Would this be too difficult with wood.

[rc8t6353]

Hello all. I've had my current 60 Cube going on 6 years. I have always loved the tank, but the stand on the other hand has left much to be desired in terms of space and access. I started brainstorming and sketching and this is what I came up with. The tank sits catty-cornered against two walls. I was thinking adding to the sides would give me the space I want. I got a few quotes on t-slot and they all were well over 1k. With all that said, would this be possible to make it if wood without special tools.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

What do you consider "special tools"? At a minimum you can build that with a compound miter saw and an electric drill.

 

[rc8t6353]

I wanted to try to use the template that's in the diy stand forum but can't really see how to incorporate it with my design. Sorry, I forgot to mention that earlier. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I'm sure the take away from the template in the diy forum is displacing load properly. Ie not using fasteners to carry a load rather using (in you case) lumber to do the job. Racking would be another concern as well.

You'd be amazed at how many stands you see built in build threads not following the simple concept. Either way, the tools would be the same.

And just to iterate, if the thread in the diy forum is the one I'm thinking of, it is overkill for most tanks. There are concepts that are unnecessary for a 60 cube. But you'll never hear someone criticize you for over building a stand.

 

[Dan_P]

Hello all. I've had my current 60 Cube going on 6 years. I have always loved the tank, but the stand on the other hand has left much to be desired in terms of space and access. I started brainstorming and sketching and this is what I came up with. The tank sits catty-cornered against two walls. I was thinking adding to the sides would give me the space I want. I got a few quotes on t-slot and they all were well over 1k. With all that said, would this be possible to make it if wood without special tools.

If I understand, you would like to add a wooden facade to an existing stand using wood. Is the existing stand wood or metal? Is the stand open or enclosed with a hinged door in front? A picture would also help.

Just thinking out loud, this is a a fairly simple project if you have the tools and some knowledge of carpentry.

 

[TheBear78]

No "special" tools other than a decent mitre saw as mentioned above. As long as you can cut accurately (square ends and exact lengths) then the rest is easy.

Looking at your design the only thing I would do is support the beams that run front to rear. The vertical legs that sit under each corner of the tank appear to only support the front and rear beams, leaving the other two held by fasteners. You could either double up the vertical legs or make then from wider timber. Obviously this is dependent on access requirements.
Overkill maybe but I'd sleep happier.

 

[dvanrij]

Agree with above. :) great designs you’ll have ample storage space.

 

[rc8t6353]

If I understand, you would like to add a wooden facade to an existing stand using wood. Is the existing stand wood or metal? Is the stand open or enclosed with a hinged door in front? A picture would also help.

Just thinking out loud, this is a a fairly simple project if you have the tools and some knowledge of carpentry.

If I understand, you would like to add a wooden facade to an existing stand using wood. Is the existing stand wood or metal? Is the stand open or enclosed with a hinged door in front? A picture would also help.

Just thinking out loud, this is a a fairly simple project if you have the tools and some knowledge of carpentry.

If I understand, you would like to add a wooden facade to an existing stand using wood. Is the existing stand wood or metal? Is the stand open or enclosed with a hinged door in front? A picture would also help.

Just thinking out loud, this is a a fairly simple project if you have the tools and some knowledge of carpentry.

The current stand is made out of plywood if I'm not mistaken. Closed with a hinged door in the front. The opening is only about 16 inches which makes maintenance in the sump horrible. I'll try

If I understand, you would like to add a wooden facade to an existing stand using wood. Is the existing stand wood or metal? Is the stand open or enclosed with a hinged door in front? A picture would also help.

Just thinking out loud, this is a a fairly simple project if you have the tools and some knowledge of carpentry.

 

[rc8t6353]

The current stand is made out of plywood if I'm not mistaken. Closed with a hinged door in the front. The opening is only about 16 inches which makes maintenance in the sump horrible. I'll try

Sorry about that. I meant I'll try to post a picture of the stand from a previous post

 

[rc8t6353]

Here's the tank and stand. And where it sits

 

[mike550]

Hello all. I've had my current 60 Cube going on 6 years. I have always loved the tank, but the stand on the other hand has left much to be desired in terms of space and access. I started brainstorming and sketching and this is what I came up with. The tank sits catty-cornered against two walls. I was thinking adding to the sides would give me the space I want. I got a few quotes on t-slot and they all were well over 1k. With all that said, would this be possible to make it if wood without special tools.

You can totally build that stand out of wood, and I think you’ve got the leg layout right in terms of transferring load. Couple of suggestions for you. First, I would glue and screw at each joint. Personally, I glue pieces together and clamp them for at least six hours (probably overkill). Second, I’m a huge fan of pocket screws because of the strength they add.

As @TheBear78 pointed out, the only place where I would consider a risk is the two cross members that carry the load front to back. For those I would use rectangular ”legs” to support the cross and front/back.

 

[rc8t6353]

Thank you all for the suggestions and tips! Hopefully I'll have time this weekend to pick up some wood and a few tools to get started.

 

[NTar11]

Hello all. I've had my current 60 Cube going on 6 years. I have always loved the tank, but the stand on the other hand has left much to be desired in terms of space and access. I started brainstorming and sketching and this is what I came up with. The tank sits catty-cornered against two walls. I was thinking adding to the sides would give me the space I want. I got a few quotes on t-slot and they all were well over 1k. With all that said, would this be possible to make it if wood without special tools.

That would look awesome.

 

[n2585722]

If it helps any I built a stand for my 42 gallon hex tank without using any plywood. It is all pine that is either painted or stained. I used a Kreg pocket hole fixture for the screws and plugged the pocket holes after it was glued and screws were installed. So there are only a few places where any screws are exposed. I have a build thread on here with lots of photos on the process here. Just click on my build thread contributor banner in one of my post to get to it. It has been up and running for over 7 years now. I do have a table saw, a router table and a drill press. Below is a photo.