Stacked Lumber Method for Smaller DIY Wooden Tanks

After seeing VLDesign's and JohnG's successful builds based on my stacked lumber method, I got to thinking that smaller tanks could be done with the same design. 2x6s like mine and 2x4s like their builds are a bit much for smaller tanks though. Soon my tank will be added to the successful column after I coat it with Max ACR.

Available to most anyone are 1x2s which would work perfectly for this method. Another option would be 2x3s which I've found at both Lowe's and Home Depot.

JohnG's floor design is by far the best option in regard to strength and can be adapted easily by doing nothing more than using whichever smaller lumber size you need.

Use appropriately sized (length) deck screws and you're good to go.

As JohnG and VLDesign found success with just screwing the lumber down, it is an option if you want a little less labor intensive quick build. For me, I'll spend the extra effort to use Liquid Nails heavy duty construction adhesive between the boards. It's not really necessary when attaching the plywood sheathing, but it doesn't hurt. Also, instead of using Bondo, Liquid Nails can be used to fill holes, nail heads, etc. and doesn't crumble or crush over time. It's easy to work with too.

The window frame that JohnG used or the inset frame that I used are both good options for stabilizing the window.

Be sure to put in your cut out areas, so your bulkheads only have to go through your plywood sheathing.

Corner bracing that works with the outward pressure on the tank walls is my preference, but depending on your design you may go with just a straight brace alone or a combination of both as needed.

The key to the whole stacked lumber method is in the overlapping boards in the corners which is essentially a box joint. Box joints are tried and true strong woodworking joins as shown below.

Corner


Completed Box


Possibilities?


Max ACR is what I'll be using and is what JohnG and VLDesign have had great success with. Sweetwater epoxy paint is the simplest solution for a top coat color, but Pond Coat could be used as well.

Let's see some smaller builds out there using the stacked lumber method!

As it stands right now my tank (4300 gallons) is around .88 cents per gallon. It'll go up to around a whopping $1.04 per gallon after I coat it with Max ACR. Add the 4 Reeflo Hammerheads and some plumbing and I'm up to around $1.41 per gallon.

I could add an Aquabead 9.0 @ $3250 and 2 Fishmate FM 267s @ $1050 shipped and still be at $2.40 per gallon. Calculate any build and see what the $$ per gallon is and compare.

The stacked lumber makes up about 1/6th the cost of the tank, so it's hardly a deal breaker.

In regard to doing a tank for less, sure you can. Will you get the durability, maybe. Is it foolproof, unlikely. The thing about this design is that it is simple, solid, and works every time. I'm sure Egon will chime about mine leaking so I'll add a disclaimer that "if you use Max ACR as your coating and reinforce with fiberglass" to hush that monster.

Oh and by the way, when you have thousands of gallons of water insider your house, overkill = insurance.

There's really no right or wrong way, just some that work better than others. There are many people who I gained a lot of information from before I came up with the idea for mine. And JohnG and VLDesign both took that even further and taught me some ways to fine tune it. The point of this thread was that it wasn't just for larger tanks. I just thought that it could be adapted using smaller size boards.

Honestly, I'm scared to death of the construction techniques that some have used. Not that they aren't good ideas, but because I lack the skills they have to be able to assemble the frame and plywood tanks correctly. The stacked lumber design is simple enough to where anyone who can operate a drill with a screw bit, use a chop saw, squeeze a caulking gun, and roll a paint roller (foam ones work best according to JohnG) can build a DIY tank successfully.

Sure, some might think it's overkill (I don't and surely JohnG and VLDesign don't either), but some of us simply need that level of overkill to prevent catastrophic failure.

I applaud those with superior woodworking skills. By all means be creative and figure it all out on your own. This is for the general masses who want "a good solid design idea" to quote VLDesign.

Hope that I've helped give someone the confidence to do a DIY tank who, like me, doesn't possess those woodworking/construction skills.