Rate my DIY stand progress thus far....

[JayM]

Looking for suggestions/criticism before I get too much further so I can avoid stupid mistakes like the one I already made. I'll post pics of the goof later, but long story short I made sure to check, double check, then triple check that my new sump would fit the large compartment, and it does. But.......... I did not check, nor even consider that the frame is smaller than the compartment. The sump fits INSIDE, but not INTO, so I had to cut a section out of the interior divider to make it go. Not ideal, but certainly not a disaster. I'll need to find a creative way to semi-permanently re-attach said piece when I get to that point.

I'll be placing the tank and rough plumbing everything hopefully this weekend, and it looks as if the flip-up door may end up getting cut in half and reinstalled as traditional hinged doors. Plumbing might be a bit cramped the way it sits now.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

wow i dunno, but it looks really nice!

 

[JayM]

You can make out the interior panel cut-out in the second pic. Still shaking my head over that newb mistake.

I’m also considering Raptor liner for the interior spaces, but that might be overkill (which I tend to do). Would paint suffice for waterproofing?

 

[JayM]

wow i dunno, but it looks really nice!

Thanks.

 

[FUNGI]

You can make out the interior panel cut-out in the second pic. Still shaking my head over that newb mistake.

I’m also considering Raptor liner for the interior spaces, but that might be overkill (which I tend to do). Would paint suffice for waterproofing?

Looks really nice.....stain, paint, wrap or vaneer finish?

 

[JayM]

Looks really nice.....stain, paint, wrap or vaneer finish?

Paint is the plan. Current stand is black and the wife wants it to be the same.

 

[JayM]

Plumbing is about 90% done. Drains are complete. Just need some barbed fittings for the manifold, and return is about halfway done. Need to turn down some 3/4” to fit the 25mm bulkhead fittings and I’m going to move the horizontal ball valve to a different location.

 

[Fenral]

Jay,
That looks awesome. But I'd use more than paint on the inside near the plumbing, as salt + most paint = a bubbling, cracking mess after a while, and it doesn't look like you have room to clean in there, so the liner is a good idea. (Your stand looks way better than mine! I used a few coats of black Rustoleum and then a clear coat... The next stand is definitely going to be aluminum)

 

[Nano_Tuners]

+1 I would use a marine epoxy-based paint to coat the inside completely. Will prevent moisture/mold damage to the wood

If thats 1/2" ply and all your joints are well fastened it should be strong enough for whatever size youre putting on it wo additional bracing

Would look amazing if you could veneer it (but that is tough to get right)

 

[JayM]

+1 I would use a marine epoxy-based paint to coat the inside completely. Will prevent moisture/mold damage to the wood

If thats 1/2" ply and all your joints are well fastened it should be strong enough for whatever size youre putting on it wo additional bracing

Would look amazing if you could veneer it (but that is tough to get right)

3/4” plywood, glued and nailed and obscenely braced. Veneer has crossed my mind, but it’s been many years since I’ve played with it, and I’m not really properly equipped to do it “right”.

 

[Nano_Tuners]

3/4” plywood, glued and nailed and obscenely braced. Veneer has crossed my mind, but it’s been many years since I’ve played with it, and I’m not really properly equipped to do it “right”.

The only think I hate about ply is that when you paint it you still get that ugly grain through the paint. You could also paint on a thick leveler, sand it down to smooth and paint it and it would look great

 

[JayM]

The only think I hate about ply is that when you paint it you still get that ugly grain through the paint. You could also paint on a thick leveler, sand it down to smooth and paint it and it would look great

I skim coated the entire exterior with automotive glazing & spot putty. It’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

 

[JayM]

Interior epoxy coated, plumbing 99% done (just need to add a couple of hangers), one more coat of black on the exterior and then a coat or two of clear. Then I’ll fill it for leak check and a final fitting of the doors, then into the house for the swap.

 

[Fenral]

Interior epoxy coated, plumbing 99% done (just need to add a couple of hangers), one more coat of black on the exterior and then a coat or two of clear. Then I’ll fill it for leak check and a final fitting of the doors, then into the house for the swap.

Looks good!

 

[Fungusamongus]

Looks beautiful. Nice job.

 

[Fish Fan]

Interior epoxy coated, plumbing 99% done (just need to add a couple of hangers), one more coat of black on the exterior and then a coat or two of clear. Then I’ll fill it for leak check and a final fitting of the doors, then into the house for the swap.

Looks great, and I'm subbed!

In the pic above, you have the typical three "Bean Animal" drain lines, but I see a tee and a fourth line. Is this for water changes?

If you had a diagram or plan for your plumbing, I'd love to see it.

Great job!!

 

[JayM]

The pic is kinda deceptive due to the angle. The ball valve at the far right leads into the tee and feeds both of the tank returns. It looks like it’s part of the drain plumbing, but it’s completely separate. The other 3 ball valves on the right is a separate manifold that will have its own pump for UV, water changes and whatever else I may need.

The tee positioned where it is was probably completely unnecessary, but my thought is by centering the inlet, it’s more likely to send an equal amount of flow to both returns. If it doesn’t end up working that way, I’ll install a couple of ball valves behind the tank and adjust flow independently.

 

[Fenral]

It looks great! Nothing like the steam punk plumbing I have...

 

[JayM]

It looks great! Nothing like the steam punk plumbing I have...

I’d post pics of my current setup, but I don’t have one, and I wouldn’t want to anyway. Mostly junk I had laying around and cobbled together. It’s very Sanford and Son, and would leak in a few spots if not for the salt creep.

Very apparent that I put it together before I did a single bit of research.

 

[JayM]

Leak check time!