MY 75 Gallon RR project and soon to be "former setup" DIAL UP BEWARE!

[concept3]

Installing the molding was a little tough, since you need a Mitre box and saw. Gotta be the best $9.99 combo I ever spent. I used it to cut all my PVC as well.

I just threw this up here to give you guys an idea for trim and finishing.



THE HOOD:
It was built the same way as my stand. I built a "box" and then proceeded to cut out squares where you really didn't need it for structural integrity. I COULD have built a FRAME out of 1' X 2" pine, but I did that a few years ago, and didn't last. Building it this way gives me a little bit more peace of mind since I know it would last longer, not to mention quicker to build, since you didn't have to build a frame with joints, and using right angles, etc etc.

I then "Skinned" the open holes with 1/8 inch plywood.

 

[concept3]

HOOD OPENING

HOOD OPENING

Now this is what a few of you are waiting for:

Hood opening.........Very simple concept: After building your "box," think of an imaginary angle that you would feel most comfortable with. Cut that angle on one side, and then cut the other to go across the entire span of the hood. Using a long hinge, attach them back again. You now have an "easy access" hood.

Pictures are so much easier:

 

[concept3]

The back of the canopy was actually finished by using a 50"X 16" piece of 1/8" plywood. It comes off for easy access, but I don't think I'll ever need to do that.


Trim or Molding is key to a project like this. You can use Trim to hide any imperfections on the tank, as well as screws that are holding the tank together. Even if there are exposed imperfections, the trim of the hood/stand takes away from it, making them less noticeable.

 

[headshrink]

Awsome! Thanks for the play-by-play. I will have to go back to the hardware store.... I got the wrong stuff. I got 1"x3" for the frame but that would have been a challenge to keep straight and square. I like your idea of cutting pannels out of ply.

 

[steve68]

MY MH where 9 inch from the water & i have never had problems with salt creep on the bulbs so u will ok, since i built my first canopy i have kept the lights on the same photoperiod MH are on for 9.5 hours & atinics are on for 10.5.
i cant believe u made all those cuts with a hand mitter saw,i have seen the boxes & thought NO WAY can u get a nice mitter cut,welli guess it depends on ur skills,good job.
:beer:

 

[headshrink]

I started mine officially today after about 4 trips to the store...
I sure wish I had a pannel saw and a larger fence on my table saw!

I have the face, top, and sides cut out (a touch short on the top - yikes) cut out. I haven't cut the centers out of them yet though.... I thought you said to do them after it is a box.
I just glued and stappled the sides to the face... it is drying and clampped up now. I am thinking ahead to that diagnal cut... (I'm thinking 20 degrees)... Am I suposed to stand the box on end and run it across the table saw? Or is there a better way?

 

[concept3]

I started mine officially today after about 4 trips to the store...
I sure wish I had a pannel saw and a larger fence on my table saw!

I have the face, top, and sides cut out (a touch short on the top - yikes) cut out. I haven't cut the centers out of them yet though.... I thought you said to do them after it is a box.
I just glued and stappled the sides to the face... it is drying and clampped up now. I am thinking ahead to that diagnal cut... (I'm thinking 20 degrees)... Am I suposed to stand the box on end and run it across the table saw? Or is there a better way?

I'm sorry if you guys misunderstood me, I don't have a table saw. The only saw that I used was an 18V cordless circular saw. I wish I had a table saw, but I don't have my own garage, and I'm not about to put a table saw in my best friend's garage, I'd rather buy that when I have my own. You could probably use a jigsaw, but I found out that circular saws make straighter cuts. As far as an angle goes, I think mine comes closer to 35 degrees. See what you're comfortable with, think about the tank depth as well. You can cut the "box" now, and then make similar angled cuts on the trim after you've cut out the angle. Remember, you are only using the plywood for structural rigidity, so you need to leave at least a 3 inch border on the hood. I didn't cut out holes on the side panels of the canopy. Only on the top and front. Glad to be of service.

 

[headshrink]

Could you please clarify about the 3" border for the "Skeleton." Is that just on the bottom edges or elsewhere?
I know there needs to be overlap of the tank top - but isn't it ok if the 3/4" and 1/8" plys are the same length to the edge?
I am also making mine 16" tall but that includes the overlap... so if it didn't in yours, mine is technicallu shorter.

 

[headshrink]

...Also how wide did you do the boarders on the 3/4" ply? I was guessing 2-3" and 4-5" in the center.

 

[concept3]

 

[concept3]

Could you please clarify about the 3" border for the "Skeleton." Is that just on the bottom edges or elsewhere?
I know there needs to be overlap of the tank top - but isn't it ok if the 3/4" and 1/8" plys are the same length to the edge?
I am also making mine 16" tall but that includes the overlap... so if it didn't in yours, mine is technicallu shorter.

Okay, got a little confused there....

I'll try to make it simpler.
A: 4.5 inches
B: 2.5 inches
C: 4.5 inches
D: 6.5 inches
so yes, you are correct on the dimensions! I just kinda cut out the wood as I went, no real blueprints on this part. How's your hood coming along?

 

[jer1198]

lookin good concept, im in Little Egg harbor, so we are close.

 

[concept3]

lookin good concept, im in Little Egg harbor, so we are close.

sup man? glad you joined in!

 

[jer1198]

is that you in the avtar??
where did you get your chair???

Im a HUGE race fan!!!!
race online all the time.

 

[concept3]

is that you in the avtar??
where did you get your chair???

Im a HUGE race fan!!!!
race online all the time.

It's not a "chair" LOL
It's a real race seat...sitting in my living room
Sparco Evo.
I'm playing GranTurismo4 with the "force feedback" steering wheel and pedals..........I didn't like it. I kept on losing!

Back to the thread........

 

[RichT]

shouldn't drink and drive

 

[headshrink]

Hopefully I will have pics up soon too.

 

[concept3]

UPDATE!!!

UPDATE!!!

I've been trying to find time in finishing this transfer already....... I'm actually taking a week off hopefully first week of May to finalize the tank and start the transfer. I'm trying to minimize stress to my corals by setting up both tanks and sharing water between them, it has been an extremely laborious and time consuming task......something I hope not to be doing again anytime soon.

Well, all this free time enabled me to crack my head again for ideas, and since I mainly have SPS, flow is a major concern. Instead of placing a mountain of Live rock like I have had in the past, I built a "Live rock bracket" to hold choice flat pieces of Live rock up. This bracket wraps around my modified megaflow and should help water circulation, and should fill the tank up so it looks full. I'll be utilizing zip ties on the Live rock and the PVC pipes that is drilled... Here are a few pics:

BRACKET was made with 1/2" PVC pipe, a whole lotta T's and a few 45 degree elbows. Use your ingenuity.....come up with a design that works for your application. I drilled 3/8" holes in the pipes randomly to prevent "dead" spots...... everything was cemented together, minus the middle elbows so I can swing them out in case I want a larger base.

 

[concept3]

TEST fitting......

Here is the Bracket that I made in a "wet test" with Live rock. I angled the pipes to fit my needs as far as slope and angles go, and the best part is, I don't think I'll even need to utilize Zip ties.

My final lay out for the aquascape will look similar to this...... There's the arch I made, that'll be placed higher up in the rockwork.....

 

[concept3]

By the way, did I mention that I hate the location and look of the megaflow?!?!? That's part of the reason why I decided to make this bracket, mainly to cover that box!!!