USCG CWO Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 For a couple of months now I have been working on two aquarium projects and it looks like I am about to pick up a third as my boss and friend just bought a 40b for a home tank, but that will be another thread for him to write about. This is my home system. I currently have a 55gal, but it was just slightly too small for my taste so I purchased BioMechanic's 75 gal. I have so far purchased a RO/DI unit, lumber for stand and canopy, Galaxy 250W Dual Ballast, Radium 20,000K bulbs, sump, Blueline30 HD return pump, and Bubble plate skimmer from Isaac. I have been constructing this in my garage with only a Skil saw, Compund Mitre Saw, Craftsman drill, and some wood glue. The plans for base of the stand most of you will recognize are from RC and employ the design of RocketEngineer. So here are some pics: The tank The plans [/img] My floor is not level so I used the aquarium [/img] Stand build up [/img] Completed base [/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 RO/DI Unit [/img] Mostly completed stand I will post more pics of the equipment, and the construction phase as I go. I am currently working on the canopy and figuring out how I want to do the doors. Thanks for looking. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 That stand is looking really sharp Shane - can't wait to see that in it's finished form. Great job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonH Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Shane - looking good. But, man, I think you're missing a few pictures in this series of your stand build! You went from: Pic.1 - looks like crap (and I mean this in the nicest possible way(whistle)) to Pic.2 - looks like fine furniture Come on now - there's got to be a few more pictures in there! That's some really nice work with just those few tools. Nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undrtkr_00 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Pretty nice stand... can't wait to see more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 Shane - looking good. But, man, I think you're missing a few pictures in this series of your stand build! (laugh)(laugh) Yes Jason I am missing a few pics. I don't have all of them loaded over on photobucket and they are divided between my laptop and my desktop at home. I will include the middle pics this weekend. I was just so happy with the end result I just had to jump ahead. That stand is looking really sharp Shane - can't wait to see that in it's finished form. Great job... Pretty nice stand... can't wait to see more. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Sweet looking forward to the progress pic's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Love the detail on the stand!! NICE WORK!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miniwhinny Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 That's the most awesome stand I've ever seen !!!!! Great DIY work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrgreenthumb Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Looks awesome I will be following this one closely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Sweet looking forward to the progress pic's. Love the detail on the stand!! NICE WORK!!! That's the most awesome stand I've ever seen !!!!! Great DIY work. Thank you all. Miniwhinny I must give credit where credit is due. I modeled mine after Will16's build on RC. If you haven't seen that thread then I highly encourge you to give it a peruse. I will be working on finishing the rough construction of the stand this weekend. I need to post up the in the middle construction pics and give you an idea of what I am thinking about on the canopy. Of course I need to take a break today to run over to Seahorse and partake of some BBQ and an adult beverage or two. (rock2) See you there. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpunk Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 That stand looks really nice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Update More pics of my equipment and shots of the canopy. Now I need to start on the prepping for primer and paint. Enjoy. In this you can see where I am going to mount the fans in the sides. I will be running four 120mm fans. Two on each end. [/img] Build up of the corners for moulding to be added. [/img] Canopy is spilt at about 3/4 of the length of the canopy. The front will lift up on a panio hinge. [/img] I added the drawer slides to mount the lights on. That way I can push them back out of my way when I have to maintance the tank. [/img] And a freshly constucted canopy!!! [/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 the detail work on the canopy is sick. Very nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 the detail work on the canopy is sick. Very nice work. Thank you Eric. Actually it is only chair rail around the top and the thingy in the front is pre-made in a package. The light drawer is made from 1x2's, 1/2in plywood, and 10in drawer slides I picked up from Rockler. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 sweet. so you are resourceful too. Good combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Again!! Great work on the stand/canopy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undrtkr_00 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Looks really great. I'm jealous. What kind of wood is that you are using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Looks really great. I'm jealous. What kind of wood is that you are using? Thank you. The skin is poplar. I don't have a table saw so I had to make do with the board sizes that Lowes had available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 Beings that I am by no means a master carpenter, and I haven't worked with wood since the 6th grade when I built a birdhouse in woodshop. I was banned for life after a family of Robins died tragically after their house mysteriously collapsed. I have discovered a, what I can only discribe as a major error on my part in finishing my stand. (flame) The floor of my garage is uneven, keep in mind I know this. Yet while skinning the stand I somehow forgot that fact. DOH!DOH!DOH!Soooooo...when I flipped the stand over on it's back for primer I discovered that the base framing is square but the skin slopes to the right.(sad)(sad) The skin is even on the front left side but extends down pass the base framing a 1/2" on the right side. On an even floor the stand would have been sitting on the bottom combing on the right side, and off by a 1/2".(scary)(scary) Since I had already glued and brad nailed everything together I thought I was hosed. I could not taked it apart and I can't afford to start from scratch. My wife would have murdalized me. (wife)(wife) My solution is to add a bottom frame to my bottom frame and lift the stand one inch higher. I will still have a slight slope on the skin, you really can't tell, but it will be resting on the support frame not on the the accent pieces. Lord I hope this works. Priming went well but the topcoat was a unmitigated disaster. When I bought the paint the paint dude told me that it was easy, one coat, goodness. Well it wouldn't spread and left horrid brush strokes in the paint. Now I have logged many hours behind a paint brush, so I know what I am doing, but this paint was fighting me every step of the way. So I have to sand down the crappy paint I just applied and run to a new paint store and equip myself with better paint and a sprayer. Heck with that brushing stuff. So that is what I am doing this weekend. Enough with the chitter, chatter on with the pics: (clap) My daughters lending a helping hand [/img] [/img] My new sump and equipment [/img] [/img] Working on the doors. I am going to use neodymium magnets instead of hinges and latches. [/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Awesome build. Looks like Im opening my shop just in time. (laugh)(whistle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Oh man, I hate it when I do stuff like that -- looks like you're fixing it up right though. Be sure to let us know how those magnet-doors work out, I think I might go that way myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 What kinda paint did you use that is causing the problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 Awesome build. Looks like Im opening my shop just in time (laugh) Doran, Yeah I think I have a couple of fish in mind that you can help me out with. Be sure to let us know how those magnet-doors work out, I think I might go that way myself. Andy we are using the magnets on the skin of the tank in the office. Man I love them. We used forstner bits to counter sink them and then epoxied them in. You just pull the doors off, do what you need to do, and they go back on the same way everytime. I am going to use them on all four of the doors on my stand. I buy the magnets from North West Magnets here in Portland. They have all kinds from really small to huge electro magnets. The Neo's are also fairly inexpensive. I think I paid $5.95 for 6 that where 1/2" in diameter and 1/8" thick. What kinda paint did you use that is causing the problems Mike I was using an oil based glossy black from Lowes. The paint guy said that it would give a more durable finish after it cured for three weeks. Man, this paint dried so fast, there was no smoothing the brush strokes out. Really horrible paint. I have done some research and I am going to use a Latex Enamel and a paint sprayer. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Oh my god, there's a MAGNET STORE here in PDX?!?! You really shouldn't have told me that... I'm gonna put magnets on everything in my house. I'm gonna magnet the [language filter] dog so it doesn't hog the foot of the bed at night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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