

Well, and to those who inexorably stand on their invincible desire to do everything themselves, the following is dedicated:

First, imagine how you want what you need. In the end, a life-size plasticine model will do.:-) From experience I know that a client, when ordering an aquarium, does not quite correctly imagine that giant piece of glass, which, puffing and straining, drags a brave team of pink-cheeked guys to his apartment. As a rule, there is no limit to surprise: “How? That's for me?! Yes, I, it seems, did not order such a huge one … »

Related article How to make a figured aquarium yourself?

In short, if you thought well and measured 7 times, it's time to start cutting the glass. I warn you right away: there are 2 ways to assemble rectangular aquariums (I hope that you were smart enough not to tackle a more complex shape right away): the first implies a structure in which all the walls are at the bottom. In the second case, the walls are glued around the bottom. For aquariums over 50L I highly recommend the second method. Plus it's much simpler. Next, you should decide on the thickness of the glass that you are about to shred. The decisive role here is played by the length and height of the can (of course, we are talking about the length of the wall that is larger, i.e. the front one). The whole point is not in the liter, which scares, but in the height of the water column and the length of the glass on which this column exerts the greatest pressure, i.e. the longest of all available. For example, a 200-liter Baltic aquarium with a size of 1000x400x500, which was very common in its time, is just right to make of 8 mm glass. Something smaller will roll from 6 mm, if only at a height of 500 mm the length does not exceed 900 mm,and with a length of 1000 mm, the height did not exceed 400 mm. Again, if you have seen anything that exceeds these recommendations, do not be embarrassed: this story is for you, i.e. for Dummies". Do not be offended by this nickname: wonderful books on computers from the series "… for dummies" are read by the whole World, and no one is offended.

What do we need …

When cutting glass, the front walls are cut out according to the overall dimensions of the aquarium, the bottom is reduced in length and width by 2 glass thicknesses, minus another couple of millimeters for glue. The ends are cut the same width as the bottom, and the height is equal to the front ones. Those. for an aquarium with dimensions, for example, 800x400x450 with a glass thickness of 6 mm, the dimensions of the glasses are as follows:

Front (2 glasses) … 800х450

Bottom (1 glass) … … … … 786х386 End faces

(2 glasses) … …..386х450

Next, it is also necessary to cut out the so-called stiffeners, which, attached to the upper edge of the front glasses, prevent them from bending outward and, as a result, bursting. The ribs should be slightly shorter than the bottom (it doesn't matter how much, as long as they occupy at least 3/4 of the length of the aquarium) and 40-50 mm wide.

Now a little about glass cutting. Having decided to do it yourself, do not buy cheap glass cutters - you will only ruin your nerves and glass. A good glass cutter costs at least 150 rubles. At the same time, buying a professional glass cutter for $ 45 is also not worth it. It is advisable to choose the middle ground. By the way, the thing is not disposable, it can be useful on the farm. A good glass cutter (necessarily a roller cutter!) Should go smoothly and smoothly, without jumps and vibration, without wedging, to go on the glass. By the way, the glass must be clean, dry and free of any defects (bubbles, foreign inclusions) on the intended cut line. And, of course, none of this can be allowed anywhere in the middle of the front wall or the bottom! When marking glass, take into account the thickness of the cutter from the edge to the middle of the roller (usually 2.5-3 mm). You do not need to put all the force on the handle of the tool, it will only get worse. If you press too hard, a very deep cut line is left on the glass, along the edges of which "chips" bounce off. In this case, the glass may break off badly. However, to lead with a glass cutter as in pi … de palm is also not good; in a word, before you start shredding glass up and down, you need a little (and someone, maybe a lot) to practice.

It would be nice to moisten the glass cutter head in liquid oil or turpentine before cutting the glass. After cutting, it is necessary to start breaking without delay. You shouldn't go on a smoke break to calm your naughty nerves, because glass tends to "cool" after cutting and may break worse. So, "strike the iron on the spot."

Open the glass

Do not “tap” the cut line, as many strongly recommend. At the same time, the end of the glass turns out to be uneven, and in general the glass may crack in the wrong place. Just place the glass on the table so that the cutting line is along the edge of the table, and with one firm pressure break off the cut piece. When cutting narrow strips, you can use the following technique: Place the tip of a pencil or any small non-metallic object under the end of the cut where it ends, and press on both edges of the glass near this point. The crack will creep forward along the cut line.

If you nevertheless successfully coped with the task, it's time to start processing glass. Here the scope for creativity is not limited, but there is one subtlety: do not try in any case to process (grind) the mating (glued) surfaces. They will not stick together, because silicone sealant does not adhere to porous and sanded surfaces. The chamfers, of course, can be removed, so as not to be cut off yourself. I can suggest that, in addition to the well-known diamond, glass is also processed with sanding paper, popularly called sandpaper, and an abrasive bar, for example, for sharpening shoe knives, etc. The main thing is, do not forget to wet the bar (or water. Firstly, the processing will go faster, secondly, the glass will not heat up (and this cannot be allowed), and thirdly,the bar will not get greasy and clogged with abrasives and glass dust.