Detailed something a bit different, really...

L

LightngSVT

New member
(this may belong in another forum, but does involve automotive detailing products) Yes this was different. It wasnt a car, truck, RV, bus or boat it was an acrylic fish tank! I know you are thinking Im nuts right about now. I bought this tank to setup as a tropical reef tank for less than 1/4 its $1600+ price tag and you can see why in the pics. It is 60" x 18" x 20" inside. All told I invested about 16.5 hours into the clean up and restoration of the finish of this tank. I thought it would be interestiong to post something truely different up here.



Steps:

multiple rinses with "jet" nozzle on hose, empty with shop vac

cleaned with terry cloth towel and vinegar / water mixture. Rinsed and drained

scrubbed with acrlic scrubber and vinegar / water mix. Rinse, drain

remaining stains (algae, calcium, etc) removed with acrylic scraper



polishing steps:

1. Sand deep scratches with 1500 grit wed / dry paper

2. sand in opposite direction with 1800 grit (each step I sanded in the opposite direction of the last step)

3. sand entire tank surface with 2400 grit

4. " " 3200 grit

5. " " 4000 grit

6. " " 6000 grit

7. " " 8000 grit

8. " " 12000 grit (at this point the surface was pretty clear actually and with water in the tank I dont think youd notice the left over imperfections)

9. Polish with 3M light cut rubbing compund by PC with a yellow pad

10. PC and white pad with Novus #3 ( multiple passes in a few spots)

11. Novus #2 by hand applied with a microfiber pad

12. Exterior wiped down with Novus #1



Only MF towels for prouct removal.



before2.jpg




Im not sure what the reflection is in the bottom right corner?

front-finished2.jpg






tank-swirls.jpg




The white spots you see are on the back wall, not scratches in the acrylic

front-finished3.jpg










Here is a dramatic comparison that explains it all better then my words can



scratch.jpg


corner.jpg
 
Very cool! Nice job.



We have a 75g saltwater aquarium, and enjoy it very much. It's a bit of work, but worth it.



Check out www.aquariumadvice.com if you haven't already. Great site to use as a source of information.



The only bit of advice I would give is read everything you can get your hands on.



Good luck. I'd love to see some pics of the set up process and the finished product.
 
If you've mastered SW in a 29g, then I'm guessing you'll do fine with the new acrylic.



Your stand and canopy look tremendous.



I used to visit reefcentral more frequently, but haven't been by in a while.
 
Thanks guys. I hope it looks great, after 16 hours of work! I tried to use the rotary but it was just to big and heavy to work inside the tank.



Im definitely going to be using the Novus in the cars I detail. Even the #3 isn't to abrasive, the #2 is very mild and takes out the slight swirls you get on instrument lenses, etc.
 
looks great! and nice pics. 16 hrs. of your time and effort, but it saved you $1,200 or more. i would say it was well worth it. is that dacp in the last pic?
 
Considering I make around $30/hr at work (but only $15020/hr detailing) I would say Im at the break even point. So while I didnt lose and "money", Im not really ahead. But I enjoy the satisfaction of projects like this though. Thanks again for all the compliments, Im pleased with the outcome. Now I have to clean and sterilize the dumb thing.....
 
I would never buy an acrylic fish tank for obvious reasons...unless i could get it for a good price. Or if I could pay you to make it pretty :) hahaha good job
 
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