[thefatman]

well, today i thought i could finally save a few bucks on the stand.

i bought cheap paint. and not jsut any cheap paint. we're talking 4.99 a gallon from big lots, cheap paint.

what a huge massive mistake.

this stuff is like water. and the one i bought was SUPPOSED to be ceiling white. but turns out it's more like irish cream :angry:

oh well, i guess this stuff will jsut be a second primer coat i'm going to sears or HD for a better quality paint for the final coat.

should i go with latex, and a water based poly coating, like i planned, or should i go oil based and no poly? or oil based and still use a poly coating.

any ideas?


also, REEFDAVE, good news for you! i did make a good purchase today. while at big lots i picked up a plastic Sterilite 10 gallon container. It's 20 1/2" wide, and i guess about 10" deep, and maybe 12" high. (pretty much about the same size as a 10 gallon tank) perfect for an auto top off box.

I dont recall how wide your top/side cabinet space is, but mine is 21x24 and this thing fit perfectly in the unit, all the way to the back, and still left me at least 12" in the front on the shelf (ie: perfect space fro brine shrimp or phyto factories) plus, the container came with a good tight fitting lid. that can also serve as a shelf, for storing other stuff, like chemicals, test tubes, etc..

best of all, it was only $2.99

just thought i'd pass that on to ya, since you were concerned about losing the space to auto top off. now you can still do both!

 

[ReefDave]

Hey jay, sounds good. See if you can get me a product number or something off of the Sterilite container. Ive never seen a "Big Lots" aroudn here, but they may have something similar. If not I just may have to take you up your offer.

Thanks for keeping my slowly progressing project in mind.
Dave

 

[thefatman]

sterilite
10gal/38L
model1820 desert grey (also had blue models)

bar code sku: 73149 82069

i'm sure it can be found at most department stores (walmart, k mart, meijer, etc...)

and if you dont find one, i'm sure rubebrmaid probably has something of a similar size/shape.

i jsut went bonkers over this one, because it was grey, instead of clear, which will keep the water free from direct light. and of course, the most important thing was that it was the perfect size for fitting into the cabinet unit, and still allows plenty of room for storage in front and on top of it.

if you dont find something suitable, i'll grab ya one.

i'll post a pic tomorrow of how it fits in the stand.

 

[Casey]

Jay what were you thinking ? You have done such a fine job on the stand dont skimp buddy

 

[CAT]

Hey Jay. Too bad about the paint, but I know what you mean. We renovated a 100 year old victorian with 22 rooms a few years back - I mean busted down most of the walls to the lathe behind the plaster- took 5 years to put it back together, and I only bought cheap paint once. It took 4 coats and extra cans of paint to cover the plasterboard - more labour than it was worth

I'd go with latex paint because it's not so stinky, but I'd use a tough poly they sell for floors for the top coat - you don't want the plywood to start getting damp and separating. And you don't want to be putting another coat on once the tank is set up - those fumes can be deadly to the tank.

Good luck

 

[thefatman]

yeah the poly i'm going to be using is made by minwax. it's not really polyuerathane, it's actually acrylic, and clear, so it doesnt have the amber tint to it. and is water based.

i may also go with an actual polyeurathane as well, but a water based one, made for floors, that again, has no amber tint to it.

i'll stick with latex for the paint. easier to put on.