Dry Cell outer shell questions

[scubasteve223]

I am looking into building a dry cell and wondered what your guy's opinions are on some things.

what do you think is the best material for the outer bolting plates? why do you think that?

and what is the best thickness for that outer shell?

I was looking into maybe 1/2 in plexi

http://www.professionalplastics.com/PLEXIGLASS-ACRYLICSHEET-EXTRUDED

thanks guys...any links to videos or sites that fully explain the ins and outs of every piece to the dry cell would be great...less time bugging you guys with questions that probably were answered 100 times :-) thanks

-Steve

[lhazleton]

Steve,
I use 3/4" clear acryllic for my endplates, but it's very pricey. Lots of folks use plastic cutting boards (like from Walmart, Target, etc.). They're cheap & easy to cut. I wouldn't recommend plexiglass. Koh will make it crack in no time!
Lee

[hhonewbie]

Polypropylene

[scubasteve223]

Plexiglass is acrylic.... no?

I was wondering the same thing..maybe I'm mistaken on the two

[H2OPWR]

I was wondering the same thing..maybe I'm mistaken on the two

Without a doubt 100% Plexiglas is juat a brand name for Acrylic. They are both the same.

[scubasteve223]

what is everyone elses thoughts on plexiglass? has anyone else had problems with it? seems like a lot of people use it

[H2OPWR]

what is everyone elses thoughts on plexiglass? has anyone else had problems with it? seems like a lot of people use it

Plexiglass, Acrylic, whet ever you want to call it does work. People like to use it because it is clear. I have used it for different applications and it works pretty well. It does have a few problems. It is much harder to bet good threads tapped into than other plastics. It is so brittle that sometimes the threads chip and tend to want to leak. It is also harder to drill without special bits because it wants to chip where the bit exits the bottom. It also will crack if torqued unevenly. If it is something clear that you are after then it is your only choice. Lexan can not take the KOH and will crack anc craze within just a few minutes. If you are not after something clear then there are many better choices. HDPE works well but my favorite material to work with is UHMW. It is strong and easy to work with. It is slightly more money but well worth it.

Larry