DIY Stands Template and Calculator

forgot to ask is there a rule or anything about how many pocket holes i should drill per inch or feet apart to join my plywood stand together?

If you are going to rely on the screws for clamping the wood together while the glue dries, every two inches on 3/4" thick plywood works well. If you have lots of clamps, you only need enough screws to take any bowing out of the plywood so that it matches up well. The glue is what holds the plywood pieces together.
 
I've read this great thread until my eyes are bugging out, and now I've skipped to the end to ask, what is the most accepted way to assure that the top of the stand is level all the way around to properly support the tank? We install heavy machinery all the time and we use construction grout to make sure the machines are in perfect contact with the floor. Something like that would show though and look like crap.
So what's the solution?
 
I've read this great thread until my eyes are bugging out, and now I've skipped to the end to ask, what is the most accepted way to assure that the top of the stand is level all the way around to properly support the tank? We install heavy machinery all the time and we use construction grout to make sure the machines are in perfect contact with the floor. Something like that would show though and look like crap.
So what's the solution?

There are at least two solutions. One is to use a plane or belt sander to get an exact match to the tank before finishing the wood. Another is to use grout, shims, or styrofoam to level out the tank afterwards and conceal the stand edge, and the bottom plastic frame of the tank, with wood molding.

http://www.archmillwork.com/home/am3/smartlist_53

The advantage of the second is that you can turn the tank around, or replace the tank without having to relevel and refinish the stand.
 
Would this design be good for a deep demention tank ? 48x36x27(200 gal)

Any other changes ? 2x6 on top ....
 
Would this design be good for a deep demention tank ? 48x36x27(200 gal)

Any other changes ? 2x6 on top ....

My 520 plywood tank was 42" tall. On top I used a 2 by 12, a 7+" strip of plywood sandwich, and a 2 by 8 to build the perimeter. The 2 by 8 was dropped 3.5" to allow for 2 by 4's on 1.5" centers (touching) running parallel to the ends. I left a few inches near each 2 by 4 end unglued to allow for the escape of any moisture. A 250 gallon sump was built into the stand bottom.

Be sure your floor is built for the load. I was told my 4" concrete was inadequate and it required three piers dug to undisturbed ground and a rebar and mesh reinforced 10" slab to handle the 770 gallons of water. Even the one front panel of glass weighed 250 pounds.
 
Someone was debating with me that using a nail gun is better than using screws to build a stand. Anyone input in this?

I would say it's mixed, depending on the application.

If you are gluing and clamping the stand together, the screws or nails simply hold things in position until the glue dries. Neither is better at holding things in position. After the glue dries, both screws and nails are supernumeral.

I have some stands with parts that were clamped and glued together only. No screws. No nails. After about six years of use, not one of those pieces has failed.

The nail gun has the advantage that the nails are more inconspicuous than screws and the gun can be set to countersink the heads.

A good nail gun is a lot faster than the best power screw driver.

Where you have areas that are impossible to clamp, screws (and manually hammered nails) have the advantage that they draw the pieces of wood together as they are sent home. Screws can also be backed out.

Screws do have the advantage that most people already have a power drill and they would have to buy a nail gun and compressor.
 
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So let's say we have two stands one with glue and screws and the other with glue and gun nailed. They would both succeed because of the glue?

I don't have a problem getting a gun and compressor. Basically I have both tools available drill and.nail gun, but I thought screws were better knowing they have threading teeth.
 
IMHO if you predrilled with the correct size screws would be a little better since they would pull the pieces together betters. But if it was clamped until the glue dries I don't think it matters.
 
Ok I need help & too many pages to read lol. I have a 240g 8'x2'x2' acrylic tank.
I just made a stand. The four corners & the 2 center supports are (2) 2x4s made into a 4x4. I also have (2) 2x6x8' running lenth wise. Do you think there is plenty verticle support to support 2,000-3,000 pounds? I screwed everything together with 2 1/2" wood screws then added the 90 degree corner brackets.I think it can hold that kind of weight but wanna get a 2nd opinion lol.

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I would not recommend that stand. The horizontal beams that support the tank are held in be screw instead of resting on the legs. The legs (assuming not screws) only support the top piece of butcher block.
 
I am going to be setting up a 360+ gallon acrylic tank 96" x 30" x 29". The overflow's are on the right side and in the middle of the 29". Using this thread as a guide this is what I have came up with. My question is should the end support be supported from the bottom as well? What would you do different? The entire thing will be covered in plywood as well.

Thanks in advance
StandConcept.jpg
 
TheFishMan65, today I put (1) 1/2x6" carriage bolt through the 2x6x8' at each vertical support on the top. I left the 2 1/2" screws in.
 
TheFishMan65, today I put (1) 1/2x6" carriage bolt through the 2x6x8' at each vertical support on the top. I left the 2 1/2" screws in.
 
There's no way I can tell if that stand will hold, because the weight is resting on fasteners. There's no way to judge the resistance to "wracking" (rocking side to side) because you can't skin it in such a way that 90 degree angles are rigidly held in place by the skin (because the legs are not in the same plane as the horizontal pieces). Maybe the horizontal and vertical pieces will just hinge on the carriage bolts and the stand will fold and fall. That stand looks dangerous to me.

I really think you should take it apart and reuse the lumber to make the simple and known safe design that is given at the beginning of this thread, you'll know for sure that it will be safe, and it's not hard to do.

If you make it just like the picture (only four legs), you'll need 2x10's for the Red and yellow pieces, but you can use 2x4's for all of the other pieces (that's based on the formula for deflection, not just a guess). If you add vertical 2x4's in the middle of each of the two 96" long (red) pieces, you can use 2x4's (or 2x6's, since you already have them) for the red and yellow pieces, instead of 2x10's. The horizontal red and yellow pieces must rest on top of the cut ends of the vertical pieces, not hung on the side of them as you did the first time.

The top cross member (blue) can be a 2x4, and since your tank is acrylic (flexible bottom), you should use three of them on top; put them at least every 2 feet (so 22.125" apart). And cover the top with plywood (or boards, as it looks like you already did). I would use metal joist hangers at each end of each of the three cross members, to connect them to the inside of the red pieces.

I think most or all of the lumber you already have can be reused to build the stand according to the known safe design. You're planning to raise almost 3000 lbs up in the air in your house, so you need to be certain that it won't ever fall on anyone.

148629DIY_Stand_Template.jpg
 
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I added (6) 2x8s verticle supports under the 2x6x8". Also added 2x4s under the end support
 

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trickedout,

I really don't like that left end. Your bulk head should allow for a 1.5 inch board to run along the side. How about a picture of the bulkheads?
 
I added (6) 2x8s verticle supports under the 2x6x8". Also added 2x4s under the end support

Now you're talkin'
That'll easily support the weight.
You might still need to worry about "wracking", which is a lack of side to side rigidity. You need a way to ensure that the horizontal and vertical pieces that meet at 90 degree angles are held rigidly at that angle, and can't flex. The easiest way to do that is to skin the stand with 3/8" plywood that is screwed to both the horizontal and vertical pieces (with a screw every 12" or so). Then it will be rock solid. If you don't want to skin the whole thing, then just screwing a 12"x12"x17" right-triangle of plywood at each of the 16 corners will do the same job (or at least on the top 8 corners). The screws you already have in the frame, if placed correctly, might be sufficient, but It's hard to tell from the pictures.

Oh, and since your tank is acrylic, the cross pieces will hold a lot of weight, and need to be fastened to the horizontal 2x6's well (and to the top boards/plywood). I like using galvanized steel joist hangers for that. putting screws through the 2x6's and into the ends of the cross members might work, but maybe not.
 
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