Aquarium stand (with photos)

[Roger Los]

Well, it's not the best effort, but I did learn a lot, namely, don't try mortises using a circular saw and a chisel unless you can replicate them on all eight faces identically. :rolleyes: Oh, and inset doors are precision work for most other folks, but not here at Roger Los Worldwide.

It's all "dimensional" lumber. This is "vertical grain" Douglas Fir. The corners are dimensional 4x4, the upper cross pieces are 2x4, the lower ties are 2x2 and the top edging is 1x2. The doors are solid 1 x 8 fir as are the sides. The back is 1/2" birch plywood.

The top frame is pocket-screwed and glued into mortices in the posts, with corner braces and a cross piece. The top itself is 3/4" plywood. The facing on the top is proud of the main surface to provide positive placement of the aquarium.

The shelf inside is adjustable via metal standards attached. A power strip is also mounted and I put a short fiberboard wire retainer across the bottom to tuck extra wires, hoses, small air pump, etc into.

I don't mind the design, though I think the top stretchers would look better deeper and the top edge banding could be narrower. My execution is pretty mediocre, but I learned a lot and will do better next time. This was my first "furniture" project.

Thanks for looking. :eek:

http://rogerlos.org/junk/stand/stand_front.jpg
http://rogerlos.org/junk/stand/stand_back.jpg
http://rogerlos.org/junk/stand/stand_inside.jpg

[Bruce Page]

Roger, I think it looks great!
For a first project or a twentieth, you done good!

What's the tank size?

[Ted Jay]

My execution is pretty mediocre, but I learned a lot and will do better next time. This was my first "furniture" project.


Well for a mediocre project you must have some confidence in your abilities... that'a alot of weight and that's what... a 50 gal tank?

(I used to have a 200 gal tank, 7 foot long, what alot of work....)

You did a fine job, looks good. The real test is when you fill it with water.

[Roger Los]

It's a 40 gallon tank, 36" x 15" x 18". My wife and I sat on top and wiggled around before it was finished (if we were younger there probably would have been a different test ;) ) and it didn't budge. The two of us weigh pretty close to what the full aquarium will weigh (sadly, my wife only weighs 110, I make up the rest!).

It's built solidly, no doubt, I just was hoping for finer detailing. But the desire to do better is what keeps us picking up tools, eh? Or at least buying more tools--and more tools equals better woodworking, surely. Please tell me that's right. ;)

Thanks for the kind words!

[Vaughn McMillan]

Looks good to me, Roger, and plenty stout. Any mediocrity is well hidden in the pics...you have nothing to apologize for. Great job.

- Vaughn

[rick fulton]

Roger -

I like it. Solid and simple makes for a very clean design that is built to last. Vertical grain Douglas fir helps keep the execution clean looking also. How did you stain it? It looks a bit orange on my monitor. What are you using for a finish coat? Our old aquarium stand needed more water protection on the inside than the outside because of filters, pumps, wet fish nets, spilled fish food, etc.

Great job. Thanks for sharing.
rick

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hey, that looks great, you really do need a purpose made stand for them things, my older brother has one that is realy big, and he build a super duper stand as well, but your stand is much nice looking :D

Great job!!

[Bob Rufener]

A very nice project for a novice or not. I always am my worst critic when I build something because I have never built anything that didn't have a screw up of some kind. The key is to not tell anyone and, normally, nobody knows what the screw up is. I learn something on every project I do.

[Jim Becker]

Roger, you did a splendid job on that aquarium stand! It proves that while the tools do some of the work, it's the craftsman that makes things work in the end!! The doug-fir really looks great, too.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Looks pretty darn good from where I'm sitting! Looks beefy too. Now it's time to add the water!
-Jeff

[Roger Los]

Thanks, all! It really does look fine in person, but it's always the mistakes you make that the builder sees, not the good stuff.

The finish is a bit orange. I did a sample before staining using just clear satin poly and I thought it was too light, so I used a bit of "colonial maple" stain on it and then several coats of poly. I think I would have been better served with a more golden stain, but it does essentially match a lot of our other wood furniture, so I guess all is not lost in the end.

[Michael Gabbay]

Roger - I think it looks great. Most aquarium stands I've seen at the stores look very cheap. This looks like a real piece of furniture.

Mike

[Roger Los]

The lessons I learned as a newbie to "precision" work:
Mortises and rabbets really are precision work, and probably are better left to situations when you can guarantee their accuracy. I was able to make mine work but they're not as good as they could/should be.
If you're going to go through the trouble of making nicely drilled and recessed holes for screws in the frame, make sure you can actually get a screwdriver onto the screw when the wood is in place.
The blister-pack "pocket hole jig" sold at the orange store is a joke. Get the Kreg or similar.
More sanding!
Someday I will learn the secrets of putty...
Don't buy expensive wood from your local lumber yard unless you can see it first...the 4x4 were special order and fortunately the giant pitch pocket was able to be worked around...but, jeez. It was almost 3/4" wide x 1 foot long, complete with a gallon of pitch.
I have an EZ guide. It works very well for wide boards and sheets, but proved to be problematic for working with dimensional wood and anywhere depth of cut was important. I cannot see that it's actually a replacement for a table saw or a router table in that regard without some magic accessories or knowledge I don't have.
Even a bench-top table saw and/or router table would have made this much easier. Waiting to have a shop before spending big bux on a "real" table saw is all well and good, but I will be buying some sort of portable table saw for my arsenal. I wonder if you could mount one on the Rigid SUV, or would it be too high?Anyway, I'm sure I've already forgotten plenty more of what in-theory I learned. :D

[Joe Scarfo]

Roger.. Great looking cabinet. I've taken comissions to build them professionally.

I would suggest you drill additional holes in the back of the cabinet. Air circulation is critical. The pumps and filters in the base create heat which is absobed by the water flowing through your system.

This will, over time, heat up your aquarium and put your fish at risk...

Joe ..... whose now in Wisconsin and misses Tampa's swaying palms

[Roger Los]

Hi Joe, thanks for the thoughts and kind words. The tank is one of those self-contained units, so the only thing in the base is a small air pump and the plug-ins for the lights, etc. My bride has successfully resisted the tempatation to go grande with her aqua hobby!

[Pete Harbin]

Nice job Roger! I like it a lot.

Pete

[Russ Massery]

Looks great, Nice finish too!:D

[Dan Stuewe]

I have to tell you that by skimming through your writeup I was imagining a pretty simple stand (one step up from 2x4s and cinder blocks).

When I got to the the pictures ... WOW! That looks great. Very clean and sharp. I've just finished the support structure for our first aquarium. Next I'll put the doors on (need to make them first). I'll be sure to take shots from across the room so it will look as well done as yours.

[Don Baer]

Outstanding work. Keep up the fine craftsmanship. Tell SWMBO that with a proper shop you can do much more of this type of work but much faster and with a jointer and planer you'll save money on materials..:D

[Jason Tuinstra]

Roger, I like it a lot! I really like your choice of wood on this and the handles work with the overall look. I think it turned out great.