DIY Stands In General !

[carpboyjoe]

OK we seem to have establised that making a stand out of 2x4 and so on is because it is easy and it costs less. If you wish to put more timber into your stand and increase the cost and make something that is so heavy that it weighs almost as much as the tank then so be it, if you like it then great. I have not "taken the piss out of anyone for overdoing it".
The main reason for using marine ply is by it's very nature an aquarium stand may get some water on it, even if you are being very careful. I would prefer to use a material that will noy allow the ingress of water as apposed to something that will suck it up.
The stand you have built there Pharaoh look stunning and very well constructed and I am sure it will do everything that it is needed, it just is not what I want in a stand.
That is the great thing about the western world we are all allowed to be different and like different things.

 

[cvermeulen]

If you wish to put more timber into your stand and increase the cost and make something that is so heavy that it weighs almost as much as the tank then so be it, if you like it then great. I have not "taken the piss out of anyone for overdoing it"

Sorry, just seems like you're awfully down on the whole concept, even though it's cheaper (despite your statement that it's more expensive), easier, and faster to use framing lumber. To turn your comment around a bit; If you want to spend the extra time, extra money, and take the extra risk associated with making a stand that's not overbuilt, then great! I'm not sure why we're talking about it.

 

[DB junkie]

3 pages later I still don't understand the point of this thread..... Is it to point out that Americans are poor engineers or just have a bad work ethic? Or is it mearly to say that we are dumb for not doing it the way manufacterers do?

 

[carpboyjoe]

OK end of,no further need for this thread.

 

[DB junkie]

Sure there is....... why did you start it in the first place? Not trying to be rude about it....... just an honest question........

 

[carpboyjoe]

The reason I started it in the first place was that I was genuinly interested in the reasons behind building a frame out out 2x4 and 2x6 and then cover it with ply instead of just building the thing out of ply itself, but everyboddy thought i was having a go at your work ethic or your engineering skill which wqas not the case.
Anyway I will leave it there as the question has been answered cost, confidence and ease of build.

 

[Verbosity]

With a framed structure you can go change the outside look very easily.
You can even leave it open.

I am building a stand for me 240G. I'm using 4x4's and 2x4's. They cost me about $50.
If I bought plywood and built the same stand I would easily already be at $100. (two thick sheets).

If I built the frame I can then get really thin plywood that is a lot cheaper.

 

[stevieuk]

Heres a Pic of my stand, built for a 6ft (500 litre - 120 US gallon Tank).

Internal 2x4 & 2x2 Frame.

To me its a lot easier to make the whole underneath open using a framing technique for sumps, filters, QT tank, storage etc.

 

[Caoboy]

You could easily take our bulky 2x4 stands, and turn them into some fancy cabinetry.

Say a stand is framed so it's got 5 upright 2x4's that would give it 3 'spaces' in between the supports. Take the 2 outer spaces, hang doors, wall up the insides/outsides of the spaces, and you've got 2 cabinets, wall up the inner space and make some shelves, and you've got some fancy cabinetry right? Same as that stand you originally posted, DIY'ed, overbuilt, under budget, and awesome.

I had a stand made by a cabinet company for my LFS. It was made out of very small pieces of pine, and while it help up perfectly, and looked good, I never trusted it, and it tended to creak and pop a lot (like a house settling). I always felt that if that stand was just a little unlevel, the heavier side would break because it seemed too small.

Next tank I'm building a stand for will definitely be overbuilt. Like everyone else said, cheap, and safe.