treesprite November 1, 2011 Share November 1, 2011 I am thinking about trying to build a stand for a 16g bowfront tank, but don't know how I would go about getting a "bow". Anyone have some easy plans or care to explain a way to do it without using special tools for making wood curve? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar November 1, 2011 Share November 1, 2011 If you must build it yourself, I would not try to make the front of the stand curved. Build the cabinet square, and shape the top of the stand to match the contours of the bowfront tank. Or perhaps you could build two front doors that meet at an angle...this would make the shape of a pentgram when viewed from the top. But the best approach IME is to buy an aquarium stand for $89, or a piece of furniture and use it as a stand. I'd guess a DIYer will spend something like $40 for the wood, paint, sealer, screws, and what not. For another $50 you could buy a stand. How much is your time worth? $5/hour? $10? I'd guess more than that, but even if it's $10, I doubt you'll be able to design, build, and paint, and then make tweaks to a DIY stand in less than 5 hours. Just a thought. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite November 2, 2011 Author Share November 2, 2011 DIY is about the CHALLENGE. I found this tank dirt cheap so bought it with no particular purpose, just need a project to work on. I haven't really done anything with wood since I built the stand for my 75g about 1.5 years ago, except for the bare bones frame stand for my sump. And currently I have no downstairs neighbor to get disturbed by power tools.... timing is perfect if I build something this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypertech November 2, 2011 Share November 2, 2011 If you want a DIY challenge for a little tank like that, go get a cabinet/bookshelf from Ikea to put it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite November 3, 2011 Author Share November 3, 2011 How is getting a cabinet from IKEA a DIY challenge? I have some pieces of wood now that would be good for top, bottom, sides, but I can't cut the bow shapes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef November 30, 2011 Share November 30, 2011 Well I know HOW to curve the front,,, couldnt tell ya how to put a door in it though, lol Take a nice piece of plywood.. ya know the stuff you can get at Home Depot.. that has true ply piece of wood on the front HOPEFULLY you have a table saw... set the blad to 3/4 of the thickness of the wood... AND every half inch on the back side make a slice all the way up.. This makes the board BEND to the shape you want.. couldnt tell you how to frame the piece other than build a rectangle and the easiest thing to do is get a piece of benderboard and set your tank ontop of the rectangular stand.. then place the benderboard directly following your curve... attach that.. then you should be able to attach the ply to that and keep the same curved shape.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FearTheTerps November 30, 2011 Share November 30, 2011 (edited) Do you have a hand held jig saw? You could make a simple trammel arm out of a piece of wood, attach it to the base plate of the jig saw so that you can pivot the saw in a consistent arc. Since you are not cutting a full circle you will have to attach your finished piece of a wood to another board that is at least as long as the radius of the circle. The red area is the finished cut out board, the green area is the board that runs out past the radius of the arc. Screw the pieces together along the center line of of both pieces. The blue line is trammel arm attached to the saw. Drill a hole in the trammel arm the length of the radius, measure from the edge of the saw blade out ( its ok if the trammel arm is longer, it should be). Drill a hole in the "green board" the length of the radius of the arc. Use a bolt as a pivot. Its pretty simple to find the radius of the arc, bow of the tank. Take the tank and put it on a piece of poster board, trace the bow and remove the tank. Now you have the arc, to find the center point you need to draw a chord( a line that connects any 2 points on a circle. Measure the length of the chord and find its center point. Now draw a perpendicular line to the chord at the center point of the chord. This perpendicular line will run through the center point of the circle. To find the center of the circle repeat the steps again at a different location along the arc. Where the 2 perpendicular lines of the chords meet will be the center of the arc. Always help to do a 3rd or 4 th chord as well, just in case you are a little off. Edited November 30, 2011 by FearTheTerps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal November 30, 2011 Share November 30, 2011 Great description of the process Steve! I was very confused about this when I built the first bowfront canopy a few years ago and it would have been very helpful to have a simple, understandable writeup like yours to help guide me through the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FearTheTerps November 30, 2011 Share November 30, 2011 Thanks Bob, Im sure with your woodworking skills it came out amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal November 30, 2011 Share November 30, 2011 In spite of my best efforts, it turned out OK. Pics are posted in the page linked in my signature block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 2, 2011 Author Share December 2, 2011 Wow, thanks for the info on doing that with the jigsaw (I have a jigsaw, though no table saw). Right now the tank is sitting on top of a shelf thing that is taking up too much space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvreef December 24, 2011 Share December 24, 2011 that size of a tank will have a deflection of about 1 inch or so, get 1/2 inch sanded plywood and set the tank on the plywood and trace around the base of the tank to get your pattern to cut out...now for the base of the cabinet make it square or rectangle which ever works to the pattern of the tank, draw a line on the bow side from left front corner to right side corner and this will give you the size of the stand under the top to make. Get some cabinet trim to put around the outside edge of the plywood to cover up the look of the plywood and finish the outside with any style bead board or laminate....look forward to seeing some pictures of the build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 25, 2011 Author Share December 25, 2011 Thanks for the tips. I still am hoping to get this done, but I've now got so much to do that I can't find the time. I'm trying to find time to re-do the return plumbing for my 75g. When I get the bow on a stand, I'll have to redo that plumbing (it's plumbed into my main system, which gives me extra volume). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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