After a 7 year break from the hobby I'm jumping back in. I have finally settled on an AGA 180 with corner overflows. I'm going to have a basement sump located in a small fish-room I've built under the stairs leading down to the basement. In order to save room down there, I'll probably have the tank drain into a 40B under the stand that houses the skimmer, from there it will drain down into the sump.

I've elected to build my own stand as none of the commercially built ones meet my taste. Woodworking being another hobby of mine I decided it shouldn't be a problem. After reviewing the many 2x DIY stands here and looking over the commercially built ones I became conflicted. I have a tendency to overbuild and thus the DIY stands made from 2x fit the bill over the seemingly sparse construction of the commercial stands. I rarely use anything but solid wood for my various projects. Solid lumber has one specific flaw though with regard to its dementional instability. In furniture construction this is compensated for in various ways. In an application such as this, where the immediate environment is humid and warm this problem is important to recognize. So I've decided to combine the two worlds and use plywood like the commercial stands and sufficiently overbuild like most DIY's. The process I'm using also 'skins' the stand in one step, and the lack of 2x legs and supports intruding vertically into the inside on the stand yields a clean final product.

I'm using 3 sheets of 3/4" ply. 2 Birch and 1 QuarterSawn White Oak. The plan is to laminate three pieces of ply together to yield a thickness of 2.25". I will incorporate woodworking's strongest joint in the process, the mortise and tenon. I cut all pieces ahead of time to their final length except the outer portion of the legs, which were left oversize for ease during glue-up. The top rails and legs will essentially be 2.25"x6" and the bottom rails and vertical supports will be 2.25"x3".


Here is the oak laid face down and the birch over the bottom rail, you can see the gaps that will become the mortises.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3128.jpg

The overhang on the end will become the tenons going into the legs.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3129.jpg

Here is a shot with the longer middle piece for one of the braces that is acting as a tenon.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3131.jpg

And a shot of the inside bottom rail completing the joinery.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3132.jpg

Here is the inside of the completed back, the screws are strictly for ease of assembly and not structural at all. By using them I did not have to worry about clamping, and could go from one piece to the next.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3133.jpg

Here's the bottom edge showing the completed through mortise and tenon on one of the supports on the bottom rail.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3135.jpg

Here's a bottom corner, this is one of the legs still a little oversize that I will cut flush later. This is a blend of a lap joint and a mortise and tenon.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3136.jpg

Here are all four side joined together.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3141.jpg

I decided early on to cover the corners with solid QS white oak to add dimension so even though butt joints glued and screwed together with lag bolts exposes the edge of the ply it will be covered. I will add a solid ply bottom and either a sold ply top or corner blocks to prevent racking.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3145.jpg

And the customary FTS.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3139.jpg

Nice, welcome back.

Welcome back. This is going to be a nice one.

Sweet can't wait

Very nice. Keep it up.

Good and welcome back man.

Thanks guys!

I've got the bottom of the stand installed and will soon be ready to start on the doors. I want to hold off and do the door for the stand and canopy at the same time though.

Trouble is I have yet to decide on a firm plan for the canopy. My initial plan for lighting is 3 250W MH's with Lumenmax Elites of a DIY variation. I think I want the canopy 18" tall for these and I'd like for it to have an open top for ventilation but enclosed on all four side so that I do not have to cover the tank or worry about jumpers over the back. The only con I can think of so far for this basic design is the ambient light cast on the ceiling from the reflection off the water, which I do not think will bother me. I also think a hole or two near the bottom of the canopy may be needed for convection, though there will be a ceiling fan near by. I may just start building and hope a final design/plan will come to me....

Looking ahead, I toying with the idea of a foam/rock wall on the back pane of the aquarium between the overflows. I like the look of a black background that's kept clean but I've seen a few mature foam/rock walls that looked really good too. Anyone have experience with these...opinions?

Wow welcome back to the hobby. Where do you live in Canton?

Looks great so far. I've never done a foam rock wall but have seen many that look very cool. There are DIY instructions for them on N-R and probably R2R too.

Can't wait to see it set up!

Aston Martin and Apple. You have excellent taste. :D

Welcome back to the hobby and to ARC.

Happy reefing!

Wow welcome back to the hobby. Where do you live in Canton?

River Green subdivision just off 20. You?


Aston Martin and Apple. You have excellent taste. :D

Welcome back to the hobby and to ARC.

Happy reefing!

Thanks,
Unfortunately I've only got the budget for one right now.....
:sad:

I love the tank dimensions. Very nice!

haha, overbuilding the stand a bit are ya?

haha, overbuilding the stand a bit are ya?

Well, I dunno. I'm kind of worried about it, should I add more
reinforcement? :thumbs:

Do you think it'll hold? :)

Maybe some 1/2" angle iron in the corners?





hmmm... is today April 1st...?

Well, I dunno. I'm kind of worried about it, should I add more
reinforcement? :thumbs:

Do you think it'll hold? :)

Well considering the stand for my 300g is done the same way but with only 2 layers yeah i think youre good:D

Kinda freaked me out when dave dropped it off because it was so light!

River Green subdivision just off 20. You?



I'm in River Green too. :thumbs:

What section are you in?

Bill

Addison Place. You?

Reynolds. Do you live by Russ?

Yep, across the street and down 1 or 2 houses.

Awesome! Let me know if you need any help with anything.

Unfortunately I've only got the budget for one right now.....
:sad:


Wish I only had the budget for one Aston Martin...




Looks great so far!

Awesome! Let me know if you need any help with anything.

I will, thanks.



I got a little but done last night. I started milling up the lumber for the facade and laminated some ply for the top center braces. Then I tried to check to make sure the top where the tank will sit is flat and level, though I only have a 4' level so I'm trying to justify the $60-$100 for a nice 6' or 8' one..... Would be nice to just sit the tank on it to check but it's heavy and the process would be cumbersome at best, maybe NanoNano could help :up:. Won't get much work done this weekend :unsure: because of the holiday.


I'll post this in the general forum, but I was also thinking about removing one of the overflows and using the two holes from it to run a CL through a oceans motions returned over the top of the tank. Any experience or thoughts?

Wish I only had the budget for one Aston Martin...




Looks great so far!


You and me both..

..though I'd have trouble deciding which one. :)

Looking good. The stand is awesome.

I have been chipping away at this slowly but surely. I've trimmed the stand and finished the doors. I'm ready to give everything a once over with the sander and start finishing. Here's some pics with the doors on closed and open.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3146.jpg

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3147.jpg

Very nice!

looks great! can't wait to see the finished product!

your stand looks great. cant wait to see the hood and lights

that really looks great..

did you build the doors too? (or purchase them?)...

that really looks great..

did you build the doors too? (or purchase them?)...


Thanks! Yes I built the doors. They are basic frame and panel doors. I didn't take pictures of the process but they each have 5 panels and the rails and stiles are all joined using mortice and tenon joinery. If anyone is interested I'll detail the door construction on the canopy....as I have not even started it yet....:sad:

I should be applying the stain and then the poly to the stand in the next couple days, once I get it finished and moved out of the shop I'll start the canopy. For the stain, I think I'm going to go with a 4/1 ratio of a medium dark Minwax (walnut or mahogany) and roofing tar. I also need to think about hardware....

What kinda table saw is that? Jet?

I'm thinking maybe I should've waited on buying that Marineland cube from you! That stand rocks! I can't do anything close to that...wish I could..just don't have the equipment.

What kinda table saw is that? Jet?


Yep, that's a Jet.

I'm thinking maybe I should've waited on buying that Marineland cube from you! That stand rocks! I can't do anything close to that...wish I could..just don't have the equipment.


Funny, thanks. Actually, aside from the doors and corbels I have only used my table saw. For the corbels I used my bandsaw, but I suppose one could use a jigsaw.

The doors are a different story, I used my bandsaw to resaw boards into panels and my planer and drum sander to get them their final thickness and the rails and stiles I used a Leigh FMT jig to cut the mortise and tenon joinery and a router table to cut the groove for the panels.

The tank is progressing slowly and is currently on hold until next spring. (hopefully) We are expecting our second child so between time and money the tank gets whatever is left over. No problem, I want this to be a quality build all the way so its necessary. I'm about 1/2 through a DIY 25H AIO that I decided to tinker with in the meantime, mainly to test some DIY LED lighting I'm working on. Here's a pic of the completed stand and tank minus hardware. Sorry for the weird angle, the room is my home office and the layout doesn't lend itself to a FTS with the stand in it head on. Anyway, with any luck I'll get the nursery finished in time to work on the canopy before the due date. So my spring target can be realized.


http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz244/nasohutt/IMG_3304.jpg

beautiful work...

I like the laminated plywood frame! I get a kick out of people building bulky frames out of 2X material and then clad it with veneer panels, I guess they don't understand the strength that comes from a properly built plywood frame.

Good luck on your baby! (they are the greatest things on this earth)

keep us updated as everything progresses..

Very nice!

Aston, did you make your son a poker table one time? Your handywork resembles someone I ran into once.

Aston, did you make your son a poker table one time? Your handywork resembles someone I ran into once.

Nope, my oldest is about to turn 2 so no need for a poker table so far.

I still have a lot of work still to do on the nursery for our second, due any day now, but hope to be finished by Thanksgiving. For the tank, I ordered two 29G and a 55G last week. I'm going to have each overflow run into its own 29G in the stand where I'll have a protein skimmer in each. (I read that a fair amount of people run two skimmers, so I going to try it as well. I've got a ReefDynamics rs-180 and was thinking of using a recirculating or needle wheel for the second.) Both the 29's will then drain together into a bigger pipe that will go down into the basement. I'm going to use the 55 for a refugium/sump in the basement.

I'm still split on what to do for lighting. My 20H AIO that I did a DIY LED fixture for is doing quite well. I've got 6 sps and 2 chalice in it, all doing well. I'm not sold that they'll cut it for the 180 though. I may try making one array of 48led's first then based on PAR from that either continue with LED or drop back and go MH.

More to come...

Aston....it's looking GREAT!!!!!!

UPDATE!

Got the plumbing more or less finished. I decided on a 55G under the stand to serve as a cryptic fuge. I drilled two 1.5" holes in one end and those drain to a 75G sump in the basement. Ran FW for about 2 hours with no problems, that I know of. I'm traveling next week so I'm going to drain it and do another FW test for a few days when I get back. I also started work in the canopy. I've finished the frame and have started work on the doors. Pic's to come soon!

how much did it cost to make that stand?

how much did it cost to make that stand?


Materials were $250-$300.

Edit: UPDATE!
Filling with RODI now. I finished the aquascaping Saturday, filled with sand and started the RODI trickle. It's about 2/3 full and too cloudy for pictures. Hopefully by Wednesday the system will be full. I'm also getting close to having the canopy doors built, I'm leaning toward attaching them with magnets so they will be removable. I've ordered some rare earth magnets and will do some testing when they come in before finalizing that decision. In the mean time I'm still tweaking the final design of the canopy.

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6890f82-31a1-e806.jpg

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6890f82-31ca-1e29.jpg

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6890f82-31e9-a2c8.jpg


Cycle has started, ammonia at .25.

I've added cured love rock to the cryptic fuge. Waiting........

Looks great! I am building a 220 with a basement sump right now and looking for better ball valves than what they sell at Home Depot. What kind are those on you are using with the white handles? do they open and close freely? where did they come from?

Looks great! I am building a 220 with a basement sump right now and looking for better ball valves than what they sell at Home Depot. What kind are those on you are using with the white handles? do they open and close freely? where did they come from?

Yeah, Home Depot's valve selection stinks. Those with the white handles are half-union from Lowes. They have regular, half-union and true union. The catch is they only have the half in larger sizes, mine are 1.5". The half-union are very easy to operate unless they are overtightened, as one of the seals presses on the ball. I've had no trouble with them. HTH

Finished the light rack, it will sit nicely inside the canopy.....one day. Here's a pic.

looking great man, cant wait to see pictures with the canopy complete and the corals from your 20 high in the new tank

That light rack looks awesome. How did you build that with the metal? Im about to set up my 180 and have those exact same lights i need them to fit under the canopy.

That light rack looks awesome. How did you build that with the metal? Im about to set up my 180 and have those exact same lights i need them to fit under the canopy.


I used esto connectors. They sell them in 8' or 10' lengths. I got the plain square for the outside and the stuff with a flange for the lights to rest on. It cuts well with a chop saw.

http://estoconnectors.com/

Any pictures or update.. Nice set up..

Looking good so far.

Well it took approximately forever but the canopy is finished! Now if I can just get the algae under control. http://img.tapatalk.com/62122dff-fe47-b094.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/62122dff-fe83-cd23.jpg

Looks great! Great job in the woodwork!

Extremely good job!

Amazing work

That canopy is gianormous... what are you hiding in there?

That canopy is gianormous... what are you hiding in there?

HAHA. Yeah it is. When I started it I planned on using lumenmax elite's, which i read most people have 17" off the water. I'm now running two lumenmax's and one test LED array. Still the height is nice, I can lift the lights all the way up and the doors are attached with magnets so they come off, makes it easy to get both arms in the to work and still have the lights on it to see what I'm doing. It has a built in look also.