200g Plywood Build

[Flake]

i'm waiting to fill it before I go that route. Fill and check for bows to see exactly where it needs reinforcing.

 

[JPKeenan]

The plywood is a laminate. The grain should face each other at 90 degree angles to the wood above or below it.

Are you going to paint the plywood or add a thin veneer and stain it?

I have tank envy!

 

[InfernoST]

With starphire glass on the front only it would've been an additional 173 bucks.

 

[InfernoST]

If glued properly, plywood joints are very strong. Plywood acts like kevlar, or some other similarly woven material. I used to build furniture for new homes, there have been times where 2 weeks later we have to go back and change something, a lot of times the only way to get a joint apart was with a good sized hammer and some coaxing and the glue would hold, but you'd rip the plywood apart.

I'm still slightly worried about the plywood bowing on the back side and the bottom, if it were my tank I'd have a couple supports there, if the wood starts bowing outward, the forces have a mechanical advantage that will exert multiple times the force on the joints. It's really in your best interest to not allow bowing on the back and bottom.

If it were me I would have put 2x3 in all of the corners then glued and screwed into that then glassed the the whole thing.

 

[Flake]

I'm staining it with a very lightly colored stain.

inferno: the build process is worth it to me. We looked at both routes and decided this would be fun. :]

 

[InfernoST]

I'm staining it with a very lightly colored stain.

inferno: the build process is worth it to me. We looked at both routes and decided this would be fun. :]

Hey that's cool. It's a good thing you're doing it now because when you have a family money and time are at a premium. I never would of thought of building one out of wood and am looking forward to the finished product. Did you get the glass yet?

 

[Flake]

Right now this is my summer project. College takes up a good chunk of time, so while I have the time and the means, i'm going for it.

No glass yet. Company hasn't called back yet. They have to special order from their distributors.

 

[Speakerman]

If I ever find a tank that's cracked, I might tear it apart and use the good glass to build a wooden tank, I think they look neat as well, and it's sure be fun. Maybe an oval viewing hole, do a sculpted back wall similar to the DIY live rock thread.

 

[Flake]

That would look awesome! Even rounded edged looked great, they were just really hard to cut without beveling the whole edge. Small circular "portholes" in the side would be fun.

 

[Boulder]

If it were me I would have put 2x3 in all of the corners then glued and screwed into that then glassed the the whole thing.

Yep - me to. Those butt jointed corners with sheetrock screws holding the plywood together are gonna be the weak point.

I hope it works out fine and your build can sustain the weight and pressure from this much water. However, it's not to late at this point in your build to add structural integrity to each of the four corner joints.

You mention buying the best plywood available - - was it a structural plywood or maybe a marine grade ply or just the best grade of exterior plywood available at your lumber store? Did you notice what the core value was?

 

[mdaniel2882]

As far as I know, T5's have the same output but without the heat. I don;t know too much so don't take my word for it. :]

T5HO are good for some LPS and some softies but you are going to need MH for that tank 24" is fairly deep the MH's give you better penetration. It would be cheaper to build a fixture out of wood and put in a retrofit kit. You could make it look like one light.

 

[Flake]

The plywood picking wass not my deal, but I do know that it was hardwood oak. Sorry.

 

[Speakerman]

when I first saw it, I thought it was red oak. Sort of an expensive way to go lol. I would have just used birch

 

[chrisjg04]

Just read through the entire thread. never even heard of a plywood tank before until this point but It looks great I'm excited to see how it turns out.

 

[fishmonkey]

yeah i hadnt heard anyhting about it either but i like how its going so far

 

[Flake]

I thought it was overly expensive myself, but if this means I can bring it in the house without my boyfriend watching it for leaks, it's worth it xD


Thanks! I quite like the look of them. They've grown on me a lot since I first saw one.

 

[jessicasmarine]

I think this is a great Idea, but as someone mentioned earlier even with mass amounts of screws, thats 2000 lbs of water pushing out on a unidirectional joint> Maybe add some outside metal brackets around the corners. I dont know but i would hate for this to bite you later. I love ambitious DIY projects.

 

[jessicasmarine]

Even decorational brass plates. They come in what ever size you want them and they look great and can be bent around the corners. Just throwin it out there

 

[fishmonkey]

but i have one question that has been bugging me eversince you started.
when you look into the tank, arent you only going to see wood as your background?

 

[Flake]

Nope. The pond armor comes in several colors. The box I got is black. You'll see a black bg and all of my shiny, colorful fish and corals.