My wood tank build
- Thread starter dsandfort
- Start date
gwrulzmylife
New member
I'll be watching this, nice write up!
dsandfort
Premium Member
It's all over but the final cure. This is what I started with....
This is what I used. 4 coats at about 4 mils per coat.
Unlike West System, this epoxy paint has a high concentration of organic solvents. It's pretty smelly. Since I am just renting space from my wife in the new home, I figured I didn't want to P.O. the landlady. This vent system worked really well but I still needed to wear a respirator.
The finished product shows every construction flaw I made since it is gloss black. Thanks to sand and coraline, they will soon disappear.
A couple of head-slappers after the fact. I should have used black silicone, duh. I should have sprayed the finish but I don't have that equipment. Lots of roller marks show (come on coraline). Next up...bulkheads and ball valves. Stand will be done in 2 weeks. It's 6-piece steel that can be taken apart to move. All made out of 4"x4"x1/4" square tube.
Del
This is what I used. 4 coats at about 4 mils per coat.
Unlike West System, this epoxy paint has a high concentration of organic solvents. It's pretty smelly. Since I am just renting space from my wife in the new home, I figured I didn't want to P.O. the landlady. This vent system worked really well but I still needed to wear a respirator.
The finished product shows every construction flaw I made since it is gloss black. Thanks to sand and coraline, they will soon disappear.
A couple of head-slappers after the fact. I should have used black silicone, duh. I should have sprayed the finish but I don't have that equipment. Lots of roller marks show (come on coraline). Next up...bulkheads and ball valves. Stand will be done in 2 weeks. It's 6-piece steel that can be taken apart to move. All made out of 4"x4"x1/4" square tube.
Del
Misfit6669
In Memoriam
Del and ball valves, this could be fun. By the way buddy, what did you do with your old system, was it sold with the house?
ChrisB
New member
Excellent job dsandfort! Very neat and well built.
lol, you are worried about a roller marks....
When I get home in the AM I will send you a picture of mine. It looks like a 3 year old painted it. If I could do as neat a job as you I would have a build thread too. You should be proud.
lol, you are worried about a roller marks....
When I get home in the AM I will send you a picture of mine. It looks like a 3 year old painted it. If I could do as neat a job as you I would have a build thread too. You should be proud.
dsandfort
Premium Member
Brian-
I still have the old tank. Get this. We had an offer on the old house for 40K less than asking but only if we left the whole setup. What a deal, huh?
I might just keep it in case I need to down-size some day. I really haven't tried to sell it.
And yes, there will be some ball valves.
Chris-
I am worried that the roller marks will show up like a pimple on a prom date under the halides. What did your job look like under strong lights?
Bart-
There will be an OM 4-way on each end of the tank. Those are the inlet holes you see. There will be another CL under the sand bed (the holes in the back you see) and a 4th CL for the center of the tank. So, 4 CL, 2 WaveySea and some Tunze suspended on each WaveySea.
I'm hopeing that the angle iron I sandwiched in the face frame will prevent bowing. I'll put up some string lines to check for deflection when I test fill it. I have a contingency in mind for a center brace. How much deflection would you say is acceptable?
I still have the old tank. Get this. We had an offer on the old house for 40K less than asking but only if we left the whole setup. What a deal, huh?
I might just keep it in case I need to down-size some day. I really haven't tried to sell it.
And yes, there will be some ball valves.
Chris-
I am worried that the roller marks will show up like a pimple on a prom date under the halides. What did your job look like under strong lights?
Bart-
There will be an OM 4-way on each end of the tank. Those are the inlet holes you see. There will be another CL under the sand bed (the holes in the back you see) and a 4th CL for the center of the tank. So, 4 CL, 2 WaveySea and some Tunze suspended on each WaveySea.
I'm hopeing that the angle iron I sandwiched in the face frame will prevent bowing. I'll put up some string lines to check for deflection when I test fill it. I have a contingency in mind for a center brace. How much deflection would you say is acceptable?
cbui2
Premium Member
none, any deflection I think is not acceptable IMO. it might be ok in the beginning but by the time when everything is established the last thing you need is for something to happened just because of center brace. I can always deal with over built but not under built IMO. everything look awesome Del and keep them coming with pics.
gwrulzmylife
New member
You may want to goto a rental store and rent a sprayer for the final coat, but I bought my sprayer for $40 at menards. Cheap enough that if it gets ruined no big deal (I tossed mine instead of cleaning it).
Good luck!
Good luck!
ChrisB
New member
I am building a wall on the inside out of yet to be determined materials, so paint marks won't really be seen. But in your case, I just don't think it will be any big deal, besides it will be covered with coraline eventually anyway right?
My tank-to-be hasn't seen any water yet. It is standing on one end at this moment while the sealant cures around the "port hole" glass on that end.
Next step will be the front main glass and I will have to add a center brace after that...I didn't use any angle iron, wish I had thought of that...
dsandfort
Premium Member
Wow-It's been so long I almost lost my own thread. Work and travel are grossly overrated.
Anyhow, I finally have a stand and am able to remodel the wall. Here it is (was), ready to come down.
And here it is, with stand in place ready for framing.
View from the fish room past the bar to the patio.
And finally, the stand. I really like it. It came in 5 pieces, each about 80-90 pounds. It's made of 4x4x1/4 square tube legs and 4x6x1/4 rectangle top. When it bolts together, it is one stout beast.
Off to Lowes to gather supplies to finish around the stand and that portion of the fish room. Should be able to set the tank on the stand in a week or 2. Starting to get excited.
Del
Anyhow, I finally have a stand and am able to remodel the wall. Here it is (was), ready to come down.
And here it is, with stand in place ready for framing.
View from the fish room past the bar to the patio.
And finally, the stand. I really like it. It came in 5 pieces, each about 80-90 pounds. It's made of 4x4x1/4 square tube legs and 4x6x1/4 rectangle top. When it bolts together, it is one stout beast.
Off to Lowes to gather supplies to finish around the stand and that portion of the fish room. Should be able to set the tank on the stand in a week or 2. Starting to get excited.
Del
erics3000
Active member
Del I hear you with work and travel...I have been wantin to start on making a wall but I leave the whole month of July. I will just have to be patient.
Your stand looks super heavy duty....Everything you have done has been top notch. I love your tank. Can wait to see the progress.
Your stand looks super heavy duty....Everything you have done has been top notch. I love your tank. Can wait to see the progress.
Get those pesky 2x4 braces out of there! The off chance that your ceiling will cave in is worth the added picture quality. :lol:
ChrisB,
I cracked up so much at your post awhile back that I borrowed it for my sig line. Almost spit my beer out laughing. BTW, Got a link to your build?
Like the modular stand Del!
ChrisB,
I cracked up so much at your post awhile back that I borrowed it for my sig line. Almost spit my beer out laughing. BTW, Got a link to your build?
Like the modular stand Del!
MarkS
Premium Member
I'm not an engineer, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I'd worry about having little pieces of hard plastic between the glass and the wood. I'd guess that over time with thermal expansion and water pressure, you'll start seeing stress fractures at the locations of the acrylic spacers. Again, I have no way of backing that up. JMO. A month too late I might add...
I like your idea, but personally, I would have ran several 1/4" thick x 2" long beads of silicone and let it dry. Then I'd apply the rest of the silicone and glass. The dried silicone would compress to about 1/8" and would remain flexible. JMO.
Misfit6669
In Memoriam
look forward to seeing water in it buddy.
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