DIY stand

[rwb500]

ahh, someone actually understands base shear. Sheathing (plywood) is your friend. It makes everything nice and stiff. provided it is fastened to the framing adequately. I am unsure why 4x4's are 'no good'.... they have more than twice the axial competence of a 2x4 due to slenderness factor.... why post for advice in the DIY forum if you dont really want advice... Call it 1000 or even 1200 pounds after water LR , light, hood, and glass weight, plus... wait for it.... a SAFETY FACTOR.... in design of a tank stand. (1) 2x4 beam at the perimeter spanning 3 feet with a distributed load of 250- 300 pounds will deflect more than your glass or silicone will be happy about. Again no support under the center is a mistake. No plywood is a mistake. and 2x4 posts are a mistake. BTW, what is in your floor? quite the live load to put on a floor system not designed for it.
Good luck.

2x4 posts are not a mistake at all. 4x4's are typically low quality and extremely prone to warping/twisting/splitting. If you wanted a 4x4 post, 2 2x4's glued together would be a much better idea. Gluing them together on edge, as in the tried and true rocket engineer design, is fine too.

 

[sleepydoc]

I asked about doors nothing else...

And yet you got so much more! Did you see my suggestion several posts up, buried amongs the stuff you didn't ask about?

You should have some sort of cross bracing to prevent racking of the stand, be it plywood or something else. if you use 2x4s, you can glue them together to give them more lateral stability.

Sbreefer - if you look up the compressive strength of a single 2x4, it is more than adequate to support the weight of the tank. Not only are 4x4s overkill, they a more prone to twisting and warping and take up more room underneath. My 120 is being held up by a factory stand made up of ½" particle board with not even a hint of instability.

 

[PhaneSoul]

Ive looked into that paneling, it just doesnt have the same appeal to me. and I would like the skin to be 1.5" inch thick



what? Why would i use 4x4s and 2x6s?

I plan on just doing something like this but a little longer on the far end

just trying to help dude. good luck. I hope no one bumps your tank.

This is a perfectly good design. There is a thread with more details on 2x4 strength here:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169964

My stand is also built this way for a 75g only I have a 55g on it. It is very sturdy even without skinning and my dogs hit it all the time because they think they own the living room and play all the time -.-, I'm more worried about the sump cracking then the stand failing.

I mean, have you seen the stands that come from the factories?? Now those I would be worried about.

OP, I think what your talking about may be using 1/2in by 4in boards to create the skin. You said pallets and pallets don't use 2x4's except for the skeleton.

 

[tidus10]

Yes doc I seen the post, I think that will be the route I try

And phane you're absolutely right about the wood used, if I can find that wood that is what I'll use, this is kinda the look I want

 

[PhaneSoul]

Could you grab some pallets and do it then? Just disassemble them. Most fast food restaurants get them and just throw them away so they will be sitting by the dumpster. I go around town once a month or so to source them out for firewood. Some are in good condition and some not so much but I bet it would beat paying for them

 

[DivingTheWorld]

You might also want to check locally for thrift recycling places such as a "Re-store". They sometimes get in random stuff like flooring and siding you might be able to use which would be more rustic looking. They might even have some doors which would work.

+1 on RocketEngineer's design. I used his for my stand and it was rock solid even before I skinned it.

Here's what I used for my doors. I was able to match the type of wood and design I was looking for and they were not expensive. It turned out to be WAY easier than making my own doors. I bought them unstained so I could stain to match the stand. Not sure if they have quite the rustic design you're looking for though.

http://www.barkerdoor.com/Wood-Cabinet-Doors-s/5.htm

 

[kevantheman35]

Here's the stand I just built for mine, not so rustic but might give you some inspiration for the framing. I took pics of the whole process beginning to end and the steps were featured in an online magazine, pm me if interested and ill send you a link.

 

[rssayer]

Ok, I totally get what your trying to do with your stand. Structurally a base like above would need to be made. The 2x4's could be cut in half for cost savings and then run through a router to get a tongue and groove. This way you would have space for the boards to expand and contract because they will. As far as the door goes you can box out the front door opening when constructing and then put a lip on the inner edge to stop the door panel from pushing into the tank. This will also prevent light from let's say a refugium from leaking out. The door can be made slightly smaller than the opening to allow room to swing. They make special recessed hinges that will do what you want them to but you'll need more than two to support that kind of weight. Hope this helps

 

[tidus10]

Ok, I totally get what your trying to do with your stand. Structurally a base like above would need to be made. The 2x4's could be cut in half for cost savings and then run through a router to get a tongue and groove. This way you would have space for the boards to expand and contract because they will. As far as the door goes you can box out the front door opening when constructing and then put a lip on the inner edge to stop the door panel from pushing into the tank. This will also prevent light from let's say a refugium from leaking out. The door can be made slightly smaller than the opening to allow room to swing. They make special recessed hinges that will do what you want them to but you'll need more than two to support that kind of weight. Hope this helps

awesome man thanks a lot that helps a ton