I've got an idea for a homemade steel and glass tank and want to get everyone's thoughts, concerns and suggestions. I'd hate to spend time and money designing and planning if there is a fatal flaw in the concept. I've searched MFK and the web and have never seen a tank like what I'm thinking of building, which either means I'll either have a one-of-a-kind tank or look like an idiot!
Let me preface this by saying that I'm an engineer and work at a crane manufacturing plant so I think better in steel and weld than in screws and plywood. It also means I have access (at cost) to steel, cnc lasers, pressbrakes and welders.
I'd like to build a freshwater tank in the 300-400 gallon range constructed entirely of steel with glass windows. I'm thinking the main frame would be cut and bent sheet metal sections welded together and powder coated black (built in black background!). The windows (front and sides) would be flat glass panes held in by stainless fasteners every few inches and sealed with silicone, hopefully give it the porthole window look. I'd like the windows to be as large as possible, picture a glass tank with a 2" or 3" black metal border and stainless bolt heads all around. Being metal would make it very easy to build in extras like overflows, bulkheads, tops, lighting mounts, the stand, etc.
The obvious main concern is corrosion. I will have to do some research, powder coat is pretty durable but I'm not sure about in a submerged environment. If our powder wouldn't be sufficient corrosion protection I can always coat the inside with an epoxy paint or something like most ply tanks have.
I'm not concerned about it structurally, steel is much stronger than glass. I will do some hand calcs and FEA to make sure a final design will be sound. The bottom and sides will be much thinner than a glass tank, so I may need to have some bracing to prevent bowing. Without completing the design I don't know what she would weigh, but I really think I can make it comparable or lighter than an all glass tank and at a fraction of the cost!
If I decide to build the "Metal Monster" it would probably be sometime this spring. Let me know what you think!
Let me preface this by saying that I'm an engineer and work at a crane manufacturing plant so I think better in steel and weld than in screws and plywood. It also means I have access (at cost) to steel, cnc lasers, pressbrakes and welders.
I'd like to build a freshwater tank in the 300-400 gallon range constructed entirely of steel with glass windows. I'm thinking the main frame would be cut and bent sheet metal sections welded together and powder coated black (built in black background!). The windows (front and sides) would be flat glass panes held in by stainless fasteners every few inches and sealed with silicone, hopefully give it the porthole window look. I'd like the windows to be as large as possible, picture a glass tank with a 2" or 3" black metal border and stainless bolt heads all around. Being metal would make it very easy to build in extras like overflows, bulkheads, tops, lighting mounts, the stand, etc.
The obvious main concern is corrosion. I will have to do some research, powder coat is pretty durable but I'm not sure about in a submerged environment. If our powder wouldn't be sufficient corrosion protection I can always coat the inside with an epoxy paint or something like most ply tanks have.
I'm not concerned about it structurally, steel is much stronger than glass. I will do some hand calcs and FEA to make sure a final design will be sound. The bottom and sides will be much thinner than a glass tank, so I may need to have some bracing to prevent bowing. Without completing the design I don't know what she would weigh, but I really think I can make it comparable or lighter than an all glass tank and at a fraction of the cost!
If I decide to build the "Metal Monster" it would probably be sometime this spring. Let me know what you think!
