DIY Stands Template and Calculator

2eqezuqy.jpg
 
Excellent news and thank you for the feedback. Besides the 2x6, there is about 15 lbs of nails and screws in this sucker. I figured it would be overkill, but I was not sure with the cube shape. Pretty sure I could park my truck on this stand.

Thanks again.
 
On a side note, is there any reason to prime and paint the inside of a stand that will not be used to house any water/refugium/sump/etc? All my plumbing will go from the tank to the garage.
 
I have a question on the specific materials used. I apologize in advance if this has been discussed before but I searched the threads as many different ways I could think of and didn't come up with anything.

I am planning a 48x24 stand for a standard 120 and realize that no matter how good my setup is, the insides will inevitably get wet either from spilling or humidity. Can man made materials like the kind they use to make decks be ok to use in terms of strength? I am also wondering if there is any risk to anything leeching from the material and dripping into my sump killing everything?

Thank you in advance!
 
dudemeister said:
I have a question on the specific materials used. I apologize in advance if this has been discussed before but I searched the threads as many different ways I could think of and didn't come up with anything.

I am planning a 48x24 stand for a standard 120 and realize that no matter how good my setup is, the insides will inevitably get wet either from spilling or humidity. Can man made materials like the kind they use to make decks be ok to use in terms of strength? I am also wondering if there is any risk to anything leeching from the material and dripping into my sump killing everything?

Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...

The problem with man-made decking materials is they are not intended to support loads. Some of them require 12" spacing on the supporting joists because they are so weak. Now, man-made structual members (glue laminated beams) are designed for loads but are expensive compared to the standard 2X4. The flip side is they are much straighter. Just make sure you find ones designed for use in walls, not as joists. They are designed differently.

Personally, I wouldn't try to get exotic. Depending on where you are, different woods are available at different prices and some are better able to handle getting wet than others. To prevent water damage, I used Kilz primer on all the lumber that wasn't seen for both my stand and hood and it still looks good over two years later.

The options available to you depend on what end result you are after. Inexpensive might do everything you need. A couple coats of polyurethane may be all it takes to get an awesome look and the protection you are after.

RocketEngineer
 
RocketEngineer said:
The problem with man-made decking materials is they are not intended to support loads. Some of them require 12" spacing on the supporting joists because they are so weak. Now, man-made structual members (glue laminated beams) are designed for loads but are expensive compared to the standard 2X4. The flip side is they are much straighter. Just make sure you find ones designed for use in walls, not as joists. They are designed differently.

Personally, I wouldn't try to get exotic. Depending on where you are, different woods are available at different prices and some are better able to handle getting wet than others. To prevent water damage, I used Kilz primer on all the lumber that wasn't seen for both my stand and hood and it still looks good over two years later.

The options available to you depend on what end result you are after. Inexpensive might do everything you need. A couple coats of polyurethane may be all it takes to get an awesome look and the protection you are after.

RocketEngineer
Click to expand...

I don't want to over complicate things. I was just looking to see if the Trex-like materials would makes sense for durability, load bearing ability and water proofing all in one. It could save time by eliminating the polyurethaning. While on that subject, is it safe to say that moisture that might accumulate on polyurethane and then drip into a sump should be safe? I suppose one could skin the inside with some kind of plastic material?

Also- your thoughts on perhaps using a French Cleat arrangement to hang a cover on the front so as to leave the maximum amount of room open in the front? That would work best without a center vertical brace.

Now on to reading the beginning of the thread and figuring out how to size the pieces for my tank. Thank you!
 
Last edited:
dudemeister said:
I don't want to over complicate things. I was just looking to see if the Trex-like materials would makes sense for durability, load bearing ability and water proofing all in one. It could save time by eliminating the polyurethaning. While on that subject, is it safe to say that moisture that might accumulate on polyurethane and then drip into a sump should be safe? I suppose one could skin the inside with some kind of plastic material?

Also- your thoughts on perhaps using a French Cleat arrangement to hang a cover on the front so as to leave the maximum amount of room open in the front? That would work best without a center vertical brace.

Now on to reading the beginning of the thread and figuring out how to size the pieces for my tank. Thank you!
Click to expand...

Trex type materials don't have any load bearing capability which is why they are only used for decking. The strength comes from the 2X boards under them.

For stuff that won't be seen with the doors closed, Kilz is all you need. Polyurethane is best for showing off the wood grain on show pieces.

You shouldn't see condensation dripping into the sump because that would mean there is a temperature difference between the air in the stand and the stand itself sufficient to introduce condensation. By keeping the back of the stand open, there should be enough air flow to remove this temperature difference. No need to complicate things for a case that is almost impossible to have. You are far more likely to drip water when working in the sump than have condensation.

French Cleats have been used in several builds I have seen to create removable panels vs doors. Given that this stand design doesn't need facing to be strong enough, panels work fine. With a 48" wide 120g tank, you can go the full 48" as a 2X4 without a center support.
 
Sorry if I've missed it, what software are you using to design the plans? I have a hand sketch but would like to do it on the computer.
 
Just finished this.. 2x6 upper rails with three horizontal supports, 3/4" ply, for a 6' long 220g tank.

Can someone confirm the 4' door span is ok or should I put a verticle 2x4 support there?

405014863.jpg

405014862.jpg
 
hi
sorry last try, i will start this week with this as soon as everyone is happy with it
tank 2500x1000x600 , aprox 380g

stand is 1000m high, and will be clad in 18mm shutterply
red beams are 228mm x 38mm
yellow beans are 114mm x 38mm
white beams are 152mm x 38mm
blue beams are 76mm x 50mm
all are pine
 

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dallasg said:
hi
sorry last try, i will start this week with this as soon as everyone is happy with it
tank 2500x1000x600 , aprox 380g

stand is 1000m high, and will be clad in 18mm shutterply
red beams are 228mm x 38mm
yellow beans are 114mm x 38mm
white beams are 152mm x 38mm
blue beams are 76mm x 50mm
all are pine
Click to expand...

I would make the blue and yellow the same size so I don't need another size to purchase. Otherwise, it should be fine.
 
i have the blue already, so that should be fine for a 2000kg tank :)

thanks, now i can get my new project on the way
 
Just started building my stand tonight for my new 120 gallon tank. The dims of the tank are 48.5x26.5x22. I added 1" to the dimensions of the stand. Check out the pics and let me know if this is sufficient and what you think. Thanks

<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8285843435_05e3ed4739.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="IMG_20121218_223057_819"></a>

<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8348/8286899482_6d515d4297.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="IMG_20121218_223106_444"></a>

<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8083/8285841573_3b3f81ac03.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="IMG_20121218_223148_860"></a>

<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8208/8286898270_3d47bbe5a4.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="IMG_20121218_223135_787"></a>

<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8202/8285842399_132c99e5e8.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="IMG_20121218_223124_028"></a>

<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8342/8285842795_e6ddfdea4f.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="IMG_20121218_223114_970"></a>
 
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