300 gallon set up
- Thread starter the lion who ate the sun
- Start date
No kidding. I think this one in particular was more expensive initially. The glass on the bottom of the tank is 2" thick. The sides are 1" thick, and the front and back are 3/4" thick. The thing is STURDY. No exaggeration--it was difficult to bring it inside with eight people. My girlfriend was watching and giggling because we were all grunting and screaming the whole time. I pulled a muscle in my arm, and my brother, who is built like an ox, threw out his back. Serious business.
I'm building the stand this week, and will then be setting up the plumbing. I'm new to both woodwork and plumbing, so I'm going to try to coax a friend into coming over to guide me in the right direction.
I will be assembling the stand tomorrow! Somehow my girlfriend was OK with a home depot trip on valentine's day. She is as excited as I am! Maybe not quite.
The stand is going to be way overbuilt. Here's a teaser shot to show you the basic idea. Its a conglomerate of a few builds I saw in the day forums. I very nearly went the cinder block route... until I decided it would be hideous.
I'll go through the the process step by step after I have a significant portion of the stand completed.
The stand is going to be way overbuilt. Here's a teaser shot to show you the basic idea. Its a conglomerate of a few builds I saw in the day forums. I very nearly went the cinder block route... until I decided it would be hideous.
I'll go through the the process step by step after I have a significant portion of the stand completed.
4x4s that's what I'm talking about lol. Looks good man. Can't wait to see it done.
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This is the progress for tonight. I'm working alone, and know nothing about woodwork, so the plan was to go overboard.
The bottom. 2x4"s replaced two of the 4x4 beams to allow for a larger, 31" wide sump.
The top. The 2x4 is used as the back brace to make space for my overflows.
I laid out the framework, then attached it all together with screws. Afterwords, I added these metal pieces for additional support. Every angle has at least on metal support piece. I went through 200, 3" screws.
I actually misfired and had to remove 125 of the little metal bastards, and then put them back in to make a slight adjustment. Lost an hour and a half on one mistake. ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING. If you mess up, I recommend blasting Mogwai through a sound system. Mogwai > frustration.
Some close ups of the attachment.
The gar watched me assemble everything. They seemed curious about the process. I really need to finish those two paintings on the front of the 180. Never.Enough.Time.
Tomorrow I will pick up the pieces I am missing to finish the stand and attach the top.
The bottom. 2x4"s replaced two of the 4x4 beams to allow for a larger, 31" wide sump.
The top. The 2x4 is used as the back brace to make space for my overflows.
I laid out the framework, then attached it all together with screws. Afterwords, I added these metal pieces for additional support. Every angle has at least on metal support piece. I went through 200, 3" screws.
I actually misfired and had to remove 125 of the little metal bastards, and then put them back in to make a slight adjustment. Lost an hour and a half on one mistake. ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING. If you mess up, I recommend blasting Mogwai through a sound system. Mogwai > frustration.
Some close ups of the attachment.
The gar watched me assemble everything. They seemed curious about the process. I really need to finish those two paintings on the front of the 180. Never.Enough.Time.
Tomorrow I will pick up the pieces I am missing to finish the stand and attach the top.
Progress is looking good, however one thing to consider. On the uprights I would use two 2x4's glued/screwed together rather than the 4x4s. As 4x4s dry they twist. A joined pair of 2x4s will remain much sturdier in the long run.
