Cinder block stand

most people that build block stands have steel ibeams on top with plywood over that. the plywood is strong, but not in that dimension. plywood is strong in terms of compression, not flexion.

you are asking for trouble. maybe not immediately, but given time, i wouldn't make a stand like that. if you are going to make a stand like that, then i would put some kind of solid frame on top to support the entire perimeter of the tank. and at that point you might as well make the whole thing out of wood.

this type stand is efficient for large tanks that don't want center posts because the steel ibeams are much stronger. it doesn't really make much difference on a 4ft tank. you can make a 4ft stand with no center posts out of 2x6s or even 2x4s without a problem.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7854041#post7854041 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
A glass tank is not supported by the 4 corners. The tank is supported by the perimeter the whole way around. This distributes the weight evenly and prevents point loading (as long as the stand is not warped. In other words the supporting surface of the tank should be on one plane and offer contact the whole way around. Supporting only the corners will be tremendous stress on the vertical panes of glass. They may not break on day one... but trouble is not far away.

That said, I have seen tanks supported on just the ends... I have also seen broken tanks that were supported that way (or on an uneven stand.
Click to expand...

Bean, I've got a 55g on a factory stand, and you can actually slide things between the tank and stand. It definitely is only supported at the corners.
 
Rich lets put it this way. That is not be design. I poured the stand for my 75 with self leveling epoxy and you cant slide a piece of paper around any portion of the tank. I have seen many tanks where the bottom trim is not installed flat.

Secondly, I think it is obvious to see that the size of the tank has a direct relationship to the stress on the trim or supporting points. A 60" x 24" tank substantially heavier than a 48" x 12" tank.

Like I said, I have seen plenty of tanks with inadequate support that are still standing today. I have also seen plenty of tanks that cracked due to stress becuase of inadequate support.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7857634#post7857634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
Rich lets put it this way. That is not be design. I poured the stand for my 75 with self leveling epoxy and you cant slide a piece of paper around any portion of the tank. I have seen many tanks where the bottom trim is not installed flat.

Secondly, I think it is obvious to see that the size of the tank has a direct relationship to the stress on the trim or supporting points. A 60" x 24" tank substantially heavier than a 48" x 12" tank.

Like I said, I have seen plenty of tanks with inadequate support that are still standing today. I have also seen plenty of tanks that cracked due to stress becuase of inadequate support.
Click to expand...


I agree. Better to do it right. I think his stand would be fine though.


FWIW, that 55 is about 25 years old, and I think has 5/8" glass, and no center brace...so I could probably put it on two corners and it would be fine.
 
if your concerned about space then forget framing everything up, you especially DO NOT need to use a steel I beams, but just double your thickness on your 1" pine. epoxy 2 together and that would be overkill, no problems at all. too many people like to overbuild stands, which is understandable, however un-necessary.
 
i agree that overbuilding is not necessary, but you are just asking for disaster by supporting a tank on the ends only and not along the sides.

wood does not have strength in the flat dimension. it has compression strength in the verticle dimension.

take a piece of plywood and place it on a couple block walls like this stand. now sit in the middle. what happens? the board bends.

even doubled up and glued together it's not going to have the strength of the 4" dimension of a 2x4.

i'm not saying you need steel beams. i'm saying that's the way large tanks with this type of stand are built. when you get spans over 4 feet with no middle support you need more strength. even with 36" span, you will probably want more strength than a 1" thick piece of wood.

again, the problem is not wether the blocks can support the tank. i have no doubt about that. i would be concerned with the portion in the middle. 1" is not going to support weight in a span.
 
I over built and am glad. I agree in the fact that side supports should be present.

I used cinder for a 240g 72x30. 50 to be exact

I topped off with 1" foam. then I bolted 4x4s together and faced with 1" plywood on either side .then topped with 1" foam.

I believe in over building but it is not necessary
 
1" ply cannot span 32" on the front edge and laminated pine is plywood.

Your stand also has 0 lateral support. Ground shakes, tank goes boom. I know your not in earthquake country, but you never know.

Your stand is also not the dimension of a std. 75/90 gal. How are you placing it on the stand.

If you can't afford the (3) 10 foot 2x4 to make a frame on the top, you should look for another hobby. What is that, $30.
 
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ok, to make things easy. where are you in the progress of this stand? go ahead and build it as you planned. sit and bounce and see if you are happy with the integrity of the top then get your tank on there and fill it. see if you get a gap, if you do then go back to the design and buff it up. you learn by doing. everyone has their own opinion, decide for yourself. good luck on this and keep us posted!!!
jason
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7865548#post7865548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChinChek787
People keep saying plywood, this isn't plywood.
Click to expand...

Jesus no one listens :lol:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7865705#post7865705 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Qwiv
1" ply cannot span 32" on the front edge and laminated pine is plywood.

Your stand also has 0 lateral support. Ground shakes, tank goes boom. I know your not in earthquake country, but you never know.

Your stand is also not the dimension of a std. 75/90 gal. How are you placing it on the stand.

If you can't afford the (3) 10 foot 2x4 to make a frame on the top, you should look for another hobby. What is that, $30.
Click to expand...

Plywood is made from thin sheets of wood veneer, called plies or veneers, which are stacked together with the direction of each ply's grain differing from its neighbors by 90°.

Laminated pine are strips of wood butted up against each other, glued in place, then planned and cut. Just to clear things up a bit :D

Laminated pine
index_eng_12.gif


Plywood
plywood_underlayment.jpg


untitled.jpg


This is how it will sit on the stand
 
I agree 1' isn't going to provide enough support. Don't decide for yourself. Ask a structural engineer. You can't even use spanning tables for this one. Although readily available on the net they only go up to 40 psi dead weight AND only cover the beams not breaking. Wood will flex significantly without breaking. Glass will not.
 
FWIW Plywood is stronger and in most cases stiffer than "laminated pine" exactly for the reasons you stated (cross ply construction).

Lets put it this way, that piece of "pine" is useless for just about anything but show. It really adds nothing to the support of the tank. Parking your butt on it will show that it deflects...

Then again if your in the "only support the corners" camp...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7866907#post7866907 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChinChek787
Plywood is made from thin sheets of wood veneer, called plies or veneers, which are stacked together with the direction of each ply's grain differing from its neighbors by 90°.

Laminated pine are strips of wood butted up against each other, glued in place, then planned and cut. Just to clear things up a bit :D

Laminated pine
index_eng_12.gif


Plywood
plywood_underlayment.jpg


untitled.jpg


This is how it will sit on the stand
Click to expand...

Well you are correct in your pictures, because they are laminated in a different orientation. You should use clearer terms. Look up laminated pine on google, most of the hits will be for pine laminated plywood. Now, the product you are showing is actually weaker, so it is a mute point anyways. Your design is poor, stop trying to defend it. Go back to the drawing board. How many people need to tell you? Many here have more experience then yourself. I am personally speaking as an engineer who happens to work in construction, with a significant amount of education in structural engineering. I am advising you to support the front edge, do as you wish.

Fliger, those are some sweet tanks, but all of them have signifigantly more support then a 1" laminated member spanning 32" Those are a few of my favorite tanks.
 
It might just be easier to simply put the sump off to the side and add another row of blocks.
 
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Can you trust the integraty of a cinder block that easily? My dad drove his tacoma onto a cinderblock so he could change the oil in it, the block then broke and the truck dropped an inch from his face. Your design does stink by the way. I would fix that before you dump 800 pounds on it.
 
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