DIY Stands Template and Calculator

[spllbnd2]

Thanks a bunch. Tank is Glass... Would the plywood do any harm with the glass, or is it just that I don't need it?

Use of plywood under a glass tank with the plastic trim is okay. I've done this before with no issues.

 

[spllbnd2]

Yes - the far corner has a very slight gap - the shims you see there are barely under the edge of the tank. The rest of the stand makes good connection with the tank - here and there a VERY small gap ... like thickness of a sheet of paper. Of course they nailed the thing together :mad2: so would have to rip the whole thing out and start over. Seems my only option is shimming between stand and tank but not sure that will work.

Thanks for the thoughts and please ... anyone else who has some thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

I had a stand that I built and used a sheet of plywood for the top where the tank rested. there where a couple of areas where you could get a very thin feeler gauge under, so what I did was to use a leveling compound and sanded until everything was level.

Worked like a charm for me.

 

[yoccm]

I had a stand that I built and used a sheet of plywood for the top where the tank rested. there where a couple of areas where you could get a very thin feeler gauge under, so what I did was to use a leveling compound and sanded until everything was level.

Worked like a charm for me.

That is a great idea - I could put some furring strips around edge of tank to keep it from going off sides - then remove strips and sand.

 

[Forfend]

Awesome how to!

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I have an emergency of sorts and need to build a stand for my 120 (2x4 footprint) ASAP. I have to transfer the contents of an acrylic tank that has a fracture in the bottom panel at the front seam, real quick like.

I'm handy, have a table saw and other tools. I plan to make it with 2x6s on the top, no sump so there is no 'need' for height, however if I do want it to be permanent (it may be) then I want to match the bottom trim height with the woodwork in the room it's going in and eventually skin the stand and cover the trim with wood. So the max height will be 34".

It will be on a wood floor, oriented perpendicular to joists, and not far from the center structural crossbeam below it. I have 4 kids though and I know that the floor is not totally solid, when they run around like chickens with their heads cut off, well yu get the idea. The house is <10yrs old and well built.

My main question here is that since I have to do this quick and dirty, any hints for making it right / good enough and saving time?

My plan right now is to pick through the lumber at the HWS tonight (plenty of experience with that), get decking screws, wood glue, might need a new level, tons of shims (like I said, quick and dirty), and I plan to just use the basic plan.

I am not planning on skinning the stand at this point. Is this a cause for concern? Should I add a couple diagonals to prevent any possibility of racking? Or is this not much concern if it's built right with good wood, glue, and screws?

Anything else I should keep in mind?

Great thread...

 

[TheFishMan65]

Hi Again

A) Get good straight lumber
B) IMO no shims the whole idea is to spread the weight out shims do just the opposite IMHO
C) Skinning IIRC the OP said skinning is optional. It was in my case. Other feel it is required. If you can add diagonals without messing up the plan for below then I would do it.
D) Acrylics need cross bracing, plywood and maybe foam, but you are probably more familiar with that than I am

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Are you following me, or am I following you. I can't tell anymore.

My tank is a glass tank, 120g, 2x2x4 kind. I didn't quite specify that. The tank I'm taking everything out of is a 120 acrylic that is about to blow. If you want to see pics click on my name and look at my latest run of posts on the 'Acrylics' thread. You'll freak.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Also I guess what I was considering with the shims was that in case the floor isn't completely level, or the top box isn't perfect, that I could shim the ever living snot out of it. I would put the shims one right after the other to make sure the 'distributed load' concept was followed.

I do have a bunch of spare carpet remnants, would putting one under the stand be of any benefit when setting on a wood floor, other than protecting the floor?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Another thought...is it wise to design the stand such that the bottom frame of the tank is centered on the top of the 2x6 frame? That is the tank actual dimensions of the bottom trim frame is 48 x 24, width of top of 2x6 is 1.5", so if I centered the trim on the center of the 2x6, that would mean my actual stand dims would be 49-1/2 x 25-1/2. Seems to me that it makes sense to transfer the weight through the center of the framing vs through the outside edge of it. whaddayathink?

 

[Donw]

It shouldn't matter it the tank goes all the way out to the edge. If your going to use construction lumber you will have an easier time getting it flat and square if you edge joint both sides to be square to one face. Then assemble it on a known flat surface.
You mentioned you had a table saw but did not mention a jointer. If you mark the cupped face of each board used for the top and bottom. Tack the board down to a known staight piece of ply or particle board with the marks you already made down. Run that through your table saw. Take it off, rotate it marked side down and cut it again you will have a straight board with square instead of rounded corners. When you assemble remember to join the marked side with the adjoining board and you will have a flat stand that needs no shimming.
This only takes a few extra minutes and will be well worth the time.

Don

 

[tchndie]

So I'm getting a new tank made and I need to build myself a new stand. The tank is 250G and the demensionns are 72X30X26 (LxWxH) I will also be braceing the stand in 2 stops in the middle because I want to put 3 doors. What size of wood would you recommend. Just so you know my sump is in the basement so inside the stand will just be used for a place to put fish food and odds and ends. All reply welcome please!

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

It shouldn't matter it the tank goes all the way out to the edge. If your going to use construction lumber you will have an easier time getting it flat and square if you edge joint both sides to be square to one face. Then assemble it on a known flat surface.
You mentioned you had a table saw but did not mention a jointer. If you mark the cupped face of each board used for the top and bottom. Tack the board down to a known staight piece of ply or particle board with the marks you already made down. Run that through your table saw. Take it off, rotate it marked side down and cut it again you will have a straight board with square instead of rounded corners. When you assemble remember to join the marked side with the adjoining board and you will have a flat stand that needs no shimming.
This only takes a few extra minutes and will be well worth the time.

Don

That's a great idea, I'll let you know how it goes.

That would definitely solve the issue of the level surface at the tank-stand connection. However I've been looking closely at the floor with a level and it's not completely flat or level. So much for 'good construction'. I think the only way to make the tank actually level is to do the best I can with the top of the stand, then shim the bejesus out of the stand at the floor. It'll have to do for the quick job.

I picked up the truest wood I could get, the decking screws, a countersink drill bit, and a big bottle of Gorilla Glue. I have a couple of big @#$ bar clamps that I rarely use, this is one of those times I guess!

 

[TheFishMan65]

Turbo, I would avoid the carpet. Also I would try and get the frame of the tank on the frame of the stand. This usually gives a play with the tanks I have seen. Sorry I just assumed Acylic

 

[TheFishMan65]

tchndie, If you are adding supports to the back and front. So basically you are never bridging more than 2 feet then a 2x4 for all members works.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Thanks Fishman. I plan on ripping the top and bottoms of each top box frame members so that they are squared off w/r to the bottom of the tank. But since this will likely remove somewhere between 1/8" and 1/4" of material off each side, I'm also planning on running an additional 2x4 along the inside of the front and back (red) spans, just in case.

Also I concluded that the crossbracing on the side and back vertical sections are not necessary, provided that I adequately glue and screw all the members together. With any decent glue (and I'm using Gorilla Glue) that thing will be about rock solid.

I'm sure I will have to trim up the bottom w/r to the floor though. I'm thinking that I will probably need to go to the HWS at one point regardless, so I'm sure I can pick up a few trim strips and sand those down and fit into the bad spots on the floor. Just to be sure, I am probably going to rip the bottom frame 2x4s also. I think it's worth a little extra time so that I won't feel like I have to rebuild the thing.

The tank crack hasn't progressed any in the last 2 days. However if it does I have a feeling it will be the last time...

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I'm still struggling in my head about the best way to level the bottom of the stand w/r to the floor. Last night I took a level to the area and the floor is a bit wavy, from against the wall to 3 feet out, I could see light under the level, and it sloped probably 1/8" to 1/4" down away. From side-to side, I think it's worse, probably 1/4" sloping down from right to left. There currently is a 55g stand with a 37 tank on it in that location, so I'll have to see what happens when I move that to the other wall.

Now I'm thinking that if I have to runs shims or strips under the new stand, that maybe I should lay a strip of foam under it to ease up on pressure points on the wood floor so that it doesn't get dented. I have strips of Styrofoam that might work, they're about 1/4" to 1/2" thick and would compress down very easily. What about a neoprene or some other type of foam, like camper shell foam (with the sticky back) or a harder foam, the grey compressible kind?

The idea here would be to fill the gaps with wood as much as reasonably possible, then lightly glue those to the stand bottom, and then attach the foam to that or just set it on it.

Anyone have a better idea or suggestion?

 

[Forfend]

I used carpet

 

[Donw]

I'm still struggling in my head about the best way to level the bottom of the stand w/r to the floor. Last night I took a level to the area and the floor is a bit wavy, from against the wall to 3 feet out, I could see light under the level, and it sloped probably 1/8" to 1/4" down away. From side-to side, I think it's worse, probably 1/4" sloping down from right to left. There currently is a 55g stand with a 37 tank on it in that location, so I'll have to see what happens when I move that to the other wall.

Now I'm thinking that if I have to runs shims or strips under the new stand, that maybe I should lay a strip of foam under it to ease up on pressure points on the wood floor so that it doesn't get dented. I have strips of Styrofoam that might work, they're about 1/4" to 1/2" thick and would compress down very easily. What about a neoprene or some other type of foam, like camper shell foam (with the sticky back) or a harder foam, the grey compressible kind?

The idea here would be to fill the gaps with wood as much as reasonably possible, then lightly glue those to the stand bottom, and then attach the foam to that or just set it on it.

Anyone have a better idea or suggestion?

If you never plan on moving this tank to a different location and your floor is 1/4" off scribe the bottom boards to the floor.

Don

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

If you never plan on moving this tank to a different location and your floor is 1/4" off scribe the bottom boards to the floor.

Don

At this point I can't say for sure that I won't eventually move it. Once the stuff goes back to the original tank, it might shift a little or I might skin the stand. Also knowing how much the floor will deflect under the weight of the full tank might change the game.

 

[sjames]

build a sub-base. shim between the sub base and the stand to make the tank level. that should keep your load spread and allow you to level the stand with shims.