220 Inwall - Plan

[agarza]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

I have being reading this read since the begining 4/29/05 and only posted once or twice, but let me tell you that I love what you have acomplished, your determination and planning ahead skills are great. Congrats on your system it looks great.

I must also say that I'm impressed with all the help that all the members here at RC are willing to selflessly (sp?) provide.

I'm about to move to a new home and and being planning on a new tank for months, and your thread has help me with a lot of issues, as well as those from Marc, Weatherson, Conda, Jeff, etc.

Thank you and thank you all.

Cheers

 

[tgunn]

Congrats Bryan!

The aquascaping looks great!

Hey, if the frame works, just slap on a coat of paint and go with it. Worse case you have to place it down the road.

My tip for the trim work:
1. Measure
2. Measure again
3. Measure again just to be sure.
4. If you can, use scrap 2x4s or whatever to make test cuts

When I was putting the trim on my canopy I ended up cutting the top trim piece 1/4" short; I didn't use the right measurement.. In the end I ruined a $45 piece of wood trim.

Not sure what kind of digital camera you have, but if you find the pics are ending up too blue, try changing the white balance on the camera. My camera has a mode where you point the camera at something white and it samples the "white" and sets up the color based on that. A scrap piece of white cloroplast in the tank would work well; or the white sandbed.

Feels strange to actually be at the point where livestock can go in eh? I remember getting mine done and thinking, "Isn't there something left I need to do before I can start putting things in there???"...

Tyler

 

[Im Lon 2]

My tip for the trim work:
1. Measure
2. Measure again
3. Measure again just to be sure.
4. If you can, use scrap 2x4s or whatever to make test cuts

I agree if anything cut it a little bigger, and then take off a little at a time.. 1/4" is a lot on trim work.

Also after you make the mark you are going to cut. Measure it again. You don't know how many times I went to mark something like 68 7/8" and mark it by mistake 67 7/8" looking at the wrong end

Also using scraps to make sure you have the right angle. It get's confusing some times when you are back at the saw.

 

[tgunn]

My problem was that when I was mitering the trim I cut the piece to exactly the width of the front panel; I didn't take into account the fact that some material is needed on both sides to make the miter joins.. Oie!

Tyler

 

[Im Lon 2]

Also what side of the line to cut.

Anymore I just cut it about 1/2" bigger and cut a little more off at a time to make sure it's right.

 

[rdmpe]

...I remember getting mine done and thinking, "Isn't there something left I need to do before I can start putting things in there???"...

OH there is ! You just haven't remembered it yet :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[rdmpe]

Anymore I just cut it about 1/2" bigger and cut a little more off at a time to make sure it's right.

This is my method also. I make the line, then cut a little bigger. Then walk back and forth from my saw to the place where the trim goes. AFter 50 trips... I'm done! hehe

 

[nottheone]

wow, what a great thread

 

[tgunn]

OH there is ! You just haven't remembered it yet

This is my method also. I make the line, then cut a little bigger. Then walk back and forth from my saw to the place where the trim goes. AFter 50 trips... I'm done! hehe

:lol: Hopefully nothing major/expensive!

My compound miter saw has a laser guide; it works great for regular cuts where you're chopping straight down. But as soon as you get into the compound cuts where the blade is tilted, it's next to useless...

My biggest problem was wrapping my head around WHICH cut to make some times...

Tyler

 

[Im Lon 2]

Do you tilt the blade or turn the blade for angle cuts? I find it easier to turn the blade, I wish Mine had the Laser light, but if it doesn't work on the miters whats the point.

 

[bheron]

Thanks so much for the great feedback everyone!!! I owe it all to everyone here on RC.

Lon -

Looks Good!! Lights look Bright too!

- Thanks. Yea, I am sooo pleased with how bright the lights are. More than I ever couldve hoped for. Iam glad I went with the T5s. I'm so much more in favor of the flourescent look than MH. Just a preference but am glad I did it.

agarza - thanks for the kind words and glad its been helpful to follow along! Its truly amazing the level of help received by the people on this site, especially those you mentioned. When I started I had read some other long threads and decided not only would I detail my progress, but I would try to use the people on here "AS" I went through each step, and they helped me make so many of my decisions, if not all! I just can't get over the dedicaiton of people like Melev. You can't even put a price on it - thats how valuable it is. When you start yours, we'll all be on here ready to lend help. In the end, I will wind up giving my knowledge back to RC (like people like Tyler) as a payback for help when I needed it.

Tyler - thanks man. Thats a great tip on the cutting of the trim. I just know I'm gonna screw up a few times. I really like the idea of using scrap 2x4s and also cutting it long first and trimming down. Phew. We'll see. Also, about the white balance on the camera - I've heard people talk about this before but I've never took the time to see if mine has it. Probably not b/c its about 4 yrs old - but I'll check. And, yep, if I can rig this canopy up somehow tonight, I'll run with it for while (and also paint it!)
Thanks again!


Lon - ditto on the cutting advice. this is good stuff I wouldnt have thought about.

rdmpe - thanks. I would much rather go like that - baby steps - for my first trim project like this.

nottheone - thanks. glad you're enjoying it!


Tyler -

My biggest problem was wrapping my head around WHICH cut to make some times...

- YES! I've been planning that in my head for about a week now. I think I know which one to start with.

Lon -

Do you tilt the blade or turn the blade for angle cuts? I find it easier to turn the blade, I wish Mine had the Laser light, but if it doesn't work on the miters whats the point.

- I think they will give you two different cuts? One's an angle (turn) and one's a bevel (tilt)? I figure on the turn around the corner I'll have to bevel. Then going up the wall, I'll have to angle?

I keep referring back to weatherson's diary (page 5 or so) where he detailed his trim. I have a very similar situation where I have a small gap between the wall and the tank b/c of the tank trim. So, on top of it, I have to insert a 3/4"-1" piece of trim scrap in between the main trim and the tank glass. Sure, why not spice things up a bit!

 

[Im Lon 2]

Lon -

- I think they will give you two different cuts? One's an angle (turn) and one's a bevel (tilt)? I figure on the turn around the corner I'll have to bevel. Then going up the wall, I'll have to angle?

Depends on the way you set the board on the saw (laying flat or standing up)

Originally posted by bheron
I keep referring back to weatherson's diary (page 5 or so) where he detailed his trim. I have a very similar situation where I have a small gap between the wall and the tank b/c of the tank trim. So, on top of it, I have to insert a 3/4"-1" piece of trim scrap in between the main trim and the tank glass. Sure, why not spice things up a bit!

Kind of like this!

If you are painting the trim you can caulk between the boads and hide the seam. I think they also have wood putty too so you can stain it and still hide the seam between boards.

 

[tgunn]

Do you tilt the blade or turn the blade for angle cuts? I find it easier to turn the blade, I wish Mine had the Laser light, but if it doesn't work on the miters whats the point.

When I cut I try to turn the blade where at all possible (ie I flip the wood if need be).... The laser works on the tilted cuts too; I just find it gets tough to line things up properly.... I have to play around with it more one of these days on some scrap wood and see how it goes...

Tyler

 

[bheron]

Lonnie - is that diagram from your setup? I remember reading it and it helps alot. Thats kind of what I was thinking of doing.

Tyler - got it. thx.

 

[Im Lon 2]

Yes, I think It is earlier in this tread too but I'm not for sure.

 

[melev]

Congrats. I can't wait to see all of the :fish2: :fish1: :fish2: now.

You can use pulleys to lift the light rack, or perhaps install some legs to have it stand on the euro-bracing of your tank.

Trim carpentry is precision stuff. Using a compound miter saw is nice if you have one, because you can really get perfect miters. I did that for two years in new custom homes. I'm actually glad I don't have to do that anymore. Too many hot houses in Texas summers, and going up and down ladders installing crown molding. And don't even get me started on baseboards that have to wrap around bullnose corners.

 

[bheron]

HAHA! THanks marc. Well, its 3am here and I just finished for the night. Spent about 3 hours messing with the darn lights (long story). But then I finally started on the front access panels and the trim. I'm calling it a night but I'd say I'm just about done! I came up with my own little way -- pretty much based on the above advice -- and have the entire thing dry fitted and hanging temportarily with nails. I just have to fasten it completely and fill in the gaps. UNtil then!

 

[Awright]

Looking good Bryan. It has been a while since I looked at your progress.
I will be interested in your light fixture.

I took my mammoth hood down and now I just have the lights mounted on a 1x14 pine board hanging from the ceiling. I like the accessibility of it. But need to enclose it somehow. I was thinking the aluminum frame and skin around the frame similar to Weatherson's. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

 

[Im Lon 2]

I'm Disappointed in ya Bryan, you did post pictures of what you have done so far?? Just kidding Can't wait to see it, been waiting to see this part (trim) for a long time!!! I still have not done mine Still mudding the basement, I think I will be done in like 2 more years No it should be done in early to late spring.

 

[rdmpe]

Bryan, the tank is looking so good! I love it. Keep up the good work and let's see more pictures...