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Re: Tank repair
> Sorry but it adds much to strength of the tank, the frame is what
> holds the tank together! Without it once it is full of water the joint
> spreads apart and stretches the silicone sealing the glass till it
> breaks and a flood of water pours out.
No no! That's not it. It is the strength of the silicone bond that
does it. I have about a dozen frameless tanks I made out of scrap
glass (about 20 gallons each), if you are a doubter! You need to
reseal the tank in the manner I described. Do not use epoxy or super
glue to join the glass surfaces. It must be silicone. It IS
possible to make the joint too thick, which results in weakness. It
is also possible to fill the tank before the silicone has cured,
resulting again in joint failure.
The only tanks which rely on the frame for structural support are the
old iron framed ones, or modern ones with a center brace and 1-piece
frames. The inside corners of the iron frame were filled with a
tar-like putty (see the Innes book if you want the nitty gritty)
which had little adhesive strength but created a more or less
watertight seal.
Prost,
Martin
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