29 gal. stand and light hood, Got it all set up!

[brion0]

This is the plan.



My goal is to make this project for as little cash as I can. The frame will be 1"x1" .065 tube steel. Looked at a sheet of partical board today, it has a white coating, this will cover the stand. Thought about MDF,or ceadar. Partical board is a little cheaper, an I think it will look good painted.

The hood will be suported by the frame, it'll flip up for maint. an I'll be able to adjust it closer or farther from the tank. Been thinking about what to cover the lamp with, pry use sheat metal, with a tube steel frame. It will hold 4 24" T8 lamps.

I want this stand an lamp to look very clean. So when people see this, its not distracting from the tank.

Thanks for checking this out, Ill make the frame in the next few days.

Brion

[NeonShrimp]

Thanks for sharing your plans with us. I hope everything turns out just the way you want it to. Please post results whenever you can

[brion0]

Originally Posted by NeonShrimp

Thanks for sharing your plans with us. I hope everything turns out just the way you want it to. Please post results whenever you can

No problem, so far its going good. Here is what I got done on it today.


This is the frame for the light. Im thinking that I will use sheat metal to cover it. If you can think of something else that may work let me know.



This is the stand so far.



Next Ill work on getting the bulbs an a cheap homemade reflector mounted in the lamp.

Brion

[Hoppy]

That really looks good, and substantial. Have you figured out the details of the hood support and how to hold it at the height you want it? With that shape hood you could put a very effective reflector in it.

[brion0]

Originally Posted by Hoppy

That really looks good, and substantial. Have you figured out the details of the hood support and how to hold it at the height you want it? With that shape hood you could put a very effective reflector in it.

Hello Hoppy,

Thanks, I've been watching your diy thread. I hope it works good, if it works for you Id like to try it.

My idea was to just use nuts n bolts at the joints, then I could hold it where I wanted it, then tighten the nuts. After you asked, started thinking more about it. Might not hold the weight of the light, or fail in time. So now I want to use the gear body of a ratchet wrench. If I weld it to the support that comes off the stand, then weld the ratchet part to the bars that go to the lamp. Then I can just lift it to where I want an it should stay.

Want to make the hood so it can be up graded later. Are good reflectors made of stainless steel?

Brion

[joy613]

When I saw the stainless steel frames I thought wow it would be great to get one made totally out of stainless, something like a pipe cover that insulators put over their work in industrial setting. Water spots might be a little hard to deal with is that's only thing.

[EdTheEdge]

That looks great!!! You DIYers never cease to amaze me!! It would be cool if you could just keep the frame exposed instead of covering it up with wood.

I bet you could sell those things!!!!

[brion0]

Originally Posted by joy613

When I saw the stainless steel frames I thought wow it would be great to get one made totally out of stainless, something like a pipe cover that insulators put over their work in industrial setting. Water spots might be a little hard to deal with is that's only thing.

Sorry, just plain old steel. If I had money it would get powder coated. Ill use a good industrial spray paint cause Im poor.

[brion0]

Originally Posted by EdTheEdge

That looks great!!! You DIYers never cease to amaze me!! It would be cool if you could just keep the frame exposed instead of covering it up with wood.

I bet you could sell those things!!!!

Thanks Ed,

Thought about that, think Ill cover the legs an leave the part that runs around the bottom of the tank exposed.

[blue-ram]

what about just polishing a piece of aluminum or something else that gets really shiny and just line the inside of the curve with it?

[Hoppy]

Stainless steel is very inferior to polished aluminum as a reflector. Remember, a light reflector is good when it reflects virtually 100% of the light that hits it, not when it reflects with great accuracy (so you could shave with it). And, aluminum is the best reflective material available. Ordinary aluminum foil is a good reflector. Aluminized mylar is good, but because the coating is usually not thick enough, it isn't as good as aluminum foil. The best reflectors are those made of German Miro 4 material, a very highly polished aluminum - AH Supply reflectors. Oddly enough a flat white painted surface is a better reflector than even mylar, but don't try shaving with a white painted board as a mirror.

[dbosman@msu.edu]

Just my experience, that white coated particle board hasn't taken paint well for me. I thought I'd save time using it for some white shelves. Covering the edges with the iron on white laminate tape worked great though. MDF worked a lot better where I needed to paint.

By the way, that hood is incredible. Have you considered spring balance units used for hand held tools?

[talontsiawd]

I wouldn't use particle board. I have no experience with aquariums, mainly because i have been told to stay away. I do have alot of things made out of it and it "bubbles" when wet. I have a self that had a beer spilt on it made out of the white stuff i think you are talking about and it bubbled.

With the time and effort, i'd really consider using something a bit more expensive as you are creating a very important aspect of the look of the tank in your living space.


I am very interested in this as i am trying to get my friend to eventauly make me an all aluminum stand (though i haven't told him lol). Everything skinned, etc.

Have you thought about skinning it with sheet metal? I think it would have a very cool, industrial look, even when painted.

[brion0]

Hoppyanblue-ram,

Thanks for informing me on reflectors. I have some aluminum tape, its used to seal duct work. Its 2 or 3 times as thick as foil, if I can get it laid on flat, might be able to polish it up some. The addhesive on it is very unforgiving, once stuck it stays.

[Hoppy]

Given your metal working skills you could use this idea to suspend that hood above the tank: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/di...tml#post723341. If you add a spring to each linkage you can balance it so it is easy to adjust and hold in position.

I haven't tested that aluminum tape so I don't know how good a reflector it will make. But, I would bet it would be better than stainless steel. Best, of course, would be to buy a Miro 4 reflector cut to the length you want. They are available at a few internet stores.