Urbanek's 250

[urbaneks]

May 4th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback

 

Of course, the 250 stands no chance. But forum participation is what makes totm, you have been the epitome of documentation and responding to everyone's questions, remarks and admiration. I'm interested in the aquascape mostly as it's different from your other builds.

 

I could not agree with you more, TOTM should go to the aquariums that not only look great but have a good knowledge base to be shared. I guess for the most part that is how it happens. It's all good, I'm honored to have my 112 in the discussion. I do appreciate you going to bat for my aquarium.

 

this is awesome news brad. ill be here for the whole process and wish you the best of luck!!!

 

Thank you! Appreciate you joining in for the adventure. As far as the luck goes, I need all I can get.

 

I am so excited to see how amazing this tank is going to be, your 112 gallon is truly an inspiration.

Jason

 

Jason - Thanks for the kind words on the 112. I hope I'm able to have similar success on a bigger scale.

 

This is gonna be good. Will be watching this one.

 

Excellent! Thanks for following along.

 

Oh my that cabinet is gorgeous!

 

Thanks! It's my first go at a wood working project in a long time and the first ever of this size.

 

 

Wowsers. That is super clean.....never knew you were a crafter at building furnitures. Great stuff man. Clean, clean.

 

Thanks so much! I'm far from a furniture crafter but I am happy with the result.

 

Holy moly that cabinet is amazing!!!

 

Appreciate it!

 

this looks amazing great job so far

 

Thank you. I'm looking forward to getting the tank here this week so I can continue the build.

 

wow, can't wait to see the actual tank! know it will look awesome, as your tanks usually do.

 

I can't wait to see the actual tank as well! It's been a long 10 weeks since I placed the order.

 

Damn Brad, I'm really envious and jealous! Nice build so far!

 

Thank You!!!

[urbaneks]

May 4th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback (Part 2)

 

Holy Jesus this build is going to be insane! if this tank is anything like the 112 its going to be crazy

 

i don't even want to know what your budget for this setup was

 

Thanks for the kind words. I've spent a pretty penny on the tank so far. Building the cabinet would have been pretty inexpensive it were not for the tools I purchased.

 

Man this is amazing, your 112 was amazing...following....

 

Thanks, thanks and thanks!

 

wow. this is going to be awesome! please keep us updated *grabs popcorn*

 

I plan on regular updates, especially early in the build like this. I have a list of items I want to get posted including more details on the cabinet and my water station.

 

Where is the equipment list? Why'd you go t5's over leds's and metal halides?

 

The light is a 60" ATI LED Powermodule. It has 8 60" T5 bulbs and 4 banks of full color LEDs. Here is a link to the actual model that I purchased and here is at link to a review that was written on Reef Builders. I considered going with Radions but in the end could not pull the trigger. I love the light over my 112 which is T5/MH. I really hope the LEDs on the new fixture are a good substitute for the MHs. I have a couple fellow reefers that provided a strong recommendation on this light.

 

Wow , that cabinet is amazing. So much for being nervous about the first build going in the living room.

 

Yea, in the end you just have to pull the plug and go for it. I'm very happy with how the cabinet turned out. It's different enough from anything else I've seen to make it a one of a kind.

[jedimasterben]

Ohhhh, my body is ready!

[JR!]

im just in sheer awe... thats all.

[Illuiix]

Now, we just have to wait for the tank, and then the cycle....ugh hate those parts, I want to see some corals already.

[Ancelot]

Congrats on your upgrade! Always been a fan of your setup (:

[urbaneks]

Cabinet Build in Detail
Framing the Cabinet
As mentioned earlier in the journal, the cabinet was built using the DIY Stand Template and Calculator thread that is very popular on Reef Central. Looking at the finished cabinet, it’s difficult to see but the cabinet is nothing more than a single stand in the middle with a second stand as the exterior walls. The interior cabinet holds all of the weight of the aquarium while the exterior cabinet is in place to make the cabinet larger and provide a way to attach the counter top. The frame was built using 2x4’s for all the pieces except the interior stand’s top box, this portion was built using 2x8’s. For those of you not familiar with the thread mentioned above, the top box is what distributes the weight of the tank to the floor. For aquariums over 48” it’s recommended that 2x6’s are used for the top box, I went with 2x8’s for added piece of mind. Considering the aquarium will weigh about 3000 pounds, it seemed like a few extra dollars in lumber was a no brainer. All of the framing lumber was purchased at Home Depot, see link for the specific lumber that I chose.

 

The image below is a Sketch Up that I did prior to starting construction. I can’t express how helpful it is to have a plan before you start cutting and assembling. I referenced my sketches many times over during the build process.

 

Sketch Up of the Cabinet Frame - All pieces are 2x4's except for the Red and Yellow pieces, these are 2x8s

A Couple Added Design Features

While the Reef Central thread is simple to use and follow, it leaves a bit to be desired in terms of a nice finished piece of furniture. I wanted an impressive piece of furniture that accented my aquarium. With this in mind, I decided that a couple design changes would help the overall look of the cabinet. The first change that I made was to create an overhang from the base. This was accomplished by using 3/4" plywood that sits on top of the first layer of 2x4s. The finished result is basically a kick plate like you would have on a kitchen cabinet. An added benefit is that the design breaks up the strait lines that would typically run from the floor to the tank. Below are a couple images that I hope show how the overhang/kick plate was created.

 

Here is a second sketch that shows how I used 3/4" plywood to create the overhang/kick plate.

Here is a photo taken during the build process, you are looking at the back side of the cabinet but the overhang is visable

Here is a photo of the finished cabinet, you can see what the overhang adds to the finished project.

The second design change I added was the niche that you see on the end of the cabinet(pictured above) By adding the exterior cabinet, it afforded me the room to add this design feature. I think this adds a great element to the cabinet. As is the case with all of the exterior of the cabinet, it was finished out with inexpensive poplar wood also available from Home Depot. I chose poplar since I would be painting the wood. I've included a couple photos that shows how the niche came together during the build process. An LED under cabinet light was added to give the piece a more finished look. I inlcluded a link to the exact LED light that I used for the niche. I purchased a package with 3 lights, one was used on the niche and the other two will be used inside the cabinet.

 

Here is a photo taken during construction that shows the cabinet before the end niche was framed out and finished.

 

 

Here is a close up photo of the niche. You can get a pretty good sense of the paint finish and under cabinet lighting from this photo.

That's it for today's entry. In my next entry, I'm going to provide some details on the counter top, doors and beam, all of which were made from reclaimed barn wood. Thanks again to everyone who's taken the time to view and make comments.

 

 

[BRADYBUNCH7]

This the sexiest build I have ever seen

[jbb]

my rebuild plans aren't looking so cool anymore

[BRADYBUNCH7]

why?

[afyounie]

As a woodworker its so nice to see the use of reclaimed wood used in projects. The wood brings so much history to the furniture. To look at the intricate wear and tear the boards have undergone. I am a turner myself, but I am slowly moving into the area of tables and such. Would love to get my hands on some of that reclaimed barn wood. Would make a beautiful coffee table or computer desk. I can't wait to see your beautiful reef tank sitting so pretty on top of that beautifully made cabinet.

[jgpico]

Amazing stand. This build is going to be amazing I can already feel it in my bones haha. Can't wait to see the tank up and running.

[urbaneks]

Cinco De Mayo - Responses to Feedback

 

Ohhhh, my body is ready!

 

Not sure what that means exactly but I do appreciate the view and comments.

 

im just in sheer awe... thats all.

 

Thanks!

 

Now, we just have to wait for the tank, and then the cycle....ugh hate those parts, I want to see some corals already.

 

Agree, it's hard to wait. Tank is supposed to ship tomorrow so I'll be that much closer.

 

Congrats on your upgrade! Always been a fan of your setup (:

 

Many thanks!

 

This the sexiest build I have ever seen

 

Hopefully, the tank will live up to your comments.

 

my rebuild plans aren't looking so cool anymore

 

It's never to late to make some adjustments.

 

As a woodworker its so nice to see the use of reclaimed wood used in projects. The wood brings so much history to the furniture. To look at the intricate wear and tear the boards have undergone. I am a turner myself, but I am slowly moving into the area of tables and such. Would love to get my hands on some of that reclaimed barn wood. Would make a beautiful coffee table or computer desk. I can't wait to see your beautiful reef tank sitting so pretty on top of that beautifully made cabinet.

 

You are so right about the history that the wood tells. You will see in an update real soon just how much character is in the old barn wood. The boards I used for the counter are from a 150 year old barn, the boards were floor threshing so you can imagine just how much wear and tear they went through. Appreciate your kind words, it means a great deal.

 

Amazing stand. This build is going to be amazing I can already feel it in my bones haha. Can't wait to see the tank up and running.

 

Thanks so much.

[evanski]

Your thread is sooo much cooler than both of mine, and you don't even have any glass yet!

 

Will be watching...your craftsmanship is enviable.

[urbaneks]

Cabinet Build - The Reclaimed Barn Wood

 

Barn Wood Finishes

Over the last year, I've really taken a liking to the look of reclaimed wood furniture. To me, the character of the old wood has a story to tell. Couple the character with the idea of giving new life to something that has been left to the wayside, is pretty intriguing to me. When I started to scope out the new aquarium, I really wanted to incorporate some reclaimed wood into the project. I started out with the idea of having a small counter top that surrounds the aquarium. After incorporating this into my sketches, I decided that a bit more wood was needed to get the overall look I was after. I decided to make the doors out of reclaimed wood as well which helped but was not exactly what I was looking for. Sketch after sketch, I was not satisfied with the look I was getting. It finally dawned on me that that I was missing some wood element higher in the room, that is when I decided to incorporate the reclaimed barn beam.

 

This was my winning sketch where reclaimed barn wood was added for the counter, doors and beam

My search to find reclaimed barn wood started on Craig's List where I found Porter Barn Wood advertising their business. Porter Barn Wood has a lot in down town Phoenix where they sell bare wood which they've pulled from old barns. The wood that I purchased is White Oak which was from a 150 year old German Barn in Pennsylvania. The owner of Porter had pictures of the actual barn that the wood was pulled from. It's very rewarding to look at these photos and see that my beam was once a rafter and the counter was once a floor in this vary barn.

 

This is the actual barn that my reclaimed wood was pulled from

It's great to look at this picture and know that my beam and counter were once part of this barn

When you first look at the bare wood, it's hard to imagine that it's going to become a beautiful piece of furniture. The wood comes full of nails, holes, knots, insects, etc. My first instinct was to look for boards that were in better shape than the others. The owner of Porter quickly schooled me that the gnarlier the wood, the better the finish. Let me tell you, it's not easy to leave a lumber yard with pieces of wood that look like they belong in a landfill. I've included a couple photos of the lumber at the yard and the particular pieces that I purchased for the cabinet.

 

Stack of floor threshing sitting on the lumber yard lot. It's difficult to imagine these boards becoming beautiful portions of my aquarium cabinet.

Here are the pieces of White Oak sitting on my side yard. You can see just how bad of shape the wood is in.

An orbital sander makes pretty simple and quick work of reclaiming the barn wood. The hardest part of the process is determining how much you want to sand. Not enough and the finish will not look good, to much, the wood will end up looking brand new. The wood was lightly sanded with 80 grit sand paper followed by 150, then 220. Once the wood was sanded, all of the old nails were removed and I planed the wood to get a consistent thickness between both boards. I've included a coupe photos of the floor threshing/counter top pieces while I was working on them.

 

The piece on the left has not been sanded yet where as the piece on the right is ready to be stained

Here is another shot that shows the contrast between the reclaimed and bare pieces of wood. Shortly after this was taken the piece on the right was sent through the planer.

Once the wood was sanded and planed, it was finished using Briwax. Briwax is a combination of both a wax and stain. Applying it as simple as brushing it on, letting it dry and the buffing it out. Follow the provided link for Briwax tips and tricks. Briwax comes in several colors, I used a color called dark oak to achieve the rich look that I was looking for.

 

Here is a photo taken of the counter top shortly after the Briwax finish

Close up photo of the counter and doors. I love the knots, bug groves and overall character of the reclaimed wood

Photo of the beam after sanding and Briwax. The beam was only lightly sanded with 220 grit sand paper. I love the notches and holes in the beam that were once used to tie multiple beams together.

Another photo of the finished beam

That concludes my latest journal entry. I will be detailing the build on the doors in my next update. Thanks again to everyone for the views and comments. The tank was supposed to ship today, hopefully we will be talking about plumbing, live rock and water before too long.

[BattleAthletics]

Are you worried about old wood particles getting into the tank? I know it was sanded and finished but with it being so old dont you think some wear would happen?


I dont see any cold beers in the pictures.

[gabe3eb]

Tuning in Urbanek... so fabulous so far. Tank should be shipping today right? I love the negative space plan - what about stocking?

[Gooburz]

Oh my god, this has to be the most beautiful tank build I've seen so far. I can see why you said it was a life long project, and the reclaimed wood for the stand!

 

I'm with you on that type of project but with my bar using reclaimed wood for the top in my man cave featuring my MUCH smaller 40 Breeder tank behind the bar area.

 

I have another 4 years until I can make it a reality so its getting close. Following this build for sure!

[jestep]

Glad I stumbled on this one. My ears hurt just looking at the planer but that stand is incredible.

 

Can't wait to see this come together. Reminds me of http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/4/aquarium

[TheKleinReef]

this build is off the charts awesome. i cannot wait to see more!

[doppelganger]

You could put an empty tank on there and it would still be full of win...

 

can't wait to see everything all together!

[Illuiix]

Droolz......This build just keeps getting better....and better....

[rb1685]

Simply incredible. We're not worthy.

 

Out of curiosity, how did you hang that beast of a beam to the ceiling?

[urbaneks]

May 7th, 2014 - Responses to Feedback

 

Your thread is sooo much cooler than both of mine, and you don't even have any glass yet!

 

Will be watching...your craftsmanship is enviable.

 

Thanks for the kind words on my craftsman ship. I'm pretty happy with the result although as is the case with any DIY, you always see the flaws.

 

I want to redo my stand now, haha.

 

Are you worried about old wood particles getting into the tank? I know it was sanded and finished but with it being so old dont you think some wear would happen?

I dont see any cold beers in the pictures.

 

Thanks for the continued views and comments. I'm not worried at all about wood particles getting into the tank. The beam was sanded, cleaned with and air compressor and finished with wax, you can run your hand over it and it's no different that a table top. As for the cold beers, they come after using power equipment. Beer + Table Saw = Disaster

 

Tuning in Urbanek... so fabulous so far. Tank should be shipping today right? I love the negative space plan - what about stocking?

 

Thanks for the view and comment. The tank shipped yesterday from California and is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I don't have resources lined up to help move it so it may be a few days before I can get the tank on the cabinet. As for stocking, most of my current stock from the 112 will be moved over. In addition, I'd like to add a few larger fish (blue throat trigger, nasso tang) Of course lots more coral.

 

Oh my god, this has to be the most beautiful tank build I've seen so far. I can see why you said it was a life long project, and the reclaimed wood for the stand!

 

I'm with you on that type of project but with my bar using reclaimed wood for the top in my man cave featuring my MUCH smaller 40 Breeder tank behind the bar area.

 

I have another 4 years until I can make it a reality so its getting close. Following this build for sure!

 

Thanks for following along. Once you get going on the project feel free to hit me up with any questions you might have.

 

Glad I stumbled on this one. My ears hurt just looking at the planer but that stand is incredible.

 

Can't wait to see this come together. Reminds me of http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/4/aquarium

 

Funny statement about the planer. They are definitely loud. My tank will be very similar to Sunny's in terms of size and openness but I would like my rock work to extend a bit higher into the top of the tank than his. I do hope I can have a similar success that he has.

 

this build is off the charts awesome. i cannot wait to see more!

 

Thanks! More to come shortly.

 

You could put an empty tank on there and it would still be full of win...

 

can't wait to see everything all together!

 

Thanks for the view and comment. I'm excited to see it all together as well. Trying to take my time.

 

Droolz......This build just keeps getting better....and better....

 

Thanks for the kind words!

 

Simply incredible. We're not worthy.

 

Out of curiosity, how did you hang that beast of a beam to the ceiling?

 

Thanks for the kind words. In order to install the beam, I added 2x4's between my rafters in the attic. Then I drilled pilot holes through the newly added 2x4s and into the beam. Lag bolts were then used to lag the beam from the attic up to the ceiling. It was a difficult part of the project for sure. The work was done by myself, a friend and my wife. She asked to not be home that day but as luck would have it she was there and we needed her. I ended up hurting my hand that day which almost brought the project to blood, sweat and tears status.

[tlombardo]

Wow. The stand looks amazing. I know the deal with seeing your own errors in a DIY project but everything you did there looks amazing to me (and it seems everyone else). It's crazy to me to see you do something so well with old barn wood when just last week I was in Restoration Hardware which inspired me to look into where I can get some to do a project myself. I have much less experience than you though so even your posts on working with the wood were very informative for me. Love the detail keep doing what you are doing!

 

Tony