# Fixing wood to glass?



## zozo (12 May 2016)

I guess, rather sure i'm not the only one with crazy ideas..  I have a kind of crazy scape on my mind and to realize my brainchild i have to come up with a way to fix a piece of wood submersed to the glass. There will be enough surface area provided to make it securely stick.

But my worries are it will be submersed i have no boubt the kit will stick permantly to the glass but what about the wood after beeing longer period submersed and soaked? Will it eventualy come loose and fall off? Are there types of wood to avoid and others maybe perfect for the job.

And i do not mean fix it to the bottom panel, but to the side panel like a branch growing out of the glass.  Without beeing supported anywhere else but the glass side panel..

I bet someone tried it before and i'm realy curious what the long term results were.. Did someone?


----------



## Paulo Soares (12 May 2016)

zozo said:


> Will it eventualy come loose and fall off



I believe i know what´s on your mind 

There you have quite a issue. Will the glue last?
What if doesn´t?
What i know is that the Seachem Glue and other i tried does desintegrate after a month or so. I have some moss that i stick with the glue and after a couple of months it was floating 

I´m really not shure if a glue is a garantee for itself that the wood will be sticked. Maybe you need to reenforce with other strategy.


----------



## zozo (12 May 2016)

http://www.innotec.nl/kitten-en-lijmen/kitten/marine-lijmen-en-kitten/adheseal-marine/ is very strong kit, non silicone some kind of polymere.. As far as i know they are non toxic once cured and usable in aquarium. They got one specialy developed for marine purpose, more aimed to boat construction, teak to dek glue.. So it's not the glue i need to worry about, more like the untreated wood.. Permanently submersed it might soak over time and become soft and let loose.. That's what i kinda expect to happen, since wood softens up after long periode submersed..

But i do not know, never tried.. There for the question did anybode ever do it.


----------



## Wisey (12 May 2016)

Have a look at the video for Tropica Layout 75, they use suction cups...

http://tropica.com/en/inspiration/layout/Layout75/5279


----------



## zozo (12 May 2016)

Thanks for the reply Mark, but that;s not what i'm looking for, suction cups will ruin everything with what i got in mind not an option construction whise.. It needs to be a seamlesly looking fixed transition from glass to wood.  Nothing wobbly.. Like saw off a piece and the flat area sticking perfectly to the side panel hoovering into the tank like it is screwed on. Suction cup will create a massive gap between glass and wood..


----------



## ian_m (12 May 2016)

You will find no glue/silicone will stick submerged wood permanently, especially as once in the water it will start rotting, albeit very slowly.

I have got wood to stay held down by bolting it, with a stainless steel bolt to a piece of slate, which the slate was then buried in the substrate. Biggest issue, which is why I no longer have this in my tank, is your can't lift it out to clean it.


----------



## zozo (12 May 2016)

Yes Ian, that is what i'm afraid of as well the rotting process of the wood.. Some go faster then others.. Could be someone did it with a type of wood more suitable i do not know about.

So i'm screwed to think of something to fix permantly hidden into the woods flat base.. Chisel out a concave area to fit a piece of acrylic (sheet) screwed in.. Can be done but is a tiddy job to pull off.


----------



## rebel (12 May 2016)

Yes try to drill some stainless steel nails into the wood and then silicon that to the side....once you have done it I want pictures....


----------



## zozo (12 May 2016)

While reading your replies i came to think this is the only option i have.. The idea is this. As said chisel out a concave area to fit in an acrylic ore any other plastic material disk.



The plastic disk  will provide the glue area to the glass. 

Anyway thanks everyone for thinking with me on this.. If i ever go  on with it i'll certainly post the results.


----------



## BigTom (12 May 2016)

Depending on the size of the wood, could you do a similar thing with magnets?


----------



## ian_m (12 May 2016)

Silicone sticks wonderfully to glass.

Silicone does not stick to acrylic, which is why you solvent weld acrylic fish tanks rather than silicone.


----------



## zozo (12 May 2016)

BigTom said:


> Depending on the size of the wood, could you do a similar thing with magnets?



Very good thinking Tom..  that's indeed a very nice option and i have them at home. Why didn't i think of that... Those Neodymium magnets they are unbelievably strong..
Then fix a few to the glass and a few in the wood and click.. Darn good idea!!  If Neodymium magnets do not react with water and leach, it is quite harmfull to aquatic life. Maybe other magetic materials.. Something to research.. Thanks.. 



ian_m said:


> Silicone does not stick to acrylic


Hmmm, yes and no.. It does but do not expect wonders, it will stick relatively better if the acrylic is sanded too.. I builded my sump with acrylic deviders in the glass tank, sealed it with silicone. It depends what the goal is, silicone might not be the best option for an acrylic bond.. But we still have polymer glues, they stick to about anything. Tec7 is a brand widely known in the reefbuilders scene..


----------



## zozo (12 May 2016)

About the magnets in particular those Neodymium 
http://www.ndfeb-info.com/coatings.aspx
Zn+rubber coated is suitable and safe for marine invironment.. So then also fresh water.


----------



## Christos Ioannou (13 May 2016)

how about you drill a couple of holes on the flat surface you need to attach on the glass then fill this up with silicon,  cover that same surface with silicon and then push against the glass?  this I suppose will provide a better anchoring. 

I would not worry about the mess,  as dry silicon can be carefully removed layer on with an xacto knife.


----------



## zozo (13 May 2016)

Christos Ioannou said:


> how about you drill a couple of holes on the flat surface you need to attach on the glass then fill this up with silicon,  cover that same surface with silicon and then push against the glass?  this I suppose will provide a better anchoring.
> 
> I would not worry about the mess,  as dry silicon can be carefully removed layer on with an xacto knife.



As ian and i already said, over time the wood will soak and rot, get slimey etc.. This process will most likely stop the silicon or any other glues adhesive effect to the wood and it'll fall off.. Thanks anyway..   I definitively have to screw something non wood in there which attaches to the glass.


----------



## PARAGUAY (13 May 2016)

Just a thought why attach to the glass ?why not a boulder type cobble under the wood near to the glass ,part would be in substrate .Drill cobble for rawl plug and attach wood,might compromise look you are after but much safer.


----------



## zozo (13 May 2016)

Hard to explain Paraguay, what i got on my mind.. I'm not quite sure if i like to give my idea away at the time.. I like to create something sureal but still looking natural in the compleet picture. It's just a brainchild it the moment.. Just want some ideas i can test.. The worst thing what can happen is that it'll fall off after a while.. Also yet not sure about size, first i have to stumble up on a suitable piece of wood. The plan is quite small and shallow.. Have to build the tanks myself according the dimension of the wood i find. So i have few centimeters room in all directions.. But it's not going something big and heavy.


----------



## PARAGUAY (13 May 2016)

Sounds like a plan Marcel suppose just a case of bit of research Huttons in the UK do sealants for aquaria or a bespoke glass manufacturer might have the know how


----------



## zozo (13 May 2016)

Already got some great ideas on my list.. Tom's magnets is one i definitively going to look at.. And or screwing something else permantly into the flat base of the wood which can be glued to the glass relatively strong also is an option.. Since it's going to be nothing heavy the most danger is in myself nocking it off during cleaning or cracking the tank..


----------



## Derek113 (25 May 2016)

Cant you drill a hole through the glass then screw the wood on?


----------



## zozo (25 May 2016)

Derek113 said:


> Cant you drill a hole through the glass then screw the wood on?



That could be an option, but drilling holes in glass isn't realy my speciality... And it's a bit of a permanent damage to a tank, would need to replace a complet glass panel if it doesn't work out or want reuse the tank for something els later. Drilling holes is bit to drastic measurment for an (maybe completely silly and failing) experiment. 
But thanks for the input anyway..


----------



## Derek113 (25 May 2016)

What about suspending the wood?


----------



## zozo (25 May 2016)

Derek113 said:


> What about suspending the wood?



It would completely ruin the idea of someting free floating in space and time.. It will in my vision look like "I want to but i can't".. It still can look good, till your eyes reach the suspension or whatever fixture is in vision to pull it off.. Like that scape once posted here at ukaps where a guy extended a piece of wood outside the tank, like it had growen through the glass. It looked nice till the part where the ugly and clumsy constructed stand to support the wood came in vision.. Which spoiled the fun of the whole concept imho.. Forgot the link to that scape..

It's like watching the Avatar movie and see the ropes used to make the rocks float.. Would look awfully silly wouldn't it. 

I want to go all the way with it or not at all..


----------



## Derek113 (25 May 2016)

I see tour point. It did cross my mind. I have gave it some thought today. All i can think of is to drill the tank.

Good luck with your project


----------

