Urbanek's 250
- Thread starter urbaneks
- Start date
GoldeneyeRet
New member
This looks like a fantastic build! I love what you have done so far and am eager to follow it through completion.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
havasuviking1
New member
Just beautiful work. Your woodworking is great. Keep the pictures coming.
urbaneks
New member
May 4th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback
May 4th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback
May 4th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback
sahin - Thank you so much the kind words on my current tank. I'm hopeful the new tank will have similar success.
tom obrecht - Thanks so much for your kind words and following along.
panalo - Appreciate the kind words
screamingibis - You've been in the hobby a while if you remember the 28g. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
d2mini - Thanks for taking the time to stop in and comment. Appreciate your input on the skimmer. I ended up going with LifeReef for my skimmer and sump
dtum - thanks for checking in. Here early in the build, I should be making regular updates. No need to wait to long for new pics.
dtum - thanks for the 2nd view and comment. I hope I don't let you down with your coffee reading.
bogdanek - I'm not going to have any MP40s on the short view-able end of the tank. Rather than put an MP40 on that end, I will have a closed loop system to provide flow on that end of the aquarium.
rovster - Thaaaaanks!
spoon671 - Appreciate it. I love the reclaimed wood. The character of the wood has a story to tell. As for the your question on that table, it was something that was done by the guys at Porter Barn Wood. I will be posting soon, some before and after pictures of the barn wood, you will not believe what it looks like before you rework it.
cFloor - Thanks for the post. The design is something I've been thinking about and working on for a long time. It took me several revisions until I found a solution that includes the small counter top that surrounds the aquarium.
whiteshark - Thanks!
radobahn - Thanks for taking the time to view and comment on the new build.
spoon671 - Damn! I knew I forgot something. I guess it's good that the tank is close to the kitchen.
bmullikin1 - appreciate your kind words. The niche is simply for a design effect. I wanted something that added a bit more to the cabinet. I may end up adding some iron or using it as a shelf.
GQuinn - Chalk paint is a type of paint that is very thick and finishes with a chalky finish. Without the wax that goes on top of the paint you would end up with esentially a chalk board finish. I will be posting some details about the process in the near future. If you want to learn more before then, you can do an internet search on "Annie Sloan Chalk Paint"
lwhite - Thanks so much. I'm having a hard time waiting myself.
Saltydrip - Thank for the kind words.
SoDak - Very much appreciate the kind words.
GoldeneyeRet - Thank you for sharing the kind words.
sahin - That is an ATO LED Powermodule! You were the tipping point for me getting that light. Thanks for your time when I asked for a recommendation. I've powered it up a couple times without a tank and my entire house glows blue. I'm hoping that the tank will help with the light spill.
toad2169 - Thanks so much!
havasuviking1 - Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy with how the project has turned out. Speed is not my thing, the cabinet has taken me more hours than I'd like to admit.
moe458 - Thanks!
ReneeF - Thanks for the view and comment.
May 4th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback
May 4th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback
Wow, so looking forward to this. Your current tank is stellar and I am sure this will be just as good.
sahin - Thank you so much the kind words on my current tank. I'm hopeful the new tank will have similar success.
tom obrecht - Thanks so much for your kind words and following along.
panalo - Appreciate the kind words
screamingibis - You've been in the hobby a while if you remember the 28g. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hey brad!
Love your current tank.
This new one looks like it's going to be epic!
d2mini - Thanks for taking the time to stop in and comment. Appreciate your input on the skimmer. I ended up going with LifeReef for my skimmer and sump
W00t w00t! Buckle your seat belts boys and girls, this one is going to be epic.
The only problem is that we will now all have to wait until we get enough posts so that it spills to the next page for us to see all new photos.
dtum - thanks for checking in. Here early in the build, I should be making regular updates. No need to wait to long for new pics.
dtum - thanks for the 2nd view and comment. I hope I don't let you down with your coffee reading.
bogdanek - I'm not going to have any MP40s on the short view-able end of the tank. Rather than put an MP40 on that end, I will have a closed loop system to provide flow on that end of the aquarium.
rovster - Thaaaaanks!
spoon671 - Appreciate it. I love the reclaimed wood. The character of the wood has a story to tell. As for the your question on that table, it was something that was done by the guys at Porter Barn Wood. I will be posting soon, some before and after pictures of the barn wood, you will not believe what it looks like before you rework it.
cFloor - Thanks for the post. The design is something I've been thinking about and working on for a long time. It took me several revisions until I found a solution that includes the small counter top that surrounds the aquarium.
whiteshark - Thanks!
Wow, beautiful start and cant wait to see the rest
Subscribed..
radobahn - Thanks for taking the time to view and comment on the new build.
I don't see any beer taps. You can't talk the wife into allowing a keg down there?
spoon671 - Damn! I knew I forgot something. I guess it's good that the tank is close to the kitchen.
bmullikin1 - appreciate your kind words. The niche is simply for a design effect. I wanted something that added a bit more to the cabinet. I may end up adding some iron or using it as a shelf.
GQuinn - Chalk paint is a type of paint that is very thick and finishes with a chalky finish. Without the wax that goes on top of the paint you would end up with esentially a chalk board finish. I will be posting some details about the process in the near future. If you want to learn more before then, you can do an internet search on "Annie Sloan Chalk Paint"
lwhite - Thanks so much. I'm having a hard time waiting myself.
Saltydrip - Thank for the kind words.
SoDak - Very much appreciate the kind words.
GoldeneyeRet - Thank you for sharing the kind words.
Wow, so impressed with this thread already...and we havent even seen any glass, water or corals.
Is that an ATI LED Powermodule I spy there?
sahin - That is an ATO LED Powermodule! You were the tipping point for me getting that light. Thanks for your time when I asked for a recommendation. I've powered it up a couple times without a tank and my entire house glows blue. I'm hoping that the tank will help with the light spill.
toad2169 - Thanks so much!
havasuviking1 - Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy with how the project has turned out. Speed is not my thing, the cabinet has taken me more hours than I'd like to admit.
moe458 - Thanks!
ReneeF - Thanks for the view and comment.
urbaneks
New member
Cabinet Build in Detail
Cabinet Build in Detail
Cabinet Build in Detail
Framing the Cabinet
As mentioned earlier in the journal, the cabinet was built using the DIY Stand Template and Calculator thread that is very popular on Reef Central. Looking at the finished cabinet, it's difficult to see but the cabinet is nothing more than a single stand in the middle with a second stand as the exterior walls. The interior cabinet holds all of the weight of the aquarium while the exterior cabinet is in place to make the cabinet larger and provide a way to attach the counter top. The frame was built using 2x4's for all the pieces except the interior stand's top box, this portion was built using 2x8's. For those of you not familiar with the thread mentioned above, the top box is what distributes the weight of the tank to the floor. For aquariums over 48" it's recommended that 2x6's are used for the top box, I went with 2x8's for added piece of mind. Considering the aquarium will weigh about 3000 pounds, it seemed like a few extra dollars in lumber was a no brainer. All of the framing lumber was purchased at Home Depot, see link for the specific lumber that I chose.
The image below is a Sketch Up that I did prior to starting construction. I can't express how helpful it is to have a plan before you start cutting and assembling. I referenced my sketches many times over during the build process.
Sketch Up of the Cabinet Frame - All pieces are 2x4's except for the Red and Yellow pieces, these are 2x8s
A Couple Added Design Features
While the Reef Central thread is simple to use and follow, it leaves a bit to be desired in terms of a nice finished piece of furniture. I wanted an impressive piece of furniture that accented my aquarium. With this in mind, I decided that a couple design changes would help the overall look of the cabinet. The first change that I made was to create an overhang from the base. This was accomplished by using 3/4" plywood that sits on top of the first layer of 2x4s. The finished result is basically a kick plate like you would have on a kitchen cabinet. An added benefit is that the design breaks up the strait lines that would typically run from the floor to the tank. Below are a couple images that I hope show how the overhang/kick plate was created.
Here is a second sketch that shows how I used 3/4" plywood to create the overhang/kick plate.
Here is a photo taken during the build process, you are looking at the back side of the cabinet but the overhang is visable
Here is a photo of the finished cabinet, you can see what the overhang adds to the finished project.
The second design change I added was the niche that you see on the end of the cabinet(pictured above) By adding the exterior cabinet, it afforded me the room to add this design feature. I think this adds a great element to the cabinet. As is the case with all of the exterior of the cabinet, it was finished out with inexpensive poplar wood also available from Home Depot. I chose poplar since I would be painting the wood. I've included a couple photos that shows how the niche came together during the build process. An LED under cabinet light was added to give the piece a more finished look. I inlcluded a link to the exact LED light that I used for the niche. I purchased a package with 3 lights, one was used on the niche and the other two will be used inside the cabinet.
Here is a photo taken during construction that shows the cabinet before the end niche was framed out and finished.
Here is a close up photo of the niche. You can get a pretty good sense of the paint finish and under cabinet lighting from this photo.
That's it for today's entry. In my next entry, I'm going to provide some details on the counter top, doors and beam, all of which were made from reclaimed barn wood. Thanks again to everyone who's taken the time to view and make comments.
Cabinet Build in Detail
Cabinet Build in Detail
Framing the Cabinet
As mentioned earlier in the journal, the cabinet was built using the DIY Stand Template and Calculator thread that is very popular on Reef Central. Looking at the finished cabinet, it's difficult to see but the cabinet is nothing more than a single stand in the middle with a second stand as the exterior walls. The interior cabinet holds all of the weight of the aquarium while the exterior cabinet is in place to make the cabinet larger and provide a way to attach the counter top. The frame was built using 2x4's for all the pieces except the interior stand's top box, this portion was built using 2x8's. For those of you not familiar with the thread mentioned above, the top box is what distributes the weight of the tank to the floor. For aquariums over 48" it's recommended that 2x6's are used for the top box, I went with 2x8's for added piece of mind. Considering the aquarium will weigh about 3000 pounds, it seemed like a few extra dollars in lumber was a no brainer. All of the framing lumber was purchased at Home Depot, see link for the specific lumber that I chose.
The image below is a Sketch Up that I did prior to starting construction. I can't express how helpful it is to have a plan before you start cutting and assembling. I referenced my sketches many times over during the build process.
Sketch Up of the Cabinet Frame - All pieces are 2x4's except for the Red and Yellow pieces, these are 2x8s
A Couple Added Design Features
While the Reef Central thread is simple to use and follow, it leaves a bit to be desired in terms of a nice finished piece of furniture. I wanted an impressive piece of furniture that accented my aquarium. With this in mind, I decided that a couple design changes would help the overall look of the cabinet. The first change that I made was to create an overhang from the base. This was accomplished by using 3/4" plywood that sits on top of the first layer of 2x4s. The finished result is basically a kick plate like you would have on a kitchen cabinet. An added benefit is that the design breaks up the strait lines that would typically run from the floor to the tank. Below are a couple images that I hope show how the overhang/kick plate was created.
Here is a second sketch that shows how I used 3/4" plywood to create the overhang/kick plate.
Here is a photo taken during the build process, you are looking at the back side of the cabinet but the overhang is visable
Here is a photo of the finished cabinet, you can see what the overhang adds to the finished project.
The second design change I added was the niche that you see on the end of the cabinet(pictured above) By adding the exterior cabinet, it afforded me the room to add this design feature. I think this adds a great element to the cabinet. As is the case with all of the exterior of the cabinet, it was finished out with inexpensive poplar wood also available from Home Depot. I chose poplar since I would be painting the wood. I've included a couple photos that shows how the niche came together during the build process. An LED under cabinet light was added to give the piece a more finished look. I inlcluded a link to the exact LED light that I used for the niche. I purchased a package with 3 lights, one was used on the niche and the other two will be used inside the cabinet.
Here is a photo taken during construction that shows the cabinet before the end niche was framed out and finished.
Here is a close up photo of the niche. You can get a pretty good sense of the paint finish and under cabinet lighting from this photo.
That's it for today's entry. In my next entry, I'm going to provide some details on the counter top, doors and beam, all of which were made from reclaimed barn wood. Thanks again to everyone who's taken the time to view and make comments.
UlyssesG305
New member
Great build, thank you for sharing your experience and creativity with us. #inspired
Arkayology
Active member
Now that is what I call a stand! Awesome build man!
urbaneks
New member
Cabinet Build - The Reclaimed Barn Wood
Cabinet Build - The Reclaimed Barn Wood
Cabinet Build - The Reclaimed Barn Wood
Barn Wood Finishes
Over the last year, I've really taken a liking to the look of reclaimed wood furniture. To me, the character of the old wood has a story to tell. Couple the character with the idea of giving new life to something that has been left to the wayside, is pretty intriguing to me. When I started to scope out the new aquarium, I really wanted to incorporate some reclaimed wood into the project. I started out with the idea of having a small counter top that surrounds the aquarium. After incorporating this into my sketches, I decided that a bit more wood was needed to get the overall look I was after. I decided to make the doors out of reclaimed wood as well which helped but was not exactly what I was looking for. Sketch after sketch, I was not satisfied with the look I was getting. It finally dawned on me that that I was missing some wood element higher in the room, that is when I decided to incorporate the reclaimed barn beam.
This was my winning sketch where reclaimed barn wood was added for the counter, doors and beam
My search to find reclaimed barn wood started on Craig's List where I found Porter Barn Wood advertising their business. Porter Barn Wood has a lot in down town Phoenix where they sell bare wood which they've pulled from old barns. The wood that I purchased is White Oak which was from a 150 year old German Barn in Pennsylvania. The owner of Porter had pictures of the actual barn that the wood was pulled from. It's very rewarding to look at these photos and see that my beam was once a rafter and the counter was once a floor in this vary barn.
It's great to look at this picture and know that my beam and counter were once part of this barn
When you first look at the bare wood, it's hard to imagine that it's going to become a beautiful piece of furniture. The wood comes full of nails, holes, knots, insects, etc. My first instinct was to look for boards that were in better shape than the others. The owner of Porter quickly schooled me that the gnarlier the wood, the better the finish. Let me tell you, it's not easy to leave a lumber yard with pieces of wood that look like they belong in a landfill. I've included a couple photos of the lumber at the yard and the particular pieces that I purchased for the cabinet.
Stack of floor threshing sitting on the lumber yard lot. It's difficult to imagine these boards becoming beautiful portions of my aquarium cabinet.
Here are the pieces of White Oak sitting on my side yard. You can see just how bad of shape the wood is in.
An orbital sander makes pretty simple and quick work of reclaiming the barn wood. The hardest part of the process is determining how much you want to sand. Not enough and the finish will not look good, to much, the wood will end up looking brand new. The wood was lightly sanded with 80 grit sand paper followed by 150, then 220. Once the wood was sanded, all of the old nails were removed and I planed the wood to get a consistent thickness between both boards. I've included a coupe photos of the floor threshing/counter top pieces while I was working on them.
The piece on the left has not been sanded yet where as the piece on the right is ready to be stained
Here is another shot that shows the contrast between the reclaimed and bare pieces of wood. Shortly after this was taken the piece on the right was sent through the planer.
Once the wood was sanded and planed, it was finished using Briwax. Briwax is a combination of both a wax and stain. Applying it as simple as brushing it on, letting it dry and the buffing it out. Follow the provided link for Briwax tips and tricks. Briwax comes in several colors, I used a color called dark oak to achieve the rich look that I was looking for.
Here is a photo taken of the counter top shortly after the Briwax finish
Close up photo of the counter and doors. I love the knots, bug groves and overall character of the reclaimed wood
Photo of the beam after sanding and Briwax. The beam was only lightly sanded with 220 grit sand paper. I love the notches and holes in the beam that were once used to tie multiple beams together.
Another photo of the finished beam
That concludes my latest journal entry. I will be detailing the build on the doors in my next update. Thanks again to everyone for the views and comments. The tank was supposed to ship today, hopefully we will be talking about plumbing, live rock and water before too long.
Cabinet Build - The Reclaimed Barn Wood
Cabinet Build - The Reclaimed Barn Wood
Barn Wood Finishes
Over the last year, I've really taken a liking to the look of reclaimed wood furniture. To me, the character of the old wood has a story to tell. Couple the character with the idea of giving new life to something that has been left to the wayside, is pretty intriguing to me. When I started to scope out the new aquarium, I really wanted to incorporate some reclaimed wood into the project. I started out with the idea of having a small counter top that surrounds the aquarium. After incorporating this into my sketches, I decided that a bit more wood was needed to get the overall look I was after. I decided to make the doors out of reclaimed wood as well which helped but was not exactly what I was looking for. Sketch after sketch, I was not satisfied with the look I was getting. It finally dawned on me that that I was missing some wood element higher in the room, that is when I decided to incorporate the reclaimed barn beam.
This was my winning sketch where reclaimed barn wood was added for the counter, doors and beam
My search to find reclaimed barn wood started on Craig's List where I found Porter Barn Wood advertising their business. Porter Barn Wood has a lot in down town Phoenix where they sell bare wood which they've pulled from old barns. The wood that I purchased is White Oak which was from a 150 year old German Barn in Pennsylvania. The owner of Porter had pictures of the actual barn that the wood was pulled from. It's very rewarding to look at these photos and see that my beam was once a rafter and the counter was once a floor in this vary barn.
It's great to look at this picture and know that my beam and counter were once part of this barn
When you first look at the bare wood, it's hard to imagine that it's going to become a beautiful piece of furniture. The wood comes full of nails, holes, knots, insects, etc. My first instinct was to look for boards that were in better shape than the others. The owner of Porter quickly schooled me that the gnarlier the wood, the better the finish. Let me tell you, it's not easy to leave a lumber yard with pieces of wood that look like they belong in a landfill. I've included a couple photos of the lumber at the yard and the particular pieces that I purchased for the cabinet.
Stack of floor threshing sitting on the lumber yard lot. It's difficult to imagine these boards becoming beautiful portions of my aquarium cabinet.
Here are the pieces of White Oak sitting on my side yard. You can see just how bad of shape the wood is in.
An orbital sander makes pretty simple and quick work of reclaiming the barn wood. The hardest part of the process is determining how much you want to sand. Not enough and the finish will not look good, to much, the wood will end up looking brand new. The wood was lightly sanded with 80 grit sand paper followed by 150, then 220. Once the wood was sanded, all of the old nails were removed and I planed the wood to get a consistent thickness between both boards. I've included a coupe photos of the floor threshing/counter top pieces while I was working on them.
The piece on the left has not been sanded yet where as the piece on the right is ready to be stained
Here is another shot that shows the contrast between the reclaimed and bare pieces of wood. Shortly after this was taken the piece on the right was sent through the planer.
Once the wood was sanded and planed, it was finished using Briwax. Briwax is a combination of both a wax and stain. Applying it as simple as brushing it on, letting it dry and the buffing it out. Follow the provided link for Briwax tips and tricks. Briwax comes in several colors, I used a color called dark oak to achieve the rich look that I was looking for.
Here is a photo taken of the counter top shortly after the Briwax finish
Close up photo of the counter and doors. I love the knots, bug groves and overall character of the reclaimed wood
Photo of the beam after sanding and Briwax. The beam was only lightly sanded with 220 grit sand paper. I love the notches and holes in the beam that were once used to tie multiple beams together.
Another photo of the finished beam
That concludes my latest journal entry. I will be detailing the build on the doors in my next update. Thanks again to everyone for the views and comments. The tank was supposed to ship today, hopefully we will be talking about plumbing, live rock and water before too long.
Reef or Die
New member
Nicest stand I have ever seen!!! Great build so far. Looking forward to the rest.
