stand building threads

[dschflier]

I am looking for a couple of threads or stand plans people have put together. I have never built a stand and will need to begin the work on it as soon as possible. Steve I will be looking at yours again today but I am also looking for as many ideas and thoughts on the subject. Another question off topic. How long do people think SPS can go with minimal light? My two running tanks have light but my sump currently does not and I have some large staghorn coral in the sump.

[amay121]

For stands, I think it was talk to YBeNormal, he's the pro at it. Also, you can look at Dave Lin's 300g tank stand, he built that up himself as well. Good luck on the stand building and please document since I'll be following what you're doing.

[Coral Hind]

How long do people think SPS can go with minimal light? My two running tanks have light but my sump currently does not and I have some large staghorn coral in the sump.

 

 

I kept mine in a rubbermaid tub for a week while I moved and there were no problems. Is there any way you can borrow a light for the sump?

[Brian Ward]

I kept mine in a rubbermaid tub for a week while I moved and there were no problems. Is there any way you can borrow a light for the sump?

 

 

If you can borrow a fixture, I have an extra MH ballast and bulb you can use.

[Brian Ward]

also, you can check out my build thread for stand construction. only thing I have left to do is add the cabinetry facing to make it pretty. The support structure is rock solid - definitely the best design I've seen (I took it from a guy on RC) The puzzle joint at the corner transfers all the weight perfectly so there's very little stress on any paricular piece of wood or fastener.

[YBeNormal]

If you only have basic tools available, a pine 2x4 and 2x6 frame is pretty easy to build and you can have HD or Lowes cut sheets of plywood to relatively close dimensions to skin the frame. If you have access to a table saw and other tools, most stands can be built with no internal frame at all. It all depends on what you want, your skill level and the tools you have available to you.

[lawnboy]

I have some cenderblocks you can have, a nice sheet over them and you stand is done.

[YBeNormal]

I have some cenderblocks you can have, a nice sheet over them and you stand is done.

 

Ah yes, I forgot to mention the redneck stand option.

[dschflier]

Well you got that right the ultimate redneck. He probably typed that message while drinking a bear outside in his jacuzzi which is an old leaking fish tank.

 

I do have all the tools you mention. I have a table saw and a radial arm saw and I have lawn boys head as a hammer. I think that is all I need. YBeNormal do you have any plans I could follow, otherwise I will go with Brians which sounds good as well. I actually plan on starting tomorrow. I am working a mid shift tonight so after I wake up I will get what I need.

 

 

Brian did that sherwin williams paint work well for you?

 

The place where my tank was I wasn't able to tile in that area at the time. I was considering tiling it and then putting the tank. Do you think I should just keep it as concrete? I was thinking this might be the better thing to do.

 

Another thing. The concrete is probably 3'6" by maybe 7 or 8 feet. I was thinking of building the stand out a bit so it would have like a shelf or something any thoughts on that?

 

Any more insight into this before I start is always appreciated

[YBeNormal]

Plans? Real men don't need no stinkin' plans!

 

Assuming you are going to build a hardwood stand, start with some quality lumber. Lowes has better wood than HD but I buy mine from Northland Forest Products in Manassas.

 

Build the base. A section of plywood, cut to fit, add a frame and some supports (bottom view):

 

Cut the rails and stiles to the desired dimensions:

 

Assemble using dowels, biscuits, pocket hole screws, glue or a combination thereof, clamp and allow to dry:

 

Begin assembling the sides, front and back:

 

 

 

For larger tanks, I add additional pieces inside the stand to double the would around the inside top of the front, back and sides, with vertical boards to help support any weight that these boards may carry. It's not really necessary in most cases but doesn't add too much to the cost and I like the extra insurance. I have sample pictures on my camera but have not uploaded them yet.

 

I build raised panel doors from scratch because the sizes most people want are non standard. The router bits run about $150 to $200 per set, so that is not a great option unless you are going to build doors for several projects. If you can design the stand around the doors or at least design it to use standard sized doors though, you can save a lot of money and effort by buying your doors here.

 

Add trim, stain, seal and you're done!

 

Some sample sands for ideas:

 

 

 

 

[dschflier]

Well lets first make one thing clear. I don't ever recall calling my self a 'real man'. I think I have even eaten quiche a couple of times. wow. is about all I can say. Is this what you do for a living? I am not sure I am capable of doing this. Well I will go to Lowes tomorrow and look at both plans and see what i can come up with. One issue I know I am going to have is I have never done any of those joints you are talking about except the famous glue joint.

 

The part that looks easy is the bottom. So I can start there. did you use 2x4s or something smaller?

[Origami]

David, here's a simple plan for an underlying frame. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=1169964

 

I didn't exactly do this on my stand, but it's similar. My stand has an underlying 2x4 structure with notched 4x4's in the corners and includes a center brace. The "floor and top of the stand are 3/4" oak veneer. The top rim is 3/4" red oak, routed for a simple edge. The stand is sheathed in 1/4" oak ply, though the face frame is 3/8" trimmed with veneer trim tape. Doors are custom, but rather than using panel, rail and stile bits (like Chip suggests above), I just routed the inside and outside edges of the door frame. (I would have loved to have taken the rail and stile approach, but I couldn't justify the bit cost nor the cost of getting a 1/2" router just for this one project.)

 

The one design error that I would have liked to correct if I had to do it over again would be to make the side panels removable so I could slide the sump in and out (I didn't have a sump and wasn't planning on one when I built the stand). As it was, I was lucky that the door opening was large enough to allow a 20-H in if I stood it on its side (dry) and wrangled it in. Of course, this meant that whenever I had to remove the sump (for a deep cleaning or for mods), I had to spend a lot of time getting all of the water out or be willing to clean up the water that would inevitably spill out as I turned the sump on end again.

 

This stand will go to my son in a few days as I upgrade to a 180.

 

 

 

 

[dschflier]

That looks really nice. I will look at the plans. When you say center brace do you mean the two pieces of thin wood in the center one between the doors and the other in the back?

 

I got this craftsmen router a couple of years ago at an estate sale but I have never used one. Do you need a router table to make thisstraight cuts with it? What type of bit should I get. I practiced usig it once the other day and it appeared that the wood I was using it on got some burn marks. Do you think this could mean the bit is old or not sharp?

 

Well I got home from work I will sleep for a while and then will be off to Lowes. I will check to see if any other thoughts before I go and look at the plans closely.

 

Thanks

Everyone as always

 

David

[rocko918]

David, here's a simple plan for an underlying frame. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=1169964

 

I based my stand on that link from RC.

 

 

 

 

the rest can been seen here.

BRK site

[mogurnda]

There's also this

[SeanCallan]

These are some amazing stands guys! Bob, seriously, wow. That stand with the 3 tanks is pretty awesome did you come up with the idea for that? Great work.

[Origami]

When you say center brace do you mean the two pieces of thin wood in the center one between the doors and the other in the back?

 

Do you need a router table to make thisstraight cuts with it? What type of bit should I get. I practiced usig it once the other day and it appeared that the wood I was using it on got some burn marks. Do you think this could mean the bit is old or not sharp?

 

That "thin" piece of wood is actually backed by a 2x4 front and back, but, yes, that's the center brace. There's also a center brace built into the top and bottom platforms that support the base and the top of the unit.

 

You don't need a router table. Many round-over type bits have a bearing that guides the bit. You probably burned the wood because, assuming that the bit was sharp, you tried to take too much material off at one time, resulting in a slow feed, long dwell in one place, and high temperatures. Take a little off at a time and you'll be fine. You'll also find that there's a preferred feed direction where you pull the router through the wood rather than the router pulling you through the wood.

[Origami]

I love the trim work on that stand, Rocko. Nothing like moulding to really fancy things up. Did you do the doors yourself or get them pre-made?

[rocko918]

I love the trim work on that stand, Rocko. Nothing like moulding to really fancy things up. Did you do the doors yourself or get them pre-made?

 

Pre-made! Came bare wood, i just stained and sealed.

 

the molding does a nice job finishing a stand.

 

thanks

 

Here it is stained.

Edited December 10, 2008 by rocko918

[dschflier]

Wow thanks alot guys I will keep you all informed. rocko with that tank can you build most of the frame put the tank on it and then finish or do you think that would be to difficult? I am only asking because it would get the tank on the stand quicker but it isn't a big deal.

 

David

[rocko918]

Wow thanks alot guys I will keep you all informed. rocko with that tank can you build most of the frame put the tank on it and then finish or do you think that would be to difficult? I am only asking because it would get the tank on the stand quicker but it isn't a big deal.

 

David

you could but i would not recommend it. It would be alot harder.

[dschflier]

Tom I am going with the one you mentioned. I think this is something I can do and it looks nice. I do have a question.

in the directions it says The yellow upper endsare 3" long.as well as the blue bottom is 3" I must be reading this incorrectly.

 

If that was the case my stands depth would only be 3" + 3" for each 2x8. I say 3" for the 2x8 because I think 2 bys are 1 1/2" wide but I may be wrong.

 

I am going out now to get all the stuff I need

[Origami]

Tom I am going with the one you mentioned. I think this is something I can do and it looks nice. I do have a question.

in the directions it says The yellow upper endsare 3" long.as well as the blue bottom is 3" I must be reading this incorrectly.

 

If that was the case my stands depth would only be 3" + 3" for each 2x8. I say 3" for the 2x8 because I think 2 bys are 1 1/2" wide but I may be wrong.

 

I am going out now to get all the stuff I need

 

Dave, as an additional note, I added another cross brace (which would be shown in blue) to the base of my stand. While my stand did not follow this plan (I was not aware of it), it is very similar. I added the extra cross bracing for additional stability to the bottom part of the frame.

 

I must be missing what you're seeing in the instructions. I read that the yellow and blue rails are D-3" long (stand depth less 3 inches), which is accurate because modern 2-by material is milled down to 1.5 inches. When you account for the thickness of, say, the red headers, the depth of the frame is (D-3") + (2*1.5") = D.

 

Be sure that you mount the green "screw strips" so that they neither touch the floor nor the top of the stand. This keeps those design elements from becoming primary load bearing parts. You don't want that. The green strips are principally there to provide lateral support to the purple members which are the principal load bearing components. You'll note that the cut list specifies that these parts are short 2" from the full stand height. This is so you can install it 1 inch above the floor and still be 1 inch short of the top.

 

As for setting the tank on the open frame, I suppose that it could be done but it might be a precarious installation. I personally would add some sheathing first because I don't see that the unsheathed frame has the needed support to keep it from twisting and collapsing without it. Some stability is provided by the combination of the orthogonal uprights and the screw stripI - I just can't tell you how much stability it'll give you. It's easy enough to check lateral stability, though. Just climb up on the stand when you've framed it and see what kind of sway you get! In addition, as Rocko notes, it would also be more difficult to sheath and finish the stand with a big old tank on top of it.

 

I don't see in the thread, off hand, mention of fasteners. Personally, I'd glue and screw members together (being liberal in the number of screws that I used, too) wherever possible. That means between the green screw strips and all of the other design members they contact, between the orthogonal purple uprights, and between the red and yellow, and blue and orange members that make up the top and the bottom, respectively. Be sure to drill pilot holes for the screws (it prevents splitting and eases driving the screws in) and countersink or set the screw heads to allow a smooth surface for tacking your sheathing. You'll find that a good cordless screwdriver with some decent torque to be a much appreciated timesaver.

 

Let me know if you need a hand.

Edited December 10, 2008 by Origami2547

[dschflier]

Okay Rocko and Tom I have had a very busy half day I have gotten all the materials and will try and do the cutting tonight. I will be asking questions as I move forward on this build. Rock about the doors and and ttrim where did you get that?

[Origami]

Don't overlook the cabinet doors site that Bob provided above: https://securewsch01.websitecomplete.com/ca...op/showDept.asp