This is incredible! Gave me the confidence to try it myself. It's one thing to read something but another thing altogether to SEE someone do it well! Super useful contribution you've made.
@seselapaz
12 жыл бұрын
WOW! You are my saviour! I got a 450 gal aquarium and it is in the same conditions than your tank was and you solve all my questions about how to eliminate all those scratches, thank you for your useful vid!!!
@ChristopherT1
12 жыл бұрын
Wow this is one of the most practical aquarium videos on youtube. Thank you! And BTW your tank came out amazing and your aquascape was very well done so quickly. I will be trying this soon on a 250. Wish me luck.
@AridiaMoonWolf
6 жыл бұрын
I rescued a bunch of fish that needed to be rehomed and they can in a tank just like yours but 55 gallons with a black back. Been looking everywhere for a good method that I can do with things I already have. Thank you so much!
@CrayZJo3Davola
9 жыл бұрын
48 hours later...... "fuck it ill just buy a new one"
@horsepanther
7 жыл бұрын
LOL
@westfourtwenty
12 жыл бұрын
Just went to pick up a 120 gallon acrylic aquarium today that I found on craigslist. This video is definitely going to come in handy for getting rid of the minor scratches. Thank you for sharing this!
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
You are right Davey.. It was the mothers kit that had the blue powerball. But don't use the polish that came with it. I have heard that it leaves an oily residue. Buy the Plastx seperately for around $5-6. I just liked the way the blue power worked. I did by a bigger red powerball but it threw the polish everywhere. The blue one, not so much, and was more controlable for me.
@AzBirdDog
9 жыл бұрын
This is freaking awesome! I just bought an acrylic tank with a sump and a bunch of other pieces to a saltwater 60 gallon for $25. I have the next two days off, I'm going to be busy! But thanks to you sir, my aquarium will end up very cool! I do thank you and if you ever come to Arizona let me know, I'll buy you a steak dinner for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!
@JGplace1
9 жыл бұрын
AzBirdDog Hope it turns out good for you. Wife is from Phoenix...to hot for me! I know...its a dry heat!! Best Regards, Jim
@AzBirdDog
9 жыл бұрын
James Chitty i did the outside of the tank and it came out good. But what would be the reason why the inside looks like i took a harsh scrubby pad and totally scratched the plexiglass? Would that be not enough wax? Too much wax? And do i have to use a new sand paper with every side to every panel? Could that also have been the problem?
@AmberPannell
6 жыл бұрын
AzBirdDog you need to do the inside as well
@FREESTYLEFISHING323
9 жыл бұрын
I paid $80 dollars for a 100 gallon acrylic fish tank that because of this video i know i can get everything i need to remove minor scratches at my auto parts. Thanks a million for this video.
@JGplace1
9 жыл бұрын
FREESTYLE FISHING HEY! great deal! Hope it works out for you!
@chrisleech1565
12 жыл бұрын
Well that is the most conclusive upload I have seen so far regarding the polishing of acrylic. I drive a loader in a sand pit and the low angle of the sun is telling of the small scratches on the plexiglass making navigation near impossible I have suggested to my foreman, that to save money we should polish instead of replacing. And now I can say that the results would be as good as new.
@scnason1300
6 жыл бұрын
This is amazing and you did a great job showing the process thank you for this Epic results!!!!
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Hi Douglas. I used Meguiars Plastx to polish the inside and outside of the aquarium after sanding. I then wiped down the inside with a clean microfiber towel. Then took the tank outside, filled it, and ran a filter on it for about an hour to circulate the water. Then drained and setup the tank. All test fish did well with no noticable affects. And the tank is thriving today.
@sweanna1
6 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this video!! I’m buying a used acrylic tank this weekend and now I know what to do 😊👍
@JasonBaltis
11 жыл бұрын
Never mind. I already gave the plastx a shot by itself. I have owned my tank for 10 years now and have kept pretty good care of it. I just did 2 runs on the tank with my dewalt, buffer wheel and plastx. I couldn't believe the results. I totally don't need to wet sand. I was very surprised how buffing even got some of the deeper scratches out on its own. I'd say depending on the tank, do that first and then decide if wet sanding is necessary. Thanks for the vid though, it was a great help.
@scottshaddock2987
9 жыл бұрын
Hi- Thanks for this! I just finished a 27 g hex off craigslist using this video as my only guide, and it looks like new! My husband said he had all the equipment I needed in the garage- and he was right; I used flannel sewing scraps for towels, as I did not trust his to be debris-free. Now I'm going to start on a (free) 40 g tank that someones child painted with acrylic paint. Thank you for posting this- I thought refinishing acrylic would be more labor-intensive and scary but you made it very easy!
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
I went over the entire surface both inside and out, buffing it with the plastx. Noticed a slight haze and went over it again. Total time buffing was under 2 hours. Was crystal clear after that. Good luck with your refinishing...hope it turms out ok!
@Reksifer_Aegis
9 жыл бұрын
Finished buffing my aquarium today, it turned out amazing, thanks for the DIY video!! There's still a few scratches here and there, but not nearly as many as before and it's a thousand times more clear then when I got it! Can't wait to set it up after I move! =D
@JGplace1
9 жыл бұрын
Reks1S1Hatake Glad you had good results. I just finished a tank that was so bad you couldn't see into it. Guy must have used a brillo pad. Anyway its a lot better now but will probably perform another polish when warm weather gets here.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
What I usually do after polishing is to go over the inside with a micro fibre towel. If you can see "swirls" it is usually some residual wax. Just dapen a micro fibre towel and wipe off. After that, all I do is to fill the aquarium up and run a power filter on it for a few hours...then drain and you are good to go.
@DrSpike666
12 жыл бұрын
WOW! That looks fantastic!
@Reksifer_Aegis
9 жыл бұрын
Super excited to try this, I just got a 38 gallon hexagon Acrylic tank that definitely needs to be fixed up a bit with sanding and buffing, thanks for the video!
@JGplace1
9 жыл бұрын
Reks1S1Hatake Be sure to try a small area at first to get your technique down. Good luck with it!
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Used the same head...I think I cleanned it once. I did use a triangle shaped red polisher on the front corners since I already had one and it fit better in the corners. The front of the aquarium is rounded...so the trianle polshing head fit perfectly.
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Wow...I'm jealous!! a 250! Wish I could find one on craigts listing. When I started this video I wasn't sure if it would be a success. I figured even if it didn't turn out well the video could help those avoid errors. Good luck on the 250..would love to see the finished product!
@metalbandsrule
11 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your video. I just recently bought a 240 acrylic tank from craigslist. I tried your method and it is working. I just need to do more polishing with the plastix because i can still see some minor scratches.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
Hi Annie. Lots of people share your concern as the plastx is a petroleum product. Also, since you are using a "soapy" spray to lubricate is also a concern. After you have gone through the sanding and polishing, use new micro fibre cloths to remove any of the wax that is left behind. You have to rinse the tank to remove any soapy residue. Fill and run a pump to circulate the water for an hour or so. Then drain, let dry and go over the interior with a clean cloth.
@jennifermurphy9945
8 жыл бұрын
This looks really great! It is giving us the confidence to try the same on a 110 gallon acrylic we just picked up off craigslist today. There appears to be one fairly deep scratch that we really can't live with, but you made it look so easy, we may attempt to do the whole thing!
@JGplace1
8 жыл бұрын
+Jennifer Murphy Deep scratches are the most time consuming. You have to sand down with a lower grit till it is removed. Then you have to sand in progressively finer sandpaper till you reach the 2,000 grit paper. Is the Scratch so deep that you can't live with it even when the tank is filled with water?
@jennifermurphy9945
8 жыл бұрын
James Chitty We can't live with the scratch or the "haze" of the billion finer scratches... in the living room. We are considering options for where else we MIGHT put the tank, but decided to put a glass 55 tank in the living room, instead. Mostly because, upon further thought, we didn't feel good about the weight of the 110.
@mowburnt
11 жыл бұрын
Lovely job. I have some old perspex sheets in the garage I wanted to make some cupboards with...looks like I should easily be able to rescue the finish now!
@brolyventures
2 жыл бұрын
Woah! This was great!! Thanks for sharing!
@Unique55901
11 жыл бұрын
Turned out very nice!
@marytaylor667
8 жыл бұрын
amazing. I had no idea you could bring the acrylic back up. thanks!
@TheSUMKINDAGUY
9 жыл бұрын
Nice job. This video is right on time for me, I just last week found a Clarity Plus 75 gallon tank with a under gravel filter and a working lighted hood for $29 at a resale shop. I almost passed it up because of a few scratches but my friend who was with me said the light fixture alone was worth the price so I decided to look it up on my iPhone and that's when my jaw hit the floor. A new Clarity Plus 75 gallon acrylic tank lists for $656.99. Bingo, Jackpot, Lucky day. So now I've decided to make my own KZitem video but with a catch. I'm going to build everything humanly possible & what I have to buy will be from a second hand shop, Craig's list, e-bay etc. I plan on this tank being an award winning reef tank. I can't wait to get started, I'm going to polish her up, paint the back round blue, start making my own live rock, a sump with a refugium & what ever else I can scratch together. Thanks for the inspiration.
@tristanlambert2258
8 жыл бұрын
Well done. looks amazing its given me real inspiration. I just picked up a 650 liter Acrylic aquarium with a few scratches and was wondering if i could fix it. Now I seen this im super excited.
@westfourtwenty
12 жыл бұрын
That tank looks awesome! :) Beautiful job!
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
It can work. For scratches that you can barely feel with your fingertip you can usually get by with 1000 grit sandpaper. For deeper scratches you have to use a coarser grit like 500 or even lower to remove them. Then polish with the 1000..then 2000 and finish with plastx.
@JohnnyJ50f
12 жыл бұрын
Great VIDEO! FOR DEEP SCRATCHES, I usually use my 5" Random Orbital and start with 220 or 320 grit dry paper. I'll sand the entire tank's panel and work my way up to 400 grit (still using the sander). Once I feel I'm good at 400, I use micro-mesh pads on my sander, and move from 1500 (equivalent to 400G) up to Micro-Mesh 4000 (equivalent to 1500G). Then I'll block sand with 1500G wet/dry, then 2000G, then 2500G. Final step is done with buffing Novus 3, Novus 2, and final wiping with Novus1
@binnyimo4049
6 жыл бұрын
Very nice video. I can’t wait to try this on my 150gl I just bought. Thanks for the vid!
@tatl4771
12 жыл бұрын
Perfect. Thanks for the tip. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss a step!
@msplantladi
11 жыл бұрын
Awesome job. Recommendations for maintaining the outside of the tank once its set up.
@Dogsqn
12 жыл бұрын
very nice job there. Youve got me interested in this. At work we have quite a few 3ft by 5ft lexan doors that get replaced often as theyre too scratched to see inside the machine. Im thinking i can bring them home and make a tank out of them. Theyre 12mm thick lexan. it will save me a fortune! very nice end product. looks like new on camera.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
Glad to know that it helped you out. I agree that when you are working on these tanks to test an area to see how much work is needed. As in your case, the plastx was enough to do a good job of restoring the clarity.
@Judgemental_Shoelace
7 жыл бұрын
This was very well done, and very helpful. Thank you so much!!
@ryanr2n2yc
12 жыл бұрын
looks amazing. perfect tutorial. im gonna empty my tank tomorrow and follow your exact steps. thanks!
@TimHaunFishing
9 жыл бұрын
Excellent work sir, quite a restoration!
@JGplace1
9 жыл бұрын
Timothy Haun Thanks...I hope it was informative!
@TimHaunFishing
9 жыл бұрын
It was, I applied the knowledge to a scratched side panel on a PC
@Spz03737
11 жыл бұрын
Just make sure when using the palm sander that there is absolutely _NO_ grit, or un-even areas on the sanders base pad. I had a little bit of dried acrylic on mine and it created deeper lines that took me longer to sand out. I ended up using a rubberized sanding block for the final sand
@msplantladi
11 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for your quick response.
@kawaomarAGHA
6 жыл бұрын
GREAT VIDEO!! You did an awesome job, Thank you for sharing.
@bth9101
10 жыл бұрын
I use the Mother's on my 300gl and it had better results than the Novus products. Just bought another 300gl and will use your exact same process again. I need to get a palm sander to cut the work time in half.
@CHIBA280CRV
7 жыл бұрын
Got to say "Wow" 😳 fantastic job thanks
@MarvinResper
Жыл бұрын
Awesome job thanks for the information
@wf92608
12 жыл бұрын
Wow!! Thanks for the video, this gives me hope an aquarium I just got from craigslist.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
Good luck with it...hope you can get inside without any problems. I had a problem getting inside a 55 gallon acrylic becuase it was too narrow for a powered drill and a buffer head.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
I agree Jason...I've told a lot of people to try an end section first with just the plastx. If it works then you don't have to sand. Like you, I've found out that the plastx can do miracles at times. Just be sure to wipe out all the residue from the plastx.
@bigisrick
12 жыл бұрын
Great vid. great info. It def. does look very nice sir.! i was on the fence about buying a 125 flat back hex now im def. going to get it restor it and enjoy
@SpicyRamen602
10 жыл бұрын
Beautiful work sir, well done.
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jason...I wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Good luck with yours.
@busterrichards7397
8 жыл бұрын
Awe yeah, hope has been given to me,thanks James Chitty Chitty bang bang,you rock man.
@JGplace1
8 жыл бұрын
Thanks Buster...glad you liked the video
@EliasOrtiz
11 жыл бұрын
good job. i just got a 20 gallon that i have a to refinish. this will be my guide!
@scorpionaddiction2801
5 жыл бұрын
I got this tiny little aquarium and I thought when I was reading online that metal polish would be okay to use but i’m not having any luck with it and the whole side turns cloudy (this thing is maybe a 2.5-3gal at most.) so I’ve given up for now, but I’ll try again tomorrow and find the actual plastic polish. I thought home depot or rona would have it and then you said auto-body shop and i felt like a real goof. Wish me luck
@sherfe543
12 жыл бұрын
Thank you kind sir for your response, I think I will refurbish my tank now. I have a 100 gallon tank that was used for a lizard tank for a year so there are a lot of light scratches on the acrylic from the lizards claws. Its time to let the elbow grease seep.
@earlreed7279
8 жыл бұрын
Awesome job thanks for the great advice
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
See my previous post. Most of my large aquariums use eheim pro series filters. My smaller tanks use HOB power filters and most incorporate the sponge pre-filter. Its especially good for when you are raising fry and seems to keep water crystal clear.
@RichieDiep
10 жыл бұрын
Grats Mate, great work! Thanks for the post.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
Good luck with it...I just picked up a 55 corner acrylic a couple of weeks ago. IT was so bad you could barely see through it. I had a lot of DEEP scratches. Had to go all the way down to 200 grit to remove the deep ones....but now its in great shape. Hope you have the same luck with the 250g...sounds like a good deal for $300
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Let me clarify one thing...when I had completely finished polishing...I did take a couple of clean micro-fiber towels and went over the interior to remove any excess wax that was left over after the polishing...then filled the tank with water...etc
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
WOW! What a steal you made! Envious of you! Good luck with the tank
@DanChampionJr
11 жыл бұрын
I paid $550 for the tank and nice oak stand built with room for my 90 gallon sump I am creating. The scratches aren't too bad, and have done some testing, this is going to work great. Thanks
@neorealo
9 жыл бұрын
Great work. Thanks for the video.
@terrydyer4698
8 жыл бұрын
Thanks for taking the time to show us what to do. I followed what you did to get rid of scratches on an old tank. I have a problem buffing the corners. Where did you get the orange foam cone. Again thank you
@JGplace1
8 жыл бұрын
+Terry Dyer Hi Terry, The orange foam was bought at walmart. You can find it at most auto stores as well. It is used as a headlight restorer. The aquarium in the video has rounded corners so I could get into them with the orange sponge polisher. However, in a standard aquarium with right angle corners it is almost impossible to get totally polished. I would say you can get within 1" or so.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
I used just a few drop of regular dishwashing detergent. After final polish i take the tank out side and wash it out with a hose. Then fill and run a power filter on it for a few hours and then drain. Have not had a problem after doing this and setting up a tank. Good luck with your restores.
@mattdechalk7619
5 жыл бұрын
Did you have to flush out the tank after you use the Mothers Polish what did you use to do the first initial cleaning can you use vinegar
@stickinglady
9 жыл бұрын
I can't tell you how much your video helped me in refinishing an Italian plexiglass dinning room table base! I followed this video and a treasured piece of furniture, beautifully designed . . . looks better than brand new! I did add a touch of furniture polish as a final finish . . . DON'T DO THAT TO A TANK! Thanks again!
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Its still crytal clear....Does not appear to be wavy on the outside. Good luck on your restoration! Hope you have good results like I did.
@milehighbeerguy4586
5 жыл бұрын
WOW! I just got a free 125 with some scratch damage.. Going to give it a go and try to fix it. Nice job
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
I don't really know since I've never tried it on a motorcycle. However, Plastx is used to restore headlights on automobiles and it works on acrylic aquariums. I don't see why it would not work. I would try a small area with just the plastx and see how it does. If it is really scratched...try a small area with the technique to see how it would perform.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
Good luck Travis! I used a palm sander as well and works great.
@Spz03737
11 жыл бұрын
I have talked with a Novus Polish rep before using this polish for my aquarium. Got some good info on it and proper application methods that I would like to share with you all. #1 Apply with a polishing wheel @ 2000-2500 RPMs #2 Apply polish liberally and use moderate pressure when buffing. #3 Let polish dry for 30 mins or til crusted, then polish off. #4 Polish off using a cotton cloth, making sure to rotate the cloth often to use cleanest sides. #5 Repeat steps multiple times for best result
@daveybreedlove8650
12 жыл бұрын
Cool, Thank you. That's what i will do. I picked up a 125 of Craigslist for super cheap. Its pretty scratched up. But nothing very deep. There is one on the outside that's kinda deep. You can feel it a little bit with a fingernail.. Thanks again for the great video and help. Much appreciated..
@DanChampionJr
11 жыл бұрын
Well done, I am about to start on a 240 gallon I got on craigslist. Not as bad as yours was as far as overall cloudiness, but has some scratches from someone using something hard to clean with. I am going to start with 800 grit, 1500, then 2000. I like the polishing Idea. I was going to use buffing rags.. not anymore.
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Hey..I'm envious! A 450 gallon tank! WOW. Glad the video helped. Let me know how your restoration turns out. Would love to see a picture of it!
@jetajockey0
11 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video, I'm going to video document my buffing adventure soon, just picked up a 110 that has several scratches in it :)
@YodiRoberts
9 жыл бұрын
Who would have thought to use a sander to remove scratches? Very nice video, thanks!
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Hey Davey, try going over it with the buffer and plastic again. If the haze is still there go back and use the 2000 grit wet dry sandpaper and then rebuff it with the plants
@lucabondi4544
9 жыл бұрын
Great Job on your tank
@cierrabakkie2951
3 ай бұрын
Looks great. What kind of detergent did you use? Did you have to rinse 'clean" tank after buffing to male it fish safe?
@BlueLazer018
2 ай бұрын
impressive. I will try to restore one just like this. thanks foe sharing.
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
JD I think I bought the Meguires kit with the blue dome polishing wheel. The other wheels I bought seperately. I had read where the pyramid shaped buffer worked well in corners and it did. Can't give you much info on salt water tanks as I am freshwater tanks. Haven't had a slat tank in over 20 years.
@Comp1337e
12 жыл бұрын
Hi. Thank you very much for answering my question.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
You are right about acrylic scratching Matt. But I'm getting old and acrylic is so much lighter..lol. Plus it is more clear than glass...stronger than glass too. I clean my acrylic tanks with Mr clean magic erasers
@devenshields2036
9 жыл бұрын
Turned out great
@bamirshafiee
11 жыл бұрын
I have the same issue. It actually gets worse the more you sand. When I used the 600 to get deep scratches out, it looked clear. But after using 1000 and 2000, after about 20 min the haze takes over. When you spray the haze with water it does wipe clear, but then gets hazy a few seconds later...any ideas?
@lazarohernandez6292
5 жыл бұрын
Awesome job !!!
@daveybreedlove8650
12 жыл бұрын
Thanks JG you rock.. I just didn't want to do anything that would wreck the tank and i would not be able to buff out..
@praisechapelfullerton9343
5 жыл бұрын
Good job. Question? How did you get all the chemicals out before putting in the fish?
@Comp1337e
12 жыл бұрын
How much would a tank like this normally cost new, and used (but in good condition), on average? Great video by the way. Thank you.
@JGplace1
11 жыл бұрын
Thanks...I've restored 6 additional acrylic aquariums since the video was made.
@Heyu46
Жыл бұрын
Hello Mr Chitty This video you did about polishing an acrylic tank has given me the courage to start an acrylic tank project of my own. Although not near as big a tank as yours, at 40 gallons, it's still quite the job, lol. What's your thoughts on using rubbing compound for the first go after sanding is completed? I'm tempted as im disabled and trying to find the hidden chalice of elbow grease! Any advice is tremendously valued and appreciated. Thank you, Mr Chitty!
@JGplace1
Жыл бұрын
Hi Gary, What I would do if you want to try the rubbing compound after sanding is to try a small area on the tank to see if it would work. Probably one of the corners on the end of the tank. Just do a small area and see if your idea would work. I have also resurfaced 2 forty gallon breeding tanks in the past. Let me know how it turns out. FYI..I feel your pain as well...turned 70 and having some dificulties getting around these days. Best wishes, Jim
@Heyu46
Жыл бұрын
@JGplace1 Mr Chitty, Thank you so much for your response! And Happy Belated Birthday on your turning 70! I must correct myself on 1 important fact that it's not a rubbing compound I'm using. It's a light to medium Polishing Compound. But im still gonna give it a go as you recommended. Wish me luck, lol!
@JGplace1
12 жыл бұрын
Hi Lauren...really didn't do anything special to remove plastx. I used microfiber towels to polish inside and then took the aquarium outside - filled it with water to rinse - ran a filter on it for a couple of hours and then drained and brought aquarium inside. Filled with substrate and ran with test fish...tank has benn running for about 6 months and no problems.
@seselapaz
12 жыл бұрын
I have some pics in my FB the pics I have here are from when the last owner had it, you could see how scratched is and hopefully with what I learn in your video I can make it look shiny and look like brand new again.
@mjcowel
7 жыл бұрын
You're a life saver. This is why I dislike acrylic. I just got a 55g and same story. Stand and tank were in poor poor condition but it was $50. I miss my glass 75g. Thank you for the video.
@chriscox3267
4 жыл бұрын
How did you clean it after you did all of that to make it clear? The residue from the plastex? And from the free drops of detergent?
@JGplace1
2 жыл бұрын
I wiped off excess plastix with a micro fibre tool. The I filled the aquarium twice to try and flush out any remaining detergent. After that I let the tank air dry to make sure there was no plastex remaining in the tank. Have used the same process on 13 tanks so far with no problems.
@travisdaniell
11 жыл бұрын
Great info, going to go with the palm sander on mine!
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