DIY Stand need some help!

[volitanking]

i built a stand for my old 100g and 100 gallons of water falling 4 ft and shattering and flodding the house is my biggest fear i always use stacked 2x4's in all directions vertically and horizontaly i would rather have 2 pieces of wood everywhere than 1 or you could use 4x4 posts like was mentioned but goodluck with the stand !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[russbriscoe]

If you are going to add those 2x4 cross braces to the back it will be stronger to add a solid piece of plywood and cut out holes. I guess everyone must think I am NUTS building mine out of 1x4.

What will the crown on the stand kill into? Unless I am missing something, one thing to consider with your design is that the crown is going to stick out beyond the front of the tank a couple of inches and will need some sort of cap to look complete. On the canopy you can do crown and get away with it because the top if the crown is above everyones head, but down low it will need to be caped. You can make the top of the stand a little larger and the crown kill into that (the plywood that the tank sits on), but the tank will need to set on the 2x4s and not the crown. If you make the plywood larger then you will need to do something to finish the edge of the plywood... Is tis going to be a painted or staned stand?

[seshapir]

Alright guys tell me how this sounds....start with the first pictures BUT on the back put 2 beams at about 1.5' apart. 1" plywood on the top and bottom. Wrap the entire thing..front back and sides in plywood with two holes cut out in the front for doors and a hole for an opening on one of the sides..should I use 1/4" or 1/2" plywood to wrap?? Then go back and do step 2 (the finishing touches.)

Russ, let me see if I understand what you're telling me....when you use crown molding the top (that would normally be against the ceiling) is open and NOT a solid piece of wood?? Hmmmm I have no clue then!! I didn't think of that. I think I'll have to go back to HD tomorrow and get back to you on that one....I'm going to stain the stand I just used different colors in the picture to show different pieces of wood. Is there a waterproof coat I can put over the stain? I'm going to use some kind of waterproof paint on the inside just to make things easier.

[darthteddy]

the plywod if nailed right and glued right also helps strengthen it.

[russbriscoe]

Yes, the part of the crown that is normay against the ceiling will be open so it will need to be caped off. Everything else sounds like it will work fine.

One more thing, not to throw a loop in everything, but stain is going to look different on each type of wood. If you use Oak for trim and birch or sanded (i woud not use sanded) plywood as your wrap, they may not look the same. Before you decide on a color check it on both types of wood to be sure you will like it. Or you can go to your wood working store and get a piece of Oak Ply. Make sure you sand all the glue off before you stain. I always use stainable glue. It is a couple bucks more, but you will be happy you did if it seeps somewhere and you didnt sand it well.

I am looking forward to seeing your stuff.

Here is a link about building a stand and canopy. It is just something to look at. I am in no way trying to convince you to build your stand like this, but it is a good reference on all the pieces you will need.

http://www.idahoreefs.org/calculators.shtm

[seshapir]

Teddy I was planning on using screws for all of the plywood parts..not to sound stupid but how do you "nail and glue right?" Also, what kind of glue should I buy, is one brand better than another??

Russ, The only place the plywood would not be covered is on the back which I won't bother staining anyway. I'm going to cover the plywood on the front and sides.

I had a ghetto idea of how to cover the top of the crown...would something like wood putty work or is that just a little too ghetto?? Any more suggestions on how to cap the crown would be greatly appreciated.

[tims]

you can use normal wood glue, but using one of the various faonming glues that is water resistant. woudl be better, also SS screws are the best way to go.
take a look motorslaves thread "inwall 150" he is making a stand as you read this. also if you do a search on gregt he has many pictures of how he built his water room and stand that shows 3 sides of the tank

[motorslave]

Yeah, my stand is in the works. Its a bit overkill but I wont have to worry about it. I have the same tanlk dimensions as you. Key is room under the stand. Lots of room! Vertical is important for skimmers and such, not just what you have but also what you may get. We always upgrade!!!!! The designs are very simple just take your time and fit, check and measure twice!

Robert

[russbriscoe]

Motorslave, that stand will not move anywhere. I think it is safe to say that stand would support a school bus.

All those triangles make it VERY VERY strong and keep the thing from racking. I did the same thing on mine. That is a great example how to build a stand even if someone did not use 4x4's the construction of it is great. Now all it needs is cross bracing at the bottom with a plywood shelf and it will be even stronger.

[motorslave]

Going to get the ply in a couple hours and frame out the bottom and ply it also, The good thing is it is attached to the wall si its definately stationary! There is also a ton of room under there for the 55g sump and 4 external pumps hooked to it!

Robert

[seshapir]

Robert, the inwall project is looking really great!! I like the way you're doing your stand....you guys are giving me so many ideas...this is what I'm thinking

Build the frame in 2X4's or 4X4's (which would u guys recommend?) the front will have three supports-one on each side and one in the middle. The back will have 4-one on each side and two spaced in the middle

Add the little wood triangle supports like robert has

Wrap the whole thing in 1/4" plywood-two holes in the front for doors and one on the side to keep a side open

Cover the whole thing in a finishing wood and crown (I'll worry about how to cap it later

Somewhere in there we'll add a 1/2 of plywood in the bottom and 1" on the top...just not sure where those steps will fit the best.

Here are my concerns:
This might be a little too much for my brother to take on...I'm worried he wont be able to make it sqaure

I can't remember who's thread I was reading but someone mentioned making sure the frame wouldn't cover where the tank is drilled.

I have no idea where the bottom is drilled and we'll start this before the tank arrives...any ideas?

My brother's coming over this weekend so I'll go over all this info with him and make sure this isn't too much for him to take on!

[tims]

I can't remember who's thread I was reading but someone mentioned making sure the frame wouldn't cover where the tank is drilled.

it is an easy fix if you have it capped already, as long as the bulk heads are NOT screwed on you can place the tank on top and draw around the piping area then remove tank and cut out the area making sure you leave room to work on the bulk heads once the tankis in place.

[motorslave]

Also, make the stand a bit deeper front to back, that way the framing wont be in the way of the drains. Also consider that the stand will get alot of its strength from the skin. The 1/4 may be a bit thin. My last stand was build with NO 2x4s or 4x4s. Its was all sheet and a few 1x1s. Inside was melamine and the outside was oak ply. That thing never creaked or groaned once.

R

[motorslave]

Oh and never hesitate to over build! I would go with both 4x4 and 2x4s. Cut legs together so they are the same length and all like pieces do the same. Use a speed square and a level. Overthink it. Its cheaper than re-doing it!

Robert

[seshapir]

I just wanted to let you guys know that my brother bailed on me (of course)

I want to say thank you again for all the help and direction you guys provided, and apologize that it didn't get used. I really feel like I wasted your time

We had to go ahead and buy a stand. The same company that's making the tank is building the stand...when everything comes I'll try and make up for this with lots and lots of pictures