acrylic diy overflow

so I'm making a overflow for my nano tank that is in long term planning stage. This is also for saltwaterguy to help show him how easy it can be to make a nice one. I think there is a pvc version that may be easier, but this is what I got to work with so this is what I'm using.
First just think about how easy it can be. Look at what I'm trying to make and how it could just be slapped together. Not that you would want to use tupperware, but you might be able to find some nice boxes to mod if you take some time to look around.
You would just make the drain pipe in the out side box stick up high enough to keep your siphon going, I'm using a pvc slip fit so I can cut pieces latter to adjust the height.

 

I have some extra acrylic from my ATS (some day I'll get to plug that thing in:) and my sump/fuge build (working up the guts to show that ugly thing) so that's what I'm going to work with. In the past I've cut the acrylic with my dremel or table saw, but I thought I'd try to use the scraper so I could see how hard it would be before I recommended it. It's really easy saltwaterguy, don't worry about that part, I think you'd be fine scraping it with a razor (with a good handle of coarse) instead of getting the tool I have shown. The glue is the only part you really need to think about, and that is more about ventilation than anything. If you use this stuff in side have a fan on and a window open at least. You can get all this at homedepo for 20-25$. acrylic sheet 12$, glue 5$, scraper? (use house hold scraping item, think you'll find one) I can't remember how much the pipe fittings are, but I don't see them running more than 5$.

 

here are a couple of pics on how I scraped it and how deep, it's really a lot easier than I thought. At first I thought I'd tack it together with super glue (hoping it would dry faster), but the acrylic glue worked better so just tack a part together with it and come back and finish it after it holds (30sec and it holds ok)

 

put the bottoms on and I'm ready to drill and put in my drain pipe. Looking back at it I would have put in the drain pipe before I put the bottom on, but oh well. I'll finish it some time today hopefully.

 

so I used my dremel to make the cuts in the overflow box, but still need to make them deeper. I would simply make the front piece just a little shorter than the sides and back if I could not do it like this. I drilled the hole with the graduated drill bit. Saltwaterguy, I would have them drill a hole in it at home depo for me. I might even have them cut the pieces too, depending on how much that costs. I used 2 rubber O-rings because the pipe fittings I'm using are not meant to fit together, but it will work.
I know it looks sorta hard, but it's really not, I made this with out any real planning on paper or thinking about it very much so if you put some time into it you should be able to make something.

 

funny you should post this i was actually just thinking about making one of these myself

 

it was pretty fun for a quick project.

 

wow that was a lot easyer my PVC overflow

 

yeah its nice and clean, I hate the look of that huge pvc overflow thing in tanks, not sure if your is one im thinking of but I hate extra bulk inside a tank

 

Did you sand the edges on the acrylic cuts? Looks pretty good.