plywood tank joints

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
the_deeb

the_deeb

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 22, 2006
1,089
404
397
NYC
Looking for your opinions on this joint. I'm getting closer to start my plywood build. I'd like the tank to look like a piece of furniture and I want a clean look with nice grain continuity and minimal trim or molding. To get the look that I'm going for, I'm planning to assemble the tank out of 3/4" birch or maple veneered plywood with miter joints at the corners for that seamless look. I don't think that the miters alone will be strong enough, so in addition to gluing the miters I was planning on gluing a 3/4" square dowel on each of the inside edges and driving in screws through the dowels into both pieces every couple of inches (see pic).

I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Do you this will offer enough strength? Also, the tank is going to be very shallow - only about 15" of water depth.

joint.jpg
 
With the tank only being 15" deep, you can proboly get away with just glueing and screwing the corners. There have been several tanks built that way using 3/4" material withno extra bracing. If you reay want the bracing, what you have is fine, just alternate the screws so you dont have 1 going vertical and 1 going horizonal near the same space.
 
With the miter joints I would say yes you will need the bracing and alternate every 1" making sure to predrill all holes. Then use industrial strength glue to be absolutely sure.

Mine I just went with the butt joint and will be using either trim or 1/8" hardwood to cover all the screws.
 
Another option would be to use a glued and screwd rabbit joint. It is much stronger than a butt or miter and leaves less that needs trim work than a butt joint. If you have the ability to do a miter on plywood than a rabbit should not be a problem. They also tend to fit tighter than long miters.
 
Any suggestions for what adhesive to use to glue the screw strip into the corner? I want to use something that will also waterproof the wood so that if any water does manage to get between the screw strip and the tank walls, the plywood in the joint will be waterproof. Will silicone be an appropriate adhesive? I was planning on using gorilla glue for the actual miter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom