My Leemar 90 Build.

[christygirl]

OK,

Here is where it all starts!

The stand

I will be assembling my stand using 3/4" MDF.

I know what you are thinking........

Let me explain:

I have built many stands this way. I prefer to use MDF because of it's machinability.

So, I am going to basically assemble a 2 layer thick box of MDF. The interior layer will be shorter by 3 1/2" at the top and bottom. This will create a ledge that I will set a 2x4 frame into the top and bottom.

Once the box is assembled, I will cut 4 doors out. 2 in the front and 1 on each side.

Then, the stand will be completely laminated with P-LAM. Once the P-LAM is installed all corners will be caulked.

This will waterproof the stand and make it cleanable.

After it is laminated, I will make a nice wood surround and matching panel doors to cover the stand and the bottom pane of Glass.

The nice part about this is that I am making flush inset doors. I plan to cut the interior MDF to be 1/2" smaller around all sides of the openings. This way, when the doors set flush into the wood surround, there will be NO light bleed.

OK Blah Blah Blah..... Here is some pics:

This first pic is of all the MDF cut to size.

This second pic shows the assembled stand with one door rough cut out.
I cut all of the doors close to the line and then routed them to the line with a pattern bit.

This shows a nice square cut for laminating.... I still have to back cut the corners square.

This Pic shows the stand assembled, all the doors cut out, the corners backcut, and the holes starting to be filled.

I wanted to show the 2x4 top plate set into the stand. It Rests on the edge of the interior box of MDF and is attached to the exterior box of MDF with Glue and Screws.

The stand is assembled and ready for laminate.... This weekend.
White on the inside
Black on the outside.

Then, A bottom will be laminated and placed and an inside top will be laminated and installed as well.

More pics to come Sunday!

I hope you will enjoy this build.

 

[sixshot00]

Stand looks good, Randy.
Good luck with the build.

 

[jefathome]

So you are going to laminate it inside and out? Quite a task!

Looks clean though.

 

[scrapz]

It looks really good!

Thanks for explaining your reasoning for using MDF. i saw the pics and thought what the hell is he thinking lol.

 

[BeanMachine]

Looks nice, great handwork.

 

[scott26]

Looks like a good build already! Subscribed.

 

[moonpod]

very pretty already!

 

[gofor100]

Can't wait 'til the end result.

Keep the pics coming.

-Chad

 

[reven]

Randy is my neighbor. We built a stand for my 60g that I am setting up. The stand weighs in at about 80lbs. He likes to over built things

 

[NVTE]

want to see the result as well. look good.

 

[christygirl]

Sixshot, Jefathome, Scrapz, Beanmachine, scott26, Moonpod, Gofor100, and Nvte:

Thanks, This is going to be fun.

Reven, It's not that it's overbuilt...... It just will last a long time!

Up today, sump and maybe some laminate if the rain stops.

 

[christygirl]

OK, so....

I bought a real used sump from the guys at Mystic Reef.... Thanks to Jeremy and Adam.

Here is a picture after my wife and I cleaned it up.

So it cleaned up real well....

I am going to run an internal pump.... Eheim 1262 - Thanks Moonpod.

This is why I have a new bulkhead in there.... Plugged. In backwards. Yes, I know. But I am running my chiller inside the stand as well and the 2 pieces together will barely fit.

I know what you are thinking: the chiller needs to breathe.... I know. I know. Both my other tanks have the chiller in the stand..... I have fans that circulate the air when the chiller is on. It works. Plus my wife will not allow me to have anything outside the tank!

That's her story and apparently she is sticking to it!

So the measurments on this are 36x20x18

I am going to add a skimmer section.

I am going to add a fuge section.

I am going to add a return pump section.

I looked for 1/4" acrylic but all the places I could get it at were closed when I got off work. So I went another route:

The guys from Mystic Reef sold me an old Clear for Life tank.....

Not so Clear anymore!

I did this to it:

Easy to do with a table saw and a brand new Freud 84 tooth blade..... Cuts like a hot knife through butter.....

I needed a new blade anyway..... That's what I told my wife!

That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Anyway, I ran into some challenges......

First off, the the tank was horribly scratched, but I expected that.

Second, the tank was more round than flat.... I mean I knew plexi bowed over time, but geeeeeeeze.

Anyway I got it mostly done and today I will finish it... I will post a pic as soon as the rain stops so I can dry the sump off....

Disclaimer: I am not an acrylic guy..... first time working with it.... So, IT IS NOT PRETTY!

More on that later.

 

[christygirl]

By the way, I forgot to add....

Thanks to Reven.... Mike H.

He helped me yesterday guiding the tank through the saw and he helped me design the sump chambers!

I appreciate the help!

 

[OG Reefs]

nice build so far! I'm tagging along!

 

[moonpod]

put in another baffle or two to keep stuff away from the pump. Just get a couple pieces of acrylic or plexi cut for it and glue it in. That sump looks nice and spacey, just add some baffles.

 

[christygirl]

Moonpod.....

Almost done....

Pics coming today.

 

[christygirl]

Here is a picture of the Sump.

Here is a top view of the sump explaining the chambers.

Later today I will post pictures of the Skimmers.

 

[moonpod]

Looks nice!

 

[christygirl]

So I started laminating the inside of the stand.

The stand weighs about 125 lbs..

We set the stand on it's back on top of my assemble table.

I have a furniture dolly attached to the bottom so I can move it inside and out of the house. This is a life saver!

So, I am cutting the P-Lam to size with a knife. I am cutting it approximately 1/16" short in each direction.

This will be ok because, I am going to caulk all of the corners anyway.

Here is the back:

This is really going to be a nice clean surface.

I forgot to take a picture of the first door side installed and flush trimmed..... That will be my next post tonight.

 

[berniegermie]

wow you made that sump from that old acrylic tank? that's amazing! =) looks great