Build/Buy Oak Stand

[Fishsticks]

Hi,

I'm looking to build or buy an oak stand for a three-foot 200 litre tank. I'm practical and not afraid of building one, but don't have any real experience woodworking and don't have many tools yet, although I can probably borrow a router and tablesaw.

The Powers That Be have decreed that the stand should have an oak finish, which is a small concession for allowing a tank in the living room! She quite likes this one, but I want to get a rimless optiwhite tank built so am looking for a stand that comes a) without a tank, b) without a cover, and c) without a significant rim arount the base of the tank. Neither of us like the Formica Ada-style stands.

I've considered a frame of pine timber or glued plywood strips covered with oak plywood with mouldings and edging veneer to neaten it up, and I don't think that's overly ambitious - although it will take a lot of time. I've also considered building a cabinet 'properly' using solid oak mixed with oak plywood, but I think that there is a significant risk I'll end up ruining some pretty expensive wood through lack of skill.

Although I quite like the idea of building my own stand, I'm also realistic that I could potentially spend a huge amount of time saving a relatively small amount of money (after buying tools, materials, etc.) I'd also like to get my tank set up asap rather than spending months perfecting a self-built one.

I recently saw this cabinet online for £300 (I haven't seen it in the flesh yet) - it's almost exactly the right size and looks robust. I really like the look, although a CO2 cylinder might be a squeeze in the cupboards. Is this sort of thing likely to be suitable? It's not as bomb proof as I'd planned my self-biuld to be, but then compared to an LFS cabinet it's probably a lot sturdier. I'm keen to err on the safe side, especially since I rent my house.

Any suggestions on designs to consider, sources of suitable stands, or recommendations for custom builds? I know it's a very open question - just generally looking for advice here

Many thanks,

Matt

 

[Nathaniel Whiteside]

Hi Matt,

Click on my sig. Im currently on with an Oak cabinet at the moment. Bear in mond though, that Oak will run up to maybe £200+ before you start, depending on your methods.

If you can, definitely go for it though. Im going to mod mine up slightly, with some nice shiny Rims and a body kit

Most importantly, Good luck!

 

[Fishsticks]

Wow - that's looking really good!

I roughly priced up the oak for a couple of my designs and that's what rather put me off - not the cost per se (I'm prepared to spend the money on what is essentially a large piece of living room furniture), but the idea that I'd be spending so much on materials when I lacked the experience to be sure that I could do a decent job. I don't want to spend a couple of hundred quid on wood, and then mess up the build. I guess one approach would be to make a stand out of pine, say, and if that turns out well then build an oak stand at some point in the future (and then buy another aquarium for the pine stand, and repeat the process again )

I have a cunning idea for the plumbing up to the tank and the light stand when I do finish (or more likely buy) a cabinet. I plan to use copper pipes and to polish them up to a brilliant shine (micro-brewery style) and giving it a clear coating to protect the finish. Obviously I'll be running silicone tubing inside the pipes to carry the water and they'll finish well clear of the tank. The copper piping for the lighting supports will carry the power cables. Rather than hiding plumbing and wiring I plan to make a feature of it.

Matt

 

[Palm Tree]

Why not build out of pine and stain it an oak effect ?

 

[kirk]

hi, id start with finding a coffin maker or a joinery near to home. They sling a lot of wood. my local joiner has kept me in oak etc for my log burner for years. ive made garden gates for neighbours fences shelves to name a few thing ive made by recycling the wood they cant work. THe stuff they throw is interesting ie knots inperfection i call it charictor.

 

[ian_m]

I have a cunning idea for the plumbing up to the tank and the light stand when I do finish (or more likely buy) a cabinet. I plan to use copper pipes and to polish them up to a brilliant shine (micro-brewery style) and giving it a clear coating to protect the finish. Obviously I'll be running silicone tubing inside the pipes to carry the water and they'll finish well clear of the tank. The copper piping for the lighting supports will carry the power cables. Rather than hiding plumbing and wiring I plan to make a feature of it.

How are you going to get the piping around the copper bends....I still have some bits 22mm copper "U" shapes I made intending to get 16mm pipe in years ago but could not get the pipe round the bends. For a 200l tank will you not be looking at 22/16mm piping for get enough flow/filtration and will this fit in 22mm copper pipe or are you going for 28mm pipe ??? Just a few thoughts.

 

[Fishsticks]

To be completely honest I hadn't really considered the mechanics of getting the tubing in - it's just a fledgeling idea.

One option would be to use a pipe bending tool - I don't think that these require a spring to be used, in which case the tubing could be inserted into the tube prior to bending. I don't know whether this has the potential to damage the tubing though, it may not like being stretched around a tight bend...

 

[ian_m]

To be completely honest I hadn't really considered the mechanics of getting the tubing in - it's just a fledgeling idea.

My requirement was to make a U-tube for the waste water from a water softener which would be loaded with both calcium & sodium chloride and not recommended to be piped in copper. Pipe would have been visible & accessible in kitchen, thus would have been nice in copper or chrome. However I was unable to get 16mm (outside diameter) PVC tubing through the 22mm piping loop I had made. In the end due to kitchen rebuild water softener ended up in its own cupboard and waste outlet plumbed behind kitchen units in 16mm PVC tubing to the U bend for the washing machine.

 

[Fishsticks]

If I do decide to try the piping route I will definitely experiment bending some shorter lengths first to see whether I can get the tube into the bent pipe, or whether bending the pipe with the tube in it will damage the tube. Thanks for the heads up.

Sounds like you found an acceptable alternative!