Problem with a tank stand

Ah, a two piece top. I'd pull it off and check the frame itself for trueness. And then I'd replace it with a single piece of hardwood ply which will be much less prone to warping than a two pieces of SPF plywood.
 
Jarred1, I'm just going to echo what uncleof6 said that you can go with only 3/4" ply and that will give you a lot more space under your tank. And there is never enough space under the tank!
 
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I barely could get my ID in the gap, what do you guys think?
 
Probably would get cured if you used a single sheet on the top. Don't see the reasoning for the two piece top.
 
I would take the top off, check the crook (warp along the edge) on the top rim pieces, correct as needed--if needed--and put a one piece top on it. ( A long straight edge will tell the story on the top rim pieces)
 
My stand had a similar issue, but when I flipped the plywood top over and installed it the stand top was perfectly straight and the tank sat flush. Might try it and see if that fixes the problem.
 
I can't take the old top off, the screws are all hidden under the formica. Would it be the same thing if I bought a new piece of flat wood and cut it out as the same dimensions as the tank itself and shimmed it to be level? What could I use to hold all that in place? Silicon?
 
I learned this the hard way. I had a problem very similar to yours, albeit opposite. There was a 1/8" gap created by a sagging span (warped) and the top frame contoured to this sag when I attached it. I resolved my problem by getting a 1/2" of hardwood ply, placing it on top of the original top frame and shimming between the original top frame and the new ply. This way the tank is flush to the top of the stand.

I realize you said you can't remove the top, but that really is the only way to fix it. Compare how much it will cost you to fix the issue versus how much it will cost you with 40 gallons of water on the floor from a busted or leaky seam. You'll figure out what you have to do pretty quickly.
 
rrasco said:
I learned this the hard way. I had a problem very similar to yours, albeit opposite. There was a 1/8" gap created by a sagging span (warped) and the top frame contoured to this sag when I attached it. I resolved my problem by getting a 1/2" of hardwood ply, placing it on top of the original top frame and shimming between the original top frame and the new ply. This way the tank is flush to the top of the stand.

I realize you said you can't remove the top, but that really is the only way to fix it. Compare how much it will cost you to fix the issue versus how much it will cost you with 40 gallons of water on the floor from a busted or leaky seam. You'll figure out what you have to do pretty quickly.
Click to expand...

I have a jack I am going to put inside the stand and I am going try and jack that corner up. After I get it jacked up I am going to hammer shims in there to make it level. If that doesn't work I am going to buy another sheet of plywood and cut it to the dimensions of the tank and shim it till it's level.

Thanks for the help everyone!
 
rrasco has the way to fix it, that is the way i would fix stairs in a house after the framing crew would ruff it in. because the top is screwed down you are kind of stuck, but before tearing off the top formica i would see if you could get a shim under the plywood and force it up from the frame. it looks like you only need a 1/8" to get it level and you might be able to squish the plywood up some to get it level. if not then the top needs to come off and get shimmed between the top and 2x4's to make it level.
 
Ronic said:
rrasco has the way to fix it, that is the way i would fix stairs in a house after the framing crew would ruff it in. because the top is screwed down you are kind of stuck, but before tearing off the top formica i would see if you could get a shim under the plywood and force it up from the frame. it looks like you only need a 1/8" to get it level and you might be able to squish the plywood up some to get it level. if not then the top needs to come off and get shimmed between the top and 2x4's to make it level.
Click to expand...

I will be trying this tomorrow, we have a bottle jack that we are going to use as persuasion to get the top to move up a little.
 
Donw said:
Don't go beating and prying on the thing. Use a sawsall and just cut the screws.

Don
Click to expand...

I would be great if I could use a sawsall, but the top piece of ply is flush with the 2x4's and the blade won't fit in the gap.
 
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