Steel Stand Design

[buck27]

Need some help designing my steel stand for my new build. The tank will be 96x24x24. I would like to be able to have as much open space in the front as possible and have tabs added for skinning the stand when finished. Any help is appreciated.

 

[buck27]

Wow no one replied?

I'm thinking of using 2x2x 1/4 steel for the top and bottom the using 1.5x1.5x 1/4 for the top cross braces (front to back) every foot or 2 foot. And lastly using 1.5x1.5x 3/16 for the legs.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Hi Buddy, Most ppl on R2R won't have suggestion in designing/building a steel stand. I have seen big tank use 1" to 2"+ and would say they all are adequate but one think I do like about wood is they are heavier and water doesnt ripple when your walking by it.


I believe mine is using 2" steel tubes. I would say what you suggested is a good plan.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Was trying to update this picture. stand is 85"X37"X39"T

 

[buck27]

Was trying to update this picture. stand is 85"X37"X39"T

Thanks man, here is what I ended up with which should work just fine

 

[Ashish Patel]

Yeah that looks about right. Do you plan on adding leveling feet?

 

[Ashish Patel]

I am trying my best to make cabinetry and canopy similar to this piece. Tried to get suggestions on R2R but I do not think anyone got what I was asking for. Since my fish room is the basement I just want the stand to look like a piece of high end furniture and I have to figure out how to anchor it on the stand, floor and wall

 

[HuduVudu]

Just a note bedliner works really well to seal the stand.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Bedliner? instead of powder coated finish?

 

[HuduVudu]

Yup ... waaayyyy better, and easier to get done.

 

[DaddyFish]

Wow no one replied?

I'm thinking of using 2x2x 1/4 steel for the top and bottom the using 1.5x1.5x 1/4 for the top cross braces (front to back) every foot or 2 foot. And lastly using 1.5x1.5x 3/16 for the legs.

For whatever reason I never saw your post.
I grew up in a machine/fabrication household and made steel frames for steam treatment rooms.

My biggest concern with steel is long term corrosion issues. Not the obvious exterior, but the interior. I would consider filling the open ends with spray foam as deeply as possible, then plug/seal them with plastic and silicone.

 

[X-37B]

Here is my 120 4x2x2. You could double this for your tank.
3"x1/4 for the top and 2" for the rest. Lots of open area.
I coated mine with POR15.
You can coat right over rust with the stuff if you want. I prepped mine before coating.
Open ends is not the way to build a stand.
Bottom pic is from when the tank was first setup 20 months ago.

 

[buck27]

For whatever reason I never saw your post.
I grew up in a machine/fabrication household and made steel frames for steam treatment rooms.

My biggest concern with steel is long term corrosion issues. Not the obvious exterior, but the interior. I would consider filling the open ends with spray foam as deeply as possible, then plug/seal them with plastic and silicone.

Hahahaha, I actually thought the same thing! I bought a can of Great Stuff to do exactly that. I'm going to put 3 coats of primer, foam fill the open ends of the tube, trim the foam, prime the foam, seal entirely with 2 to 3 coats of appliance epoxy. Should do the trick.

 

[buck27]

Yeah that looks about right. Do you plan on adding leveling feet?

I was going to but it's a little to late now. I'm going to level with shims if I have to.

 

[DaddyFish]

Hahahaha, I actually thought the same thing! I bought a can of Great Stuff to do exactly that. I'm going to put 3 coats of primer, foam fill the open ends of the tube, trim the foam, prime the foam, seal entirely with 2 to 3 coats of appliance epoxy. Should do the trick.

There's a trick for making that foam penetrate the tubing. Fabricate a plug for the end of the tube with a center hole just big enough to tightly fit the dispenser tube. Use a torch to heat only the center area of tubing (not the ends) to roughly 100F, warm to the touch not hot. Then blast the foam from one end until it travels close to the other end. As the metal tubing cools it will help draw the uncured foam into any remaining trapped air spaces.

 

[buck27]

There's a trick for making that foam penetrate the tubing. Fabricate a plug for the end of the tube with a center hole just big enough to tightly fit the dispenser tube. Use a torch to heat only the center area of tubing (not the ends) to roughly 100F, warm to the touch not hot. Then blast the foam from one end until it travels close to the other end. As the metal tubing cools it will help draw the uncured foam into any remaining trapped air spaces.

Will that work at the span of 8 feet?

 

[DaddyFish]

Will that work at the span of 8 feet?

Not sure, I've run it just over 6' through 1-1/4 before using that method. At some point you're going to get more pushback resistance from the foam than pressure/force applied at the dispenser nozzle.
The other technique would be to have some very long tubing extensions for the nozzle and start at the middle working your way out. Problem with that is the amount of material you'll waste just filling the tube. But that's probably the most surefire method.