ADA style stand

jcgd · 09-13-2011, 12:49 AM

I want to built a stand for my 120cm tank so I thought I would start a thread to discuss ADA style/ minimalist designs. I found plans for all the standard size ADA stands and have added a link to the pdf.

For my stand I will be:
- doubling up all panels so they will be 1.5" think instead of 3/4".
- changing the overall dimensions to 1220mm X 470mm X 800mm (lxwxh)
- no center brace

ADA Stand Plans

jcgd · 09-13-2011, 02:42 AM

Anyone know how I would apply Formica to the face of 'F' and the bottom of 'E'?

I'm pointing to the area in the photo

Ziggy · 09-13-2011, 11:11 AM

Dying to do a smaller one for a 15Gal I have planned. Where's the zip file you mentioned attaching?

jcgd · 09-13-2011, 12:39 PM

Hmm. It seems I didn't attach it properly. I'll try again after work.

iKine · 09-13-2011, 01:23 PM

Contact cement would work for attaching the formica.

bsmith · 09-13-2011, 03:31 PM

3m spray adhesive. Great stuff.

jcgd · 09-13-2011, 04:42 PM

My issues is more how to butt the Formica nicely into the corner. Most places you just lay a oversized sheet down and router off the excess. Here you can't. Should I just get the edge as straight as possible and just deal with it?

**paronaram** · 09-13-2011, 05:00 PM

This guy will show you how:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ld8ec1sJtk

Good Luck!

jcgd · 09-19-2011, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paronaram

This guy will show you how:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ld8ec1sJtk

Good Luck!

I wonder what that tool was he used to cut out the corner. It looks like a file but I can't make it out very well.

I picked up some 3/4" oak today. It took two sheets to cut the main body and I'll need part of a third sheet to cut the doors. I'm waiting on those because I'm thinking about using mdf for the door and maybe painting them a solid colour, or using a nice dark wood for doors and leaving the oak natural. At first I thought the endgrain would look terrible, but if I do it right it could look neat. If not I'll do a veneer or Formica. Formica isn't really the look I want on this tank.

I was planning on using only a biscuit joiner and glue for the butt joints, but now I'm thinking I'll assemble one layer of the bottom, back and sides so I can add some screws to the joints, and afterwords I can laminate the second layer on. It will make a stronger joint in the end, but I'm not sure the extra fiddling is worth it. The joints should be plenty strong if I glue them properly and seal them from water.

**Hoppy** · 09-19-2011, 04:36 AM

I think you are probably too far along to change much, but you really don't gain anything worthwhile by doubling the thickness of the panels to 1.5 inches. The 3/4 inch plywood is strong enough to handle any tank. I wouldn't even use the frame shown inside the panels, for the same reason. And, screws add very little to the strength - the glue joints provide the shear strength you need. (Assuming you use a good modern glue, like yellow carpenter's glue or Gorilla glue.)

jcgd · 09-19-2011, 12:17 PM

I completely agree with you, Hoppy. The only reason I went double is because my landlord asked me to. I don't really mind since he allows me to have 300+ gallons in my suite. I wasn't sure about the screws. I did read that a good glue joint will rip the wood before breaking the glue though.

**Hoppy** · 09-19-2011, 08:10 PM

With a landlord like that you should be willing to put an elephant in the room as a tank stand!

jcgd · 09-20-2011, 01:40 AM

Yeah, it's kinda strange calling him my landlord. They are a young couple with a few kids and live upstairs. I try to buy a new tool for every job and he lets me use his tools to do the rest of the job. For this project I bought a palm router and a biscuit joiner. I only had a budget for one tool but I found them used. I saved a lot of money.

I was thinking about how overbuilt the stand is all day and I think I might omit the center brace. I needed to move it off center to accommodate my wet/dry and I didn't want to change the size of the door. It was just going to be weird.

jcgd · 10-14-2011, 03:33 AM

I've made some decent progress with the stand over the last few weeks. Doubling up the thickness was a royal pain. The panels are too big to safely use a table saw to square up, so I had to use the circular saw. It took a while to set the fence for every cut. Anyways, pics for the pic junkies:

Here is a dry fit to make sure everything fits, is square, and to mark for biscuits:

jcgd · 10-14-2011, 03:42 AM

Some of the joints:

09-13-2011, 12:49 AM	#1
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	ADA style stand I want to built a stand for my 120cm tank so I thought I would start a thread to discuss ADA style/ minimalist designs. I found plans for all the standard size ADA stands and have added a link to the pdf. For my stand I will be: - doubling up all panels so they will be 1.5" think instead of 3/4". - changing the overall dimensions to 1220mm X 470mm X 800mm (lxwxh) - no center brace ADA Stand Plans __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here. Last edited by jcgd; 09-20-2011 at 01:41 AM..

09-13-2011, 02:42 AM	#2
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	Anyone know how I would apply Formica to the face of 'F' and the bottom of 'E'? I'm pointing to the area in the photo __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here.

09-13-2011, 12:39 PM	#4
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	Hmm. It seems I didn't attach it properly. I'll try again after work. __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here.

09-13-2011, 01:23 PM	#5
iKine Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 508	Contact cement would work for attaching the formica. __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt #24* 25 Gallon Dirt \| 90 Gallon Fahaka \| DIY Light Mount

09-13-2011, 03:31 PM	#6
bsmith Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (278/99%) Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St.Louis, MO Posts: 9,058	3m spray adhesive. Great stuff. __________________ L183's 60-p Crypt/CRS Playground Appalachian Allure S.Barbatus & Black C. Schultzei breeding tank

09-13-2011, 11:11 AM	#3
Ziggy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 35	Dying to do a smaller one for a 15Gal I have planned. Where's the zip file you mentioned attaching?

09-13-2011, 04:42 PM	#7
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	My issues is more how to butt the Formica nicely into the corner. Most places you just lay a oversized sheet down and router off the excess. Here you can't. Should I just get the edge as straight as possible and just deal with it? __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here.

09-13-2011, 05:00 PM	#8
paronaram Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staten Island, NY Posts: 58	This guy will show you how: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ld8ec1sJtk Good Luck!

09-19-2011, 04:36 AM	#10
Hoppy Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (57/100%) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 17,286	I think you are probably too far along to change much, but you really don't gain anything worthwhile by doubling the thickness of the panels to 1.5 inches. The 3/4 inch plywood is strong enough to handle any tank. I wouldn't even use the frame shown inside the panels, for the same reason. And, screws add very little to the strength - the glue joints provide the shear strength you need. (Assuming you use a good modern glue, like yellow carpenter's glue or Gorilla glue.) __________________ Hoppy

09-19-2011, 12:17 PM	#11
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	I completely agree with you, Hoppy. The only reason I went double is because my landlord asked me to. I don't really mind since he allows me to have 300+ gallons in my suite. I wasn't sure about the screws. I did read that a good glue joint will rip the wood before breaking the glue though. __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here.

09-19-2011, 08:10 PM	#12
Hoppy Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (57/100%) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 17,286	With a landlord like that you should be willing to put an elephant in the room as a tank stand! __________________ Hoppy

09-20-2011, 01:40 AM	#13
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	Yeah, it's kinda strange calling him my landlord. They are a young couple with a few kids and live upstairs. I try to buy a new tool for every job and he lets me use his tools to do the rest of the job. For this project I bought a palm router and a biscuit joiner. I only had a budget for one tool but I found them used. I saved a lot of money. I was thinking about how overbuilt the stand is all day and I think I might omit the center brace. I needed to move it off center to accommodate my wet/dry and I didn't want to change the size of the door. It was just going to be weird. __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here.

10-14-2011, 03:33 AM	#14
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	I've made some decent progress with the stand over the last few weeks. Doubling up the thickness was a royal pain. The panels are too big to safely use a table saw to square up, so I had to use the circular saw. It took a while to set the fence for every cut. Anyways, pics for the pic junkies: Here is a dry fit to make sure everything fits, is square, and to mark for biscuits: __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here.

10-14-2011, 03:42 AM	#15
jcgd Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,983	Some of the joints: __________________ Follow your Impulse, click here.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode