diy center brace repair

[hobbyorobsession]

my attemp at fixing my center brace on my 55 gal tank. my tanks rim cracked right on the edge of the glass seperating the center brace from the from glass.
when filled with water there was 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap between them. i thought i took photos of it when it was more apparently broken, but i can't seem to find it

i decide to make an acrylic brace to glue to the underside of the from rim and center brace. ( glued with locktite super glue)

so i cut a thin strip of plastic and then one similar in size to the center braces width.

glued them together from underneath with another peice of plastic. so my top surface is flat.

then attached them to the tank , some glue and clamps and 2 hours later, back to normal with no more bowing.

first photo is my plastic brace.

after the repair job

 

[Mikey]

Nicely done :beer:

 

[icer711]

i would of made it wider but as long as it works....... great job now sit back n enjoy the :beer:

 

[Fern]

Your fix is much nicer than mine!!!!

That's the repair I did on my 55g center brace Its not pretty but works well

 

[hobbyorobsession]

I thought about using screws just like that if it didn't hold from the pulling forces. Time will tell if I will have to add them later though.

 

[icer711]

i should hold nicely.. it molecular fused together... if any thing the center pices needs to be larger to spread the shearing forces out... buts its not to big so i could be just fine.. i prefer to over do just in case lol... let us know how it goes for you...... looks like it could save us all some bucks down the road if need be

 

[Fern]

From my experience and what all I have hear you usually end up tweaking it later before its well fixed, the bolts and angle iron were my addition. Your fix is a whole lot nicer though, my tank is just in my fish room so the bolts and angle iron distracts the eye from all the extension cords and air line laying around

 

[Anonymous]

I hope to repair the center brace on my 55 gal today. Hobbyorobsession - is your repair still working well for you? I am thinking about trying something similar. I noticed this thread started a few months ago. I figure if your repair is still holding strong that'll be the way to go.

Here is a pic of the current state. I have a clamp supporting it until I make a more permanent repair.

 

[hobbyorobsession]

Holding well ,no issues so far.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I appreciate the pics. Hope mine holds up as well as yours is.

 

[hobbyorobsession]

good luck hope it works out