RollaJase Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Just thought I would update you all on what I got up to over the weekend. So Saturday was busy, had lots of chores to do and I did a 25% water change on the 30G cube (still fighting algae). However I did manage to get the wood cut to put the frame of the stand together and I got myself a new jigsaw . I had a work EOFY dinner Saturday evening so I didn't get a chance to start putting anything together. Sunday morning on the way back from the girlfriends place I picked up a pair of clamps and headed home. Started working on the frame at about 1pm and by 4pm I was 3/4 of the way through and had had enough of all that for the day. The work dinner was accompanied by some Go-Karting which got quite intense, my sides are bruised from the seats and my lower back aches. I was just so sore I couldn't continue. So as it stands, the base of the stand is assembled, the top is 3/4 complete. I just need to finish the top and attach both the base and the top to each other with the uprights. Then I can move onto the skinning which I hope to start this coming weekend . In tank news, I'm still waiting on clarification from the builder on a few things before I can place the order . 4 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Just thought I would update you all on what I got up to over the weekend. So Saturday was busy, had lots of chores to do and I did a 25% water change on the 30G cube (still fighting algae). However I did manage to get the wood cut to put the frame of the stand together and I got myself a new jigsaw . I had a work EOFY dinner Saturday evening so I didn't get a chance to start putting anything together. Sunday morning on the way back from the girlfriends place I picked up a pair of clamps and headed home. Started working on the frame at about 1pm and by 4pm I was 3/4 of the way through and had had enough of all that for the day. The work dinner was accompanied by so Go-Karting which got quite intense, my sides are bruised from the seats and my lower back aches. I was jsut so sore I couldn't continue. So as it stands, the base of the stand is assembled, the top is 3/4 complete. I just need to finish the top and attach both the base and the top to each other with the uprights. Then I can move onto the skinning which I hope to start this coming weekend . In tank news, I'm still waiting on clarification from the builder on a few things before I can place the order . The suspense! 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 The suspense! I'll get some pictures uploaded when I have a bit more progress . 1 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Good deal looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 It's Friday! Which means I get to spend tomorrow working on the stand . 1 Quote Link to comment
Zia Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Only Thursday here boo.. Hell yea. Stand progress pics! 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 10.30am Friday over here . I want to get the frame finished tomorrow, the top and base installed and at least get the pieces for the side cladding cut. 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 In wanting to keep the design, build and journey of this tank as easy to follow as possible I'll be holding off on updates until there is sufficient content to post. This will mean fewer posts but will also mean that the thread will be less cluttered and it will be a easier to follow for someone looking at the thread for the first time. Stand Build - Frame: Over the last two weekends I have been piecing the frame of my new stand together. This was my first time building an aquarium stand but definitely not my first hand at woodwork. I did woodworking classes through high school as a subject choice and my uncle is a highly acclaimed furniture maker (he designed and built the stand for my 30G cube) who has been a wealth of knowledge. Pictures to start with and I'll share my thoughts at the end. All the wood, cut to my required length by the hardware store, doesn't really look like much when it is cut down to smaller pieces from 15foot length. All the wood is standard untreated structural pine. 90x35mm (2x4"). Dry fitting. Base and top pieces finished. I had some trouble with a slightly warped piece of wood. With no way to clamp it a 20 ton jack did the trick. The finished product. All in all the process went quite smoothly. Only a few issues I encountered, some were my own doing, others out of my control. I had a few pieces of wood cut a tad too long, this was a mix up with my own measurements, no big deal. The hardware store on the other hand were not overly consistent with their cuts. I had to alter a few length on the fly to make sure everything fit together neatly. Just a word of advice, if you are having someone else cut your wood to length for you, double check the lengths before you get started putting anything together. As the stand sits at the moment it is on a couple of saw horses, covered in filler. Need to wait for all that to cure properly before I can start sanding the screw holes smooth. I'll hopefully be able to tackle this one night during the week I didn't end up getting any of the cladding cut. I simply ran out of time because I spent extra time ensuring that the uprights went on correctly between the base and top of the stand. So, next weekend I'll get a start on the cladding . In regards to the tank build, I'll hopefully be finalising the the order for tank, sump, sump baffles and ATO reservoir before the end of the week . I mocked up the tank on the stand for the girlfriend to have a look at and to me it just looked odd, looked too short. I think I'll be increasing the overall height of the tank from 450mm (18") to 500mm (20") so I will have to have the tank builder quote on the change in dimensions. On the plus side, this should raise total display volume from 55G to 60G so the tank will end up doubling my current cube . 4 Quote Link to comment
ps2cho Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Aren't you going to want some more support? If one of the corners of the top wood it sits on cracks due to a leak or a bump whatever, you could have an issue since the weight is now being held by screws since there are no verticle supports to take the load. Remember you will have 500lbs of water, plus rock and sand. 2 Quote Link to comment
hey Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Aren't you going to want some more support? If one of the corners of the top wood it sits on cracks due to a leak or a bump whatever, you could have an issue since the weight is now being held by screws since there are no verticle supports to take the load. Remember you will have 500lbs of water, plus rock and sand. It's pretty overbuilt as is, the front and back of it both sit atop beams straight to the ground. If he used the diagram on rc that a lot of people use it would be able to hold a truck and weigh 40 lbs more. If he skins it with plywood it'll make it even more sturdy. 2 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Aren't you going to want some more support? If one of the corners of the top wood it sits on cracks due to a leak or a bump whatever, you could have an issue since the weight is now being held by screws since there are no verticle supports to take the load. Remember you will have 500lbs of water, plus rock and sand. To be honest I am not overly concerned in regards to the stability of the stand. I have seen much larger tanks supported by less, most tank/stand combo's come with far less engineered stands. The basis of this design is that the weight of the tank sits directly on the 5 uprights which transfer the weight directly to the base. The top is there purely to provide a flat surface for the tank to sit on and with the uprights being fixed to the base and top on two axis I don't see it being in issue. Once the flat top goes on the frame will be even more rigid and this will add a third axis of fixture for the uprights. Thanks for your input though. I will be adding some additional minor metal bracing, not because the stand needs it but because I want a little extra piece of mind. You can't see it in those pictures above but I have installed a few angle brackets where the uprights meet the top to help stop any horizontal movement. It's pretty overbuilt as is, the front and back of it both sit atop beams straight to the ground. If he used the diagram on rc that a lot of people use it would be able to hold a truck and weigh 40 lbs more. If he skins it with plywood it'll make it even more sturdy. Thanks. Didn't use the RC design but did reference the stand thedoogan made for his shallow reef (I believed he based it on the RC design). The stand will have a ply backing for extra rigidity and yes, magnet clip on cladding for 3 side access. I'm very confident with this design, I don't think it is going to go anywhere. 1 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Dude the stand looks awesome. My stand is an old industrial type metal desk,perfect for my tank and storage of stuff for the tank,but,industrial looking lol. 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Dude the stand looks awesome. My stand is an old industrial type metal desk,perfect for my tank and storage of stuff for the tank,but,industrial looking lol. Thanks mate . I like the industrial look and think your stand looks great. I wanted to make this one look as 'clean' as possible. The flat cladding and the white paint will really help that. With the stand against a a white wall the tank will seem to 'float' from a distance. 1 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Thanks mate . I like the industrial look and think your stand looks great. I wanted to make this one look as 'clean' as possible. The flat cladding and the white paint will really help that. With the stand against a a white wall the tank will seem to 'float' from a distance. No prob brother. Yours looks really clean. Mine I got free from my old job lol 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 No prob brother. Yours looks really clean. Mine I got free from my old job lol Nothing wrong with free mate , I'm all for freebies . Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Tank, sump, sump baffles and ATO reservoir ordered . I will be paying the deposit this Sunday as I would rather do it in person than over the phone. Build will take 2-3 weeks so I guess I better get a move on with this stand! Ended up staying with the 450mm (18") height. The builder advised that going higher and remaining rimless would require 12mm glass and that would increase the cost 30% or so. 3 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Tank, sump, sump baffles and ATO reservoir ordered . I will be paying the deposit this Sunday as I would rather do it in person than over the phone. Build will take 2-3 weeks so I guess I better get a move on with this stand! Ended up staying with the 450mm (18") height. The builder advised that going higher and remaining rimless would require 12mm glass and that would increase the cost 30% or so. This is gonna be friggin awesome man.Hey jase, is coral easy to get your way due to, well ,you live in Awesomestralia ? Or is it pretty average,it seems like "Australian Coral" Is a pretty common coral selection on a lot of sites. 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 This is gonna be friggin awesome man. I seriously can't wait , I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning . They really gave me a good package overall, especially for the price. They pretty much bundled everything I need to get the tank wet with the exception of the PVC for the plumbing and the acrylic I need to make the filter sock holder, sump return lid and ATO reservoir lid. I really need to sort out my light hanging method now and get that all ordered so it can be mounted to the stand. Now the not so fun part, I need to move the current tank in the not so distant future. This will probably burn a full day I need to spend on the stand. 2 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I seriously can't wait , I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning . They really gave me a good package overall, especially for the price. They pretty much bundled everything I need to get the tank wet with the exception of the PVC for the plumbing and the acrylic I need to make the filter sock holder, sump return lid and ATO reservoir lid. I really need to sort out my light hanging method now and get that all ordered so it can be mounted to the stand. Now the not so fun part, I need to move the current tank in the not so distant future. This will probably burn a full day I need to spend on the stand. Oh I here ya man I have a new nanobox duo and about a dozen or so coral frags coming in Wednesday I'm stoked too. As you should definitely be as well sir. 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Oh I here ya man I have a new nanobox duo and about a dozen or so coral frags coming in Wednesday I'm stoked too. As you should definitely be as well sir. Sounds like you have some nice goodies heading your way as well then . I love coming home to packages haha. 1 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Sounds like you have some nice goodies heading your way as well then . I love coming home to packages haha. Absolutely brother. 1 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Awesome stuff, Jase! So is this tank twice as big? Looking forward to seeing what you do with it! 1 Quote Link to comment
RollaJase Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Awesome stuff, Jase! So is this tank twice as big? Looking forward to seeing what you do with it! Thanks Gena . The tank will be almost twice as big, 5G shy of double display volume. The sump will be at least double my current one also. Hopefully my parameters will be much easier to keep in line with this upgrade . Ohh myyy . I need to start on the lighting...soon. 1 Quote Link to comment
ReefWeeds Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 This is already looking good! I'm not late this time! 1 Quote Link to comment
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