Aluminum Stand for 220

[karpomatic]

This is my DIY in photos of the aluminum stand that was built by my built by my Dad, elder brother, and me for my Marineland 220 Xhigh aquarium.

Part 1 - It's made of 2" square aluminum that it cost about $250. The dimensions are 72.5" x 24" x 24". I drew up the plans with my father's assistance. I did all the prep work. My brother did all the welding.

I then ground down all the welds. Then prepared the frame for paint with 0000 steel wool and acetone. I then applied 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of semi-gloss black.

 

[karpomatic]

I used some pine boards my dad had left over from when his house was built for the doors. However, I needed to get the polyurethane off. So I burned and sanded the boards and accidently used the Shou Sugi Ban method. I had no idea it existed until I started burning the wood with a blow torch. My dad then assembled the doors.

My father then drilled and tapped all the holes for the 6 piano hinges and the door magnets. We attached the doors and coated them in tung oil inside and out.

We plan on making a canopy in the same method once I'm done refurbishing the aquarium.

 

[..puSkar..]

Woow. That's a great stand ?
Could startup a company of tank stands.
" Monster stands for monster loads "
I'm not quite sure but by what I've seen on YouTube the stands that come with tanks at the big box stores are generally made of Particle board and thus get damp and mushy overtime. You could come in handy making stands for people.

 

[Thedeerslayer]

Great work. Looks amazing

 

[jjohnwm]

Beautiful work, nicely done!

 

[karpomatic]

Woow. That's a great stand ?
Could startup a company of tank stands.
" Monster stands for monster loads "
I'm not quite sure but by what I've seen on YouTube the stands that come with tanks at the big box stores are generally made of Particle board and thus get damp and mushy overtime. You could come in handy making stands for people.

I'd consider it as a side project if there was enough demand. I don't have the funds but I would have like to have it powder coated. Going by what I've seen online, I'm estimating this stand at about $800 minimum. Also, the cost of materials has been fluctuating wildly as of late.

 

[MicroMonster]

Call me crazy, but I prefer the aesthetics of the stand w/o paint or wood. I am envious that you can weld something like this together.

 

[karpomatic]

Call me crazy, but I prefer the aesthetics of the stand w/o paint or wood. I am envious that you can weld something like this together.

I didn't weld it, my brother did. He's very good at what he does. I considered just clear coating the aluminum but it wouldn't go with the rest of my furniture. Also, I'm not one to have my sump open to view all the time. My cats would love climbing in there though.

 

[MicroMonster]

Sump, yeah, that's a non-negotiable element. My cat would stay far away though. LOL Anyway, it's a damn cool stand that I'm sure would give you more peace of mind compared to most other stands.

 

[karpomatic]

Yesterday was the big day. Started at 550am and got done around 430pm. swapped out my 125 for a 220 on my DIY aluminum stand. It's the next day and I'm still exhausted.

I took mostly video. I'll post more photos soon. Check out the videos on my Instagram. http://www.instagram.com/karpomatic1