Author |
Topic Search Topic Options
|
dlaclo
Guest
Joined: December 25 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 184
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Topic: i fixed my center brace Posted: April 21 2007 at 2:42am |
as i am sure some know already i melted my center brace so here i will tell u how i fixed it... ok first u need to go to your local grocery store and pick up a display hanget. you know the things theu hang them 99 cent chips and other things on here is a pic.
they are usually about 2 feet long by about 1 and a half inches wide... the width was the same size as my normal center brace...
ok next you will need a hack saw to cut off the melted part of thge brace and only the melted part after this is doneclean up the part off teh old brace that is left on the aquarium then you need to measure the corners so you can remove enough water until the middle goes back to its normal position. once that is done clean off the hanger and cut it to the widthe of the aquarium. then you need to set the new brace under the old brace to see where the old brace is going to sit on the new brace... then you need to put aquarium safe silcone on the part of the new brace that the old one is going to sit also put the silcone on the ends of the new brace so it is set to the aquarium itself. once this is done and the new brace is set in its new position and let it sit for about an hour. this is what it will look like
while it is sitting you need to measure the gap that you cut earlier when this is done cut anothe peice of hanger to fit in there and then after the hour is up put some silicone under the new peice of cut hanger and on the ends and place it in the gap when done let sit for 48 hours and put water back in tank here is the finoshed product
Edited by dlaclo - April 21 2007 at 2:48am
|
Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.
|
|
Mike Savage
Guest
Joined: July 15 2005
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 19173
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: April 21 2007 at 9:04am |
Is the display hanger rustable metal? Salt water is highly corosive. Do you think the silicone will hold when you fill the tank back up with water? I would think you would need some type of screws through the ends of the old brace into the ends of the new brace.
Mike
|
|
|
dlaclo
Guest
Joined: December 25 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 184
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: April 21 2007 at 9:06am |
no it is tripple layered plastic and so far it seems more durable then the orrigonal brace to be honest
|
Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.
|
|
Mike Savage
Guest
Joined: July 15 2005
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 19173
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: April 21 2007 at 9:34am |
That's great that it is plastic! I don't think silicone makes a very strong bond on plastic though. You might want to use some nylon screws to hold the old brace ends to the new brace.
Mike
|
|
|
dlaclo
Guest
Joined: December 25 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 184
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: April 21 2007 at 9:35am |
do they sell nthem at ace?
|
Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.
|
|
fj40fax
Guest
Joined: November 04 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1261
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: April 21 2007 at 10:07am |
Yes they do.
|
Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags!
|
|
dlaclo
Guest
Joined: December 25 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 184
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: April 21 2007 at 10:10am |
|
Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.
|
|
BobC63
Admin Group
Joined: January 17 2007
Location: Lehi, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 8964
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: April 23 2007 at 8:21pm |
When I cracked the glass / plastic center brace on my 125 I simply used a razor blade to cut off the remainder of the plastic part, then the same razor blade to remove the silicone that was holding on the glass part of the brace.
I went to Home Depot and picked up a piece of 3/8" acrylic and 4 - 1/4" nylon nuts & bolts.
I cut the acrylic about 4 inches wide by 18 inches. Then drilled 1'4" holes through the acrylic and the lip of the aquarium top. Once I bolted the nylon nuts in, it was finished.
Seems to hold up against the pressure in the tank just fine. And, since the acrylic is clear, no "center brace shadow" from the MH light above the new brace
|
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
|
|