Having a stand built, some ?'s

[TAB]

3/8" ply would work, but I would use 1/2"

I could build a stand out of just 1/4" ply for a 58g. I could do it for a 580 gallon. What matters is how you build it, not so much what you build it out of.

Things like having trim around the top and bottum of the stand are not always for decoration, many times they are structural.

 

[scaryperson27]

Right. It's how the tank sets on the stand, and how the weight hits the floor.

 

[GARFVolunteer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14830140#post14830140 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rhodophyta
The last you you want anyone building a stand to do is look at the GARF site. I think what happened is that while creating that stand program, someone accidentally flipped the design so that if you follow the directions, your tank is really going to be sitting on what should be the front of the stand, which is unsupported for the weight in that direction.

I have built each of the stands on the GARF site more than once after I created the different calculators. In which one of the calculators would the stand be sitting on the front? There are 4 different calculators for stands.

 

[uncleof6]

I would be interested in knowing that also, I may not agree with that design being necessary, but consider GARF's reputation to be impeccable. And they use what they talk about.......

Jim

 

[Rhodophyta]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14848728#post14848728 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GARFVolunteer
I have built each of the stands on the GARF site more than once after I created the different calculators. In which one of the calculators would the stand be sitting on the front? There are 4 different calculators for stands.

The first one. The way it's designed, it depends on the shear strength of the screws to hold the frame to the legs. If the top and bottom frames were used as the front and back, it would be one way to correct this fault. Screws will eventually fail in the plan configuration, and with softwood, a glue joint might. I've seen threads where people who were using this design intuitively added scabs to the legs which is a simple way to correct the problem.

The second plan was not working when I checked. The third and fourth plans don't have this fault.

There may have only been the first plan at one time. The others suggest Gorilla glue which hadn't been introduced last time I checked this GARF plan. It seems to me GARF might have originally listed drywall screws for the project, and wood screws are a significant improvement but will still shear in softwood. I contacted GARF with suggestions and got a reply that the design was fine, and the respondent proceeded to explain why but instead exposed themselves as someone who had no carpentry or woodworking experience. My email was probably never passed on to the right person.

 

[uncleof6]

The plan for the 135 does put the top rim in shear. My question would be how significant would that be with the 3/4" plywood top. With the bottom rim sitting over the 2 x 4 rim, and the corner upright 1.5" in, will the plywood give over that short distance, to cause the 2 x 4 rim to shear down.

Jim