DIY Stand for 48 x 36 x 20

[RevAequitas]

Hey all,

As I wait for my custom SCA I'm trying to get the ball rolling on the stand in the meantime. I've seen King of DIY and Rocket Engineer's dimensional lumber plans but I have seen numerous posts and comments regarding how they're way over built as far as strength and that a plywood build would give me more room. That being said, I am not too comfortable figuring out how to design this so I thought I'd tap into the wealth of knowledge here and see what you all think and suggest.

The tank is 48 x 36 x 20
The Sump is 36 x 18

My primary concern with dimensional lumber is loosing space and I want to be able to slide the sump from the left hand side, obviously requiring an opening in the side and the front. I would like the stand to be flush with the tank.

Thanks for the help,

Corey

 

[Reefer of Oz]

I have no direct stand building experience and can quote no real data on strength, but here is my take from being a professional carpenter and cabinet builder for 20yrs. Both options will work and have benefits and draw backs.

Plywood - It will be supportive with a proper design, lighter, less material=more room. It is however expensive right now, inconsistent in manufacturing quality, not ideal for long term construction and can be difficult to work with full sheets if not properly set up.
Dimensional lumber - will be supportive with proper design, cheap, easy to work with, ideal for long term installations. But it does require a more substantial structure, can be prone to warping and is rather heavy.
Something to consider could be a LVL and plywood construction. LVL(laminated veneer lumber) members can bear larger spans than dimensional lumber and don’t warp. My next build will be a plywood/LVL design.

 

[RevAequitas]

Thanks for the reply, I'm unfamiliar with LVL and will have to look into that!

 

[RocketEngineer]

Yup, my design is functional, takes up space, is easier to build and requires less skill . It is intended as a durable solution but has plenty of room for improvement if one has the skills and the tools.

In this instance, the stand needs to support about 1500 pounds. Even using plywood I personally would employ an internal frame of some kind. Oak 1x4s pocket screwed together with attached plywood, or like I did, a 5/4X4 clear pine frame with pocket screws and decorative (vs structural) panels.

The white frame is structural, the wood panels are for looks. Hope that helps.

 

[Imaexpat2]

I have never felt comfortable with those stands that come with the tank so I have always built my own stands. While I too hate loosing some space due to using demensional lumber I also look at how much money I am gonna have invested in my tank, then I ask myself is over building a stand all that bad an idea? What I have done is build my stands a little wider and longer to compensate for the lost space underneath my tank for the sumps. I am a fine wood kinda guy and will typically use 2x4's, 4x4's depending on how large the tank is for the frame and then skin them with Oak Plywood, stain and varnish them. They are usually a bit heavy as a result, but I know they wont fail on me even if they get wet and they look pretty nice too.

 

[RevAequitas]

Thanks for stopping by with the input, and that looks great @RocketEngineer. I'll probably have to figure out dimensions and how much I really want it to be flush with the tank

 

[RevAequitas]

That thing looks nice! I hope I can put something together that looks halfway decent lol

 

[RevAequitas]

I don't think I need a vertical center support if this is 48" wide?

 

[RocketEngineer]

Nope. The span is short, even if it is a larger than normal 48” tank.

 

[RevAequitas]

Nope. The span is short, even if it is a larger than normal 48” tank.

That's what I figured but I thought I'd ask to be sure. Thank you!

 

[fishybizzness]

I never knew that sca did custom sizes

 

[RevAequitas]

So if I put this together with doors on the sides and front it should be good to go with the 2x4 frame correct?