The goal of this aquarium stand was to be a pleasant size for both standing and sitting since this is located in the dining room / entry way. It was over sized a little to allow more room on the inside for an auto top off unit. One, no one is really going to see it, two, I'll get better air circulation without it.This aquarium stand was designed for a 40 gallon breeder tank on top, with a hidden side door to allow a 20 gallon long tank to be placed inside for a sump. Now the fun/hard part begins.what to wrap/paint/stain this thing with?! My plans are to add a door or two, and cut some plywood to make a floor. This design is VERY strong, and gives me piece of mind.which at times, can be priceless. I'm not comfortable with the pressed wood stands from most retail stores, and not confident enough in my carpentry skills to use anything other than this design. To my own defense, I'm far from a professional, and far from a carpenter. Now, I know some may say this is overkill, and a waste of wood. The four 2x4's that are on the front and back sides, are parallel and screwed to the 36" posts from Step 3. The four 2x4's on the left and right sides, are positioned so that they support the "seam" or "joint" of the square frames from Step 2. Once in position, I used clamps to securely hold them while I drilled small pilot holes, and screwed them down. I cut these just barely over 29" for a snug fit, and used a rubber mallet to tap them into place. Thanks for reading, will update ASAP!!! Edited Octoby mike c These will be placed between the square frames, and parallel to the 36" pieces. I will need to cut (8) 29" pieces, to add to the corners. Since I ran out of wood, I will have to continue this build in a day or two. To support the weight of a full tank, we need (8) more support beams. If you were to place a tank on this stand, as is, all the weight would be on the few screws along the perimeter. Now all we need to do is add some support beams. Use (2) screws, to drill them in place, from the outside face of the stand. This will give the stand some added rigidity. Place these on the inside, up against the 36" pieces. You should now have a basic looking stand. (2) drilled straight through the front face, and (2) from the side.įlip the stand over, and repeat this process for the other square frame. Use the Carpenters level to check for straightness as you go. Easiest to place the square frame on a flat, level table. With the aide of a clamp, screw the 36" pieces to the inside of one of the frames. Since you will be screwing pretty close together, use a small drill bit to drill pilot holes, to prevent the wood from splitting. Cutting the inside pieces to 16", plus the 3" added by the (2) 2x4's, will put me at the 19" I want. Using a hard, flat, level surface, make (2) square frames by drilling together the 16" pieces, to the inside of the 37" pieces, using (2) screws per corner. I then lightly sanded the edges clean of any burs. This will give me a 1/2" of play around the whole tank, while still allowing enough support surface. I want the stand to be 36" tall, and 37" x 19". I used a miter saw (not pictured), to cut 2x4's down to the sizes I measured out for the build. *Small piece of coarse sandpaper (not shown) Any bigger, and you'll want to either use 4x4's, or a custom steel frame. I'm building this stand for the dimensions of the 40B tank (36" x 18"), but this design will work for any tank up to about 200 gallons (provided extra support beams). If everything goes as planned, it should be here in 2 weeks. Just placed an order for a new 40 Breeder.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |