240 Gal DIY stand

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
ive read those stickies and got the idea for my stand from pharaoh's picture. Do i really need to beef up support? I am going to add another frame on the bottom for sure, but i have a total of 16 2x4 legs. according to pharaoh's thread each 2x4 should have 5.25 square inches of contact. So i have 5.25 x 16 = 84 in sq.
Then 85 in sq x 440 (compression rate of eastern white pine(not the type of wood im using)) is 36960 lbs. It's only a 240 gallon with 1/2" thick glass all around. Most it should weigh is 3,000 lbs.
 
I think the instruction was to frame the upper and lower first to ensure a nice square surface for the tank to sit on and a square base. Then add legs between. If you feel you have enough legs to support the compressive load then great. Now tying the legs to the upper and lower frames are important because that controls some of the side load and twisting. Note the lap joints in the sticky pictures and the corner legs. The beefing up means how you tie everything together (lap joint, screws, liquid nail). Easy way to beef up side loading is to add plywood siding on each end and one section on the back or front. Home construction does this. Builder are required to put plywood on certain interior shear walls for earthquake.
Bottomline is you don't want the stand to fold when loaded. Push on it and tell yourself where is it going to bend or fold......at the leg joints.
 
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update on it. Built the frame for the bottom and screwed each leg together with 2x 4" Screws. Should i just put the legs ontop of the plywood or cut the plywood so that the legs go ontop of the bottom frame?
 
Cut the plywood. The legs should sit on the bottom frame. Much stronger that way. The weight of the filled tank might crush the plywood.
 
you should mirror the base just like u have done the top and use triangle braces from the legs to the base. for extra support add a solid piece of ply wood to the back of the stand. if u decide to add the back panel of ply wood u will need to remove the metal brackets so that the ply lays flat. add the ply wood floor after u have the 2x4 stand constructed
 
Here is the stand I built for my 240gal glass tank. Only used 4 4x4's and 5 2x4's. The stand is 40in tall and its been standing for more than 4 years. The top plywood sits on top of the side panels for added support.

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Chizzle said:
2h3mvxv.jpg


update on it. Built the frame for the bottom and screwed each leg together with 2x 4" Screws. Should i just put the legs ontop of the plywood or cut the plywood so that the legs go ontop of the bottom frame?
Click to expand...

I think at this point, you need to worry about more than just cutting the plywood. Your supports look like they're about to collapse. The supports should have another piece of wood on the back, not on the side. And those brackets are awful. You really don't even need those brackets if your supports are done properly. Your plywood on top and bottom have big gaps. Plus, your supports shouldn't even be sitting on top of plywood, they should be fitted onto your bottom support, firmly. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
 
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