# New DIY Cabinets



## spill50 (23 Jun 2012)

Hi all,

Just thought I'd share some photos of the cabinets I have just finished.

This one is for my new 48" x 16" x 16" - 200L Optiwhite rimless/braceless when it arrives from Jez at Poseidons Palace (getting so excited now   ).









and this smaller one is for my Fluval Ebi 30L. Though I can't decide where I'm actually going to put it. At the moment it's where the 200L will go.








For the 200L I'm going to put together box for my DIY luminaire which will be hung over tank from 2 stainless steel tubes which I'm having a 90 degree bends put in them. Another couple of weeks and I should have them. at which point I'll post some more photos. I'll probably start a journal for it once I get the tank.

Richard


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## Alastair (23 Jun 2012)

Love the cabinets mate. Very smart...
Definitely get a journal going. When's the tank arriving 


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## spill50 (23 Jun 2012)

Thanks Alastair, hopefully the tank will arrive 2-3 weeks. I'm terrible at waiting for things but it will give me chance to get the lighting sorted and think about the scape.


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## Ian Holdich (23 Jun 2012)

very nice!

the second one is my fave...you need to get a ADA cube garden for that one ; )


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## spill50 (23 Jun 2012)

he he, yeah I'd love one. I'm too cheap for ADA though   and the Ebi was free.


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## Alastair (23 Jun 2012)

Howuch did the large cabinet cost materials etc 


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## LancsRick (23 Jun 2012)

Very slick looking cabinets. Are they pre-coated melamine, or have you made them from scratch with timber/ply and painted?


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## spill50 (23 Jun 2012)

I used 25mm thick MDF £30 from B&Q and used their free cutting service to slice the sheet up to all the required sizes. Which gave me nice clean edges.

Hinges, handles etc £15-£20

2.5L tin of dulux eggshell £20, have about 1 third left after 3 coats.

So about £70 total.

The size of the cabinet is 1220x420x730mm


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## awtong (23 Jun 2012)

Really nice work they look amazing   

Andy


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## Aqua sobriquet (23 Jun 2012)

Nice job!


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## spill50 (23 Jun 2012)

Thanks guys.


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## Antipofish (23 Jun 2012)

Great stuff you have a lovely shiny gloss finish.  How about a journal of how you made them from start to finish ?


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## adamhawk (23 Jun 2012)

Looks great! You should make them to sell! I bet a few would order them.


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## spill50 (23 Jun 2012)

Yeah it's not as glossy as gloss paint if that makes sense but I do like the finish of eggshell.

There wouldn't be much to the journal, I didn't take many photos while making them. To be honest there's not a lot to them. The chap at B&Q did all the cutting for me, I glued and screwed the bits together, bit of chisel work for the hinges, filled the holes, then 3 coats of paint.

I'd be happy to share my initial drawings and cutting plans if anyone wants to use them. I do enjoy the putting together part but painting mdf is such a pain in the blahblahblahblah, I don't think I'd want to do it again. Well until I get a bigger tank that is


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## adamhawk (23 Jun 2012)

MDF is an utter nightmare, I agree. But imagine it, you could sell and make hardwood types too. It would be costy, but effective, strong and different!


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## spill50 (23 Jun 2012)

It would be nice I admit, I'd probably prefer it to my current full time job  

Anyway here are the drawings for anyone that's interested.

http://www.richard-mckenna.com/media/Tank-Bench-MkII.pdf


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## greenink (24 Jun 2012)

Seriously professional


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## spill50 (24 Jun 2012)

Thanks Mike, loving your bookcase tank journal BTW


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## Aqua sobriquet (24 Jun 2012)

Nice plan Richard. I like Myriad Pro as well


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## spill50 (24 Jun 2012)

I end up using it for everything as its the default font in illustrator.


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## Mrmikey (25 Jun 2012)

Very nice, I'm building a cabinet soon hope it turns out as well. Did you only use glue?


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## spill50 (25 Jun 2012)

No I used about 3 million screws as well. Probably a bit of overkill but it certainly isn't gonna fall apart. I pre drilled the holes and counter sunk with 40mm x 3.5mm wood screws, then filled all the holes before painting.


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## Antipofish (25 Jun 2012)

spill50 said:
			
		

> No I used about 3 millions screws as well. Probably a bit of overkill but it certainly isn't gonna fall apart. I pre drilled the holes and counter sunk with 40mm x 3.5mm wood screws, then filled all the holes before painting.



Nothing wrong with overkill ! Its what keeps the cabinet from collapsing, potentially.  Did you manage to get a smooth enough finish over the filled screw holes that you cannot see where they are  ?  I have to say, I am REALLY impressed with the finish you have achieved.  I have long since wanted a glossy white cabinet for my tank.


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## ian_m (25 Jun 2012)

If you paint MDF with MDF sealer, applied with a roller and fine hand sand between coats, then paint gloss, again with a roller (dilute gloss with 5-10% white spirit) and 2 or three coats, it is quite amazing the flat finish one can get. I have also sprayed MDF, from cans, and again if done in say 4-5 thin coats, I have been quite impressed with my own work.

Not brave enough to make what you have made though, they look really professional.

Oh use a new roller and tray with each coat and maybe filter the paint (through old tights) first to get it 100% "bit" free.


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## Antipofish (25 Jun 2012)

ian_m said:
			
		

> If you paint MDF with MDF sealer, applied with a roller and fine hand sand between coats, then paint gloss, again with a roller (dilute gloss with 5-10% white spirit) and 2 or three coats, it is quite amazing the flat finish one can get. I have also sprayed MDF, from cans, and again if done in say 4-5 thin coats, I have been quite impressed with my own work.
> 
> Not brave enough to make what you have made though, they look really professional.
> 
> Oh use a new roller and tray with each coat and maybe filter the paint (through old tights) first to get it 100% "bit" free.



Great tips thanks Ian.  Seems tights have a multitude of purposes... Purigen bags, Paint filters.  Makes you wonder if we should all keep a few pairs in our smalls drawers, lol.


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## spill50 (25 Jun 2012)

Yeah great tips Ian, for the roller make sure you use the gloss type foam ones not the fluffy ones.

For the screw holes if you use a fine grain sandpaper you get a really smooth finish. To the touch you can't feel any difference between the filler and mdf. After the second coat you can't even see them.

On the edges of the mdf I found that you need to give them a real good sanding (not a light sand like the surface) after the first coat otherwise you end up with rough edges.

I've started putting together the box for the DIY luminaire I'm making to go with. The cabinet which I'm using 9mm mdf for. I post pictures when I have some.


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## Toadeh (27 Jun 2012)

Whats the height off the ground of the cabinets? I fancy having a go at this


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## spill50 (27 Jun 2012)

Toadeh said:
			
		

> Whats the height off the ground of the cabinets? I fancy having a go at this



The height is 730mm but this can easily be changed by adjusting the size of the two 402x680 end panels, the 377x680 centre column and the two 608x580 doors.

Obviously the cutting plans were for both cabinets the lighter brown panels were for the large cabinet. so if you just doing the large one you should have plenty of room to make a taller one.  

Let me know if you need any more info. If you do make one I'd love to see photos.


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## Toadeh (28 Jun 2012)

Did you leave any margins for error in the cutting?

I've just done a 3d model in sketchup but its going to be quite acurate really


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## spill50 (28 Jun 2012)

I didn't no, the good thing about the cutting service at B&Q is if you get them to cut the panels in the right order then the sizes are very accurate as it just takes the cutting width out of the offcuts. So on my plans the offcuts will be smaller than indicated. They say -1/+1mm tolerance but I found them to be more like -0.5/+0.5mm.


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## adamhawk (2 Jul 2012)

Which i was as good, I want a cabinet to fit an external filter, but with the same type beech effect and look as juwel. Cant find one to buy anywhere.


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## spill50 (2 Jul 2012)

You could get sheets of veneer and apply it yourself   . It's not very expensive.

http://www.woodveneeruk.co.uk/products.php?cat=19


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## adamhawk (2 Jul 2012)

Yes did think about it, and juwel handles cost £15 to complete the look, but I can't find a cheap enough cabinet hehe. Not the DIY type person to make from sratch.


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## spill50 (2 Jul 2012)

Yeah I know what you mean. I find the cabinets that are out there pretty expensive for what you actually get.

Which is why I went the DIY route. That way I get exactly what I want.


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## Polyester (2 Jul 2012)

Go to IKEA, bargin corner, normally plenty of boards, for VERY good prices.   
If you have someone that can help you cut them to the right measurements that is.


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## Countdown (25 Jul 2012)

spill50 said:
			
		

> It would be nice I admit, I'd probably prefer it to my current full time job
> 
> Anyway here are the drawings for anyone that's interested.
> 
> http://www.richard-mckenna.com/media/Tank-Bench-MkII.pdf



Stands look fantastic, I couldnt get the link to work for the drawings/dimensions.


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## spill50 (25 Jul 2012)

Thanks, sorry about that. The link is fixed now.


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## nduli (26 Jul 2012)

spill50 said:
			
		

> It would be nice I admit, I'd probably prefer it to my current full time job
> 
> Anyway here are the drawings for anyone that's interested.
> 
> http://www.richard-mckenna.com/media/Tank-Bench-MkII.pdf



richard, are the plans still available to be re-uploaded? i love the look of the cabinets and i am tempted to try  but i'm not a natural DIY'er....


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## spill50 (26 Jul 2012)

Yeah, just follow the link the PDF is there. Let me know if you still can't access it and I'll email it.

Good luck if you have a go  the hardest thing on them is the hinges, the rest is just drilling and screwing bits together.

Let me know if I can be of any help.


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## nduli (26 Jul 2012)

nduli said:
			
		

> spill50 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



ok, scrap that, seems to be hit and miss when i request the page. got the pdf now though.  Stupid question but assume the small tank cutting list is the dark gray....


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## spill50 (26 Jul 2012)

Yeah the dark bits make up the small one.


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## Joecoral (30 Jul 2012)

Looks fab, very professional!
I've always been hesitant about using MDF for aquarium cabinets, I'm always afraid if it gets wet it might not be strong enough....


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## spill50 (30 Jul 2012)

Thanks. I made a smaller one with sliding doors for my old tank and it's still going strong 3 years later. I think as long as its sealed properly with several coats of eggshell or gloss paint then there shouldn't be any issues with water penetration


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## nduli (16 Aug 2012)

right so question of aesthetics. 
i am looking to use spill50's diagrams and build a nano stand.
tank will probably be an aquanano40 so 40 by 40cm. question should i make the stand 40*40 or go 45*45 to allow a lip around the tank.....i know the ada route would suggest 40*40 to match the tank but this has little feet on it so will stand off the tank a little......all guidance appreciated, don't want to do two stands


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## spill50 (16 Aug 2012)

Well I went for the larger than tank size on the small cabinet. I like to have somewhere to put things like bottle caps for example while I'm measuring out a dose. My large tank which is flush (ADA style) I find myself putting things on top of my light. So I went slightly bigger for functional reasons really plus it just feels more stable having a wider base than the tank.

Hope that helps.

Richard


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## nduli (16 Aug 2012)

hi richard, my thoughts were exactly the same  i'll ponder it tomorrow. Bnq 20% off on weekend so will be buying then i think. was your gap 5cm on each side of the tank?


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## spill50 (16 Aug 2012)

Yeah 5cm all the way round. 20% off that's pretty good


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## nduli (16 Aug 2012)

yeah apply for bnq club and get it this weekend. i need a new drill and will be getting the other stuff at the same time...


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## Matnez (14 Jan 2013)

good work, love the nice clean look of them..


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