1/2" Oak plywood top - strong enough?

[i3k]

I have a 10gal glass aquarium I'm building a stand for. I was wondering if 1/2" oak plywood top panel would be strong enough to handle the weight.

Here is the plywood panel I'm talking about

Shop 1/2 x 2 x 4 Oak Plywood at Lowes.com

Thanks.

 

[neilanh]

yeah, that's plenty strong if it's braced correctly... how are you building the rest of the stand?

 

[FishEggs]

it might be but that mostly depends on the frame support underneath the top.
generally i would go with 3/4 ply. the extra layers give it more strength and stability meaning it wont warp as fast or as much as the 1/2. oak plywood is not really any stronger then the other plywood it just has a veneer of oak on top for looks basically. the strength of plywood is in how many layers or plys it is made up of so if you step up to the 3/4 ply but get birch you might spend the same as the 1/2" oak.

 

[jsoong]

For a 10 gal, it should be fine as long as there is enough support under it to prevent bowing.

If your stand is only as big as the tank, then 2 rails spaced 12" apart (the width of the tank) should suffice. But if you are building a big table and putting the tank in the middle, you would not want to use a 1/2" ply & just have support around the perimeter of the top ... the ply will sag under the weight. For a top like that, I would build a grid of rails 12"-16" apart under it for support. Or you can build the top as a torsion box, which would be both strong & light.

 

[i3k]

jsoong, the stand is a bit bigger than the tank. I plan on adding 2 rails in the middle for support.

Thanks.