ADA stand - Aquarium Design Group

**IUnknown** · 06-23-2006, 07:55 AM

Jeff,
Do you know what type of wood they use for the ADA stands? Any ideas what type of paint and finish they have.

jsenske · 06-25-2006, 08:57 AM

Honestly I really do not know what the wood is. I can ask. As for the finish, it is very unique and I suspect that adds to the cost quite a bit. I will ask ADA what's the deal with those two points.

hoppycalif · 06-25-2006, 09:39 AM

Almost all such furniture is made from MDF and finished with a sprayed lacquer finish. MDF is far more stable than wood, is harder surfaced, has a flatter, smoother surface, and is much easier to get a mirror finish on. Sprayed lacquer is the best finish for avoiding any flaws, to achieve a mirror finish, and to minimize the cost of application. So, my bet is on that combination for ADA stands.

ianiwane · 06-26-2006, 08:01 AM

A friend said they are actually made out of a furniture grade veneer (sort of like plywood). He is in construction and said that veneer is typically a lot stronger than mdf (veneer does not flex as much). He was going by pictures that another friend took at the ADA headquarters in Japan.

jsenske · 06-26-2006, 11:20 AM

yes-- these stands do not have any sort of "standard" finish to them. It is a finish unlike any I have ever seen-- especially on aquarium furniture. There is no stand on the market currently that has this finish.

thatguy · 06-29-2006, 08:55 PM

heres a pic of the inside of an ADA stand, which was at the ADA headquarters in japan, image was taken from this thread at PT:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ge...ight=ada+japan

**John P.** · 06-29-2006, 08:59 PM

Yep, looks like a veneer to me.

thatguy · 06-29-2006, 09:00 PM

if you look at the pics in this link, you can see a stand with a similar color/finish to the ADA stand.

http://www.e-aquaria.com/aquaforest.html

taking a stab at it, id guess the ADA stands are painted in a single stage paint, which can be mixed in almost any solid color.

dennis · 06-30-2006, 05:36 AM

Sure, but MDF is veneered all the time

As a furniture/cabinetmeker, I woudl guess the stand is MDF. Vereered ply may be a bit stronger but it is almost never flat, its more costly and a much bigger PITA to work and finish, especially considering the color finished edges of the ADA stands.

Man, hype/shmype. Now we really are sarting to worry to much about the lure of Amano. If its ADA is obviously made well enough you don't need to worry about your aquarium falling down. Aside from that, MDF, Ply, Veneer or paint grade, its all the same. The outside is the color you see in photos and the inside is apparently veneered. Neither is really a selling point nor a drawback or an indication of quality.

If the outside looks appealing to you, buy it.

(BTW, thats not a slam ar Greg or anyone else, promise)

hoppycalif · 06-30-2006, 12:53 PM

Dennis, I agree that the materials are not that important, unless you hope to duplicate the stand as a DIY project. It is obvious to me that ADA produces a quality product, whether made of glass, plastic, wood, or some combination. If I were trying to duplicate the look of their stand I would be concerned with what materials let me do that best, and not at all with what materials they used.