Question about cabinet?

[Roberto CRC]

Hi frends,

I want to try to make a piece of cabinet for a project, however I want it to be as practical as possible when it comes to building it and this generates some questions for security / necessity / obligatory.

I have been looking at the Red Sea cabinet and even though the larger tanks do not use a base structure for their cabinet.

As I mentioned, I would like to make it as practical as possible but without losing confidence that one day the tank will end up on the ground in pieces.

If the furniture is made of 1/2 "melamine without using a base structure, will it be sufficient for a tank of 59" x 23.5 "x 19.5" (length x width x height)?

Or do I necessarily need to make the base structure for the cabinet?

Regards

 

[samnaz]

Can we see pics?

 

[samnaz]

Can we see pics?

 

[Roberto CRC]

Can we see pics?

I don't have pics, not yet build this, is a project.

 

[George Lopez]

Why don't you use 3/4" plywood instead? It's much stronger.

 

[Ryan115]

Hi frends,

I want to try to make a piece of cabinet for a project, however I want it to be as practical as possible when it comes to building it and this generates some questions for security / necessity / obligatory.

I have been looking at the Red Sea cabinet and even though the larger tanks do not use a base structure for their cabinet.

As I mentioned, I would like to make it as practical as possible but without losing confidence that one day the tank will end up on the ground in pieces.

If the furniture is made of 1/2 "melamine without using a base structure, will it be sufficient for a tank of 59" x 23.5 "x 19.5" (length x width x height)?

Or do I necessarily need to make the base structure for the cabinet?

Regards

That tank is approaching 120 gallons. Personally I would not trust melamine for something that size. At some point the stand will likely get wet, and the particle board that the melamine is attached to will just get worse structurally. If designed properly, plywood would be more than adequate, but particle board is not ideal to handle the lateral forces for an aquarium stand.

 

[Roberto CRC]

Why don't you use 3/4" plywood instead? It's much stronger.

Ummm i don't know what that is.

 

[Roberto CRC]

That tank is approaching 120 gallons. Personally I would not trust melamine for something that size. At some point the stand will likely get wet, and the particle board that the melamine is attached to will just get worse structurally. If designed properly, plywood would be more than adequate, but particle board is not ideal to handle the lateral forces for an aquarium stand.

Ok thanks for the information.

I do not really know what the plywood is. My current cabinet is in plywood painted with sealants and varnish, however, now this has been a real problem since termites have attacked the cabinet. I have no problem that the tank falls on the floor because it has metal structure, but I have no way to take off the plywood and cover again because the cabinet is very close to the wall on one side.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Don't use melamine.....if it gets wet, it falls apart.

Plywood is a good choice. That a look at commercial stands to give you ideas.....most have 3/4 plywood for the supporting structure.

 

[Greybeard]

3/4" hardwood ply is structurally very strong. Far stronger than most of the softwood dimensional lumber that people tend to build stands out of, and then 'skin' them with plywood.

The plywood stand I built for my old cube was strong enough to double as a stool for an elephant. No frame... didn't need one. I no longer own the tank, but it's still sitting on that stand...
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/greybeards-cube.292760/

On my latest build, I went with powder coated steel. I may never do another wooden stand... at least not on a larger tank. The steel is stronger, allows for a more open structure, will last basically forever, and wasn't any more expensive than building a nice wooden stand.