I have a large 500 gallon cube that coraline algae has left little tiny scratches in the acrylic. The tank is 6ft long and 5 ft deep. I have tried orbital polisher with different products. It is taking way to long to make any progress as I have live stock in 4 different tanks through out my house. I heard you can flame polish scratches away, how safe is it and how do you do it? thanks guys and gals.
acrylic flame polishing?
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DonW
R.I.P.
Flame polishing can weaken and ruin the tank. Sanding then polishing is quick and easy.
Don
Don
eliterecon14
Pajama Cardinal
my uncle had a company that made scale military models and models, they had flamed stands, looked nice. Over time thought it really isn't something I would recommend for a tank. It would be easier to just sand down using fine grit sandpaper, wet-dry polishes metals very well, a tip learned from my uncle. Are there any reef safe filler sort of things? or not? What does the tank look like? It sounds awesome................
ROLLINS
Active member
I agree w/ Don. I wet wet sanded & buffed out a ton of scratches before I filled my used 125g. I used 800grit and a block on the real bad scratches, and worked my way up to 3000grit (800 - 1000 - 1200 - 1500 - 2000 - 2500 - 3000). Then with some standard car compound and polish, buffed out my tank with an electric buffer, and it looked brand new. It was a little bit of work but well worth it. Any automobile repair shop would gladly sell you a few sheets of each grit sandpaper for about $20.
jnarowe
Beer-a-holic
Or you can get it from Micro Mesh, which sells it in grits to 15,000. With acrylic, heat is your enemy. ONLY wet sand. Mark off a grid on the opposite side of the panel with a grease pencil and use a stop watch or kitchen timer. use each grit for the same amount of time in each section of your grid. I did 1' square sections. This is to try and keep from over or under-sanding parts of the tank and ruining its optical quality.
Once you have gotten to your finest grit, then use a liquid polish, first with a lambswool type pad, and then a sponge. I suggest using an angle grinder with either variable speed or with the electrical current substantially reduced. Using orbital sanders is a NO-NO!
There also are services that do this but they really cost some coin.
Once you have gotten to your finest grit, then use a liquid polish, first with a lambswool type pad, and then a sponge. I suggest using an angle grinder with either variable speed or with the electrical current substantially reduced. Using orbital sanders is a NO-NO!
There also are services that do this but they really cost some coin.
DonW
R.I.P.
You can use a sander. In fact its alot easier if you have a large area to get done. Just a spray bottle is plenty of water and will not hurt the sander
http://www.micro-surface.com/
Is where you can buy micromesh disc's for your sander. Buffer wheel with cheapo turtle wax rubbing compound will do wonders. Use a 3 or 4 inch stacked cloth buffer wheel made to go on a bench grinder in a variable speed hand drill after you get up to 8000.
Don
jnarowe
Beer-a-holic
That's an interesting comment about the orbital sander. I was told by not only a professional who does this for a living, as well as Micro-mesh to not use one. Something to do with the motion they create. But that was a long time ago, so maybe I am not remembering it correctly.
DonW
R.I.P.
Ive heard that many times but it simply isnt the case. I did my tank with a sander and my buddy restores aircraft windows and also uses a sander.
Don
jnarowe
Beer-a-holic
With a random orbital or a regular one? Very interesting, since I spent some coin on my rig based on that information.
DonW
R.I.P.
I used a air orbital to take down the rough stuff then just a old PC RO to get down to 8K. Then a cloth stacked wheel from HD with a bolt for an arbor for a hand drill. Cheap turtle wax compound to finish it off a little novus fine. I polished all the edges of the tank along with fixing the scratches I put there while building.
Don
jnarowe
Beer-a-holic
did you use the turtle wax on the inside?
DonW
R.I.P.
Yup but I bag sanded the whole thing after I got just plain water in it. Turtle wax compound is so cheap so the little wax that is in it doesnt hold up well and comes right off.
Don
jnarowe
Beer-a-holic
Well that's a good tip. When I did mine I had no experience and went with the most conservative approach I could glean from a variety of sources. Just trying to be as safe as I could, and I still nearly dropped a load half way through when the entire viewing pane was opaque. 
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Tank is all done!!! Unfortunatly 1000watt heater shorted and wiped out about 80 of my corals and 90 of my fish.. Back to square one with my tank. Can't discribe the smell of cooked coral and fish in saltwater that has been simmering all day
Back to square one with my tank. Can't discribe the smell of cooked coral and fish in saltwater that has been simmering all day
jnarowe
Beer-a-holic
oh no. that is horrible.
Thanks, now I am rebuilding my tank population. Oh well my tank will be better for it in the long run.
