daverock1337

this is my current project. tomorrow i will be picking up some finished grade plywood, hinges, handles, wood filler, and some black paint (not sure what kind or whether to use flat or gloss...). i should have it fully assembled and maybe even painted by tomorrow night.

this is my first project of this type. i assembled the stand except for the top piece because i am going to cut a piece of plywood to fit in the top instead of having an open stand and am going to wait until i have that to see where i need to mount the top on the supports. it will have enough room for my 5lb co2 bottle and gauges and an eheim 2213 on the bottom level, and i am going to put a shelf above that for my test kit, air pump, food, and what ever else. i am going to cut holes in the back for wires/tubing, and mount two surge protectors on the back outside of the stand. ill post more pics tomorrow as i get farther along in the process. the stand is 30"x12" around the top so that my 29 gallon tank will sit on it flush without a lip that is typical with these style stands.the front doors are going to be the same size as the entire front in between the outer from pieces, to provides maximum room underneath when open. i also did not want to play with the router haha.

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NeonFlux

That's neat! Nice job with the progress.

daverock1337

more pics, it is cold now, not sure if im going to finish it tonight or not, i may become motivated again, and i may not lol.

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dstrong

Simple and effective, I like the design. I'm thinking about building something similar.

daverock1337

i based the design on the typical walmart stands that i couldn;t find anymore, but i liked the ada style doors being the entire front panel, so i mixed the two. it is far from perfect, but as my first carpentry project, i am happy/proud. can;t wait to paint it, get mineralized topsoil, and order some plants from sweet aquatics. then it will be time to sit and enjoy it. (and also buy a new heater and an eheim 2213)

dstrong

Well from someone with lots of carpentry experience, your joints look very good and clean. In fact from the pictures the whole thing looks very good for this being your first time. I guess you're what we like to call "a natural".

Can't wait to see it finished and with the tank going. Keep us posted!

daverock1337

well, i had the one door on the stand in the picture, and went to make the other door. after making three different ones, i still had a horrible gap between them. on my fourth try (and the final one without buying another sheet of plywood) i figured out a solid idea and got the door cut properly. all i need to do now is paint the inside, drill hols in the back for wiring/tubing, and install the hinges and catch on the final door.

the paint i went with i thought was satin black paint, as per my dads suggestion. but it was actually an oil rubbed bronze satin paint. it shows the wood grains, but i am not sure i like it. i tyhink im going to go buy some gloss black and repaint it. i have mineralized topsoil on the way, next week ill order driftwood from manzanita.com, the following week will be new bulbs, and the week after that will be a plant order. im going to be getting rid of the ridiculous amount of cabomba i have, and will keep my crypts walkerii, wendtii green gecko, and wendtii sunset. ill probably offer the cabomba as a RAOK for shipping costs if a friend of mine doesn;t take it first. so expect a new journal thread on this tank with the diy stand in about 3-4 weeks lol. ill post pictures of it after finishing it tomorrow, then again if i decide to repaint it.

dstrong

I'll take some depending on what type of cabomba it is.

TAB

when it comes to the choice of flat or gloss.

the higher the gloss the more the defects will show. The higher the gloss the more durable it will be as well.( not a huge diffrence with these days with high grade paint)

daverock1337

ive got the stand all put together, but still need to paint the inside. the weather is not cooperating with me to paint it outside, and i worry about overspray getting on the motorcycle in the garage. maybe itll warm up this week. i ordered driftwood from manzanita.com today, and my mineralized topsoil kit should be here soon (bought it from a guy on tpt forum, 50 dollars total including shipping, which i think is an awesome deal to nhot have to go through the whole process since it is not feasible for me to do at this time). im looking into two new bulbs for my coralife cfl fixture next week, and then ill be ordering my tank, putting as much water as i can into buckets (have a 10 gallon tub and some 5 gallon buckets), dumping my peat moss/gravel substrate, then rescaping the whole tank. i consider this my first real aquascape, because up until this point it has been whatever plants ive traded with friends/bought in a store. and i will finally have a good substrate and proper bulbs. im very excited, hoping the next two weeks blow by quickly.