I plan on learning some of the tools in the shops here where I work over the winter break, and I wanted to build a stand for a future 65-90 gal tank. In the shops we can work with metal, wood, plastics, etc. There's a lot more available than I am able to use at the moment, but having something to build that *I* like is a great impetus to get me in there and train.
That said, how do I approach designing the tank? I was thinking of using a metal frame for rigidity and strength (1, 1.25, 1.5 or 2" square steel tubing) with a wood panel exterior. Maybe try to make it look like those nice ADA stands.
How best to approach the design? I was thinking that having leveling feet would be of great practical value (I see some on the Rockler site).
What I'm looking for is any input those who've made their own stands about what NOT to do.
I want to draw up the plans in SketchUp Pro (which I need to get back up to speed on anyway) and will post them here for comments. And when I get the chance to build the cabinet/stand, I'll photograph it and post that here as well.
-Jason
That said, how do I approach designing the tank? I was thinking of using a metal frame for rigidity and strength (1, 1.25, 1.5 or 2" square steel tubing) with a wood panel exterior. Maybe try to make it look like those nice ADA stands.
How best to approach the design? I was thinking that having leveling feet would be of great practical value (I see some on the Rockler site).
What I'm looking for is any input those who've made their own stands about what NOT to do.
I want to draw up the plans in SketchUp Pro (which I need to get back up to speed on anyway) and will post them here for comments. And when I get the chance to build the cabinet/stand, I'll photograph it and post that here as well.
-Jason