Diy Hood

[bennett]

i need to make a hood for my 24g as i want massive amounts of lighting in there. at the mo i have a very temporary hacked apart clearseal hood. i do have a plan for one already, i'm just unsure on the best material? would plexiglass and silicone suffice?

any thoughts?

ps- i have a loan of a drill and a saw and own a screwdriver and that's it! must be basic

 

[onemisterchristian]

I'm not sure, is the plexiglass clear? I'm not sure what you are trying to build. A hood design similar to this...
Hood?
If you're going to be joining any peices of acrylic then I would recommend buying a type of acrylic glue. It basically has a chemical reaction with the acrylic, which kind of melts the two peices together. It works great. Call around to some plastics places. I'm sure they'll have it.

Oh, and get a mod to move this to diy

 

[SkiFletch]

I wouldnt use acryllic especially for the base because the heat and moisture associated with hoods WILL cause it to bow over time. Glass makes by far and away the best base. Remember to stay away from metals and stick to glass/plastic/wood wherever possible and nylon bolts where possible as corrosion WILL be your worst enemy. If you have to use acryllic (which you might with those simple tools) make sure you re-inforce the edges with square acryllic bar

 

[bennett]

it's a jigsaw with mitre cutting ability so i will have no trouble cutting wood to shape. plus attaching bits of wood together wouldn't be a problem either. i'm confident i can make this with the tools.

what i'm more intrested in is the materials i should use tbh!

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, do you just want to make a tank cover or something more decorative to "hide" your light fixtures?

 

[bennett]

i basically want a inverted box to sit ontop of my tank to house my lighting. nothing fancy effectively

 

[SkiFletch]

From the stickies

I'd stick to varnished and sealed wood for the outer rims and glass for the base. Avoid acrylic since it will bow, and try to use stainless steel hardware whenever possible

 

[Phoenixfish]

if you have acsess you could use thermo setting plastic but i notsure if even that could use the heat your lights will make