SmokeBellew's 1st Build (To start Monday, 12/22/14)

[SmokeBellew]

Will eventually be a 65g reef tank. Since I am actually getting into this sooner than expected I do not have a good plan as of yet...but I will get there and will appreciate any advice along the way.

Picking up system tomorrow morning so first decision is placement:

Option 1: Upstairs living room. (Pros - this placement would be the most visible for both enjoyment and noticing irregularities more quickly: Cons - On hard wood floor, water leaks, more traffic)

Option 2: Downstairs playroom. (Pros - Concrete slab under carpet, will allow me to plumbing through wall into my finished basement workshop. Workshop has a bare concrete floor over most...the rest has artificial turf that came off of U of Alabama indoor practice field: Cons - less visible)

I am leaning strongly to downstairs. Anyone have experience/advice you want to add before I start placing equipment this week?

Thanks,

Smoke

 

[bmoore92]

Following. Cheers for what I'm sure will be a great build!

Britt

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Wish you the best on the 65g tank! Keep us posted when the tank is in process!

-Yating

 

[SmokeBellew]

Thanks Britt & SantaMonicaHelp!

I am working on the stand/canopy currently. Rainy weather has slowed me down a bit.

Once I see how to post pics here will put a couple up.


Britt...I still don't know how we made everything fit into my Highlander...that was a tight fit.

 

[SmokeBellew]

Anyone know why I can not link pics from photobucket? I tried each url provided by photobucket but when I select "OK" in the R2R image dialogue box I get an "invalid url" error.

Trying a couple as an attachment. (Placement is downstairs playroom...directly behind the wall is a finished workshop that one day will house filtration)

 

[SmokeBellew]

Clean up of tank and sump: (vinegar and water)

 

[SmokeBellew]

Mold inside canopy. Sanding of all wood has begun. (Sanding going slower due to rainy weather...bare wood absorbing moisture so everything gets sanded, cleaned and then moved back inside)

 

[bmoore92]

Sure was a tight fit! I'm glad we could keep marcus up front...thought he might have to ride on top!! Tank looks great cleaned up.

Thanks Britt & SantaMonicaHelp!

I am working on the stand/canopy currently. Rainy weather has slowed me down a bit.

Once I see how to post pics here will put a couple up.


Britt...I still don't know how we made everything fit into my Highlander...that was a tight fit.

 

[SmokeBellew]

Britt,

Ha! Yeah...he was happy about that as well.

The stand color was not really going to fit with any of the existing furniture so I decided to put the time in up front rather than wish I had later. Since the stand was going to take awhile and I was not going to be able to plumb anything I figured I should go ahead and clean the tank and not just let damp sand sit in my basement a couple of weeks.

I am thinking about going with a dark stain..."Special Walnut" and then a urethane coat.

Still have a day or two of sanding ahead of me...with about 20+ hours of sanding already behind me.

Good luck with your new tank...will look for your thread on that.

 

[SmokeBellew]

Update with Pics:

I decided the 1x bracing in the canopy needed to be replaced...it had gotten too soft on the ends to save.

 

[revhtree]

Great start!

 

[SmokeBellew]

Second pic is what the inside of the canopy looks like now. I will put new bracing in soon. Other pics are of the stand and doors. I hope to put wood conditioner on tomorrow and stain.

 

[SmokeBellew]

Great start!

Thanks!

I enjoy having a project like this.

I am still trying to decide how I am going to finish inside the canopy. It has some stains remaining...so if I "stain" the inside it will not look consistent. But if I prime and paint it then I will not match the outside look.

 

[SmokeBellew]

And here is what I worked on as I was sanding today. (Brunswick Stew tomorrow!)

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

And here is what I worked on as I was sanding today. (Brunswick Stew tomorrow!)

OMG, you are making me so hungry. The turkeys/chickens look DELICIOUS! :thumb:

 

[SmokeBellew]

OMG, you are making me so hungry. The turkeys/chickens look DELICIOUS! :thumb:

LOL...SantaMonicaHelp.

Those are large chickens! The other is boston butts...and all that meat is making it into a Brunswick Stew. I spent today doing more sanding and staining. Hopefully I will have some pics of the stained stand tomorrow.

 

[143MPCo]

Dude, we be smoken... lol

 

[SmokeBellew]

143MPCo,

Nice setup! Looks good!

 

[143MPCo]

143MPCo,

Nice setup! Looks good!

Thanks man... sorry didn't mean to hijack you thread or anything like that...

 

[SmokeBellew]

Thanks man... sorry didn't mean to hijack you thread or anything like that...

No worries. I am not that serious/formal about my threads. I actually enjoyed seeing your smoker...did you build that yourself?