New Tank Construction Idea

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Fish Eat Fish

Fish Eat Fish

Piranha
MFK Member
Sep 24, 2007
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Mankato
The biggest problem with ply tanks it that eventually the moisture or a leak will rot the wood and ruin the tank. And in a ply tank lined with fiberglass the fiberglass if thick enough should provide ALOT of the tanks strength. Why not just build a frame out of metal and then use thin sheet metal to line it and then cover in fiberglass? it would last forever and still be pretty cheap because you wouldnt have to use stainless.

seems like a good way to get a longer lasting tank for similar $$
 
This would not be cheap. Enough fiberglass resin and matting would put your build cost comparable to just going all acrylic or all glass. Plus the labor required to lay that much glass properly and without air bubbles would be in the hundreds of hours for a tank of any reasonable size.

Your argument that leakage will eventually rot the plywood applies to this tank idea as well, if you're thinking of leaving the sheet metal intact. It may not cause the tank to fail, but a rusty tank would be hella ugly.
 
BTW. keep thinking out of the box though ;) all ideas are good ones, some just have some practical problems!
 
I work in a metal shop and could get scrap square tube for dirt cheap and painting steel isnt all that hard. Also steel doesnt warp with moisture so cracks are much less likley. Also with a square tube structure you wouldnt need any more fiberglass than even the strongest Ply tank.

Maybe my idea wasnt clear but I still think it would work great and for a very very long time.
 
weight is the only real issue that comes to mind... that and welding/grinding in yer livingroom is not something most people can/would do..

316 stainless is pricy as well... first price i found was $113 for a 36x48 sheet 18g... im sure with any effort you could find it for like 20% (give or take) less... but still... $100 vs like $6 for plywood the same size..
 
Plus trying to lay a big piece of fiberglass over metal may be troubling because it may slide down the metal.vs wood,sounds sweet tho...
 
great idea but steel prices are up the roof, i work in the construction industry and the price of steel in the last few years have on average doubled.

i believe its currently around $0.63/lb for raw material alone
 
Well anything will work I guess. I considered stealing a dumpster and putting a window in it :p
 
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