• Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.

top bracket removed. front bowing out...i screwed up big.

ryanpal

ryanpal

NJRC Member
so i just put up my new LED lights yesterday which looked great. unfortunately i noticed there was a big shadow in the middle due to the center bracket. for some reason i thought this was just a support for a canopy/lights. i wanted to get rid of the shadows so i cut the one end with a razor. big mistake since the glass immediately bowed out.

any suggestions of what to do? i'm guessing this isn't safe without the center bracket :frown:
 
TanksNStuff

TanksNStuff

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Uh, no, that was not a good idea. :hopelessness:

If you have any wood working clamps that are that wide, I would suggest putting them on ASAP to prevent any further bowing. Don't crank them real tight to try to straighten it just yet because it may cause a total failure and you will have a flood. Just make it snug, then go a tad more to make sure it won't bow any more.

The next step would be to find a way to permanently repair/replace the brace. Some people have had luck with using a piece of acrylic and then drilling holes and screwing it onto the existing frame. Others have had luck by melting/welding the cut piece back in place. This is more difficult and may not work depending on how much you removed with your cut.

Either way, you will want to empty the tank (at least half way if you can't empty it completely) before repairing/replacing the brace. This will remove the pressure of the water and allow you to get it back into the original shape before making the repair.

Oh, you can also order a whole new plastic frame too. That would be your best option for the long run because the repair methods are not guaranteed to hold up to the stress. I would look into that option if you intend to keep this tank.
 
TanksNStuff

TanksNStuff

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Adding this after seeing the pic you added....

That's a long tank and the brace looked pretty beefy. And that was a pretty big chunk you took out of the brace so not much chance of repairing it. I would suggest ordering a new top frame.

But I highly suggest using a wood working clamp or something similar ASAP to prevent a total failure.
 
ryanpal

ryanpal

NJRC Member
brutal. seems like a pain...it's a shame because i wasn't crazy about this tank and stand to begin with...its what i had left from getting out of the hobby.
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

Lower the water as suggested...before it fails. Well I guess if you didn't like the tank you can buy a new one. What size is it? My 55 cracked there so found one on craigslist .. guy was 3 blocks away so I lucked out newer tank and minimal cost. Maybe someone here has something?
 
J

Jonjonmolina333

Quick thought if for the moment you dont have any of those materials from the other members. a quick wooden bracket made from 2x4 s going across the front to back would be a quick strong fix. takes only 3-5 mins to cut and screw together. Like a U shape to support the center.
 
ryanpal

ryanpal

NJRC Member
<jcurrys quote here> (for some reason this forum rejects posts)

this would be a preferred option..however, i'm not as handy as most on here and don't have the best of tools :)
 
J

Jcurry@wesketch

Measure the width of the tank from outside of the front pane to the outside of the back pane. Then take a ride down the hill to Rockaway Glass and tell them you need a piece of 1/2" or 3/8" thick glass x" long by 4" wide. Squirt some silicone from Home depot on the edge and set the new brace down into the silicone and wait 24 to 48 hours for it to cure.

The hardest part will be getting the old frame off without breaking the glass. I've tried this and gave up, LOL. It was much easier to go buy a new tank.

Honestly by the time you buy the glass brace or a new frame and spend an entire day taking apart the old tank you could get a bigger nicer tank off Craigslist for less time & money.
 
ryanpal

ryanpal

NJRC Member
yeah i figured that. i picked up some L brackets from home depot with silicone. i think i might be able to rig something up for the least hassle. will post pics when (if) completed
 
Olivier

Olivier

lesson learn... consult with members here first. most of us at least see something like this before and we can suggest you a best option to go about.

as of clamp, don't clamp on the glass.. clamp on the plastic rim.
base on your picture, there are two options: 1) buy new tank 2) remove and replace top rim 3) remove top rim and use glass like JCURRY suggest.
if time is critical, buy a new tank is the best option
if time is not critical, I would go with option 3 since it just like option 2 but solves your lightning itch. if you go with option 3, make sure you add more surface area at where the glass brace would be so the glass brace can grab/hold better. if you need help in gluing glass then I can help but cutting glass, I won't help you because I am really bad with cutting 1/2" glass (weak muscles). head up warning, it is a pain in the tush to remove the top rim. you need to be patience and take time. I did it before and I would do it again if I don't have kids
Olivier
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top