DIY Stands Template and Calculator
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
anarchyx914
New member
Unscrewed all of the middle support peices, so I basically have a 3D rectangle with no cross bracing... Still wabbles a bit.
I think if I can find someone to help me weigh down one end I may be able to fix.. wheres a 300lb guy when I need one lol
I think if I can find someone to help me weigh down one end I may be able to fix.. wheres a 300lb guy when I need one lol
KeepNitReel
New member
Heres what it is doing, I put up a video, hopefully you can see it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGL30foXMB4
I put together a double 75 gallon freshwater stand for a friend two weeks ago and had the same problem. We put the first 75 (empty) on the bottom and the stand straightened out(no more wobble).
I don't know where you got your wood from but we got ours from HD. We picked thru basically the whole pile of crocked wood to get the straightest we could find but still knew we might have an issue.
Btw: we put a 90 on top and the stand still does not wobble. Both tanks are up and running.
anarchyx914
New member
I picked the straightest stuff I can find out... Unfortunately there is no such thing as a perfect piece of wood. I have built decks, finished my basement, built rooms, etc, and I always run into bowed wood. T
The only thing I can think of is that there is a twist in the wood somewhere, cause all of my cuts are the same length so it shouldnt be causing one side to be taller than the other, I think the wood is twisted or something...
what a PITA, wish I knew how to weld lol
The only thing I can think of is that there is a twist in the wood somewhere, cause all of my cuts are the same length so it shouldnt be causing one side to be taller than the other, I think the wood is twisted or something...
what a PITA, wish I knew how to weld lol
KeepNitReel
New member
I know your tank is too heavy to keep moving but are you going to put it on the stand to see where you stand? (No pun intended)
anarchyx914
New member
I actually do not have tank yet. It's being built. It's 3/4" acrylic
I have two 35 gal garbage cans for my mixing station maybe I should use those or something.
I have two 35 gal garbage cans for my mixing station maybe I should use those or something.
tatuaje08
New member
At what size would I need to go up to 2x4s?
Anybody ever build a stand to future proof their setup? I currently have a 55g tank, but looking to upgrade to a 125g tank. Since I have to build a stand, I figure I build it to the dimensions of a 125g tank, so when the day comes, all I do is swap the top tanks.
Or should I just build a stand for the 55g, and build a new one when the day comes for a larger tank?
Or should I just build a stand for the 55g, and build a new one when the day comes for a larger tank?
KeepNitReel
New member
Build a new stand for the 125 when the time comes. Front to back dimensions are totally different, not to mention side to side. If you where going from a 75 or 90 then I can see building the stand to 6ft with some removable bracing.
KeepNitReel
New member
I'm in the skinning phase of my 36"H x 85"long stand for my 7ft 160g.
I used 2x6 top rails instead of the recommended 2x8 for tanks longer than 6ft & added 2x4 brace in the middle. The 2x8's would have blocked plumbing to the sump & I didn't want the stand higher than 36"
50b sump slides in and out without issue. Thanks for the template!!
Finished product
moondoggy4
Team RC
wobble
wobble
anarchyx914 I had the same problem with wobble on my 40 breeder I finally dumped the 2x4 that simply warp, In the past I have used wood from a supplier that has wood for patio covers that wood is a higher quality it only cost me sub 30 bucks for a 120 tank I had all sides of the wood resawn so everything was dimensional. The 40 breeder i tried a different type of wood engineered wood looks like chip board but it is a 2x4 no warping the picture illustrates the top and bottom pieces on top of each other you do not see a gap, if you go back to page 105 and see 2619 you will see a whole shot of the stand and also see the clamps because the other 2x4 were warping next time the net stand will be all the engineered wood. The wood was something like a dollar a foot.
wobble
I am building a new stand for my 40 gallon breeder my first attempt is fire wood, the top and bottom rails were to warped to be useful. So I went back to a lumber store that sells to the trade and I bought some engineered 2 X 4's this type is like a bunch of splinters glued together, I was worried that the wood would not be manageable with the Kreg system but I was wrong it worked great.
So I will post some pictures showing how well the wood works, does not warp. I used regular 2 X 4's and they were still warped and gave me problems So the next time I would only use the engineered wood. The price was 21 dollars for a 21 foot piece.
anarchyx914 I had the same problem with wobble on my 40 breeder I finally dumped the 2x4 that simply warp, In the past I have used wood from a supplier that has wood for patio covers that wood is a higher quality it only cost me sub 30 bucks for a 120 tank I had all sides of the wood resawn so everything was dimensional. The 40 breeder i tried a different type of wood engineered wood looks like chip board but it is a 2x4 no warping the picture illustrates the top and bottom pieces on top of each other you do not see a gap, if you go back to page 105 and see 2619 you will see a whole shot of the stand and also see the clamps because the other 2x4 were warping next time the net stand will be all the engineered wood. The wood was something like a dollar a foot.
moondoggy4
Team RC
wobble
wobble
This is the whole stand.
wobble
The image above is the top and bottom half. The next photo is of the stand part way finished.
This is the whole stand.
Bagel Girl
New member
This is my stand so far. The tank is a leemar eurobraced 60x32x18. Do I need to add center braces? Thanks for your help.
View attachment 235071
View attachment 235071
Attachments
jonnyeatworld
New member
Final product, thanks for the help!!
Sharksfan94
New member
Quick question for you all...
I am about to build a stand for my 25g nano so that I can finally add a sump to it. Based on the size of my tank 24w/12d/20t. I want to add a 15 gallon with about 7-9 gallons in it. To do this I need to make the stand 30in wide by 18in deep. So my plan is to use the design given on the first page. But, I would use 2x6s for the top frame and possibly the bottom frame of the stand. I would reinforce the top with 2x6s placed every 4in and then those in turn would be reinforced with metal brackets. I will add a center brace on the back of the stand and a possible removable one on the front.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Flaws?
I am about to build a stand for my 25g nano so that I can finally add a sump to it. Based on the size of my tank 24w/12d/20t. I want to add a 15 gallon with about 7-9 gallons in it. To do this I need to make the stand 30in wide by 18in deep. So my plan is to use the design given on the first page. But, I would use 2x6s for the top frame and possibly the bottom frame of the stand. I would reinforce the top with 2x6s placed every 4in and then those in turn would be reinforced with metal brackets. I will add a center brace on the back of the stand and a possible removable one on the front.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Flaws?
moondoggy4
Team RC
Sharksfan94 2 x 6 would be overkill for a 25 gallon tank,you could use 2 x 4's
Sharksfan94
New member
So 2x4s with a few extra braces etc and I wouldn't have to be worried about the edge around the tank?
moondoggy4
Team RC
You can see my stand that I built for my 40 breeder on post 2932, you will not see any extra bracing this stand is heavy does not rock or wobble at all, my stand is 38 x 18.
