Flower's Sump/Fuge Build

acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
There are a couple ways Al !!!!!! Depends how much time you have or how much time you want to spend.....From the looks of the pics the seams, or ends seem very cleanly cut, and clear. Are there are any saw marks on the ends or did you run your pieces through a jointer or clean the ends up with a router w/straight bit first?
My way is long and tedious. I run all my edges through the jointer before gluing and assembly. Once everything is assembled you have that bit of a hang over, and I take a straight bit in my router and trim it all flush. Usually I put a mark somehow on the end of the work piece where I start the router in at, and that's when I go back depending on the severity of the mark/gouge, and use regular sand paper to smooth it out. Then I step up to wet sanding all my edges by hand with a little sanding block. Very tedious, and I work my way up through the grits of wet/dry sandpaper till they are super smooth and almost clear. Then I start with the micro mesh polishing.......I continue that till they are like ice cubes.
Another thing I have done in the past is use Novus polish. They have 3 different grits....It's a small bottle you can find the stuff on Ebay, or your supplier probably has some laying around, but usually I start with Novus 2 and work my way down....I only use 3 if the scratches are super bad, and using the Novus is a hand finishing as well, and takes time.
If I'm in a super hurry and rush, and don't like doing it, because it can cause stress to the material, but it is done all the time.....FLAME POLISHING !!!!!!!
Sounds a little scary, but actually with a little practice it's super easy......Depending on the tools you have handy makes the job easier.....Here at the house I don't have a torch set. Oxygen/Acetolene (spelling), but you don't want to use the big heating torch tip. You'd want to use the real fine small torch tip, so you can work precisely. Another way around the torch is issue is to use the standard blow torch. If I do flame polish, I prefer to use MAPP gas vs. Propane gas......MAPP is hotter, which means I get a nice flame, and keep the torch moving along the seam, and don't bubble the seam/joint. Again probably easier to use MAPP IMHO, since it burns hotter.
What you would actually do is adjust your flame to where the flame is blue, not orange, and you want to start at on end of the seam(exposed edge), and draw the flame along/down the seam.....I like to get the tip of the flame just off of the work piece. A big key is to keep the flame moving....You hold it to long in a spot, and you will here things sizzle and sound like bacon......Then your work piece edge will bubble up.....Then you go back to hand sanding to work out the damage.....Another key here is to NOT overheat the seam/joint. If you hit the seam/joint, go only once, and then on to the next seam. The key is to not put undo heat/stress to any joint or edge. After you have made a pass on all the seams/joints, I usually take a smoke break, and let the piece cool....Actually the material isn't hot, but I try not to warm the material very much. I gauge my progress during my break checking the look of the seam/joint, and if needed go back and hit the joint/seam that needs more attention. Again 1 pass and don't overheat or hold the flame in 1 spot. It's easier to go back with quick passes, than rush and overheat a seam......
Hope this helps you out Al.....If anyone wants I could try to put together a quick video of flame polishing.......Another key is DO NOT Flame polish your edges and such first and then glue......Glue first and then polish......
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1240#post_3331478
Flower your call....I don't have to put the extras in for the floats....Let me know....I just have some idle time between scratching, and wetting out fiberglass. Yes scratching....Cutting fiberglass still makes me itch like mad........Yes there is a glue drip, but I only noticed it, because when I was polishing with the acrylic polish is when I noticed it....Bad thing is I left the paper backing on during gluing, so no idea how that happened.....I like the added piece over the bubble tower, so if there is any splashing or what not, it would/will hit that little cover....Only wish I did 1 other thing, but I'll let you figure it out....I cut the eurobracing thin, to allow the skimmer to come in/out as easy as possible......


So not only have you skinned your knuckles, broke your drill bit..redid the refugium 2Xs and had to remake the sump, hassled by UPS and to date have not been reimbursed when they busted everything up...you are allergic and cutting acrylic makes you itch.

You did all that for a cyber friend you have never met face to face. Just because you wanted to do something nice, not being paid for your time..your only reward is a thank you from me....Your generosity inspired others, 2Quills, Al&Burke and Slice these three also pitched in on the build going all out and have asked for nothing in return.

You know that story in the Bible about all the righteous people getting white robes for all the good deeds they had done in their lives...I do believe the four of you have earned your robes several times over. Because if you do things like this on a web site...what you must be like as people walking around day to day?
EDIT:
Don't worry about the floats, I have a way to attach it..I was wondering, how much space is between the splash guard and bubble trap?
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
Fiberglass makes anyone itch. I worked in a headliner factory (the interoir roof on your car) for about 2 weeks in the middle of summer in Knoxville. It was the worst 2 weeks of my life really. Every night I came home and showered for a really really long time just to get the itching to stop. What made it all worse was that you had to wear a mask due to the dust in the air. Fiberglass dust + lungs = no breathing.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
I used the novus polish on my acrylic tank to take out scratches. Works good.
The deeper scratches had to be wet dry sanded out first with 1200 grit and then 2000 grit.
I used #3 and #2 novus after that.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Thank You Flower......
White gets to dirty in the garage.....Do you think when it's time to get my robe I can trade if for some old Levi jeans????

Not sure about the space between the splash guard, but I will be drilling a hole in the top for 2 purposes.....1 to drop the drain line in , and to sort of hold in somewhat in place, and 2nd to allow you to easily get into the bubble tower......
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1260#post_3331530


So not only have you skinned your knuckles, broke your drill bit..redid the refugium 2Xs and had to remake the sump, hassled by UPS and to date have not been reimbursed when they busted everything up...you are allergic and cutting acrylic makes you itch.

You did all that for a cyber friend you have never met face to face. Just because you wanted to do something nice, not being paid for your time..your only reward is a thank you from me....Your generosity inspired others, 2Quills, Al&Burke and Slice these three also pitched in on the build going all out and have asked for nothing in return.

You know that story in the Bible about all the righteous people getting white robes for all the good deeds they had done in their lives...I do believe the four of you have earned your robes several times over. Because if you do things like this on a web site...what you must be like as people walking around day to day?
EDIT:
Don't worry about the floats, I have a way to attach it..I was wondering, how much space is between the splash guard and bubble trap?
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I feel you brother.....Usually I'm not to concerned with health issues, but I have a lot of sanding/roughing of the epoxy/fiberglass on my tank, and was walking around Lowes and figured don't be a cheap a$$. Buy a mask.....The mask is cumbersome, but can't imagine breathing all that crap in.....The mask clogs roughly every 45 minutes, and at that rate, breathing that crap might not make it to complete my tank......That dust is so fine and heavy, and can only imagine what it would do to my lungs.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1260#post_3331556
Fiberglass makes anyone itch. I worked in a headliner factory (the interoir roof on your car) for about 2 weeks in the middle of summer in Knoxville. It was the worst 2 weeks of my life really. Every night I came home and showered for a really really long time just to get the itching to stop. What made it all worse was that you had to wear a mask due to the dust in the air. Fiberglass dust + lungs = no breathing.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1260#post_3331699
Buy a mask.....The mask is cumbersome, but can't imagine breathing all that crap in.....The mask clogs roughly every 45 minutes, and at that rate, breathing that crap might not make it to complete my tank......That dust is so fine and heavy, and can only imagine what it would do to my lungs.....
I *think* I read you say you would wait for glue to dry while you went outside for a smoke.
Tar and nicotene will encapsulate and hold harmless other irritants, it does enough on it's own.
Live your life, Brother.
 
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