New Acrylic Aquarium, how should I buff it?

SonicsDC25

SonicsDC25

New Member
Hey everyone, I just picked up a 140g acrylic aquarium and I was looking to buff it. Does anyone know where I can buy Novus #1, 2 & 3 locally rather than online? The Container Store in Tukwila I hear has it, but they're only 2 oz bottles, so I don't think it's quite enough; however I could be wrong since I've never buffed an acrylic aquarium before, so any tips on how to do it and how much Novus I would need would be greatly appreciated :)
 
DMD123

DMD123

Administrator
Staff member
Contributing Member Level III
I ended up buying it on amazon so not sure where to get it local.
 
SonicsDC25

SonicsDC25

New Member
Sounds good, there really isn't any deep or "heavy" scratches, so is #3 really necessary? There is a light haze on the tank and maybe a tiny scratch here and there, so should I apply #2 and #1 afterwards and is sanding the tank with 1000 and 2000 grit sandpaper necessary? Thanks :)!
 
DMD123

DMD123

Administrator
Staff member
Contributing Member Level III
You will be surprised how much 'elbow grease' will be required even on what you think is not so bad...
 
Madness

Madness

Well-Known Member
Staff member
If you do the sanding then you need to buy the kit and do the entire routine, dont just skimp on it. As for the Novus, also dont skimp use all 3 the exact way it tells you.
 
Cory

Cory

Administrator
Staff member
In my experience it's more trouble than it's worth. I own a sander, and polishing wheel, and all the products and sandpapers to do it... Doing it once, the results were definitely better but not perfect and I decided that if I ever needed to do it again I would pay to have it polished.
 
Madness

Madness

Well-Known Member
Staff member
:iagree:  Same here. if its just a small spot or 1 or 2 scratches, sure I will tackle it, but the entire tank? Yea I just let a pro do it.
 
Madness

Madness

Well-Known Member
Staff member
If it serves me correctly theFishPimp had his done for a good price, try sending him a p.m. and ask him.
 
Cory

Cory

Administrator
Staff member
I know Jason at Clear fabricators INC does it, but I don't know the price.
 
A

Anthraxx

New Member
i second the professional option. its a lot easier this way (given how much time youd spend buffing it yourself) plus if it gets screwed up its not your fault :) GL to ya, hope its not too costly. id definitely be interested to see how much it would cost, ive been wanting to switch to acrylic tanks for awhile now.
 
zach_discus

zach_discus

Well-Known Member
Ahh buffing out a acrylic tank is easy. A good orbiting auto buffer, Novus 3 part, and 2000-3000 grit sand paper. Taking your time and wet sanding the tank make s a huge difference. Note is add a little dish soap to the water mix for wet sanding. A 8" buffer makes the Novus 3 part much quicker also :)
 
SonicsDC25

SonicsDC25

New Member
I ended up buying all 3 bottles 8 oz each for $18 at The Container Store and some wet/dry sand paper at Wal-mart, let the project begin :)
 
SonicsDC25

SonicsDC25

New Member
Should be the 2000 grit then :) I've heard of adding soap to the water, but of course have never tried and wondering if I should on my first go lol
 
zach_discus

zach_discus

Well-Known Member
Yep 2000 to 3000 grit and definitely use soup in the water. Another couple hints,1. get a foam block to wrap the sand paper around and sand only in two directions roughly 45deg to each other (never in a circular motion!!!!)2. is to always keep moving. Never let your buffer rest/set in one spot for very long. Hope this helps, Zach
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top