DIY Stand basics

[Hookup]

I've been researching stand designs and this is what I've come up with so far.  If the stand is going to be "furniture" then you'll skin this frame out with "finish grade wood".. if you're going to dry-wall this stuff to make it look like it's part of your house's architecture or whatever, then you'll need to build this, and add wood as per typical framming to support the drywall.


Here is some copied info about building typical, rectangular, stands.  They are "averages" but good guidelines to get started.

1) An average tank-height 2x4, on end, can take about 16,000lbs of compression pressure.  Putting one at each corner of your tank means you can support 64,000 lbs of compression... (this is not the only factor, but sleep well type information)

2) Screw's can support 300+ lbs of shear force, each! ( based upon #8 screws ).  However, typical wood cannot withstand the shear-force.  The screws will not snap, the wood however will "tear".

3) 4x4 warp more easily than 2x4's so do not use em.. plus they are hard to work with and fugly.

4) Glue & Screw is stronger than Screw alone, costs virtually nothing. So do it!

5) Stand lengths of 48" and less can created with 2x4 for the "beams" (red) and have no vertical center brace

6) Stand lengths of 49-72" can be crated with 2x6 for the "beams" (red) and have no vertical center brace

7) Stand lengths over 72" should use 2x8's for the "beams" (red) and have no vertical center brace

The flex in a piece of wood... When you dobule the width (2 2x4's glued together) you double the strength.  When you increase the height, you cube the strength... therefore, 2x6 beams are often bettern than 2 2x4's glued together.

9) only the top 'box' (red+yellow) needs to have the additional strength.. the load is carried from the top box, down the legs (purple) to the floor... the bottom box (orange+blue)is used to keep things square and to fasten the "skin" to the frame. 2x4's are more than enough.

10) The green bits should be SHORTER than your stand to ensure they do not carry load. They are used to screw everything together only. (glue and screw) If they carry load, because say they were 1/8inch longer than your legs due to bad cuts, then you would be dealing with shearing issues (point 2 above).

11) The design featured below assumes that you can make 90degree square cuts.  If your cuts are not square all bets are off.

12) Counter Sink & Pre-Drill your holes to keep it clean.

13) Use Clamps to keep it square

14) HomeDepot/Rona/Lowes do not sell good wood... IMO it's not dry enough, it will warp & twist.




In all honesty, these are not hard to make... the next step is skinning them out... and that is what separates the men from the boys (or ladies from the girls?)

[charlie]

Here is a link to one done by our former web master
http://ovas.ca/index.php?page=13

[winston199]

If you use framing lumber for your stand you should over kill your build to help prevent twisting as the wood dries and don't bother with glue because it wont do much if the wood is wet. If you want a strong stand with no twisting you can use kiln dried wood 6-8 % moisture insted of framing lumber 20-30% moisture.

[Hookup]

I was hoping you'd chime in here Winston. 

As the voice of someone with actual wood-working/furniture building experience, what are your thoughts on plywood stands vs 2x stands... Personally, I think that Plywood stands, say 3/4 inch material, would be lighter than the heavily over-engineered 2x stands and do the job better.... Let alone the concept of building a 2x frame then skinning it with plywood seems costly and redundant...

[winston199]

my 125 is sitting on a melamine stand and had a wave box on it and I never worry about it, if the stand is designed and built right you should not have any problems, but it never hurts to over build with in reason. If you decide to use framing lumber you should probably put foam between the tank and stand.

[RossW]

This information is so timely as I recently decided to go with a wood stand on my next tank.  It is going to be a 180.

This is the stand design which caught my eye and I will be using as a guide.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=22ba807ddb1d9a7e28e2882de2b3ddd6

[RossW]

If you use framing lumber for your stand you should over kill your build to help prevent twisting as the wood dries and don't bother with glue because it wont do much if the wood is wet. If you want a strong stand with no twisting you can use kiln dried wood 6-8 % moisture insted of framing lumber 20-30% moisture.

Where can you buy kiln dried wood, preferably 2x4's?

[winston199]

you can get kiln dried wood at the wood source but they are expensive or I can get it for you at a good price if you let me know how much you need.

[Hookup]

check these links out...
1) OMG wow - what a design, and so many step-by-step photos you'll think you could do it too...
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=30e822169caca4322e09900da24046b2&threadid=1213499&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

2) Simple design for 2x stand(frame)... (all you need is in the first 2 or 3 pages... I've read the first 30... yawn)
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1169964&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[LEROY]

I've built two tank stands, which surprises even me! One for my 75 gallon (now dismantled) with 2x4's and it was way overbuilt by many peoples standards had center braces (so proud of myself). I also built a stand for my 10 gallon nano tank out of 2x4's which is super overkill but it's not going anywhere Post pics later. It is a challenge but it's rewarding when you complete a nice looking piece. Even better when people ask where you got it lol.

[alexv]

I've built a stand for my 220 gal myself out of 2x4s as well. And it seems to be holding up pretty well...

http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=28948.0

[fischkopp]

Did anyone consider building a metal stand?

[Hookup]

I would only build a metal stand for systems where you want to have a wave (sloshing water) so that you can nullify the latteral forces, something that is hard to overcome with typical 2x designes.

For me, the cost scares me, because i'd have to have soemone make the entire stand... I do not know how to work metal.  For someone that had the tools and knowledge, this could be a cheaper way, or a "just as good" way for sure.

[RossW]

Did anyone consider building a metal stand?

I had considered metal also, but decided upon wood mostly due to the fact I have the skills to build a wood stand myself, but not metal, and also cost.

[bitterman]

Consider microlam lumber if you are going wood... Much more stable and stronger.

Bruce

[Contains Moose]

I would only build a metal stand for systems where you want to have a wave (sloshing water) so that you can nullify the latteral forces, something that is hard to overcome with typical 2x designes.

For me, the cost scares me, because i'd have to have soemone make the entire stand... I do not know how to work metal.  For someone that had the tools and knowledge, this could be a cheaper way, or a "just as good" way for sure.

Take a look at these guys, I have used many of their products with great success.

http://www.8020.net/

[johnrt]

Hookup:

Looking forward to following your build.

In you first post you had a wonderful list of materials strengths, but they seemed to refer to an illustration. Do you recall the source of this information so that I could see the drawings?

winston199:

You mentioned using foam between the tank and the stand. What type of foam do you recommend and where would you get it?

Thank you both.

John T

[Snider82]

I belive its the second link hookup posted here.

check these links out...
1) OMG wow - what a design, and so many step-by-step photos you'll think you could do it too...
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=30e822169caca4322e09900da24046b2&threadid=1213499&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

2) Simple design for 2x stand(frame)... (all you need is in the first 2 or 3 pages... I've read the first 30... yawn)
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1169964&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[johnrt]

On a related note. . .

It is nice to know that 4 2x4s on end can withstand 16,000 lbs of compression pressure, but how much weight can a floor take before I get worried? I would guess that it would be somewhat less than 16,000 lbs. I also expect at it would be more near a wall than in the middle of a span like Hookup's project.

Anybody know?

Thyank you.

John T

[Contains Moose]

I understand peoples concerns, however they are mostly unfounded.

When did you hear of a water bed going through the floor, did you ever wake up and find the fridge had gone through the floor and was in the basement, do you know how many a pounds per square inch a voluptuous blond weighing 250lb will put on a floor if she wears high heels and stands on one leg?