DIY Stands Template and Calculator

[seahorsedreams]

I know I went overkill in many places but it makes me happy haha.

And it makes me nervous that I'm not doing enough O.O

I made mine with the 2x8s.

 

[spllbnd2]

spllbnd,

You must use different torque for different woods. IMO screw size and wood type (hard/soft) wood make a big difference in the amount of torque required. I would recommend hand tightening until it is even with the wood face.

Understandable and you're very correct. I am just looking to have all the 2x screws set at the same depth and the same torque. From there I also used a Kreg pocket hole set up.

I'll post a few photos of the progress thus far.

 

[spllbnd2]

Here are a few photos of the progress of my stand. The photos of the inside are (white) have 6 coats of marine boat paint and the black top and back have 3 caots of Benjamin Moore Impervo.

All paint has been mixed with a product by Flood called Penetrol which helps with eliminating brush marks in oil based paints.

Now on to the photos,

This is the front view looking in. Holes on the back wall are for plumbing and the top one will be covered up by a custom box for 2 American DJ power strips.

View of the backside. This is with 3 coats of paint. The plan is to have 6-8 coats when complete and color sanded/buffed.

View of the false wall on the left side in the stand. Plan is to put fan controller along with ballasts among other items into this area.

Box that will mount inside of the stand and hold the powerstrips. I installed three t-nuts into the top of the stand so that I can mount this box above the sump area. Not a whole lot of room inside of the stand with a 65H tank.

 

[spllbnd2]

I know I went overkill in many places but it makes me happy haha.

Still building it, so here are some updated photos. I went away from the

Nothing wrong with overkill in my book. I've been told that I can be to much of a perfectionist at times. I say phooey. :lol2:

 

[mak3mydae]

The screw wasnt striped. It just... turned a lot haha. I'm not sure how to explain it... I feel like the screw turned more when i was drilling with the drill than by hand.

I'm not sure what you mean, TheFishMan65. Do i screw it in by hand? Or should i still use the drill? I believe the wood is just pine. So should i still use a medium torque? I will be using epoxy deck screws that are 2.5" long.

Another question. How do you use a pocket hole jig? I was looking it up online, and it seems like you set the drill bit to a 1/4 of an inch away from the end of the wood and then drill it normally. How do you drill a pilot hole in a pocket hole? Can i use one of those 90 degree clamps and then use one of those pocket hole ones to make sure the edge is level?

 

[TheFishMan65]

I think in anything I care about I would do it by hand. Several times I have bought lumber as set the torque on the first few screws. Next thing I know the screws don't sink or are being pulled way in.

 

[spllbnd2]

Another question. How do you use a pocket hole jig? I was looking it up online, and it seems like you set the drill bit to a 1/4 of an inch away from the end of the wood and then drill it normally. How do you drill a pilot hole in a pocket hole? Can i use one of those 90 degree clamps and then use one of those pocket hole ones to make sure the edge is level?

To make use of pockethole screws you will need to buy the special jig in order to make the pocket that the screw then goes into. At minimum I'd recommend the Kreg Jig Jr. #R3 Pockethole jig


http://www.kregtool.com/Kreg-Jigreg-Jr-Prodview.html

 

[Garage1217]

I bought a cheapy from home depot for $20. Do not bother with it. JUNK

 

[seahorsedreams]

I have the Kreg kit... it's awesomeness. If you have to drill a lot of holes, I would go with the bigger kit. It's how I joined the 2x8 to each other for the corners and then again to attach them to the rims.

 

[spllbnd2]

I too have the Kreg Jig Kit and it is awesome and works flawless everytime. Have used it on a lot of different wood projects and find it very easy to use.

 

[TheFishMan65]

I got one from harbor freight. I have not tried any other and it seem very nice as well.

 

[mak3mydae]

Well, i encountered some problems I bought the only pocket hole jig they had at the depot and it was the general brand one. The first hole i made, aluminum shavings started flying everywhere, but i assume thats normal since its my first use? But anyways, when I was reading here, it seemed most people got 2.5" deck screws, so i bought them. Turns out, the screws are too long if I use them in pocket holes since the distance from the end of the hole is much shorter than the 1.5 inches of a 2x4,(If that makes any sense) so the wood split and the screw came out of the other side. Fail. I'm guessing i should probably get some shorter screws. 1.75 perhaps?

Another question, how do you drill pilot holes inside a pocket hole? I seem to always have trouble since the edge of the drill hits the wood and makes the hole crooked. Get a longer drill bit?

Most important question i guess since i kinda answered my own questions up there haha. How thick does the rigid styrofoam insulation have to be for a rimless? Do i get the blue stuff, or the pink stuff? the tank is 17 gallons if that helps.

TIA

 

[reefermad619]

STOP!!!!!!! You must use pocket hole screws with a pocket hole. Deck screws have a tapered head. this is what causes the wood to spit when too much torque is applied. Pocket screws have a flat head. The kit you bought should have came with a special bit used for the pocket screws. Its got a square end on it. When using pocket holes, no pilot hole is needed. Make the hole, line up your pocket screw, then drive it in. Be careful not to use too much torque though. Sometimes this can cause the pocket hole to split. Good luck.

 

[JMartin104]

Wow! What a long and interesting thread. One thing I did not see and I'd like to get an opinion. I just picked up an 110 Tall (48" x 18" x 29"). The stand and tank were sold at my LFS. The owner of the shop reassures me the stand is plenty strong to hold the tank and 200lbs of rock. To me it looks flimsy, but feels solid. It's made of out 1x6 pine, glue and brad nails. I know most people overbuild but in this case, I'd rather not build if this stand will be sufficient for now.

The concern: The horizontal boards do not sit directly/fully over the vertical boards. The vertical boards are notched (like you'd do for a 1/2 lap joint) but the horizontal boards are not "lapped". So the top rail (the load-bearing part) is sitting on half of a 1x6 (3/8" of the 1x6 supporting the top rail?). I know they used brad nails but I think this was mostly until the glue set. Does this partial support change the load-carrying characteristics of the vertical boards?

 

[reefermad619]

Was the stand ment for that tank? L x W wise those are the same dims for 30, 40, and 50gal breeder tanks. If it was ment for the breeder tanks, then I would not use it.

 

[JMartin104]

At this point, I can only assume it was. It was sold as a package deal. Reefermad, I also messed up on the size. It's 4' long. I fixed it in my original post.

 

[mak3mydae]

STOP!!!!!!! You must use pocket hole screws with a pocket hole. Deck screws have a tapered head. this is what causes the wood to spit when too much torque is applied. Pocket screws have a flat head. The kit you bought should have came with a special bit used for the pocket screws. Its got a square end on it. When using pocket holes, no pilot hole is needed. Make the hole, line up your pocket screw, then drive it in. Be careful not to use too much torque though. Sometimes this can cause the pocket hole to split. Good luck.

That makes a lot more sense haha. What length screw should i use? I have a cheap-o pocket hole jig. What length screw should i use for a 2x4? I'm going to be joining two boards to make a 90 degree angle joint. I'm not quite sure what length to set my pocket hole jig to. Haha this is all pretty confusing. Any help is appreciated.

 

[reefermad619]

At this point, I can only assume it was. It was sold as a package deal. Reefermad, I also messed up on the size. It's 4' long. I fixed it in my original post.

I'm not sure about the overlap, but I do know that 3/4" plywood in a simple box construction can support a 240gal tank. But when constructed, the panels all sit on top of one another with out an overhang. So it's a flush 90 angle.

A stand that size can fit a 75 reg, 80reg, 90reg, 110 tall, and 120gal tall tanks. Basically anything that will fit length and width wise. So, just because it will fit, doesn't mean it was meant for it. At the same time, most stand companys manufacture stands to support multiple applications. I wish I could be of more help. You could always get in writing what the dude at your LFS said. I think you'll be fine using that stand. if your worried, you could add some 2x4s in the corners to reinforce it. My saying is... some call it paranoid, I call it prepared.

 

[reefermad619]

That makes a lot more sense haha. What length screw should i use? I have a cheap-o pocket hole jig. View attachment 123117 What length screw should i use for a 2x4? I'm going to be joining two boards to make a 90 degree angle joint. I'm not quite sure what length to set my pocket hole jig to. Haha this is all pretty confusing. Any help is appreciated.

This is what I used.

My stand was all 2x4 and 2x6. Check out my build thread if you want. What exactly are you going to be joining together. I only used the pocket screws so I wouldn't have to use the nail strips from rocket enginer's build plans.

 

[mak3mydae]

I was actually trying to put all the pieces together via pocket holes haha. I figured it would look better that way. I was putting together the bottom frame and i used the 1 1/4" screws that came with the package. I also used some wood glue since i heard they're supposed to be stronger than the screws themselves. Will i weaken the wood too much if i screwed deck screws along with the pocket holes?

Only using the pocket holes to attach the vertical supports makes a lot more sense. I'll go out to the depot to buy some of those. TIA