After using this site for reserach and buying some items thought I can finally contribute something. We remodeled our kitchen and I wanted to salvage parts of the old oak cabinets so I salvaged the doors and frames and starting building around it. Had a plan for the basic structure of 2x3 and 2x4s but the oak trim framing in the old door frames came about by going to the moulding store and seeing what they had. Tank will be in a room with a 10ft ceiling with a high back chair in front of it so I wanted a taller stand (43" floor to top of base). I also wanted it visible from the passthrough in the kitchen. I didn't take pics early in the build becasue I was in a rush to assemble the stand while the kitchen cabinet guys were here so I could use their brad and nail guns for my trim!
1) 1st pic is the front of the stand - top is flipped over as I was painting the bottom so that is the back of the top.
2) rear of tank and I plan to put two put 2 more pieces of plywood between the rear supports for sheer support - yes I tend to over engineer with stuff like this, as I also plan to use some unused car shock absorbers and struts and attach this beast to the wall
3) pic of a corner from the top so you can see all the pieces I stacked to make the corner detail, needed to do something since the kitchen door frames were short on the length and height I needed
4) door refinishing from right to left : original flat orangish stain, stripped to raw wood, stained, and finally 4 coats of satin polyurethane with red chestnut stain mixed into the first coat. Stain color was a chop suey mix of what was in the garage cabinet for years 1/3 cherry, 1/3 early american, 1/3 mahagony. (having trouble ataching this last photo will try adding later)
still planning to make a canopy using the smaller stained doors and I plan to connect the canpy to the base with oak supports along the rear sides of the tank. I will post updates but I'll forewarn you I move very slowly on this project due to work and family. Only thing pushing me is I want to park another car back in the garage and I bought some atabapo sev fry from Trung that are growing quickly in a 35 hex community tank! Rasboras are yelling at me "you better get them outta here soon!"
1) 1st pic is the front of the stand - top is flipped over as I was painting the bottom so that is the back of the top.
2) rear of tank and I plan to put two put 2 more pieces of plywood between the rear supports for sheer support - yes I tend to over engineer with stuff like this, as I also plan to use some unused car shock absorbers and struts and attach this beast to the wall
3) pic of a corner from the top so you can see all the pieces I stacked to make the corner detail, needed to do something since the kitchen door frames were short on the length and height I needed
4) door refinishing from right to left : original flat orangish stain, stripped to raw wood, stained, and finally 4 coats of satin polyurethane with red chestnut stain mixed into the first coat. Stain color was a chop suey mix of what was in the garage cabinet for years 1/3 cherry, 1/3 early american, 1/3 mahagony. (having trouble ataching this last photo will try adding later)
still planning to make a canopy using the smaller stained doors and I plan to connect the canpy to the base with oak supports along the rear sides of the tank. I will post updates but I'll forewarn you I move very slowly on this project due to work and family. Only thing pushing me is I want to park another car back in the garage and I bought some atabapo sev fry from Trung that are growing quickly in a 35 hex community tank! Rasboras are yelling at me "you better get them outta here soon!"
