HELP - My beautiful canopy........

[Ocicat]

Fantastic news: We got a call from the carpenter last night, and he says the wood has completely returned to its original shape!

I got 4 of the 4" Radio Shack fans, and I received my 3 MH lights over the weekend as well, so the next time the canopy is put on the tank, there will be heat and ventilation.

Fade or Hobbes, do you have a picture of the inside of the canopy so I can see how you mounted the fans? These things seem pretty heavy-duty! I see that you cut only a circular hole to accommodate the actual airflow from the fan itself, but the whole device is actually square, and rather thick... (There is also the issue of how the heck to wire them, but that's a whole other problem.)

Then my big dilemma is what finish to put on the inside to replace the paint... On the DIY forum some people say that the inside and outside have to be finished exactly the same, or it will cause warping - well, that seriously limits which products can be used since I don't want to change the look of the canopy's exterior. Also, I have heard that the spar varnish can yellow over time. Will just an oil-based primer or sanding sealer + tung protect it and keep this from happening again?

 

[Hobbes8017]

Here are a few more pics.... I don't actually have any right now of all the wiring inside the canopy. Which is good, because it is all temporary wiring. Once the finish is on the stand, and the fan and light connection will be crimped and/or plugs put on.

We used a 4' holesaw bit to make the holes....

The fan housings are square, we just used 2 1/4 inch screws through the holes in the 4 corners. They are then all wired together in a plug going to 120V. Some people have fans that have 12v transformers, which makes the wiring alittle more indepth.

The lights are all hung from chains on hooks that can be used to change the height. This was a trial run before we cut the fan holes. The chains have now been cut to the proper length and everything seems to be working as designed. Maybe Fade and snap a few pics this week on all the lights installed.

I by no means will claim to know everything about finishing wood and what works with what..... But I find it hard to believe that wood will warp just because the inside is treated with a different finish then the outside. We are going to coat the inside of Fade's canopy with polyurethane ( a few coats). The outside will be stained and then coated with polyurethane.

 

[rgpennell]

Well I certainly don't claim to have any particular kowledge in this area other than my own experience but when I was doing mine I heard everyone clammering about using white marine paint on the interior of the canopy to get the best light reflection back into the tank and ensure that the wood is protected. Accordingly that is what I used and I have had no problems with my canopy but I should point out that unlike yours mine is open on the top so much less likely to have problems with air circulation. I didn't use plywood though - just regular old 1x8s.

Good luck - I know that Pat was very distressed when he heard that you were having problems so I'm glad it is getting worked out for you.

 

[Ocicat]

Thanks, Rob. He mentioned that he called you to talk about it. He is installing braces and fan holes (he had a great idea for how to mount the fans), stripping out all of the paint, and will refinish with just tung oil and multiple coats of spar varnish.

Thanks again for recommending him - he does a beautiful job and has been great to work with! Not just talented but really conscientious and dedicated.