steel vs. wood

[gomezladdams]

Has to be wood for my show tanks,its a log cabin so pine stands look best in the rustic setting.If I had a welder Id make steel racks for the fishroom

 

[QueenslandeR]

i prefer wood to steel, being a carpenter i find its easier to work with (since i use it every day) and IMO looks better asthetically. Although i dont mind steel stands either. Rust shouldn't be an overly big deal, its not as if your stand is going to be swimming in water all its life. I believe that both materials are great to use for a tank, but if you were looking at building a extremely large stand it could be cost effective to use steel as you dont have to use as much of it. cheers !!!

 

[oneyedfish]

nothing wrong with steel...but I do like the whole cabinet look that you get with wood. with steel it would look like a tank on a gym locker.

 

[dogofwar]

Anyone have links to metal components that can be easily bolted together?

I'm thinking something like a bigger scale erector set That would be really cool (and better than gorilla racks and the like) and not involve welding (which I neither have the equipment or skill to do).

My vote goes toward concrete blocks when it comes to building stands - inexpensive, no worries about capacity, and easily finishable (velcro and black plastic or cloth)... My whole fish room is composed on concrete block stands...

 

[synapse989]

People normally associate corrosion with rust (iron oxide) but there are many types of corrosion that are much more threatning to metal that remain unseen. Corrosion occuring along the grain boundaries is called intergranular and is much more serious than surface corrosion. When subjected to cyclic stress or constant loading it will fail. Fatigue corrosion and a few others remain invisible unless specific techniques are used, i.e eddy current or ultrasonic NDI. You will never know until the wing breaks off but then its too late. Lost of aircraft mishaps from corrosion. So although the surface my look fine its the structural integrity of the metal along the grain boundaries that is jeopardaized and usually not noticed until its under a load. I think most stands made of steel are plenty strong and will never fail for fresh water applications and maybe saltwater as well.
Automobile panels usually rot from the inside out, so what is seen on the surface when the paint starts to bubble is usually much worse beneath. Like a cancer.

you're talking about aircraft.. that's mostly aluminum and some other exotic stuff.. but even still.. that's something that requires constant maintenance.. and it's being subjected to more than just elements.. like.. stresses from flight maneuvering and landing/takeoff stuff.. completely different scenario.

 

[synapse989]

run yourself out to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some titanium carbide drill bits and nuts and bolts to match. I wouldn't recommend trying to use a hacksaw to cut your steel because you'll just get frustrated and it's hard to make a nice clean cut. For around $100 you should be able to get a decent chopsaw.. 14" is what I use. ...or if you know anyone like me, have them cut you pieces to size. ...but then again if you know anyone like me, just have them weld it for you

I don't know if anyone saw the stand I built with all the decorative stuff on it, but I probably have around $50 in materials, $20 in paint. ...and 100 or so hours doing everything by hand.

 

[canucksfan1]

What would u guys suggest someone use to seal the steel??? My tank has a steel bottom on it and was used for a salt water tank (pretty stupid if u ask me) but it's got a decent bit of surface rust on it it's gunna be ground down and them sealed but i don't know with what??? I would buy a pice of glass or sumthin but don't have the cash (it's 7 feet by 3.3) and the steel is still very strong it was only used for a short time and then stored and thats where i picked it up (for free)

 

[Phixer]

you're talking about aircraft.. that's mostly aluminum and some other exotic stuff.. but even still.. that's something that requires constant maintenance.. and it's being subjected to more than just elements.. like.. stresses from flight maneuvering and landing/takeoff stuff.. completely different scenario.

Im using Naval aircraft as an example because of the caustic environment they operate in. Corrosion attacks shipboard and aircraft support equipment as well... tools, hoists, metal band slings, weapons elevators, overhead cranes, forklifts, jackstands and a host of other load bearing gear that operate in the same salt rich environment and made of Iron ... nothing exotic for this stuff. The main difference in aircraft is the exposure to cyclic stress compaired to continuous stress in stationary equiptment. How does this relate to a stand made of Iron. Corrosion will cause a peice of metal under load to fail prematurely no matter what it is made of. Salt water will cause Iron to corrode.

 

[Phixer]

What would u guys suggest someone use to seal the steel??? My tank has a steel bottom on it and was used for a salt water tank (pretty stupid if u ask me) but it's got a decent bit of surface rust on it it's gunna be ground down and them sealed but i don't know with what??? I would buy a pice of glass or sumthin but don't have the cash (it's 7 feet by 3.3) and the steel is still very strong it was only used for a short time and then stored and thats where i picked it up (for free)

Sounds like a good stand, free is the best price. If you you can swing it, I would sand blast it and powder coat it, it will look great. If not then wipe the bare metal with metal conditioner, and spray on a few coats of a good primer and spray with enamel or the "Krylon touch" if you dont have access to a compressor but you can expect it to rust through again in a few years.

 

[canucksfan1]

Would that work for the inside of that tank, becasue this piece of steel is alsot the bottom of the tank so i don't want to use anything that will be harful to the fish