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patrickriley2010

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
1,043
Location
Cincinnati Ohio
This week I will be starting the planning phase of 1 tank stand and possibly another . " if the guy selling me this 25 gallon bowfront for 15$ comes through"


Anyways awhile ago I started designing a stand in google sketchup. They are on my desktop will post them sometime this week. I just wanted to get this thread rolling !

Thanks !
 
Okay so i scrapped my original plan and im going for 4 extra inches around all sides that way i can have room to set stuff on while im working on the tank and that way the tank stand is bigger for storage purposes!

Here is what i have so far in the future it might hold something greater than 20 gallons but for now its just a 2ft x 1ft tank that will be going on it.

I think its pretty beefy. The tank right now is sitting on pressboard side desk no problem.


Screen Shot 2013-06-02 at 4.52.25 AM.jpg
 
Okay so im wondering is this a good height? 2' 8" ?

So here is the entire stand with my tank sketched out "but not placed in the center i just through it on there for scale.

view 1_1.jpg

Here is the inside top left corner
insidetop_1.jpg
Here is just the frame
bare_1.jpg
 
Wood type?

What type of wood should i use? Looking for cheapest yet good looking and okay to get a little wet. I am going to paint it whether its a few coats of spray paint or regular paint with a coat or two of clear coat im not sure yet.

Im still trying to figure out how i will make the doors. My current plan is just to build it as is now and then make the doors later when one of my dads friends who has a router can help me with the doors. Also i doubt this will even remotely come out looking this good i could only wish!

The corners are going to have quarter round 1/2" to full in the gap and give it a nice rounded feel.



as of 4am this morning i didnt really do much but add more plywood to the front to cover up the 2x4.

Added some fish food and a some fish and a plant to the tank just because i was having a brain fart on what to do next and just did so while i thought.

4am_1.jpg
 
I would go with balsa wood just be sure to record while you are filling the tank up .....


On a side note are you going to paint it, clear coat, or stain it

You can get cheap sturdy wood that is ugly but you won't notice if its painted if you are looking to stain it or go with a clear coat then its going to cost more. I have not had to price wood in years but pine is sturdy and one of the cheapest that you can find oak looks nice and is mid priced if you want something nice with clear coat go with cherry or walnut but its going to cost a lot, you can alway go with cheap pine for all the load bearing stuff then use veneer or plywood over it.
 
I would go with balsa wood just be sure to record while you are filling the tank up .....

On a side note are you going to paint it, clear coat, or stain it

You can get cheap sturdy wood that is ugly but you won't notice if its painted if you are looking to stain it or go with a clear coat then its going to cost more. I have not had to price wood in years but pine is sturdy and one of the cheapest that you can find oak looks nice and is mid priced if you want something nice with clear coat go with cherry or walnut but its going to cost a lot, you can alway go with cheap pine for all the load bearing stuff then use veneer or plywood over it.

Yes but before I fill the tank maybe I should see if I could blow the balsa stand across the room haha.

And ya i will probably go with oak.

Do you think this stand would be able to hold a 55 gallon ? I'm building it in a future proof manor but it probably won't be big enough for a 55.

But the way I see it is on one of my desk ends made of paper board and its doing just fine supporting my 20 gallon and my ikea dresser is holding up a 26
 
I'll let others weigh in on that all the building I have done in the last 15 years have been sets, they have to look great and store flat, and rely on sandbags to keep from falling over
 
Nope worked for an abc station and had to rebuilds he news set and morning sets when we got HD because you could tell the old one was styrofoam
 
Update

Okay so i added some quarter inch molding along the corners to give it a rounded feel. I have never really worked with wood so the final product will most definitely be interesting! I can only imagine that this thing will weigh on its own over 180 pounds in just wood!

here is just the frame alone! thats alot of 2x4
wrong_measure__1_1.jpg

here it is with 1/2 plywood around the outside! i was going to go with 1/4" but i could not find quarter round that size.
wrong_measure__2_1.jpg


then here it is with the moulding
wrong_measure__4.jpg_1.jpg

and a close up of the moulding
wrong_measure_5.jpg
 
I want to punch myself in the darn face . The tank stand is 44" wide the biggest unoccupied space in my apartment living room is 36 ... Wow all that work I'm not really sure how I ended up so far off :/
 
I want to punch myself in the darn face . The tank stand is 44" wide the biggest unoccupied space in my apartment living room is 36 ... Wow all that work I'm not really sure how I ended up so far off :/

You can always turn the stand sideways
 
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