diy stand and mdf

coseal

Member
going to be building a stand this week for my 75gal! and was wondering if any of you have used mdf(medium denstiy fiberboard) for the top/bottom shelf? i have a sheet taking up space and would rather use it than buy more wood...i know water and mdf do not mix but i was going to paint it and figured it might work?
 
I wouldn't go with MDF. I left a part of a sheet in my barn where it is humid/damp and it grew mold like wildfire. Granted it was unpainted, but I wouldn't trust it in such a critical application.

I recently got turned onto MDO board, which is almost 2x the price of MDF, but it is made for exterior use, and is as smooth as glass! It's closer kin to plywood than MDF though.
 
IMO Would go with the MDO also, like Eameres stated it is ment for exterior use. I use MDF almost everyday in the mobile audio industry, I would NOT recommend using it anywhere near moisture. Over time if exposed to water repeatedly it will fall apart. Have fun with the project. :)
 
Any thoughts on some of these pvc / fiberglass panels that are appearing at home despots etc? Meant for exterior use, one would assume water proof...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8173635#post8173635 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AndyL
Any thoughts on some of these pvc / fiberglass panels that are appearing at home despots etc? Meant for exterior use, one would assume water proof...

Use wood and put a plywood bottom. Paint it with a good paint and silicone around the edge of the plywood. You now have a big sink in the bottom of your stand.
 
I did make a 150 gallon stand using 2x4's and MDF. So long as the 2x4's are supporting the weight, the stand will be fine.
Only problem is that the MDF chips easily.
 
thanks for all the replies! the extremely smooth surface was what made me think it would be good to use..ill head to the lowes today and see if they stock the md0 that eameres was talking about!

dattak- yea was going to do the normall 2x4 frame sheathed in plywood just wanted a really smooth surface for the top and shelf in the stand

also i was thinking about doing sliding doors? instead of swing open. like put the doors on a track so all can slide one way or the other. my living room is kinda cramped and i would hate to have to move furniture to maint. the tank.. maybe even use a frosted glass to match my media cabinent:D let me stop dreaming ill be lucky to pull off the swing doors with my limited skill:D
 
Hmmnn. MDF in a canopy might be even more worriesome, especially if you run your tank with an open top. Typical canopies experience a lot of humidity, especially if you don't have active ventilation (i.e. a fan).
 
MDF could work if it's coated with lacquer. If you look @ the euro website royal something, go to google and search for bubble king skimmer, i think its called royal exclusive. They build all their stands with MDF coated with lacquer. HTH

Ram
 
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