Some woodworking questions

[dodger1v]

I've done some searching around on RC for some basic woodworking information. Haven't really found the answers I was looking for. I'm wondering if someone could help me out.

I'm going to be building my own canopy for my old 40 gallon breeder to use as a frag tank for my new-ish 90 gallon (everything in the 40 went over to the 90. 40 was up for over 1.5 years).

Here are my questions. What type of wood is best to use for this? Should there be a max weight that the canopy can be? I know it shouldn't weigh 100 lbs. but what if it ends up weighing like 15 lbs? Is there any worry of putting to much force on the aquarium and having it crack?

I did find people mentioning Spar Eurethane to seal the inside of the canopy with to keep it from warping. I tried looking in my HD a few times to find this and didn't see it. Do I need to order this stuff special? Or was I just looking in the wrong department? I looked in the paint section where the sealants are.

As always your help is much appreciated.

 

[ErikS]

#1 - never heard of a canopy causing problems w/ weight. It's entirely a vertical load - something glass is very good with.

#2 - It's "spar urethane" - basically marine polyurethane (water resistant). Ask in the paint dept if you can't find it, they'll have it.

Canopies are generally either frame & skin (sticks w/ a thin ply shell) or solid ply - either will work, just match your design.

Inside I'd paint with an outdoor furniture paint, i.e. Rustoleum. The outdoor furniture paint is UV & water resistant - flat white is a good option.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Weight should not be a problem for most tanks... your not making the hood out of lead so don't worry about it.

Any type of wood is suitable as long as it is finished and sealed. Certain cuts of wood are more prone to warping than others. I suggest a good search of rec.woodworking on google groups if you really want to learn more about different cuts of wood.

The finish on the inside of the hood and the outside should be similar so that they draw moisture at the same rate. If they are drasticlly different, then the wood will warp.

You may also want to search the internet for SPAR urethanes and the differences between the types of polyurethanes finishes. There is just to much to go through here. Most oil based polys will suit your needs. Any of the oil based urethane products designed for hardwood floors would be great.

 

[amonhen]

my two cents:

1--Agreed--weight of canopy not an issue as far as the tank being able to support it. (Obviously, if you have heavy ballasts, you need to make sure the canopy is strong enough, but that's a different issue.)

2--I made mine out of unfinished oak and it did just fine--didn't warp at all. My guess is that unfinished pine wouldn't do as well. If it is sealed with finish, my guess is that pine does fine as well. IMHO, the quality of the wood is more important than the type. If you get a decent grade of pine or plywood, you'll be fine.

--Jeff

 

[mattydub]

weight no prob

use plywood, it'll warp less and you can paint it any color you want.

use rustoleum but poly over that too, that stuff will peel in no time.

hth

 

[dodger1v]

Thanks alot guys. You've answered all my questions. I feel alot better about doing this now. This is my first time ever making something out of wood. Wish me luck! lol

 

[aroundtuit]

I contacted the manufacturer of my tank/stand about what to use for a floor in the stand. See thread here. They recommended 1/2" Marine plywood and an oil based enable for the finish.