Great Caesar's ghost, this is giving me headaches! Now, this is my very first try with any sort of 3D modeling software, so not everything is flush and beautiful and to scale, but it's close(ish). I wanted you guys to take a look at it and see if what I've been planning is stupid. The tank will be a 4x2x2 120, and the stand will be 6' long, 30" wide, and 36" tall. I'm building the stand bigger because I want extra room in the sump area, a place to set stuff down while cleaning and feeding, and a longer stand is sort of the look I want for my living room. Most of the frame will be 2x4s, with the top frame being 2x6s- clarifying because I think I forgot that part while I was trying to figure out how to model the dang thing on my computer, so all the lumber looks to be about the same size. The boards on which the weight of the tank will be resting are colored brown- those three "joists" in the top frame, and the two vertical supports underneath them on the back. The red colored board is the part that I can't figure out. Right now, that red board is supporting the front of the tank, and if I'm not mistaken, all that weight is going to sit on the screws holding that red board to its neighbors. Again, if I'm not mistaken, I want every tank-weight-bearing board supported all the way to the floor so that I'm not depending on just screws to hold the weight. Right? But see? My angles are weird. The red board is 90° against the frame. How do I support that red board without sticking a space-eating column smack dab through the edges of my sump space, or blocking the areas where I want to put my electrical cabinet, etc? I was thinking perhaps a triangle shaped piece of wood joining the red board to the frame board, which might transfer some of the weight across and down? I'm not a terribly experienced carpenter (though I really want to try to do this myself!), so I might be thinking through this the wrong way. What are your thoughts? Do I even need to support the ends of the red board? How would you go about doing it? Are there any other obvious concerns you see? Thanks so much, guys!
Note: I'm a dingus. I forgot to include the boards that will help support the top frame. Basically, under each of the four corners, there will be a piece of 2x4 that will fit neatly in the space created by the overhang of the top frame and the butt of the bottom frame. Those four corners, plus the center support in the front and the two supports in the back should keep it from collapsing.
Note: I'm a dingus. I forgot to include the boards that will help support the top frame. Basically, under each of the four corners, there will be a piece of 2x4 that will fit neatly in the space created by the overhang of the top frame and the butt of the bottom frame. Those four corners, plus the center support in the front and the two supports in the back should keep it from collapsing.