My 'Home' 20L

[jharr]

Well, I don't have the tank up yet, but the stand is coming along. I figure that is as good a place as any to start a thread. The frame is pine with a butt-load of bracing because of its height. The skin is 1/8" birch ply. More to come.

[swissfish]

if you put one bracediagonal on the back of the stand. it will be super sturdy. Also make sure that you put some sealer coating over the galvanized braces because saltwater will make them rust.
Can't wait to see it finished

[lucubrator]

Putting a solid piece of wood on the back will make it pretty strong too, but those braces give you lots of access room. I painted white over mine, and haven't seen any rust yet.

I know you haven't seen mine, and I haven't posted pictures.. but I used tung oil to finish mine, and I like it a lot. Medium glossy, little maintenance, but best of all you can reseal years down the road just by reapplying.

Also, if you need a flush cut bit or a.. 3/4" (not completely sure, maybe 1/2") round-over bit, you're welcome to them. Both have guide bearings.

[jharr]

I think I'm going to epoxy seal the whole inside. It is actually 'super sturdy' with the aluminum braces... no shear at all. I will also attach it to the wall with oven brackets. I am styling it after a craftsman style CD cabinet I have. There will be doors on the front with shelves in them.

I can't wait either!

[lucubrator]

Epoxy should work well. I used fiberglass and resin/hardener. The stand can hold about 3 gallons. I think the resin was $8 and the fiberglass like $3. I don't know if that's cheaper than epoxy or not.

[jharr]

Epoxy paint is like $25/gallon. Maybe I will do the fiberglass thing. Can you provide any more details on the process?

[crstjohn]

James:
Glad to see the progress! Looking good. I just used 2 coats of polyurethene on my stands and they seem to be holding up well, even after all the spills I've had in my "overflow proof" system:) See you tomorrow morning. I'm aiming for a 2-hr window I have between 8-10. Hopefully traffic isn't too bad on the 5.

[lucubrator]

I just used a red party cup to mix the stuff in resin and hardener. and then used a paint brush to put down a layer. I then laid the fiberglass on top of that, and poured/brushed out the rest of the resin on top, seeing to it that I didn't have any bubbles. I think I may have stapled the fiberglass to the frame in places where it was going to be up high, and then pulled the staples and filled with resin. Pretty simple process. I did it in the garage, but I don't remember the fumes, which can be good or bad.

[mramc3]

Fiberglass:

My experience was laying down fiberglass over molds for aftermarket car bumpers. The process is pretty simple like Nick said. I guess the real tricky part is the hardener mixture, give yourself time to slide out all the bubbles. There is a roller-type tool that you should get to help press out all the bubbles from the resin.

Its kind of like paper mache. You can cut strips if you like, in the end it all bonds together. My only concern is when you sand it, make sure your body is well covered!! The little particles from the fiberglass can get into your pores on your skin, then its nonstop itchiness. No amount of soap and water will remove it. Then be careful of the clothes you wore with it too, particles can mix in your laundry too.

Just my .02,
Jeff

[lucubrator]

I didn't sand mine. :) It's smooth enough for a tank to rest on, but I figured that if it were too smooth that any water that got in under a tank would have a hard time getting out.