Thread: Fish Tank Stand WIP - Slow Progress

Originally Posted by wheelinround

So you missed the sales at Hare & Forbes and Carba eh could have picked up a bargain sander device or just a vice.................tool buying

No I did not miss the sale at Carbatec, I was there this morning before coming to work. I picked up some glue (that's what I am going to tell the other half).

Originally Posted by Christos

No I did not miss the sale at Carbatec, I was there this morning before coming to work. I picked up some glue (that's what I am going to tell the other half).

LOL so our stuck in a rut eh LOL

Now come on tell us Christos where's the photo's of new tools

Yeah I have been stuck here at work since 09:30 and only now have I been given the ok to head on home. So I am off to feed the dog.

I managed to get the sanding done at the 400 grit and over the last week have been mixing small batches of shellac. What I have been getting was some very cloudy mixtures.

So I stopped using the flakes that I had and started on the new batch that I got in June from UBeaut at the Sydney Working With Wood show. I have been keeping this pile in the house and in the cupboard where it it cool.

Attachment 153615

Part of Original Batch

Attachment 153614
Newly opened two days ago.

If you don't hurry up and finish that aquarium stand most of the fish will be on the endangered species list

It has been a long time since started but now I am up to the Shellac stage. The first coat went on to most of the parts. It has been thin but not quite as sanding sealer. I expect to get a furry feeling, so that I can sand back with 600 or 800 grit. Just can not recall what I have in regards to sand paper.

Now you have to excuse me as I have to run the egg beater in the bath tub to get some aeration for the long suffering fish.

Originally Posted by acmegridley

If you don't hurry up and finish that aquarium stand most of the fish will be on the endangered species list

I was thinking that also!!

Christos, I just read this thread for the first time, so I might have missed something here - but I cant see what you are using to prevent the tank stand from racking ?

cheers
Arron

By racking I am thinking you mean by using some foam between the tank and stand.

Currently I am working on giving the seperate parts a few more coats of Shellac.

Christos after 2 x 6hr days of sanding off Shellac from a set of table legs I know how you feel. I used 180 so far so still have away to go before a finish is applied.

Egg beater in the tub minced fish, just be careful they don't nibble while your in it. fish are for ever racing of with a tit bit of bait.

Originally Posted by Christos

By racking I am thinking you mean by using some foam between the tank and stand.

Currently I am working on giving the seperate parts a few more coats of Shellac.

No Christos, racking refers to the fact that a square or rectangle is inherantly vulnerable to a force applied to one corner alone. In other words, if you make a box without front or back, it is easy to collapse the box by applying horizontal force to an uppermost corner - and this applies regardless of how well made the corner joints are (well, not quite correct, but close enough). Racking is typically prevented by diagonal bracing.

What I'm saying here is that when I look at your design (as you have presented it, I'm aware it might have evolved since) then you're looking at balancing a very heavy object on top of a very well made rectangular framework. There is no bracing indicated though, so imagine what a stiff push sideways will do. Imagine that force is exerted to one end of the aquarium, the unit flexes a little bit, and the tank starts moving just a tiny amount ...

cheers
Arron

Originally Posted by Arron

No Christos, racking refers to the fact that a square or rectangle is inherantly vulnerable to a force applied to one corner alone. In other words, if you make a box without front or back, it is easy to collapse the box by applying horizontal force to an uppermost corner - and this applies regardless of how well made the corner joints are (well, not quite correct, but close enough). Racking is typically prevented by diagonal bracing.

Something that I did not plan for. Now this has come to my attention I will need to modify the design to incorporate something more solid. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Originally Posted by Christos

Something that I did not plan for. Now this has come to my attention I will need to modify the design to incorporate something more solid. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Hi Christos
I notice you have installed (Plywood?) panels in the end panels of the stand. Provided that the panels are properly connected to the frame members, such as in a reasonably tight slot, preferably glued, then these should work fine as bracing in the forward/backward direction.
I would use a minimum 10mm thick ply for the panels.
Presumably you will have a similar panel fixed in the rear frame, in which case this will take most of the force in the sideways direction. I would make sure the the front upper and lower rails are somewhat wider (top to bottom dimension) than the side rails, to enable a wider tenon, or additional dowels to be provided, to absorb the remaining horizontal forces.
Cheers

I thought about this. Post #25 says that the side and rear panels are 6mm solid timber, glued edge to edge. Post #29 points out that the panels are fully floating (as they should be). Therefore they play no role in the bracing.

Christos, my way of thinking about this is that the structural integrity of the support should come from the design - not from the execution. In other words, the stand should be designed to hold the 1/4 ton involved regardless of whether the making of the joints is good or not-so-good, solid or puny. That way you're not reliant on your woodworking skill.

This frees you from lying in bed at night wondering if your glueing was good enough.

cheers
Arron