FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Sin In Style, I notice your walls are adorned with nascar stuff.

What's the deal?

I made mine using 2 x 3 legs and infilled with MDF doors and side panels.

On a smaller 55gal tank it looks quite nice.


Last edited by Curare at 13-Mar-2005 20:37

It is best to sand very lightly between coats as this helps with the adhesion of each subsequent coat and also gives a smoother finish with less blemishes. The final coat can be gone over with a very fine steel wool and then buffed out for a nice sheen.

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

nah i didnt bother sanding between coats but you really should. i didnt because i spent so much time sanding down the wood itself. by the time i got to the poly i became very lazy lol. besides the faster i got it to dry the faster i could get the tank sitting on the floor on it and filled.

Thanks Sin.

I picked up a can today. The first coat has already been applied.

Did you sand in between coats?

Minwax....i looked this afternoon.

i used 3 coats of poly on mine. no water has sunk in it has all beaded up perfectly. i believe its midwax not entirly sure but 90% sure.

I just completed a stain finish to my stand.

Any recommendations on which brand clear-coat/sealer I should use?

livebait

Glad to have helped

Looking good so far. Just make sure you have a good ply wood or similar backing this well brace it all and make it stronger.

Before you do much more work give it a good coating of a sealer/varnish or something similar. It is not necessary but far more convenient.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Thanks for the info Keith.

Update on my work in progress

its not nascar stuff lol its Dale....the man was an awesome driver only able to be compared to another legend...richard petty

Sin in Style

Several reasons.

I would have to cut holes into the sides for the water pipes. Extra pressure required to pump the water. Inside the cupboard is all my bits and pieces, and the other side has many records. Also It is a too good a piece of furniture to do that any way. ( the recent repair work which I done was valued $600) Being on the stool it is extremly easy to get to and check ever day.
Enough reasons

livebait
It is the 5ft tank It was origionally made for the old 4ft marine tank.

All joints were glued and screwed. The back three ply is also glued and screwed this gives a perfect bracing for unit. Being Partical Board can cause a few problems when screwing as then there were no particular special screws made for it then. In that case I would dip the wood screws into PVA glue first this gives it a better grip. All the joints were housed (A shallow grove 1/4 thickness of the board.)

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

hi all

this my be a stupid question but im trying to make a stand for my 4ftx16x14 tank was thinking of making it out of wood what would be the best way to go about this

thanks
Jon

hey keith i notice the eheim is on a stool to the left. why isnt inside the cabinet? hehehe

Thanks Keith.

Cool stand. What size tank is that in the photo?

Did you use glue in the construction of your stand?
I'm going to use screws for the frame, then finishing nails for the exterior paneling. My guess is wood glue would make the overall structure stronger but is it necessary?

livebait

Certainly it is. It will not shrink, or give you many other problems.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

i agree with keith that it does require some skill to build a good stand but in all honestly it can be very limited. how to use a saw,screwdriver, a level and a tape measure. pretty much all you need to know how to use to get one to work. other tools like a table saw and a speed square will speed things up but really wont be the difference in quality.

here is my 4ft [link=cabinet]http://community.webshots.com/album/122237551ifJEHJ" style="COLOR: #00FFFF[/link] i made. keep in mind ive never made a wooden box nevermind a full sized cabinet. take your time..measure twice...think ahead 3 steps so you know what your doign now is the right step. example you dont wanna put the top on before putting a shelf in if you wanted one. use screws NOT nails. nails and staple are the biggest problem with cabinets. they pull lose and things fall apart.

good luck

Is kiln dried wood ok to use as a frame?

I plan to use it in a 2 x 4 frame, then use pine paneling for an exterior.

thanks all for your help its helped a great lot will post pics when all done
Thanks again
mogwai

Last edited by mogwai at 07-Mar-2005 08:29

Here is an article that I recently read. It may help to answer some of your general questons. With some basic knowledge and skills you should be able to build a suitable stand yourself.

Forgot to add link:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_stand2.php

Last edited by OldTimer at 01-Mar-2005 20:27

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Mogwai

I had a look at that site (No Comment) regardless of what you decide you will need a certain amount of trade skills also have the equipment to build it. Unless you are 100% confident it is better to buy one already made or look for some item of suitable furniture.

Building out of 4x4 is just an overkill. Mine is made out of 20mm venered partical board

Here is a photo of my stand. Please disregard the reflections as this photo was done to show the reflections and problems with photography.

Keith

keithgh attached this image:


Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW