[jcgd]

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]

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]

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

 

[jcgd]

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

 

[iKine]

Contact cement would work for attaching the formica.

 

[bsmith]

3m spray adhesive. Great stuff.

 

[jcgd]

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]

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

Good Luck!

 

[jcgd]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[jcgd]

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]

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]

Some of the joints:

 

[jcgd]

Part of the stand glued up. I also dry fit the base that forms a 3/4" reveal around the base of the stand. The doors create the reveal where base is flush to the front in the last picture.

Everything fit quite nicely in the end. I would say I'm about 70% satisfied by the results so far.

 

[bsmith]

Looking good. Is this for a 120-p and what color/finish/veneer are you planning on using?

 

[jcgd]

Its a fluval Osaka 320 I believe. It's 120cm x 45cm x 60cm. The stock stand is getting shabby. The handles are sagging, the glass shelf is MIA and there is so little storage space that it drives me nuts.

I picked up some oak veneer, but after lots of research I don't think I can do a quality veneer job. I was going to use contact cement, but apparently it's elastic and the substrate can show if the humidity changes as the veneer will expand/ contract. I guess without a vacuum press or a cold press my best bet is hide glue, but it will let go if it gets wet.

So now I'm leaning towards just ordering in some formica, or painting it if I can get it smooth enough. I want to have a perfect finish.

 

[bsmith]

Yeah I debated a Formica finish on my DIY 60-p stand but I just didn't want to mess with it and really liked the grain on the wood I used (aspen) so I just stained it dark.

What color are you thinking?

 

[jcgd]

I would prefer a blond look. Like natural oak or something. I have a pic of an Ada stand I like the colour of. I'll post it when I get home.

My plywood isnt the best quality so on a few of the exposed surfaces the veneer had peeled from cutting/ handling, so staining is kinda out.