DIY Stands Template and Calculator
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
mknightryder
New member
Dude where ya been?!?! lol And thank you! I have spent countless hours looking at this thread and your build thread trying to figure out how you did things! The way you finished yours just grabbed me whenever I seen it! I love it. It's different! :wildone:
GingerHawk5917
New member
Jscwerve
New member
I built another.
Hello all,
In my other build a few pages back I made a stand for my 60 gallon that was going to be my display tank. Plans have changed and I've relegated that tank to being our freshwater tank for the house and picked up a 125 gallon for the saltwater. I made this out of similar wood so that the two pieces would match. Being that this stand was SO MUCH larger, I did not want to have the removable front as my other one has. I put two decent sized doors to be able to access everything.
The tank originally came with a 2x4 style stand. It was a good start, but over a 6' span, there was no vertical bracing, therefore it had sagged and needed some attention (or maybe not, but I'm paranoid). I added center support and shimmed the ply to be in contact with the rim of the stand all the way around. The pictures of it being shimmed is just the start of the process, there are about 2x+ shims actually used.
Wood skin is beetle kill pine.
Tank with space:
Shimming the plywood:
Finishing up the stand:
Hello all,
In my other build a few pages back I made a stand for my 60 gallon that was going to be my display tank. Plans have changed and I've relegated that tank to being our freshwater tank for the house and picked up a 125 gallon for the saltwater. I made this out of similar wood so that the two pieces would match. Being that this stand was SO MUCH larger, I did not want to have the removable front as my other one has. I put two decent sized doors to be able to access everything.
The tank originally came with a 2x4 style stand. It was a good start, but over a 6' span, there was no vertical bracing, therefore it had sagged and needed some attention (or maybe not, but I'm paranoid). I added center support and shimmed the ply to be in contact with the rim of the stand all the way around. The pictures of it being shimmed is just the start of the process, there are about 2x+ shims actually used.
Wood skin is beetle kill pine.
Tank with space:
Shimming the plywood:
Finishing up the stand:
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
I built another.
Hello all,
In my other build a few pages back I made a stand for my 60 gallon that was going to be my display tank. Plans have changed and I've relegated that tank to being our freshwater tank for the house and picked up a 125 gallon for the saltwater. I made this out of similar wood so that the two pieces would match. Being that this stand was SO MUCH larger, I did not want to have the removable front as my other one has. I put two decent sized doors to be able to access everything.
The tank originally came with a 2x4 style stand. It was a good start, but over a 6' span, there was no vertical bracing, therefore it had sagged and needed some attention (or maybe not, but I'm paranoid). I added center support and shimmed the ply to be in contact with the rim of the stand all the way around. The pictures of it being shimmed is just the start of the process, there are about 2x+ shims actually used.
Wood skin is beetle kill pine.
Tank with space:
That's a perfect example of what happens when you under-build the stand, thanks for posting that!!
Jscwerve
New member
Absolutely. I figure I'm not the only one that has seen or received (maybe built not knowing) a stand like that.
It needed some work, but as you can see, I was able to salvage it and make it structurally sound. After bracing and shimming it was perfect. With the addition of the skin of the stand it also added a TON more support from sagging as every one of those slats are vertical as well, although not directly under the load.
woodnaquanut
Active member
Nice job on the repair/recycle of the old stand. I really like the pine you used for the show side!
What finish are you going to use?
Jscwerve
New member
Just a clear poly to seal it. It doesn't change the color too much, but it really brings out the grain.
Unfortunately the pine being as beautiful as it is is because of the millions of trees here in Colorado killed by the rocky mountain pine beetle over the last few years. It's far worse than forest fires.
I am in the process of building my stand, so far so good.... I am getting ready to skin it, and know I am going to stain it to match my kitchen cabinets ( cabinets are Kona stained maple). I am trying to decide what type of wood to skin it with, and am leaning towards birch... My stain will be dark enough that I am not sure if the type of wood matters.
I can't seem to find Maple plywood locally - only veneer Maple sheets. Will there be a difference between Maple or Birch with a dark stain (think a red tinted black)?
I can't seem to find Maple plywood locally - only veneer Maple sheets. Will there be a difference between Maple or Birch with a dark stain (think a red tinted black)?
Jscwerve
New member
For specialty hardwoods you cannot go to a box store. They will only ever have birch and perhaps ash as their best sanded plywood. I know where I am there are several stores that deal specifically with hardwoods that you don't get at the contractor grade stores (Home Depot, Lowes).
FlyingFishSKYw
Member
I'm wanting to skin mine in white to match the trim and cabinets in our house... Would I use hardwood and paint it, or go with MDF?
Jscwerve
New member
Maybe some others would, but personally I would never use MDF on anything that has the possibility of getting wet. Even if it was painted.
shred5
Premium Member
I agree no MDF that stuff is a sponge.
So I've decided that I want to revise my canopy. I'm going to remove the hanging canopy and go to more of a traditional setup, but make a few modifications.
My goal is to have a canopy where the light rack inside can be height adjusted. Since I will be bringing the T5's and led's closer to the water, I want to be able to slowly inch it down for the corals to adjust.
I also want to have the same type of maneuverability when working in the tank, so I've drafted the canopy into three sections; 1) the base 2) the front and side frames and 3) the light rack.
The base of the canopy will include the trim around the tank plus the back panel, which is where I'll have 4x 120mm fans hooked up to the apex and 2 square panels that will allow me to insert the power heads into the tank. The back panel will also house the power supplies for the hydras and the t5 ballasts. When I pull the light rack out of the canopy, I'll have a hook on the back wall that will allow it to hang there without having to disconnect power cords.
The front and side frames will unlatch using spring loaded chest latches and just lift out. I wanted to do it this way instead of having to remove the whole canopy wires if I ever needed to do some major revisions in the tank.
The light rack has a 1.5" border, it will actually set on four wood blocks that will slide up and down a T-Track. I'll use the t-track knobs to secure the blocks at the right height. If you're not familiar with t-tracks, this is what i'm talking about:
I'll need to route a half inch channel through the front and back sides to install the t-track but that shouldn't be an issue.
With the canopy fully assembled, it should look like this:
I'll start construction on it this weekend, so it should be complete in about 10 days or so, although I'll probably give the paint a little more time to cure before moving it onto the tank.
My goal is to have a canopy where the light rack inside can be height adjusted. Since I will be bringing the T5's and led's closer to the water, I want to be able to slowly inch it down for the corals to adjust.
I also want to have the same type of maneuverability when working in the tank, so I've drafted the canopy into three sections; 1) the base 2) the front and side frames and 3) the light rack.
The base of the canopy will include the trim around the tank plus the back panel, which is where I'll have 4x 120mm fans hooked up to the apex and 2 square panels that will allow me to insert the power heads into the tank. The back panel will also house the power supplies for the hydras and the t5 ballasts. When I pull the light rack out of the canopy, I'll have a hook on the back wall that will allow it to hang there without having to disconnect power cords.
The front and side frames will unlatch using spring loaded chest latches and just lift out. I wanted to do it this way instead of having to remove the whole canopy wires if I ever needed to do some major revisions in the tank.
The light rack has a 1.5" border, it will actually set on four wood blocks that will slide up and down a T-Track. I'll use the t-track knobs to secure the blocks at the right height. If you're not familiar with t-tracks, this is what i'm talking about:
I'll need to route a half inch channel through the front and back sides to install the t-track but that shouldn't be an issue.
With the canopy fully assembled, it should look like this:
I'll start construction on it this weekend, so it should be complete in about 10 days or so, although I'll probably give the paint a little more time to cure before moving it onto the tank.
woodnaquanut
Active member
You need to find the supplier the local cabinet shops shop at. They will have it.
Failing that, contact cabinet shops and see if they will sell you some of theirs.
Birch has a similar but not exactly the same grain as Maple. If they are not in the same room you might be able to get away with it. Take a door off your cabinets and compare at the wood store.
leviburns89
New member
This is how I built mine. I just stuck to normal building guidelines using 16" stud spacing.
I moved a stud over so I could use storage, and doubled up on studs on the back side in the same spot.
Here is with the quick release velcro panels
All in all, the lumber was free from raiding a construction dumpster, and the paneling was leftover 1/4 plywood with 1×1 trim. Black high strength enamel for paint, and she's good as good gets for under $10
I moved a stud over so I could use storage, and doubled up on studs on the back side in the same spot.
Here is with the quick release velcro panels
All in all, the lumber was free from raiding a construction dumpster, and the paneling was leftover 1/4 plywood with 1×1 trim. Black high strength enamel for paint, and she's good as good gets for under $10
New stand build for a standard 125-gallon glass aquarium 72x22x18 with a plastic rim.
Spent Sunday reading this thread and have a few questions.
I would probably prefer to go with all 2x4's for the frame with two 2x4's in the middle (one in the front and one in the back) as vertical supports for the top rails. I would also add a horizontal brace at this point. I would probably keep the stand around 30" high. My thinking, using 2x4's as top rails leaves a you few more inches of access under the stand and it adds significant structural support. And if I add a few doors or access panels it seems like the vertical braces would come in handy to support these as well.
Question 1. Assuming I skin the back with 1/2" plywood can I still get a 40-gallon-long (48x12x16) sump under the stand through the front? Or will I not have enough clearance to swing it by the center brace? I know with my current stand I had to drop it in through the top. If I remember correctly, I was almost able to get it through but missed by a few inches. Dropping it in through the top is OK but of course it would be better to be able to remove the sump if necessary without draining the display tank.
Question 2. Also, how many sides is it necessary to skin for strutural support? Will just skinning the back with 1/2" plywood add enough structural support? Or do I need to skin the top and sides as well to provide additional support? I would prefer to just skin the back and rest the tank direclty on the top rails with no plywood. Also, since this is actually I peninsula tank I would leave one side open as well for plumbing. The front will have doors or access panels.
Question 3. Assuming I only skin the back with 1/2" plywood, do I also have to add 2x4 horizontal braces at the base of the stand for additional support? I would rather not add additional braces and rest my sump (40-gallon-long (48x12x16)) and 10-gallon Rubbermaid reservoir directly on the floor.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Spent Sunday reading this thread and have a few questions.
I would probably prefer to go with all 2x4's for the frame with two 2x4's in the middle (one in the front and one in the back) as vertical supports for the top rails. I would also add a horizontal brace at this point. I would probably keep the stand around 30" high. My thinking, using 2x4's as top rails leaves a you few more inches of access under the stand and it adds significant structural support. And if I add a few doors or access panels it seems like the vertical braces would come in handy to support these as well.
Question 1. Assuming I skin the back with 1/2" plywood can I still get a 40-gallon-long (48x12x16) sump under the stand through the front? Or will I not have enough clearance to swing it by the center brace? I know with my current stand I had to drop it in through the top. If I remember correctly, I was almost able to get it through but missed by a few inches. Dropping it in through the top is OK but of course it would be better to be able to remove the sump if necessary without draining the display tank.
Question 2. Also, how many sides is it necessary to skin for strutural support? Will just skinning the back with 1/2" plywood add enough structural support? Or do I need to skin the top and sides as well to provide additional support? I would prefer to just skin the back and rest the tank direclty on the top rails with no plywood. Also, since this is actually I peninsula tank I would leave one side open as well for plumbing. The front will have doors or access panels.
Question 3. Assuming I only skin the back with 1/2" plywood, do I also have to add 2x4 horizontal braces at the base of the stand for additional support? I would rather not add additional braces and rest my sump (40-gallon-long (48x12x16)) and 10-gallon Rubbermaid reservoir directly on the floor.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Last edited:
choss
New member
A different take on a stand
A different take on a stand
I thought I'd post a picture of the stand I built last year for a 40 gallon rimless cube. I was going for a clean stand where the tank floats above the main support structure. The catch is I am still building cabinets next to the tank to hide refill containers and power strips etc.
The stand is made from two massive pieces of walnut glued together and then mounted on industrial strength pipes. I received the pipes from a site called simplifiedbuilding.
Wood being glued up
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3474_zpsuoueizhx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3474_zpsuoueizhx.jpg" border="0" alt="Clamps attached photo IMG_3474_zpsuoueizhx.jpg"/></a>
Stained, polished and finished walnut top
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3496_zps9kr5bwl5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3496_zps9kr5bwl5.jpg" border="0" alt="Finshed walnut top photo IMG_3496_zps9kr5bwl5.jpg"/></a>
Pre-finished stand to ensure leveling
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3476_zpst7rapbsz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3476_zpst7rapbsz.jpg" border="0" alt="Testing raw top on base to level photo IMG_3476_zpst7rapbsz.jpg"/></a>
Tank on finished stand
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/P4260245_zpss0pql4wp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/P4260245_zpss0pql4wp.jpg" border="0" alt="Finished stand with tank photo P4260245_zpss0pql4wp.jpg"/></a>
Tank shot from a few days ago.
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/updated%20tank%20shots/P1010447_zps1kbmy2zh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/updated%20tank%20shots/P1010447_zps1kbmy2zh.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo P1010447_zps1kbmy2zh.jpg"/></a>
Full tank build thread here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2512216
A different take on a stand
I thought I'd post a picture of the stand I built last year for a 40 gallon rimless cube. I was going for a clean stand where the tank floats above the main support structure. The catch is I am still building cabinets next to the tank to hide refill containers and power strips etc.
The stand is made from two massive pieces of walnut glued together and then mounted on industrial strength pipes. I received the pipes from a site called simplifiedbuilding.
Wood being glued up
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3474_zpsuoueizhx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3474_zpsuoueizhx.jpg" border="0" alt="Clamps attached photo IMG_3474_zpsuoueizhx.jpg"/></a>
Stained, polished and finished walnut top
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3496_zps9kr5bwl5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3496_zps9kr5bwl5.jpg" border="0" alt="Finshed walnut top photo IMG_3496_zps9kr5bwl5.jpg"/></a>
Pre-finished stand to ensure leveling
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3476_zpst7rapbsz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/IMG_3476_zpst7rapbsz.jpg" border="0" alt="Testing raw top on base to level photo IMG_3476_zpst7rapbsz.jpg"/></a>
Tank on finished stand
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/P4260245_zpss0pql4wp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/Stand%20construction/P4260245_zpss0pql4wp.jpg" border="0" alt="Finished stand with tank photo P4260245_zpss0pql4wp.jpg"/></a>
Tank shot from a few days ago.
<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/user/choerenz/media/Tank%20Build/updated%20tank%20shots/P1010447_zps1kbmy2zh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w11/choerenz/Tank%20Build/updated%20tank%20shots/P1010447_zps1kbmy2zh.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo P1010447_zps1kbmy2zh.jpg"/></a>
Full tank build thread here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2512216
Do you think a stand similar to this could be made for a 200gal tank?
