24" cube stand questions

[muhli]

Currently I'm going over plans to make a stand for my newly acquired 28g JBJ nano. I was thinking of making the stand 24" x 24" x 32". Reason for is because when the tank gets cramped, I can upgrade to a 24" cube.

So I was designing the tank in sketchup using rocketman's diy stand template, and with the 2x4s, it doesnt leave much room for a sump and other equipment. I've also been reading that the template might be over spec'd.

Since I plan on making the front door of the stand "invisible" like elos style, I would have to go with euro or integral hinges. Which would require the use of 3/4" plywood.

I've been researching and it seems like people are using 3/4" plywood alone to make the stand which brings up a few questions I cant find the answers to.

Will a 3/4" plywood only stand be able to support up to a 60 cube or at the very minimum a 28 gallon cube? If it doesn't should I reinforce it with 2x4s?

If I do understand the task of building the stand, will that require the use of biscuits? I was originally planning on just using glue, screws, and nails.

Thanks!

 

[woodnaquanut]

My 120 sits just fine on ply stand. It's not only the materials used to make the stand it's also the design and workmanship.

On RC we can evaluate the materials, we can evaluate the design if you post good drawings, but there is no way we can tell if you have woodworking skills. That's the self-evaluation part of the 'make your own stand' quiz!

I'd be very uncomfortable making a stand 'using biscuits' without knowing more. If they are used incorrectly, they won't be sufficient. Same problem with glue, screws, and nails.

 

[Crusinjimbo]

Plus 1 on John's comment. I added a few inches in each horizontal dimension to create a 3" ledge on each side and the front of the stand. The ledge is convienent when servicing and feeding and yielded sufficient space underneath for sump/skimmer/reactors, etc.