DIY Stands Template and Calculator

[hoju74]

1. Both the display tank and the sump have the same footprint...36x18. A 50 and 40 breeder. I think I added 4" to the sides and front...just a little extra space for working on the sump.

2. Ooops...forgot to change the color in Solidworks. Those 3 horizontal 2 x 4's are to support the 36" length of the tank. I was thinking that all 4 edges of the tank needed to be supported.

3. I have 2 purple 2 x4's in each corner for support. I was trying to leave the lower area unobstructed in order to fit a 40 breeder sump.

 

[TheFishMan65]

I would move the front legs back (or add another pair) to support the middle red beams since that is were the weight will be. It is hard to build a stand when both the tank and sump have the same foot print. But they are smallish tanks so you can get away with just supporting the front and back beams with direct vertical support. I hope you understand - I am not great with solid works.

 

[Dustin1300]

Got the three tier stand built yesterday! Came out really good and just have to prime/paint. Next' I'll be building some stands for water changing station but this thing feels like a tank and was due to you guy's help. Thanks again!

All tiers are about PERFECTLY level:

 

[AngGuKueh]

Can anyone help me wether my stand can withstand 200 gallon of water ?
My tank is here and I afraid it wont hold it so I had to ask everyone here for help

It's Level

<a href="http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums/l633/christwee24/?action=view&current=IMG_0627.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l633/christwee24/IMG_0627.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Pocket hole & screw for vertical wood support

Cross dowel for top and bottom horizontal wood support

Plywood install for tank support

Completed stand 1

Completed stand 2 different design for stuff keeping

<a href="http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums/l633/christwee24/?action=view&current=IMG_0926.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l633/christwee24/IMG_0926.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Picture of 200 gallon fish tank

Please help and comments


Length 137cm top panel 2"x8"
btm panel 2"x4"
Width 65cm top panel 2"x8"
btm panel 2"x4"
Height 100cm All panel 2"x4"

 

[TheFishMan65]

If I converted correctly 54x25x39 inches. Probably a little more than 200 gallons. Top frame is 2x8 and end to end is 54 inches. Is this correct?

If so then your good, in fact you probably did not need the extra vertical supports in the front and/or back (they show in at least one picture).

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I noticed in the first and second picture that you did not install the additional 2x4 along the inside joint of the legs/top/bottom frame (green pieces in post #3). These are in place I believe to help prevent racking and are very important.

Others can chime in as to whether or not this matters since you skinned the stand. I wouldn't have built it without them personally.

 

[TheFishMan65]

I believe they are only intended as screw strips. He did not need them since he used pocket screws. That is what I did and no problems. He also has in framed in ply wood which will help with wracking.

 

[Rhodophyta]

I believe they are only intended as screw strips. He did not need them since he used pocket screws. That is what I did and no problems. He also has in framed in ply wood which will help with wracking.

Framed in plywood does a lot to forestall wracking. A plywood skin does not seem to do as much.

 

[TheFishMan65]

Depending on you definition of frame and skin I would agree. But it the plywood is used to create triangles with the 2x4 frame wouldn't that prevent wracking? Or am I missing something?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

*The green pieces are screw strips. These provide limited load strength but serve to make assembly easier and help keep the stand square.

Yes on screw strips. Probably can do without them I guess. Still to me it seems a wise idea because they really firm up the stand...

 

[wiscousonian]

Hello everyone, New member here looking to build a stand for my tank that i bought a while ago and just never got it going. It's a 125 with corner overflows.

I just bought the boards and i'm gonna get started now. One thing i've noticed is that no one builds a stand on legs, or a base like a cabinet. Is this simply because of the transfer of weight to the ground? I'd really like to build something that sits off the floor a little for aesthetics. Is this at all possible or should i just go ahead an put it flat on the floor?

I've been looking for design ideas for weeks, but there is not much in the way of a contemporary or modern type of stand. Most feature molding that i'm just not interested in.

Below is what i'm planning on building, notice the different style feet...can this even be done?

 

[Rhodophyta]

Depending on you definition of frame and skin I would agree. But it the plywood is used to create triangles with the 2x4 frame wouldn't that prevent wracking? Or am I missing something?

I guess to me plywood is framed when it's completely enclosed, like a picture in a frame on the wall. And then all the glue and clamps in the world are used to bond that plywood to the frame. :lmao: Otherwise it's missing something -- glue and pressure. I have some solid wood triangles on some of my stands that have been in use about six years. These were glued and clamped on but no nails or screws. So far, none of them have failed.

A skin is not that critically attached. If you grab your forearm with your other hand, you can move your skin around a little without moving the forearm. So plywood tacked or screwed on, or glued on without sufficient clamping, would be a skin in my thinking. It provides some protection but is also cosmetic.

Back in the early 80's I built a long multitank double sided, multi-tier stand down the center of a fish room. On the free standing end I screwed and glued a big sheet of plywood. But I probably didn't clamp it enough because after about 20 years of use, that end started to wrack.

 

[Tarkin]

I haven't read the whole thing, but a significant amount of it... Isn't anyone using the golden mean for any of this? There are some great stands in here that I have a feeling may have stumbled onto it, or maybe the user knew about it, but there are quite a few that while functional don't really have pleasing proportions to them.

The Golden Mean is really quite useful and might have helped with that.

later
Tarkin

 

[Dustin1300]

If you feel like testing the golden mean go ahead and test it out and let us know how it works out. A stands frame is about function and not style as the skin is what makes it look nice.

Engineering trumps philosophy............................

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[Tarkin]

That's one of the most ignorant responses i've ever seen posted here...

The golden mean doesn't need "testing" as it fits perfectly fine with RE's original stand designs. The golden mean dictates proportions not strength. It meshes perfectly fine with RE's designs, but would help quite a few of these DIY stands look "nice".

Skins are NOT the only thing that dictates whether a tank stand "looks nice" or not, the proportions most definitely have an effect on that.

You can have both, not just one.

Education trumps ignorance................................................................

Later
Tarkin

 

[Dustin1300]

Let's keep the thread productive and not argumentative. Rocket's design works well and is sturdy and calculated based on engineering principles. If you have a design you think trumps it then start your own thread and provide the engineering principles that support it. Otherwise, you are just being ignorant referencing philosophical terms without any facts.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[Tarkin]

Dude, I normally don't engage in flame wars, but you're as ignorant as ignorant gets and you're the one driving things in an unproductive manner since you have no idea what you're talking. The golden mean is NOT a "design" that "trumps" this one, it is a way of helping someone get PROPORTIONS that would LOOK nice.

As stated, it would be used in CONJUNCTION with RE's design to make the finished product look nicer.

I tried to offer some advice that would be "productive" but in your ignorance you're trying to start a flame war. The golden mean actually IS an engineering principle that has been used since long before you me or the 10 generations before us was roaming the earth.

DonW's mentioned it on this site on some DIY stand threads, i'm just surprised I don't see it anywhere in this thread as it could help a lot of people out with their stand's.

Don's posted the following in another thread which aligns perfectly with RE's stand design as well, but probably isn't as accurate as doing the math yourself.

Use these numbers to build the most visually pleasing stand and hood
72, 45, 28, 17, 11, 6, 4

The 40b is 16 15/16 tall so use 17 as the tank, 45 for the stand and 11,6 or 4 for the hood. Notice 28 is included and why its standard.

If its a glass AGA and your going to recess it to cover the black plastic trim and the trim is 1" then use these numbers.
94,39,24,15,9,6,4 15 is the exposed tank, 39 stand and 9,6 or 4 is the canopy.


Don

To do the math yourself....

For instance... taking a tank/stand combo that would be 40" wide using RE's stand design, ie a 40 breeder, with a shelf, moulding, etc, that makes it a bit wider. Multiple the 40" by 1.618 and you would get a total height of 64.72". Round that to 64 3/4" high for ease of construction.

Take out the 17" height of the Tank, and you would have 50.75" leftover to divide between your "hood" and the "stand". Most "hoods" i've looked at fall in the 9" or so range, so take out another 9" and you would want your stand height to be around 41.75" high. Which would put a 40breeder at a really nice height to view, and work on. It won't be too tall for you to reach over the top and put your hands in it, nor to slightly bend over to look at or anything else.

You can also take some height out of the canopy if you want to create a shorter one, and raise the stand up higher to a more "standing" height view. Just adjust the numbers accordingly.

Later
Tarkin

 

[wiscousonian]

so, has anyone put feet on their stand before? is it structurally still ok?

 

[Tarkin]

Wiscousian, you'd be circumventing RE's design and point loading if you do. Instead of having the load distributed over the area of the "bottom box" frame, all the load end up being transferred through the feet.

I've seen stands done like that before, but after going over a significant amount of this thread, I haven't seen it with this design, but could have missed some.

Later
Tarkin

 

[AngGuKueh]

If I converted correctly 54x25x39 inches. Probably a little more than 200 gallons. Top frame is 2x8 and end to end is 54 inches. Is this correct?

If so then your good, in fact you probably did not need the extra vertical supports in the front and/or back (they show in at least one picture).

Thank you so much I glad to hear that now have no more worry