125/150 Gallon Stand And Canopy Build

[joefish72]

Well I know I can build a better looking stand than those ones you see in the store so I'm going for it. Materials are 48 board feet of Maple hardwood, one sheet 4'x8' (3/4) PT plywood, 4'x8' sheet of Maple furniture grade plywood.

I cut the parts for the face frame and doweled it all together. At the same time I biscuit joined the cabinet sides to the face frame.

I used pipe clamps since the pieces are so big.

Here is the cabinet front openings (left and right openings to be closed with panels.

Here is the large rear opening so a sump tank can be installed, a removable center support will be added after the sump goes in.

The top the tank sits on is PT plywood, also the bottom in this picture sits on a hardwood lip.

Bottom dropped into place.

Here is the tank on the stand (stand has been given 3 coats of poly) for a test fit and to mark the holes needed for plumbing.

More to come as I complete the project.

 

[Tizer]

Nice build! Although i would question its strength once the tank is full. Im no expert but i would think more upright supports near the middle would be needed.

 

[joefish72]

Nice build! Although i would question its strength once the tank is full. Im no expert but i would think more upright supports near the middle would be needed.

Luckily I am an expert and I know for a fact it is strong enough.

 

[Mike G]

Nice build! Although i would question its strength once the tank is full. Im no expert but i would think more upright supports near the middle would be needed.

Luckily I am an expert and I know for a fact it is strong enough.

Im not expert but I have built lots of furniture and other projects and I would not worry about your vertical support but the horizontal support a 3/4 inch by 3 piece of maple and some 3/4 plywood in the rear may carry the load but any flex will crack your tank

 

[joefish72]

Nice build! Although i would question its strength once the tank is full. Im no expert but i would think more upright supports near the middle would be needed.

Luckily I am an expert and I know for a fact it is strong enough.

Im not expert but I have built lots of furniture and other projects and I would not worry about your vertical support but the horizontal support a 3/4 inch by 3 piece of maple and some 3/4 plywood in the rear may carry the load but any flex will crack your tank

First of all you have one heck of an eye those supports are 3.5 inches, I can't believe you got so close just from looking at the pics, you are a better man than me. The stand isn't finished yet and behind the supports there will be 3/4" panels that go floor to ceiling inside the cabinet and close off the two front openings on the left & right. That is where the extra support comes from, and by using high quality plywood the base is much stronger than regular wood. The only solid maple is in the face frame which is more for looks than support.

Also go check out what the stores sell as a base for a tank this size, the stuff is crap. The stuff is made of low quality wood, and often times just pinned or stapled together. I know I wouldn't want to stick my head under a store bought base that had almost 2000 pounds of filled tank sitting on it.

 

[OldMan47]

Nicely done joefish72. I also have a build that I did for minimal cost that Tizer might think is not strong enough. It has been in use for over 3 years with no problems at all and can be easily found using the link in my signature area. Yours is far more decorative than mine was. If you want a read through, try the link called My Tank Thread.

 

[Herefishy07]

Luckily I am an expert and I know for a fact it is strong enough.

Finally, an expert.
I've been looking into making my own aquarium since last summer. I can't find any plywood build (until now). I've been seeing 2x4 and 2x6 and 4x4 builds for years but I believe they're not really as good in the long run as that type of lumber can move more than hardwood, I also think they are more complicated to seal, they end up being very heavy to move when finished, and you loose a lot of space. I've looked into old furniture that I possess or have had, and I can see technicalities that seem to give a lot of strength to the structures like, glue, corner blocks, dowels/dovetails and other strengthening techniques. Plus the particular placement of wood materials that make furniture almost indestructible like two pieces of wood butted together at 90° with corner blocks and glued and screwed as a stand corner could be done, and under the weight of the aquarium wouldn't sway in any direction IMO. Of course I'm not the expert but I would like to find one in my neighborhood. Who am I looking for? A furniture carpenter? Is there a book or books, that I could learn the techniques from?
Thanks, and nice build so far