can i use silicone to attach plexiglass to glass?

[Guest Edwardj]

Can i use silicone to attache plexiglass to glass? I want to put in baffles in my sump, and before i make a mess, wanted to be sure it would hold. Also, has anyone used GE Silicone? I read that Silicone II is not good, but Silicone I is. I am ready to glue - so any quick comments sure would be appreciated.

 

Edwardj

[johnnybv]

Can i use silicone to attache plexiglass to glass? I want to put in baffles in my sump, and before i make a mess,

[JMsAquarium]

Yes you can,

 

I use the GE I, not the II. I did glued acrylic baffles that way and also used some plastic/acrylic rods to reinforce the angles. In a sump it will not cause problems. Just make sure you allow enough time to cure, so the silicone hardens well. They still hold well after almost three years.

[xeon]

Both are fine... that is if you pick the Window & Door variety. The Kitchen & Bath have mildew inhibitors, which aren't things you want in your tank chemistry. Finally, silicone doesn't have great holding power with glass to acrylic. If there is much flow or pressure on the pane you run the risk of it letting go. Fixing that sort of thing on "live" equipment isn't ideal. My first choice would be Weldon #40, second Marine Goop or epoxy and as a last choice silicone. If I had to choose between the two types of silicone, the II is supposed to have a little better holding power with plastics.

[madmax7774]

if there was a way to grind the glass where the baffle goes, so it wasn't so smooth, the epoxy idea would work fantasitc. anyone tried grinding the glass with a dremel or something like that?

[Charlie97L]

that's a good idea... i used normal HD silicone... but it didn't have any of the mildew stuff, which seems to be the main thing to watch out for... if you do grind the glass, let us know how that works. i had to reinforce my bubble trap with supports on the low water side, but it works well enough... like chip said, if there are a few small leaks, it's ok, it's mainly to lose the bubbles anyway

 

another option is just to get glass panes cut to the size for the baffles. then silicone will work great.