Is a angle iron stand strong enough to hold a 150 gal? We built a stand using 7 and 9 mm thick angle iron. Its 120 mm and 60 mm wide forming the L shape. The top is basically a frame with another piece running the length and the bottom just a frame with the L shape into the ground, as this forms the top where the sump will be. It only has 4 legs. All of the welding was done professionally and the stand weighs more than the empty tank. But when I rock the stands legs from back to front I can see the water in the tank making slight waves. Is this a problem? The steel used is very thick/heavy
Tank stand
- Thread starter Fiaman
- Start date
Also the stand is on the dining room mat and the floor was a little bit uneven but not to much. The welding on top seems very strong but its a little less were the legs press on the bottom. Also the legs do not press against the top on the inside of the L shape of the top it stands about 17 mm away so its welded only along the sides as it cannot go in any further because of the tops welding also being in the corner. Do you thing the weight can sheer the welding off of the legs and let the top drop directlly onto the legs?
Oh and the only piece of wood we had to place between the tank and the stand was a piece of particle bord and it was swolen in the corners a little. We also have styrofoam under the tank and I have already edged the board so that it can be sealed. But on one side of the tank it is standing about 1 mm in the air away from the styrofoam. It only extends 2" inside from what I can see through the bottom of the tank. Could this be a problem in the long run? And is there any way I can fix it without having to drain the tank? Or will the weight from the tank compress it again?
Coming from a structural engineering background, i think the steel/weld should be ok with respect to shear... however i think your problem will be as you have noticed - flex.
steelwork mainly fails by the middle part twisting (to put it simply) so any long spans should be kept to a minimum. The welding i would imagine (as long as it id a 6mm full penetration fillet weld) will be fine.
i would be concerned about any gap under the tank, as all tanks i`ve seen split, have split on the bottom! get to a good DIY store, and get some 18mm ply (the higher grade the better). this can be used as a top, but also will be great for stiffening up the sides (to form more of an enclosure than framework)
i`m currently looking to get a 7'x2'x3' (i think) which has a capacity of 1.3t of water! - i`m making a base for it out of 3"x3", with full length timbers running the long span of the tank (to distribute load) and 3No. supports along the main span... this reduces the work on the long spanning timber.... .its also much cheaper/easier to work on, and will suit our living room as it is all chunky timber!
hope this has helped, and if you want a sketch of my plans, i can get one posted (3D AutoCAD!)
steelwork mainly fails by the middle part twisting (to put it simply) so any long spans should be kept to a minimum. The welding i would imagine (as long as it id a 6mm full penetration fillet weld) will be fine.
i would be concerned about any gap under the tank, as all tanks i`ve seen split, have split on the bottom! get to a good DIY store, and get some 18mm ply (the higher grade the better). this can be used as a top, but also will be great for stiffening up the sides (to form more of an enclosure than framework)
i`m currently looking to get a 7'x2'x3' (i think) which has a capacity of 1.3t of water! - i`m making a base for it out of 3"x3", with full length timbers running the long span of the tank (to distribute load) and 3No. supports along the main span... this reduces the work on the long spanning timber.... .its also much cheaper/easier to work on, and will suit our living room as it is all chunky timber!
hope this has helped, and if you want a sketch of my plans, i can get one posted (3D AutoCAD!)
Thnx. Can angle iron twist? It just seems so thick. I think it may be the floor thats uneven. I also jammed a piece of is plate between the stand and the top. It seems to be pressing evenly now. Does this seen good?
I am planning to enclose the stand with wood. But i cannot drain the tank to place plywood underneath. Isnt the particle board sufficeint
Pictures would help. As stated before this due to flexing. The stand is strong enough to hold the weight but it is flexing. The angle iron itself isn't flexing but the joints are flexing. This doesn't mean bad welds.
Think of a crowbar. The further away you are from the pivot point the more force is put into the prying area. This is what is happening to your stand at the joints.
The easy solution is cross bracing. Unless you have a solid box like in wood stands this is important. Think of how a truss or crane boom is designes. Lots of triangles. Triangles don't rack or twist very easily.
Think of a crowbar. The further away you are from the pivot point the more force is put into the prying area. This is what is happening to your stand at the joints.
The easy solution is cross bracing. Unless you have a solid box like in wood stands this is important. Think of how a truss or crane boom is designes. Lots of triangles. Triangles don't rack or twist very easily.
Is this flexing bad in the long run? Cause the tank is set up already. When I rock the stand it doesnt seem to be flexing. But can I leave it the way it is? What other cheap methods are there to fix it?