Trying to create custom enclosure

IrishPolishman

Arachnobaron
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Dec 23, 2008
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OK here it goes....I suck at trying to cut plexiglass. I'm trying to turn a 10gallon aquarium into 4 separte little arboreal enclosures. I have a plan for how I want it divided and how each individual lid is going to fit on the top. My only problem is that I just destroyed a $30 piece of plexiglass trying to make the right sizes. Anyone have any tips on cutting plexi???

Second question. Where can I find cheap 2.5 gallon tanks? They're more expensive than 10gallon tanks. I checked craigslist and there wasn't anything useful. Thanks.

Marcus
 

ghordy

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I just started working with plexi myself for enclosures. I used a Dremel which worked fairly well until someone told me about the scribe and snap method. Basically you take a specially designed knife called a plexi-knife and you score the material half a dozen times along your measured line. You then hang it off the edge of your bench or table and... SNAP. Works great every time.
 

curiousme

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What thickness of plexi are we talking about here?

The thin stuff it is easier to do the score and break method, though it doesn't work perfect every time. Thicker stuff can be cut with a circular saw.
 

NinjaPirate

Arachnosquire
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Most hardware stores will cut plexi to your measurements for stuff this small as well.
 

arachnochicken

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I've never cut it to use for a T cage but I have used it to make a sump for my reeftank . I used my table saw with a fine tooth blade and went slowly . Worked great , no cracking ,breaking or spider webbing . (no pun intended) When I attached it to the glass I just used fish tank sealer . Tank sealer wont adhere to the plaxiglass but I put it on both sides and made like a track and it worked great . 3 years later and its still up and running .
 

JimM

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I've worked with plexi glass A LOT. I use a hand tool like this:

http://www.rplastics.com/plastic-cutter-ks1.html

You have to cut a deep groove by going over it again and again in a straight line, then place the line on the edge of a flat surface, i ust a table, and karate action snap it off.

Good luck!
This, or table saw.
Remember to score over and over again like he said, this insures that it breaks exactly where you want it to.
 

IrishPolishman

Arachnobaron
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I actually just went to Lowes to figure out a solution. They ended up cutting it all for me...for free! I had 14 little pieces I needed and the guy did it with no questions asked. So far for first placement and double checking things they seem to fit perfectly. Lets just hope I can do this as cleanly as RobC.
 

WARPIG

Arachnoangel
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I bought all my 2.5 gal tanks at a local pet store for about $8 a piece. I made this which held 3 P cambridgei up to the 5" in lenght, no escapees, no deaths. BTW the plexi is extended up to the edge of the plastic rim of the tank, you can then use plexi individual lids or one large screen.

I use one screen lid, but I have two plexi squares that fit as lids, I slip them onto the individual cubes two at a time, feed one T then move over to feed the next and so on.

I taped the plexi to the glass and used hot glue to secure them, still using it a yr later.

If you have a table saw and plan on making larger tanks later on, then buy a blade made for plexi and you can cut like a pro. I have a 90 (if I remember currectly) tooth blade. They are expensive, but you will get clean cuts with them.



Hope this helps.
PIG-
 
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Lucille

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I am fixing to make approx 25 plexi enclosures with 6 inch cubes. These cubes, made of pretty hefty plexi are standard apparently for some kinds of displays so I kept a lookout on Ebay and got a lot of them cheap, for about $6 each. Then I found an Ebay vendor that sold plexi and got 6x6 pieces (which I just got today) for the top, and I had already got plexi glue and hinges and hasps. I estimate they will end up costing $10 each but that seems to be less than custom plexi enclosures. I've tried cutting plexi and it is a pain, there are Ebay vendors 'AffordablePlastics' that will make any size you want and then list it, the custom cut tops were I think $1.25 and it beat the heck out of trying to cut the stuff myself. All I have to do is drill ventilation holes, glue and assemble.
 

zonbonzovi

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$8 tanks?!? Damn. I must live in an invert backwater. They are around $30 here. And Lowe's nearby doesn't carry plexi or cut it if you bring it in. I've tried cutting it with a miter and/or table saw w/ the & the edge melted. I've resorted to getting container store boxes for smaller stuff or buying several larger tanks at once & getting the auto glass place down the street to make dividers. Still not cheap.

Anybody know a west coast(better yet, Seattle) supplier of glass aquariums. Something along the lines of glasscages.com?
 

JimM

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$8 tanks?!? Damn. I must live in an invert backwater. They are around $30 here. And Lowe's nearby doesn't carry plexi or cut it if you bring it in. I've tried cutting it with a miter and/or table saw w/ the & the edge melted. I've resorted to getting container store boxes for smaller stuff or buying several larger tanks at once & getting the auto glass place down the street to make dividers. Still not cheap.

Anybody know a west coast(better yet, Seattle) supplier of glass aquariums. Something along the lines of glasscages.com?
You're using the wrong blade if it melted.
 

zonbonzovi

Creeping beneath you
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It's a blade made for cutting plastics- I think 80+ teeth??? What is an ideal blade & will cutting it too slowly lend itself to melting the acrylic?
 

JimM

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I'm no expert, just been doing some reading myself since I need to shop for a blade. Here's one thing I found.

Acrylic sheet is manufactured utilizing one of three different processes. They are, cell cast, continuous cast and extrusion. Each process is unique and creates different physical properties that must be addressed before the cutting operation begins. The selection of carriage speed and blade RPM will depend on the type of acrylic, the height of stacked sheets, sheet thickness and the saw tooth configuration. Carbide-tipped saw blades should always be used. However, the correct saw blade must be used in order to achieve maximum blade life, reduce friction and provide a sharp chip-free cutting edge. As a rule of thumb, the thinnest blade possible with the largest arbor (center hole) should be used. Thin blades "push" easier, save material and will cut cleaner. Blades should be sharpened at the first signs of dulling. Excessive dulling requires excessive regrinding to regain a sharp edge. It is strongly recommended that blades be sent to a factory authorized service center, or to a repair center with a proven record for quality sharpening.

Cast acrylic sheet requires blades with fewer teeth to increase chip load, reduce friction and reduce power requirements. Cast acrylic is easily cut using a high quality blade fitted with the hardest available carbide tips, ground to a triple chip configuration.

Extruded sheet however, requires blades with many teeth to reduce the chip load per tooth. In addition, extruded acrylic tends to melt from the friction of cutting, leading to smearing, chipping and generally poor quality of cut. A "low melt" geometry designed blade, that generates a minimum of cutting friction should be used.
 

scottyk

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Pig- Great idea with the dividers!

For the rest asking about 2.5 gallon tanks, Craigslist is great for them if you don't wait until you need one to look. You gotta keep an eye out and snatch them up when you can. I just picked up a 10 gal, a 5 gal, a 2.5 gal, all with screen lids, two large KK's and a bunch of water dishes for $10 total from some kid getting out of herps...

I have also had luck placing wanted ads for small tanks on CL, and do it twice a year or so...
 

IrishPolishman

Arachnobaron
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Dec 23, 2008
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I bought all my 2.5 gal tanks at a local pet store for about $8 a piece. I made this which held 3 P cambridgei up to the 5" in lenght, no escapees, no deaths. BTW the plexi is extended up to the edge of the plastic rim of the tank, you can then use plexi individual lids or one large screen.

I use one screen lid, but I have two plexi squares that fit as lids, I slip them onto the individual cubes two at a time, feed one T then move over to feed the next and so on.

I taped the plexi to the glass and used hot glue to secure them, still using it a yr later.

If you have a table saw and plan on making larger tanks later on, then buy a blade made for plexi and you can cut like a pro. I have a 90 (if I remember currectly) tooth blade. They are expensive, but you will get clean cuts with them.



Hope this helps.
PIG-
This is actually what my enclosure looks like. I tipped my 10 gallon on its side and have a 4inch area for substrate. I have three individual lids for each section. I'm just trying to find the perfect way to secure each lid.
 

WARPIG

Arachnoangel
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This is actually what my enclosure looks like. I tipped my 10 gallon on its side and have a 4inch area for substrate. I have three individual lids for each section. I'm just trying to find the perfect way to secure each lid.

Its not impossible to secure lids to the tank standing on end, but why (unless for room issues) do you have to stand it on end? You could easily raise your arboreals with it laying on its bottom.

If you are dead set on standing it on end, then buy acrylic hinges and hasps and you could either use acrylic cement or silicone to adhere them to the substrate retainer.

BTW, I have less than an inch of peat in each of those compartments, it has been like that since the T's were 2.5".
The one thing I make sure is that I fill water bowls at least twice a week. I even raised an A versi in a hobby cube with no strate and little ventilation but it always had a water bowl handy. She is now 3" and beautiful.

I believe that unless you live somewhere that has low relative humidity, that large amounts of strate for arboreals to maintain humidity levels is overrated.

GL, lets see whay you come up with.
PIG-
 
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IrishPolishman

Arachnobaron
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Dec 23, 2008
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451
I put my tank on its front so I could have the easy access for my shelving. I did it RobC style. So far it's working out perfectly. I just have to dremmel a little off a couple of the doors. I ended up buying some cheap brass hinges that seem to be working fine and attached them with small screws and glue.
 
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