I had a free weekend so I finally so I decided to dust off my safety glasses and build a stand for my 55 gallon tank. the homemade stand it came w/ had no real support, isnt enclosed, and is a little short for me (only 24" high). I'll update this thread as my work progresses.
final materials list*:
(5) pieces of 2'x4'x8' wood
(3) 3/4"x2'x4' plywood panels
(2) 1"x2"x8' planks of pine
(1) 3/4"x2'x4' fiberboard
(1) 50-pack 2 3/4" wood screws
(2) 2-pack self-closing hinges
(1) 8' outside corner molding
(1) 32oz can of semi-gloss black paint
*some wood/hardware are scraps I find around the garage and are not listed in the official shopping list. I encourage using scraps to save money and to recycle old wood.
went to lowes and got 5 pieces of 2x4x8. was surprised a 8' long 2x4 could fit into my tiny corolla. then I cut them down according to my plans (the miter saw is now my favorite power tool). the stand will fit a standard gallon tank. approx. 48.5" wide, 13.5" deep, and 30.75" high.
put it all together using 2.5" screws. used about 50 of them. this part took me the longest because I bought the cheapest 2x4s and they were a little warped. needless to say, I spent a good amount of time bending wood into place to get drilled. lesson learned: spend the extra dollar per piece for good 2x4s.
put on a 3/4" plywood top w/ 1"x2" support railing (looks like molding). almost bought a 3/4" particle board for the top (much cheaper) but I learned my lesson on buying cheap wood. also put on bottom shelf using scrap 1/4" plywood (left over from the side panels).
put on side 1/4" plywood side paneling. used 2x2's found around the garage on the sides (visible in the 3rd and 4th photo) as support.
**UPDATE 8/10**
used 4 beams of 2x2s to add support for the front panels. I realized later after putting on the front panels that I should've put another 2x2 beam on the outside corners. oh well =P
cut 1/4" plywood panels to size and nailed them to the front. since the 2x4s were a little warped the dimensions aren't perfect so each panel was cut to fit. it took a long time and there are still tiny gaps between some of the panels, but I used wood glue/filler to fill them in. also, halfway through I realized I made a design flaw, but I'll leave that for you to guess.
**UPDATE 8/12**
used fiberboard (a little denser than particle board) for the doors. I didn't think my routers skills were good enough to try and make a fancy edge so I just left it square. I also nailed some corner molding to cover up the ugly plywood butt-joints.
took off the doors and gave everything 2 coats of semi-gloss black latex paint. I know its been drying for only a few hours but the paint seems really fragile and easily scratched. hopefully, it'll toughen up as it dries overnight. I also decided not to attach the chrome handles. I like the sleek look without them better. important lesson learned: blank paint covers a lot of little mistakes
well that's all there is to it. the total price came out more than I would've thought for a DIY stand (around $80) but at least I know its tough as rock and could easily hold twice the weight its intended to. ikea ain't got nothing on me!
final materials list*:
(5) pieces of 2'x4'x8' wood
(3) 3/4"x2'x4' plywood panels
(2) 1"x2"x8' planks of pine
(1) 3/4"x2'x4' fiberboard
(1) 50-pack 2 3/4" wood screws
(2) 2-pack self-closing hinges
(1) 8' outside corner molding
(1) 32oz can of semi-gloss black paint
*some wood/hardware are scraps I find around the garage and are not listed in the official shopping list. I encourage using scraps to save money and to recycle old wood.
went to lowes and got 5 pieces of 2x4x8. was surprised a 8' long 2x4 could fit into my tiny corolla. then I cut them down according to my plans (the miter saw is now my favorite power tool). the stand will fit a standard gallon tank. approx. 48.5" wide, 13.5" deep, and 30.75" high.
put it all together using 2.5" screws. used about 50 of them. this part took me the longest because I bought the cheapest 2x4s and they were a little warped. needless to say, I spent a good amount of time bending wood into place to get drilled. lesson learned: spend the extra dollar per piece for good 2x4s.
put on a 3/4" plywood top w/ 1"x2" support railing (looks like molding). almost bought a 3/4" particle board for the top (much cheaper) but I learned my lesson on buying cheap wood. also put on bottom shelf using scrap 1/4" plywood (left over from the side panels).
put on side 1/4" plywood side paneling. used 2x2's found around the garage on the sides (visible in the 3rd and 4th photo) as support.
**UPDATE 8/10**
used 4 beams of 2x2s to add support for the front panels. I realized later after putting on the front panels that I should've put another 2x2 beam on the outside corners. oh well =P
cut 1/4" plywood panels to size and nailed them to the front. since the 2x4s were a little warped the dimensions aren't perfect so each panel was cut to fit. it took a long time and there are still tiny gaps between some of the panels, but I used wood glue/filler to fill them in. also, halfway through I realized I made a design flaw, but I'll leave that for you to guess.
**UPDATE 8/12**
used fiberboard (a little denser than particle board) for the doors. I didn't think my routers skills were good enough to try and make a fancy edge so I just left it square. I also nailed some corner molding to cover up the ugly plywood butt-joints.
took off the doors and gave everything 2 coats of semi-gloss black latex paint. I know its been drying for only a few hours but the paint seems really fragile and easily scratched. hopefully, it'll toughen up as it dries overnight. I also decided not to attach the chrome handles. I like the sleek look without them better. important lesson learned: blank paint covers a lot of little mistakes
well that's all there is to it. the total price came out more than I would've thought for a DIY stand (around $80) but at least I know its tough as rock and could easily hold twice the weight its intended to. ikea ain't got nothing on me!
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cant wait to see the finished thing!!
