Sanding a tank

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Hope that he used the car wax on the outside of the tank as those waxes can seep into the plastics and leach back out in the water. No fun and not anything good in those waxes.

oh no,he put it outside and he just did a small part..out of desperation plus we are really thinking of buying a new one..anyways from experience,just buy a new tank:):D
 
Not really the case if the tank is decent quality. I trashed my tank pretty good during the build process and rounded the top edges with a router. It took me about 2 hours to polish the edges 3/4 acrylic and buff out the sanding marks. The trick is to not buy a cheasy kit. Just a RO sander stacked 3" buffer wheel with turtle wax rubbing compund and novus #2 to finish.

what kit did you use or should i use
 
Don't use a kit. Google micromesh. Start with 220 and work your way up to 5000 dry. Then 8000 to 12000 wet. Then buff with a 3" stacked cloth wheel on a drill with cheapo turtle wax rubbing compound. Finish with novus 1 or 2 and your done.
 
Don't use a kit. Google micromesh. Start with 220 and work your way up to 5000 dry. Then 8000 to 12000 wet. Then buff with a 3" stacked cloth wheel on a drill with cheapo turtle wax rubbing compound. Finish with novus 1 or 2 and your done.


really all the way down at 220

they got a kit with 3200-12000 for 15.99 good deal?
 
220 does seem a bit to course for sanding out scratches unless the scratches are really deep in which case I would just buy a new tank and use the old one as a sump.
 
220 takes the deep scratches down to fine scratches real quick. Acrylic doesn't sand like wood. 16 sounds like a better deal as long as its full sheets with velcro to fit an ro sander not that little box of junk you get at the lfs in the blue box.
 
No get the good stuff its so much easier. Try miro-surface.com or search airplane canopy refinishing.

Don
 
No get the good stuff its so much easier. Try miro-surface.com or search airplane canopy refinishing.

Don

i checked micro-surface.com and there is so many freaking kits i have no idea which one to get help me out
 
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Kit KR-70 worked great for me

Just be careful not to make it too thin where you sand. It can make the tank burst, and it may not be right away but could be a few months down the road.

I still stand by just buy new
 
Kit KR-70 worked great for me

Just be careful not to make it too thin where you sand. It can make the tank burst, and it may not be right away but could be a few months down the road.

I still stand by just buy new

ooo I see you get to sand your tank but you dont want me to have any fun and just buy a new one JK i know i should since it such i small tank

werent you the one who asked about this too a little while back

any one got a good price on a nice 55 gallon tank only glass is fine that way it wont get scratched as easily
 
Kit KR-70 worked great for me

Just be careful not to make it too thin where you sand. It can make the tank burst, and it may not be right away but could be a few months down the road.

I still stand by just buy new

they almost seem like the same thing except for that the aquarium one comes with 8000 grit and the KR-70 tops out at 6000 grit and the aquarium one is 10 bucks cheaper but it can only do 20 sq ft will the other can do 30 sq ft will i be doing that much if i am only reallt doing a few scratches on the front and maybe some on the sides
 
I sanded down deep scratches in my tank but now there are the small scratcheds from sanding it that i cant get out, even after using the kit right and using novus. And there are still scratches all over from tiny ones to ones you can feel.

I thought it would be fun too i like doing this kind of stuff but after 6 hours with only small breaks and NOT seeing much of a difference im done. I will let the scratches be.

It may be brighter, more clear and shiny but those scratches are still there and i honestly dont think that using the sanding kit and novus will work.

but if you do decide to do it any ways DONT do anything to the outside untill you have done a fair share to the inside and know that the scratches will come out.

There are a bunch of small spots i sanded with the kit on the outside of my tank that wont go away.:mad:


Thats just what i went through and am still going through. If you have better luck PLEASE tell me how you did it!:D
 
Here ya go I sanded the entire front of this tank with 220 and all of the edges. Not a single visable scratch.

full2.JPG
 
I only use 5" round velcro micromesh on a festool ro sander. For final buffing a 3" cotton wheel from home depot on a drill. No need for a bunch of expensive novus turtle wax rubbing compound paste works better. I don't buy kits I buy a few of every grit and call it good.

Don
 
ooo I see you get to sand your tank but you dont want me to have any fun and just buy a new one JK i know i should since it such i small tank

werent you the one who asked about this too a little while back

I bought the kit for my 300 gallon custom but I tested on my 55 before I touched my 300. Trust me a 55 gallon tank is not worth the pain where a 300 gallon show tank that sits in a living room is.


I gave advice on it, I dont remember asking about it. I might have though.

BTW I am still sanding out my 300. All of them are on the inside so I can only do a little at a time when I clean it. It is pretty easy since I have smaller marks, and my tank is 3/4" thick so I am not worried about it bursting as much as I would with a 55 that has deep spots......
 

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