# Cost of DIY stand/cabinet



## RobertsM (22 Aug 2021)

To those who have made your own stands what is the average cost for all the materials? Also what improvements would you suggest when building it?


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## ScareCrow (22 Aug 2021)

What size stand are you making? For smaller tanks and depending on what finish you want. I found it worked out cheaper to buy a cabinet and reinforce it.


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## RobertsM (22 Aug 2021)

I'm still looking for a tank, what sort of cabinet did you get?


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## ScareCrow (22 Aug 2021)

Only a small pine one. Originally it was for a 3ocm cube, then I put a bigger top on to fit a 40cm cube. Now I'm extending it to fit a 60cm tank. It's more expensive than it was but it's very sturdy. I think over 60cm it's cost effective to build a stand but under 60cm by the time you've bought the materials it'll probably work out more expensive (depending on what you use).


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## RobertsM (22 Aug 2021)

Thank you for the information, my plan is to get anything over 200 litres that's on the cheap side, i just like the thought of having a stand at 90 cm.


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## Dogtemple (22 Aug 2021)

If you have the materials and know how it will cost you very little.  

If you go buying wood at retail and buy new tools etc it will be expensive.  

I made my stand 1m high for a 50x50cm tank, used salvaged wood for the frame and clad with 3x new pine sheets from a timber merchant.  The whole thing cost about £30 including screws, stainless steel adjustable feet and a tin of varnish.  

I have a build thread in the journals section if you’re interested.


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## RobertsM (23 Aug 2021)

I've just spent the morning reading your journal, your very talented, the only access I have to free wood would be from wooden pallets but there not thick enough to support an aquarium.


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## ScareCrow (23 Aug 2021)

Last time I went to B&Q the bulkier timber 2x4 etc is pretty cheap (if you can find the elusive piece that isn't warped in every possible direction that is). It's the exterior finishing wood that I think is expensive for what it is.

If you have a planar or sander, you could tidy up the pallet wood and glue it together to make thicker pieces. Maybe add a few screws to be on the safe side. Worked fine for some garage racking I made. I think you'd want pallets stamped with 'H' to make sure they're heat treated rather than with chemicals though.


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## Dogtemple (23 Aug 2021)

RobertsM said:


> I've just spent the morning reading your journal, your very talented, the only access I have to free wood would be from wooden pallets but there not thick enough to support an aquarium.



thanks.

just some tips on getting free wood, find a friend with a wood burner.   these people seem to have scrap wood radars, as soon as you get a wood burner you will be able to sniff out any wood being chucked out within 5 miles.

drive around an industrial estate where furniture is being made, builders and chippies are present or anything like that sort of trade that may need timber.   just straight old 2x4 will do fine.  skips can be good (if you can bring yourself to go skip diving), strong pallets often have solid wood braces but you need to be careful on what you pick up, although they're easy to get for free as they cost to be disposed of.

gumtree/freecycle places, just asking around.   before you know it you will have more than you know what to do with.  

there is loads out there, just have to go find it.   for mine I drove round a place where there are a load of industrial units and picked a car load up in one go, just from scouting around for 10 mins.


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## idris (1 Nov 2021)

Possibly a bit late for this thread but here's my money saving thoughts for a 200+ litre tank stand.
(This assumes you're moderately handy with DIY and have access to tools like a circular saw.)

Find someone who is having a kitchen replaced and grab a free second hand worktop, and possibly a couple of cupboard doors. (Local Facebook groups / Freecycle / Freegle etc)
Use that for the base, top, sides and any internal deviders of your cabinet. 
Put something reasonably sturdy on the back, like 12mm exterior ply to make sure it all stays square when you fill the tank. It'll never be seen, so doesn't need to be pretty.
To make the whole thing pretty, clad it in something cheap like 6mm ply. (A 4ft x 8ft sheet is only about £25 and you shouldn't need that much.)
Sand down, slather in several coats of waterproof varnish ... and Robert is your father's brother.





I confess I didn't build this meself, as I didn't have the space to do it at the time, but if I was doing it again, that's what I'd be doing.
(IIRC The cladding is 12mm rather than 6mm, but that gave me thickness tor screwing hinges to the sides, but there are other ways around that.)


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