Top of DIY stand Not level

[piranhaman00]

Hello,

I have a DIY stand I am making for a 4x3 aquarium. The top was not perfectly level so I used bondo to fill some minor discrepancies in the wood. Worked very well, however, I layered the bondo to thick in the center so now the top bows from the center left and right about 1/16". I have two layers of ply on top of the piece that is "bondoed" on giving 2.25" of plywood. ( 3 layers of 3/4", because I am crazy).

I figured its an easy fix to shim between one layer of plywood to level the tank, and this would work. However, I am debating flipping the stand upside down and trying again. This is a Rocket design stand so its the same top and bottom. Shimming the bottom level with the unlevel ply and floor would be much easier and 100% more forgiving than leveling for the actual tank.



What would you do in this situation? Or would love any tips!

Thanks

 

[threebuoys]

My thoughts, shims beneath the legs should focus on correcting an unlevel floor.

Did you bondo the plywood and windup with a bump/hump in the middle beneath the other two sheets of plywood?

I'm not sure I understand exactly where the problem is. If its in the middle of the sheet, take a belt sander to it to level out the bump.

 

[mdb_talon]

Agree on the belt sander it should be fairly simple to level out a 1/16" hump in the middle of your platform.

 

[piranhaman00]

My thoughts, shims beneath the legs should focus on correcting an unlevel floor.

Did you bondo the plywood and windup with a bump/hump in the middle beneath the other two sheets of plywood?

I'm not sure I understand exactly where the problem is. If its in the middle of the sheet, take a belt sander to it to level out the bump.

Thanks for your thoughts! Let me clarify.

The top of the stand had bondo applied around the edges and a piece of plywood pushed down on it to level it. However, I must not have applied enough pressure and used to much bondo, it resulted in the middle hump that drops about 1/16-1/8" to the edges. I then have two addition pieces of ply to set on top to shim between and for additional support.

The question is to just flip the stand over so the ply top is now the bottom. I can easily shim this and it will be more forgiving than shimming the top. Then I can attempt to level the new top

Agree on the belt sander it should be fairly simple to level out a 1/16" hump in the middle of your platform.

Mmm I didnt think about sanding but I would rather not as I do not have enough experience.


Ill post pics tonight to explain.

 

[threebuoys]

Well, you could flip it but the hump would then be in the middle on the floor so it will not rest flat. I know you could shim the plywood on the floor, but, if it were me I'd go the belt sander route.

As a DIY'er surely you are looking for an excuse to buy a new power tool! Really, for what you are trying to do it would be difficult to screw it up.

That's going to be one heavy stand with three sheets of 3/4" plywood. Any supports in the moddle or only supported around the edge? If you have a middle support, you could probably get by with only 1 additional sheet.

 

[piranhaman00]

Well, you could flip it but the hump would then be in the middle on the floor so it will not rest flat. I know you could shim the plywood on the floor, but, if it were me I'd go the belt sander route.

As a DIY'er surely you are looking for an excuse to buy a new power tool! Really, for what you are trying to do it would be difficult to screw it up.

That's going to be one heavy stand with three sheets of 3/4" plywood. Any supports in the moddle or only supported around the edge? If you have a middle support, you could probably get by with only 1 additional sheet.

Thanks, its only supported around the edges. Yes the hump will be on the floor now but that will be easy to shim. I like the overkill with the extra ply. haha.

I will look into sanding

Thanks.