I would go with a 2x4 frame and use some thinner plywood for a skin. The weight of full a 4ft tank on that would be too much I think, not to mention side to side stability.
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+1 with the 2x4 frame. Take a look at this thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/2...one-diy-fish-tank-stand-sell.html#post9634697 . You can wrap it afterwards with the ply wood to make a cabinet basically.I would go with a 2x4 frame and use some thinner plywood for a skin. The weight of full a 4ft tank on that would be too much I think, not to mention side to side stability.
My stand for my 75g (did not build myself) is a similar design. Two thin pieces of thin wood hold the entire weight on the outside - not sure what grade of wood it is though. It is much stronger than people give it credit for but just to be safe I beefed it up a bit with some extra vertical pieces of 2x4 in the corners and center of the stand. It is rock solid.
This is my initial inspiration... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xjZXQa-krY
The biscuits would make the joins strong--I wouldn't be simply gluing/nailing the pieces together..
I think, if anything, if I jam a 2x4 behind the front center support, running from base to top, I would hope that would be plenty to beef up the front load bearing capabilities.
I'm also not an engineer to be able to calculate this.
Of course, I just might end up buying Red Sea Reefer 350 kit and call it a day... but I sort of want to do it on my own to give myself a little more flexibility.. plus I'm pretty set on skinning it with a dark gray laminate. Although I don't see any reason why I couldn't do that with a pre-made product.
a
I've been wanting to do this for years, but timing and all is finally lining up now to build a nice, clean rimless setup to get rid of my current 75g eyesore.
The biscuits would make the joins strong--I wouldn't be simply gluing/nailing the pieces together..
I think, if anything, if I jam a 2x4 behind the front center support, running from base to top, I would hope that would be plenty to beef up the front load bearing capabilities.
I'm also not an engineer to be able to calculate this.
Of course, I just might end up buying Red Sea Reefer 350 kit and call it a day... but I sort of want to do it on my own to give myself a little more flexibility.. plus I'm pretty set on skinning it with a dark gray laminate. Although I don't see any reason why I couldn't do that with a pre-made product.
a
I've been wanting to do this for years, but timing and all is finally lining up now to build a nice, clean rimless setup to get rid of my current 75g eyesore.
I checked out ADA's website for stands and they do make one for a 5 foot long tank. If your plan is like that one, it should hold up.
Cool video! I didn't realize that you would have a solid back wall, was seeing just the two sides and one 4" center support. Should be plenty strong, especially with all those biscuits. I second the 2x4 center idea. Might be overkill, but why risk itThis is my initial inspiration... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xjZXQa-krY
The biscuits would make the joins strong--I wouldn't be simply gluing/nailing the pieces together..
I think, if anything, if I jam a 2x4 behind the front center support, running from base to top, I would hope that would be plenty to beef up the front load bearing capabilities.
Heck yeah man, can't wait to see the finished product
I think the design, if using 3/4" plywood is a good one. The full back will prevent side to side racking and provide plenty of support. If you are concerned about the front support being strong enough why not double the thickness as the header is in the video. The biscuit/glue joinery is very strong and helps keep things aligned during assembly.
Yep. that's what I'm going to do. I want to tweak around the design a little bit anyway but I'll do just that--double up the header and support and just ditch a 2x4 entirely. I'll also double up the top for a little extra rigidity--and I think I'll be ok.
On a related note... any opinions on glasscages.com? My tank has been on cruise control for the last 5 years so I've really been out of the game since, so at the time that was the only place I knew of to order a rimless tank from... maybe something new crept up since or existed prior that I didn't know about.
I'm pretty excited for it.. it won't be happening this weekend but I would think I'll have everything ready to go somewhere around new years, unless acquiring a rimless tank is a longer process than I anticipated.
On a related note... any opinions on glasscages.com? My tank has been on cruise control for the last 5 years so I've really been out of the game since, so at the time that was the only place I knew of to order a rimless tank from... maybe something new crept up since or existed prior that I didn't know about.
I'm pretty excited for it.. it won't be happening this weekend but I would think I'll have everything ready to go somewhere around new years, unless acquiring a rimless tank is a longer process than I anticipated.
That is pretty much how the mass produced ones are done.
No. Biscuits do not add strength at all. Every test I've seen on joint strength agrees with that. Think of them as an alignment tool.This is my initial inspiration... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xjZXQa-krY
The biscuits would make the joins strong--I wouldn't be simply gluing/nailing the pieces together..
I think, if anything, if I jam a 2x4 behind the front center support, running from base to top, I would hope that would be plenty to beef up the front load bearing capabilities.
I'm also not an engineer to be able to calculate this.
Of course, I just might end up buying Red Sea Reefer 350 kit and call it a day... but I sort of want to do it on my own to give myself a little more flexibility.. plus I'm pretty set on skinning it with a dark gray laminate. Although I don't see any reason why I couldn't do that with a pre-made product.
a
I've been wanting to do this for years, but timing and all is finally lining up now to build a nice, clean rimless setup to get rid of my current 75g eyesore.
You have the back that will strengthen the plywood in that area and prevent bowing. You can accomplish the same idea with a face frame. That little angle adds a lot of strength.
I would look at tongue and dado joinery for the cabinet and also running a grove for your shelving. That too adds strength.
When I build my own cabinetry I use glue for the holding power. Screws and or nails are only so I don't have to have clamps tied up for hours.
Bump:
I wouldn't bother with doubling up the top. Your stress is around the edges not in the center. If you want you could rip a 2-3 inch strip of plywood and run it side to side anchored in a little pocket. That would add anti-sag insurance yet not add a ton of weight.Yep. that's what I'm going to do. I want to tweak around the design a little bit anyway but I'll do just that--double up the header and support and just ditch a 2x4 entirely. I'll also double up the top for a little extra rigidity--and I think I'll be ok.
This diagram gets tossed around a lot and I quite like it a lot. I've built a couple of these.
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2x4s are a bit of overkill for a stand like this with smaller tanks but there's the school of thought that overbuilt is better than underbuilt. Something similar to this would be very easy to skin in nice looking plywood.
2x4s are a bit of overkill for a stand like this with smaller tanks but there's the school of thought that overbuilt is better than underbuilt. Something similar to this would be very easy to skin in nice looking plywood.
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