One more question please. I think I'll be going with regular ply to keep costs in check. I am curious to know if I should put a coat of sealer (epoxy) on first then assemble. After assembling the tank, I would then use fiberglass cloth and add a couple more coats of epoxy. Does this sound ok...or a bit of a waste of time? My thinking is that this would be more secure of a setup to help protect against any failures.
Plywood Build - Info Search
- Thread starter James0816
- Start date
Just glue & screw the whole thing together first (if the frame is not rock solid, when you add water the frame will flex and crack the 'glass), then give a good coat of epoxy resin in all the corners/joints and carefully add glass mat and roll well to make sure there are no air bubbles.
Have you got a drawing / diagram of this yet? (yeh, I mostly keep the stuff in my head...usually a big mistake
)
Dr Joe
.
Have you got a drawing / diagram of this yet? (yeh, I mostly keep the stuff in my head...usually a big mistake
)Dr Joe
.
Well...thanks to fellow MFK'r (man that just doesn't sound right 
) Necrocanis and revealing the Google Sketch program...awesome!
I took my paper sketch and drew it up using that program.
Materials will be 3/4" ply sealed with more than likely Sweetwater Epoxy and 1/2" glass.
Does this look good or am I destined for failure?
) Necrocanis and revealing the Google Sketch program...awesome!I took my paper sketch and drew it up using that program.
Materials will be 3/4" ply sealed with more than likely Sweetwater Epoxy and 1/2" glass.
Does this look good or am I destined for failure?
I like it so far.
Just for fun I sketched out a 10 footer I had been dreaming about a couple of weeks ago.
One of the first problems is is getting that 10' with 8' plywood. Another is the glass. 9' glass is a long way (and heavy). I'm planning on splitting it and having two windows which will allow center bracing and major bracing on the top. I dont like the splitting idea but structurally I think it's necessary. That way I believe I can keep my glass at 1/2".
I finished a 206G ply awhile ago and let me tell you jockeying a 60"x23" piece of 1/2" glass into a bed of waiting silicone was no walk in the park.
Just for fun I sketched out a 10 footer I had been dreaming about a couple of weeks ago.
One of the first problems is is getting that 10' with 8' plywood. Another is the glass. 9' glass is a long way (and heavy). I'm planning on splitting it and having two windows which will allow center bracing and major bracing on the top. I dont like the splitting idea but structurally I think it's necessary. That way I believe I can keep my glass at 1/2".
I finished a 206G ply awhile ago and let me tell you jockeying a 60"x23" piece of 1/2" glass into a bed of waiting silicone was no walk in the park.
My thinking on this is that being a fully enclosed box, that it should provide enough support for the 10' run. But since I'm no expert, I come to the best place for the know-how. ;o)
As for the plywood...I contacted 84 lumber and they said they could get A/C rated ply in 10' sheets. I was surprised that Home Depot even said they could get it. The exterior type goes for about $65/sheet where regular type goes for about $25/sheet.
As for the plywood...I contacted 84 lumber and they said they could get A/C rated ply in 10' sheets. I was surprised that Home Depot even said they could get it. The exterior type goes for about $65/sheet where regular type goes for about $25/sheet.
Thats great. See if they can get it in TRUE 3/4". Get the best you can afford. We didnt feel the need do my tank in marine grade because the wood is totally encapsulated in epoxy. But that meant really inspecting the first "bite coat".
The one thing I will do from now on is get real 3/4" not 11/16 or whatever insane size that passes for 3/4". I found out a lumber yard near me carries true 3/4". It gives you a little extra wood plus when you lay it out to cut it, it comes out in what you expect.
I respect real carpenters who deal with that all the time but regular shop guys like me hate "off" sizes.
Its obvious but plan out your cuts so you can use as much of the single sheet(s) as possible. I was amazed how I had to go back and get more ply because I didnt plan the cuts right. Live and learn gets expensive.
Good luck and have fun.
The one thing I will do from now on is get real 3/4" not 11/16 or whatever insane size that passes for 3/4". I found out a lumber yard near me carries true 3/4". It gives you a little extra wood plus when you lay it out to cut it, it comes out in what you expect.
I respect real carpenters who deal with that all the time but regular shop guys like me hate "off" sizes.
Its obvious but plan out your cuts so you can use as much of the single sheet(s) as possible. I was amazed how I had to go back and get more ply because I didnt plan the cuts right. Live and learn gets expensive.
Good luck and have fun.
Reviving this for more questions. Looks like spring now to start due to cold weather but that is good as it gives me that much more time to research.
1) Will a completely closed box be sufficient as it is drawn above or do I need to add additional support in the front (say 1x4 or even 2x2) for extra support to screw the plywood into?
2) Should the length of glass be the entire length of the box? Glass is planned for 1/2" tempered.
3) I also toyed with the idea of making the front match that of the top to give it the appearance of two tanks but I'm not sure. That would enable me to go with 2 panes of glass but might also increase the margin of error. Kinda like one big viewable area though.
1) Will a completely closed box be sufficient as it is drawn above or do I need to add additional support in the front (say 1x4 or even 2x2) for extra support to screw the plywood into?
2) Should the length of glass be the entire length of the box? Glass is planned for 1/2" tempered.
3) I also toyed with the idea of making the front match that of the top to give it the appearance of two tanks but I'm not sure. That would enable me to go with 2 panes of glass but might also increase the margin of error. Kinda like one big viewable area though.
My friend who has the 26' x 4' x 3' plywood tanks uses pond liners instead of dealing with sealing the plywood. Here's how he seals the windows to his tanks. They are 7' x 3' old freezer doors from a convenience store that he plugged the hole where the handle went.
Video of one of his tanks
Video of one of his tanks
i have a little experience in wood working. i say go ahead and make it 10' long. all you have to do is use a router to make a rabbit cut on both pieces you plan on using. then glue and screw together. for extra strength and safety from leaking i would use a fiberglass tape over the joint. sand and use your sweetwater epoxy paint over that. you might have a little bump where you laid the fiberglass but it should be covered by your gravel/sand. good luck!
