DIY canopy

[OutbackJack]

Some lessons I learned with my first DIY aquarium related build.

1. Phillips head wood screws SUCK. Thank God I still had plenty of hex heads.

2. I hate lowe's lumber quality. I found the straightest boards in the store and yet, they were still warped to the point it threw all of my measurements off when the canopy base is on the tank. Had to build around the tank and make it "straight".

3. Measure thrice and cut twice. That's how that goes... right?

All I gotta do now is really build it up to give me more depth for lights, throw on some doors and cut out spaces for power cords, filter hoses, etc.

 

[cvar]

I feel your pain. You're trying to make furniture from raw stud grade softwood lumber? Good luck with that. Studs (even kiln dried) are meant only for in-wall structures, where "close" is good enough. And sadly, nowadays, most studs contain the pith (which is the worst part, most prone to warping) cuz they're sawn from younger trees. Straight, untwisted, studs w/o pith are like unicorns. Plywood is more dimensionally stable, until it gets wet, but is tricky to get a perfect joint. LDF & MDF are cheaper, but bad choices for wet areas. I like your choice of using solid wood for a lid.

I make furniture mostly with clear (no knots) hardwoods, and if you shop at big box stores, those often come in S4S and are usually pretty straight but cost more than at lumber stores. Softwood 1-by's can work too, but still tend to warp more than hardwood. I typically run wood through a jointer and/or planer to make it more suitable for furniture, and it gives me best results. A table saw helps too. Otherwise you're gonna have a bad day. Do you have access to such tools?

I share your disdain for Phillips screws, and I much prefer Robertson or Torx. But furniture is best made with wood joinery, not metal fasteners, esp. for wet areas & moving parts (eg, lid). Have you tried glued joints?

 

[OutbackJack]

I feel your pain. You're trying to make furniture from raw stud grade softwood lumber? Good luck with that. Studs (even kiln dried) are meant only for in-wall structures, where "close" is good enough. And sadly, nowadays, most studs contain the pith (which is the worst part, most prone to warping) cuz they're sawn from younger trees. Straight, untwisted, studs w/o pith are like unicorns. Plywood is more dimensionally stable, until it gets wet, but is tricky to get a perfect joint. LDF & MDF are cheaper, but bad choices for wet areas. I like your choice of using solid wood for a lid.

I make furniture mostly with clear (no knots) hardwoods, and if you shop at big box stores, those often come in S4S and are usually pretty straight but cost more than at lumber stores. Softwood 1-by's can work too, but still tend to warp more than hardwood. I typically run wood through a jointer and/or planer to make it more suitable for furniture, and it gives me best results. A table saw helps too. Otherwise you're gonna have a bad day. Do you have access to such tools?

I share your disdain for Phillips screws, and I much prefer Robertson or Torx. But furniture is best made with wood joinery, not metal fasteners, esp. for wet areas & moving parts (eg, lid). Have you tried glued joints?

I'm discovering more and more what you mean every time I "work" on this. I went in blind on this build and had no idea about in-wall structure wood/etc. I just saw wood and started slapping **** together. lol my dad was the carpenter, not I. I'm just a mechanic. How unfortunate I didn't get that skill handed down. Unfortunately, all I really have is a circular saw, a drill, and some bits. It's honestly proving to be more frustrating and expensive (I imagine) than just buying one outright.

However, that's my issue. I can't find a lid/canopy for this tank anywhere.

 

[BIG-G]

OutbackJack
I had the same problem several years ago.
My lowes has a section for soffit and fascia
Lumber where you can find nice straight cabinet and trim grade boards.
Some composite and other type material that are completely water resistant as well if that’s something you may be interested in.

This is where i found what I had to have.
They do come with a higher price then construction grade. But probably still cheaper to diy, than to buy or have custom made.