Saltwater & Reef

zparticle · 06-26-2011, 04:08 PM

I decided to build my own tank cabinet to place my tanks on. Started it today. It was really hot here today so I think I'll stop where I'm at and work on it another day.

The cabinet will have front doors, inside storage shelves, internally mounted power strips and areas for various power supplies, pumps, cables, etc. I'm going to finish it with stained birch. Should end up looking very nice. The dimensions are 8' long x 32" high x 22.5" deep.

For today I got the basic frame in place. I will keep adding pics to my FB album and you can look at them here.

-Scott

fouldsy · 06-26-2011, 05:26 PM

That is a very solid looking stand. Do you think it could maybe do with a pair of uprights in the middle to help spread the weight, right around where the crossbeam is?

That should happily hold another 55g alongside it too

zparticle · 06-26-2011, 05:59 PM

Yeah I'm going to be adding center supports but it was VERY hot here today and I had had enough.

I bought a really nice big sheet of birch to use for the outside and top.

tlkng1 · 06-26-2011, 06:00 PM

My dad built a stand for my 75. The only difference I see from what you are doing and he did is that he added uprights in the center, at the crossbeam as fouldsy indicated, of each long rail and then did a diagonal cross brace in each "square." Two end "squares" and two "squares" along the back...each have an "X" in the middle.

I would have no question about taking a 90 gallon (largest the stand will hold based on width) and filling it with nothing but rock and water. My floors would never hold the weight but the stand will with no problems

zparticle · 06-26-2011, 06:08 PM

Nice I don't suppose you took any pictures during construction? I'd like to see them

tlkng1 · 06-26-2011, 06:29 PM

Sorry...it was a birthday present so it was complete when I got it. I sold the tank, it just had too big a footprint for the house, but kept the stand and it is being used for storage at the moment...CDs and computer supplies. The top is actually a piece of formica countertop.

I do have a pic of the outside of it..tank is still there..the pic was before the tank sold. I'll empty it a bit and try and get some other pics up tomorrow of the inside. There is a floor in the cabinet so I can't show the bottom frame.

fouldsy · 06-26-2011, 08:49 PM

Oh, I hear ya. Living in here in St Louis, it gets stupid humid, and just too hot to build anything of note in the summertime. I was glad I got to build my aquarium stand in March, as last summer I built a computer desk and it was unbearable, let alone then trying to stain the **** thing :-( Looking forward to seeing how this works out for you - looks great so far!

zparticle · 06-26-2011, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlkng1

I do have a pic of the outside of it..tank is still there..the pic was before the tank sold. I'll empty it a bit and try and get some other pics up tomorrow of the inside. There is a floor in the cabinet so I can't show the bottom frame.

I really like the doors your dad put on it. I haven't decided exactly how I'm going to do my doors yet.

I ended up doing some more work on it, it cooled off a bit. I got a horrible sunburn on my neck today putting the frame together.

I've added the middle supports, this thing is going to be able to hold a military tank, fish tanks won't be a problem.

I just finished applying the first coat of stain to the birch and the quarter round trim pieces which are pine. I probably should have waited until everything was together to stain it but I can touch it up later. I'm thinking I need to apply a top coat to toughen it up a bit given that both birch and pine are soft woods.

I've posted more pics to the photo album.

fouldsy · 06-26-2011, 10:05 PM

Looks good with the stain on the top! Yeah, I often use a primer first with pine to help the stain apply evenly as it can end up uneven with the wood being fairly soft. I've also taken to finishing with a polyurethane coat or two to help protect it a little more and really help smooth out the appearance.

zparticle · 06-26-2011, 10:31 PM

Thanks for the complement and thanks for tips on the polyurethane coat.

As a side note, I've constructed the entire thing using screws, not nails, I want to be able to disassemble it when/if I move.