DIY stand completed - Aquarium Advice

justDIY · 07-09-2003, 11:04 AM

thanks to all that have gave me great suggestions in my previous stand related post... your ideas have come together to make what I hope is a very strong and usefull stand / table

This is a diagram of the stand ... more and better pics will come later, soon as I drop a roll off at the 1hr

pictured is my stand and my lightbox (covered in another post)

the stand is constructed of premium white-board pine studs and 3/4" plywood

fasteners used are #10 2" and 3" steel wood screws (slightly smaller than 3/4" lag screws, and have a phillips head ... in relfection, this was a mistake ... driving a 3" screw into even soft pine took a lot of effort, and these are not hardened steel, so many a screw had it's head stripped ... a lag screw with a hex drive would have resisted stripping more. I also found that lubricating the screw with wood glue before insertion helped a LOT. The reason I choose wood screws over lag screws; I was concerned about driving two 1/4" thick screws into a piece of 3.5" wide 2x4 ... splitting the wood, even with pre-drilling

fasteners where there would be minimal shearing stress were 2" drywall screws ... drywall screws are nice because they are hardened which makes them almost impossible to break or strip ... but, they don't take shearing stress and will just snap rather than bend

------

again, more pics to come!

justDIY · 07-09-2003, 11:12 AM

oh ... another thing ... I would like to mount that lightbox on the underside of the top shelf, BUT it needs to be easy to remove once there is a tank only 6" under it ... I thought I could just run screws through the top into the center supports for the top shelf, but then I wouldn't be able to get a screwdriver in there after a tank were in place.

if I get a big tank (like 90+ gal) I'll probably make the 30 a sump since it's all scratched up (yardsale special) ... and a sump doesnt need 192 watts of light!

Bearfan · 07-09-2003, 11:12 AM

Looking great!

r95rdstr · 07-11-2003, 12:15 AM

Lookin' good. Setting the top shelf directly on top of the L-Legs is very solid.

My 2x4 stand skinned in cherry is still in progress :P

hisc1ay · 07-11-2003, 03:05 PM

Awesome! It makes me all the more excited to make the cabinet I'm going to build for the stand I was given.

-j

justDIY · 07-11-2003, 10:05 PM

I have finished the web-page with commentary and more pictures.

check it out at

http://www.dimension-x.net/gordon/aq...d2/default.htm

-----

admins,

I've been linking to these externals pages only to save you some 'overhead'. If you would rather have the articles posted on the forum, I'd be happy to do that instead.

Bearfan · 07-12-2003, 08:50 AM

Looks Good!

07-12-2003, 10:54 AM

You mentioned the screws being cheap and stripping easy. Next time, try using ivory soap and pack the threads with it before screwing them in. Wax works well also...

Bearfan · 07-12-2003, 05:32 PM

I don't know if you predrilled, but it is the one step that 90% of DIYers miss. It prevents a lot of wood cracking, and makes the screwing in easier.

07-09-2003, 11:12 AM	#3
Bearfan Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Marquette, MI Posts: 3,570 Images: 45	Looking great! __________________ 75 gal w/ 75 gal sump, 25 gal fuge with Chaeto and 25 gal frag - 4x65 PC w/ Moonlite on the main tank, 2x20W PC on the fuge, 4x20W PC on the frag 72 Gal Bowfront Planted w/ 2x65 PC and 40W T8

07-12-2003, 08:50 AM	#7
Bearfan Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Marquette, MI Posts: 3,570 Images: 45	Looks Good! __________________ 75 gal w/ 75 gal sump, 25 gal fuge with Chaeto and 25 gal frag - 4x65 PC w/ Moonlite on the main tank, 2x20W PC on the fuge, 4x20W PC on the frag 72 Gal Bowfront Planted w/ 2x65 PC and 40W T8

07-12-2003, 05:32 PM	#9
Bearfan Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Marquette, MI Posts: 3,570 Images: 45	I don't know if you predrilled, but it is the one step that 90% of DIYers miss. It prevents a lot of wood cracking, and makes the screwing in easier. __________________ 75 gal w/ 75 gal sump, 25 gal fuge with Chaeto and 25 gal frag - 4x65 PC w/ Moonlite on the main tank, 2x20W PC on the fuge, 4x20W PC on the frag 72 Gal Bowfront Planted w/ 2x65 PC and 40W T8

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07-09-2003, 11:04 AM	#1
justDIY Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Earth Posts: 1,191 Images: 12	DIY stand completed thanks to all that have gave me great suggestions in my previous stand related post... your ideas have come together to make what I hope is a very strong and usefull stand / table This is a diagram of the stand ... more and better pics will come later, soon as I drop a roll off at the 1hr pictured is my stand and my lightbox (covered in another post) the stand is constructed of premium white-board pine studs and 3/4" plywood fasteners used are #10 2" and 3" steel wood screws (slightly smaller than 3/4" lag screws, and have a phillips head ... in relfection, this was a mistake ... driving a 3" screw into even soft pine took a lot of effort, and these are not hardened steel, so many a screw had it's head stripped ... a lag screw with a hex drive would have resisted stripping more. I also found that lubricating the screw with wood glue before insertion helped a LOT. The reason I choose wood screws over lag screws; I was concerned about driving two 1/4" thick screws into a piece of 3.5" wide 2x4 ... splitting the wood, even with pre-drilling fasteners where there would be minimal shearing stress were 2" drywall screws ... drywall screws are nice because they are hardened which makes them almost impossible to break or strip ... but, they don't take shearing stress and will just snap rather than bend ------ again, more pics to come!

07-11-2003, 12:15 AM	#4
r95rdstr Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 89	Lookin' good. Setting the top shelf directly on top of the L-Legs is very solid. My 2x4 stand skinned in cherry is still in progress :P

07-11-2003, 03:05 PM	#5
hisc1ay Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 536 Images: 11	Awesome! It makes me all the more excited to make the cabinet I'm going to build for the stand I was given. -j

07-11-2003, 10:05 PM	#6
justDIY Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Earth Posts: 1,191 Images: 12	I have finished the web-page with commentary and more pictures. check it out at http://www.dimension-x.net/gordon/aq...d2/default.htm ----- admins, I've been linking to these externals pages only to save you some 'overhead'. If you would rather have the articles posted on the forum, I'd be happy to do that instead.

07-12-2003, 10:54 AM	#8
Guest Posts: n/a	You mentioned the screws being cheap and stripping easy. Next time, try using ivory soap and pack the threads with it before screwing them in. Wax works well also...