DIY Stands Template and Calculator

[kimber45]

great thread rocketengineer.

i'm currently starting to build a stand/canopy for a 50 breeder and want to use your stand design but have a couple questions.

1. following your design would substituting the 2x4's with 1x4's be strong enough? i will be using 1/2 oak ply to skin.

2. i want to have a flush fit between the stand and tank. would it be ok to size the stand so the edges of the tank are flush with the finished plywood and not the frame itself?

 

[es1887]

Glue. I was told by a carpenter not to use wood glue.
"You most likely now this, but do not use carpenters glue (white or yellow) for this stand.

Carpenters glue dries brittle and can crack and become loose from jars or vibrations. Also it will not deal with water very well even after it is fully dry.

Use Polyurethane or some such adhesive. Water has no effect on them and as an adhesive they have some flexibility"

Agree or disagree? what do you use?

you can use wood glue, i would use tightbond 3 though. it is water proof and once it dries it has some flexibility to it. whenever i have built stands this is what i have used. if you are going to use polyurethane adhesives i would stick with pl premium. it is the best stuff out there imo, and it has a very short gassing time, meaning that it stops off gassing voc's a lot faster than the other stuff.

 

[kimber45]

also if i pocket drill the purple uprights to the upper and lower frames would i even need the green screw strips?

great thread rocketengineer.

i'm currently starting to build a stand/canopy for a 50 breeder and want to use your stand design but have a couple questions.

1. following your design would substituting the 2x4's with 1x4's be strong enough? i will be using 1/2 oak ply to skin.

2. i want to have a flush fit between the stand and tank. would it be ok to size the stand so the edges of the tank are flush with the finished plywood and not the frame itself?

 

[Rhodes19]

I'm building a stand for a 220 (72"X24"X30") do you think I could use 2X8 for the top frame and not have a center brace since it's only 40 more gallons of water. I wasn't sure the load a 2X8 could handle with a 6' span.

It should. Here is what RocketEngineer had in his original post.

(2) Red - Upper Rails: Length = W
These will be sized according to length: 2X4 for 48" or less for smaller tanks (Rule of thumb is 75g-90g); 2X6 up to 72" with 125g-150g being acceptable; For longer spans and larger tanks 2X8s are recommended.

I have a center brace on mine but that was to hang doors on. HTH

 

[DolphinLVR]

also if i pocket drill the purple uprights to the upper and lower frames would i even need the green screw strips?

You wouldnt need the screw strips if you used pocket screws. See my pictures on previous page.

 

[Rhodes19]

If you apply the glue on a dirty surface with gaps and don't clamp properly, either with clamps or by drawing in tightly with screws, then your old carpenter has a point. The liquid nails type of adhesive will fill some gaps, but it's not strong in that application and the seams can pull apart at the glue joint rather than failing at some other point in the wood.

The critical issue, I think, is the prep and the execution of the gluing process. If you do either glue right, they will be dependable. I will use the PL4000 types most often because I can apply it with a caulking gun. So I disagree with the reasoning, but find the tubes slightly more convenient to use.

+1 If your joints are cut square/flush, liquid nails or wood glue are extremely strong. The wood should fail before the glue does.

 

[nikesb]

heres my progress on my stand. its really sturdy and i just need to attach the top frame and add the middle supports just cause i had extra wood

 

[NaClH2Opgh]

It should. Here is what RocketEngineer had in his original post.



I have a center brace on mine but that was to hang doors on. HTH

Thanks! I haven't decided if I was going to have doors or one large removable panel attached with magnets. My sump is 48" long so I need to make sure I can get it in there.

 

[snaza]

Aaron,

Go with 2x8 for your top frame. You won't need a center brace for this one. 2x8s can span up to 72" without a center leg. HTH

Hi,

I'm having trouble finding 2x8 in australia. If I do a centre brace front and back. would 2x6 or 2x4 be ok?

thanks

 

[Rhodophyta]

Hi,

I'm having trouble finding 2x8 in australia. If I do a centre brace front and back. would 2x6 or 2x4 be ok?

thanks

2 by 4's will work fine. Double them with a plywood "sandwich" inside, screwed and glued together. The doubled rail is 3.5 by 3.5 and in the direction of the plywood is nearly as strong as three 2 by 4's, and slightly stiffer. Before even installing the triangular corner braces front and back, I could stand on one rail right in the middle and with a laser level, not see one bit of deflection even with all 275 pounds of me on one rail.

 

[teacherthomas]

So no one uses standard white wood glue for projects like this? Everyone using "No More Nails" or PL400, etc?

 

[Rhodes19]

Hi,

I'm having trouble finding 2x8 in australia. If I do a centre brace front and back. would 2x6 or 2x4 be ok?

thanks

That will work. Go with the 2x6 for the top frame.

 

[Rhodes19]

So no one uses standard white wood glue for projects like this? Everyone using "No More Nails" or PL400, etc?

I have been using Titebond I, II, and III depending on the project I'm working on and have had no problems. I've used Gorilla glue as well but I don't like how it expands. No More Nails or PL400 work well on wood too. I can tell you though, it doesn't work worth a darn to adhere lead sheets to plywood. :thumbdown

 

[DolphinLVR]

How are you guys attaching the plywood top? would finish nails be good?

 

[csa dad]

i would just like to say thanks for all the great info on building a stand i dulicated this stand when i built the stand for my 125. i used 2x4s for all of the build an then used 3/4inch birch ply to sheat it. but i screwed up when sheating it an did not bring my front out far enough to cover my side pieces. so i have never finished the stand but have it where it looks decent a put it into use.

 

[csa dad]

im getting ready to get a new 220 an was wondering what i would need to do for a tank that was 6x2.5x2. i would assume atleast 2x8 for the front an side top an bottom late correct. or should i use 2x10

 

[flamron]

Got a little farther on my new stand this weekend:

There will be a removable "brace" in the center to block light on the large doors.

Also going to have a 3 panel door on the left. Will also be putting a lip on the stand for drinks, food, leaning, etc.

Total height is 80". Stand is 44" high. Canopy is ~14". Viewable tank will be about 23" high.

Total finished size will be 64Lx31Wx81H. Tank is custom acrylic (used, and cheap!).

I will be finishing it out with a high gloss white paint, to match the woodwork in the rest of the house.

 

[dram537]

Hi, I'm in the process of building my stand. The top brace is made out of 2x6s and the rest out of 2x4. My tank is 90G, 72x16x18 but I added some width to the stand to gain room for storage and equipment. My question is, would it be fine without center braces?

Thanks

 

[dram537]

 

[teacherthomas]

Is there any reason the screw strips have to be 2X4s? Can they be 1X4s instead or for that matter 2X2s? I figure since they aren't load bearing then it shouldn't really matter, but want to make sure.