father/son stand build pics [Archive]

Jaster

05-27-2009, 01:06 PM

Just wanted to share some pics of my home made stand project my son and I are building. We made a trip to Lowes for wood and started this Monday night and got all the 2x4's cut. He did the measuring so if it's crooked it's his fault! lol :hmm3grin2orange: yes I did double check when he wasn't looking... he did pretty good. I knew he would helping me when I made this so I kept all the dimensions on whole and 1/2" numbers. 1/16 and 1/32 kills him everytime. lol

This in the end will have my 55 gallon Angel tank on top and 2 10 gallon on the bottom.

Right now it's just the frame (that will probably hold up a Buick)
Have to finish screwing the frame together and do some sanding. I have some 1/2 in plywood that I'm going to make solid base shelves for the tanks that needs to get cut up too. I doubt I'll get to the trim today...

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I'm planning on doing a nice write up thing for this later for DIY but figured I'd share some pics.

KingFisher

05-27-2009, 01:15 PM

It looks great so far. Much more sturdy than the stands I see in the stores. thumbs2:

rich311k

05-27-2009, 01:17 PM

Looks good so far! it does look like it will hold a Buick.

Wiggs

05-27-2009, 01:26 PM

Looks great Jaster, I'm looking forward to the DiY thread as I will be in th neighborhood to build a new stand soon myself.

iZinedane

05-27-2009, 01:28 PM

looking great thumbs2:

Paw Broon

05-27-2009, 01:32 PM

Looks really good!, will be nice to see with all the tanks on it.:19:

Sharon

05-27-2009, 01:49 PM

Good job! I can't wait to see it finished!thumbs2:

Gayle

05-27-2009, 01:53 PM

Wow Jaster that looks really great!!!!! I bet it would hold a buick LOL!!! That is very cool that your son is helping too!!!! Great bonding time!!!!

Northernguy

05-27-2009, 02:29 PM

That should hold a tank without problems!:19:
Nice job! The finished product will be something to be proud of!:22:

Jaster

05-27-2009, 03:11 PM

Thanks all!! thumbs2:

It's been a lot of fun and my son is having a blast. I can't wait to get this done... I want to set up the 55!! lol

Thanks again all!!!

sid101

05-27-2009, 03:59 PM

Great looking stad! i like the structure very nice and clean looks amazing!

What kind of wood did you use? size of the screws? (yes im fishing for info lol).

Marty

05-27-2009, 04:00 PM

Very nice, what type of timber did you use?

I attempted to make one a month or so back... its crap, holds my tank etc, but we stained it so it was waterproof and now I dont like it, lol. Douglas Fir doesnt work well with a dark wood stain :P

Fraoch

05-27-2009, 07:23 PM

Very nice, boy that's SOLID!

I see you also used lots of glue in the joints?

Pardon me asking, but you're planning on two 10 gallon tanks at the bottom? Won't these be 5-6" off the floor? Will viewing and maintenance be a problem? Are you worried about someone accidentally (or purposefully) kicking the glass?

Demjor19

05-27-2009, 08:15 PM

Looks very nice and sturdy! I have built a stand for one of my 75's and going to build one for my 180 this summer! It's a lot of fun! Congrats on a nice build! We need pics with the tank in place...once your finished of course!

Jaster

05-27-2009, 09:38 PM

Believe it or not it's just good ol' pine 2x4's and the two shelves are 1/2 pine plywood. Took forever to find some nice straight and clean pieces (and I really ticked the guy at Lowes off...lol) but worth it. For screws I'm using 3" deck screws. And yes a lot of glue... lol

Fraoch, I am a bit concerned on someone kicking the glass... The tanks them selves will be 4" off the ground but I'm also going to be placing a 1x4 strip along the front as a kick guard. Veiwing I'm not too worried about. The tanks are mainly going to be used as guppy breeders so I can get fry to feed the Angels.
The stand in total stands 30" tall so that gives me about 23" of hight for the 10 gallon tanks. With the lights the tanks are 15" tall so I should be able to get in there to do whatever I need to without too much hassle. At least thats my plan...
If this doesn't work the way I really want it too I can always take the tanks out and make some doors and just close up the front.

And don't worry I won't let you guys down on the pictures! lol

Thanks again all!!

Wild Turkey

05-27-2009, 09:44 PM

Looks great so far thumbs2:

Taurus

05-27-2009, 10:55 PM

Great project for some father and son time and it's coming along nicely! thumbs2:

robnepper

05-28-2009, 01:32 AM

Nice job. Looks like with some cross bracing, it's going to be good for 2 buicks! Puts the store bought particle board( in Canada, we carpenters call it Beaver Puke!) to shame.

Jaster

05-28-2009, 03:02 AM

Well got a good bit done today. Got the rest of the stand together, added the top and bottom cross braces, got the shelves cut out and placed, added some trim work to the sides and started some of the sanding. So far so good! and the best part... ITS LEVEL!!! thumbs2:

I'll tell you though, watching my son try to handle the old fasion 1960's craftsman power sander I have was a riot. (they don't make them like that anymore!) I'm honestly not sure if he was moving it or if it was moving him! lol After about a half hour of sanding he said his arms were numb up to his shoulders. hahaha

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Thanks again all!!

nwnittany

05-28-2009, 04:19 AM

Jaster

05-28-2009, 11:44 AM

Jaster,

After seeing the pics, I've determined that I want you to either be my father or my son.

That looks great and sturdy.....I'm currently wrestling with what do do about a stand for a 125 and if I had 1/2 of your skills, I would consider a diy.....

Great job !!

well I'm 37 so let me know where that fits! lol

Honestly it's not that hard and I'm sure you could do it. A 125 stand would be a cool build.

Fraoch

05-28-2009, 12:29 PM

And yes a lot of glue... lol

You can never have too much!:ssmile:

What about finishing? Paint or stain? And will you be hiding the screw heads?

Also - how heavy is it?

robflanker

05-28-2009, 01:17 PM

Looks great Jaster!

This whole 55 angel project will be a cool one to watch

Jaster

05-28-2009, 02:08 PM

You can never have too much!:ssmile:

What about finishing? Paint or stain? And will you be hiding the screw heads?

Also - how heavy is it?

Glue is good! I got the elmers water proof wood glue. Figured it was a good idea.

For finishing I am planning on covering the exposed holes with wood putty before I stain this. The ones that will covered by trim I'm not too worried about.

My house is kind of on the older side and it still has a lot of the original dark wood trim around the windows. I going to use a darker stain and get it kind of close. I found a Mahogany Flame stain that I think will look good on the pine.
I had kicked the idea of gloss black like my main tank's stand but the g/f didn't like that. Now she wants me to sand down the main tank and re-stain that... I keep threatening everyone here that I'm going to paint it like the Partridge Family bus... (none of them get the joke...:scry: )

The only thing I haven't figured out is what to use for clear coat.
Any one have suggestions on a good waterproof clear coat??

It's got some weight to it but it's not stupidly heavy. I can lift it. I'll let you know exactly what it weighs when I'm done though.

Should I mail you a set of the plans Rob? lol :hmm3grin2orange:

Thanks again all!

Taurus

05-28-2009, 03:01 PM

The only thing I haven't figured out is what to use for clear coat.
Any one have suggestions on a good waterproof clear coat??

How about wooden boat varnish or satin oil based polyurethane. :22:

I just resurfaced the birch hardwood floors in my house and used 3 coats of oil based satin poly.
The satin doesn't show scratches unless they're really deep.

robflanker

05-28-2009, 03:36 PM

hahaha she'll only want the fish.

i'm starting to set up her tank two weekends from now, so i'll prob start a journal for that.

Brookfish

05-28-2009, 03:49 PM

Awesome DIY job Jaster, kudos to you bud!

Rue

05-28-2009, 04:23 PM

Stand is looking very good!thumbs2:

If you're painting...I'm a huge fan of marine paints...hold up so well...

Jaster

06-02-2009, 02:44 AM

Well I finally got to get back to work on the stand... I got the back on, the front trim on, a ton of sanding done. Almost done getting it together! Just have some side trim left to put on and a final sanding and I can start staining!!

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Not sure it the he's moving the sander or if it's moving him... lol

A successful test! it holds up the coffee cup!
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Should get the rest together tomorrow. Have to swing by the store in the morning and get some more wood glue... and check out the clear coats.

Northernguy

06-02-2009, 02:51 AM

That looks amazing!
Your letting him sand with a power tool!lol
Make the kid learn by hand.It teaches a better respect for the wood!:chopwood: :whistle:
Lol Just kiddin'.!:rolling:
Its better than video games and the power tools keep them interested,until clean up time:dirtbike:

Jaster

06-02-2009, 03:23 AM

Oh he's doing by hand too... and using that beast isn't making life easy believe me! 1964 Sears/Craftsman rotory sander! It's a beast!! They dont make them like that anymore.

nzgirl

06-02-2009, 04:17 AM

I'm very impressed, great job both of you - that's the sort of father/son thing I'd like my hubby to do, but he's not much of a handyman, lol - hope you won't have to reinforce the floor inside house once all finished! :14:

Jaster

06-04-2009, 04:39 AM

YAY!! We're finally done!! We start staining tomorrow!
Couple more days and this is in the house and I get my Angels moved!!
Very excited!!!

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I don't think I'll have to jack my floors... That would suck!
It does have some weight to it but I can still pick up one end and drag it around with one hand. I'm actually curious what it really weighs. lol

Thanks again all!!

Northernguy

06-04-2009, 05:17 AM

lol Silly me! I thought the weight came from the water!:hmm3grin2orange:
I had to put a floor support in for my twin 35s stand!
I would say it weighs between 60 and 80lbs dry.

Gayle

06-04-2009, 05:19 AM

It looks really great Jaster!!!!!! What color are you gonna stain it?????

Goodbye

06-04-2009, 07:01 AM

Wow! That looks great!

I'm hoping to build a stand for a 29g this summer!

gabbyguppy

06-04-2009, 11:47 AM

Hi Jaster,

Just saw the thread on your fish stand. It looks really, really great. I just wanted to pass on a tip that might be useful.

My husband built us a fish stand last year. It sits flush against the wall, therefore I can't reach behind it.

We didn't realize (until it was filled with water) that the access holes were too small to feed all our cords through and not lined up perfectly with the outlet.

To be on the safe side, you might want to make your access holes a tad larger. It's a real pain trying to feed all those cords through a tiny opening.

Again....very nice tank stand.

Karen

Jaster

06-04-2009, 12:34 PM

It looks really great Jaster!!!!!! What color are you gonna stain it?????

Thanks! It's a Cabot oil based stain that called Mahogany Flame. This pic is just a sample that was dipped into the stain twice. But it gives a good idea of what it should look like.

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Hi Jaster,

Just saw the thread on your fish stand. It looks really, really great. I just wanted to pass on a tip that might be useful.

My husband built us a fish stand last year. It sits flush against the wall, therefore I can't reach behind it.

We didn't realize (until it was filled with water) that the access holes were too small to feed all our cords through and not lined up perfectly with the outlet.

To be on the safe side, you might want to make your access holes a tad larger. It's a real pain trying to feed all those cords through a tiny opening.

Again....very nice tank stand.

Karen

Thanks!
Actually I did think of that... I deal with computers and can't tell you how many times I've gotten a new desk or moved the computers and either not have a hole at all so nothing reaches going under or around the entire deck or this stupid 3/4" hole you can't even get the plug through let alone 4-5 cords. lol.

They do look small in the pic but believe it or not those are 2 1/2" holes... lol The same size you would use for a doorknob. Unfortunately that's the largest hole maker I have... so it will have to do for now.

Jaster

06-12-2009, 02:52 PM

I finally got some new updated pics of the stand. I have 3 coats of stain and now I'm waiting for the last coat to dry... It's been raining since Tuesday and the 3rd coat still isn't dry... so it's still tacky and it's ticking me off. I'm dying to get the polly on it and get my Angel tank going.... it's going to rain until Monday!!!! It's making me nuts!!

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Jaster

06-12-2009, 02:53 PM

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Let me know what you all think!

Thanks all!!

Northernguy

06-12-2009, 02:54 PM

That looks outstanding!thumbs2:
I love the color and not too much sheen on it!
I think it will look amazing with a tank on it!:22:

Fraoch

06-12-2009, 02:57 PM

Wow, that stain really came out nice!:thumbupright:

iZinedane

06-12-2009, 03:03 PM

wow looking good
nice job! thumbs2:

Rue

06-12-2009, 05:33 PM

Very nice! I still prefer wood stains that show the grain of the wood...thumbs2:

robflanker

06-12-2009, 06:35 PM

Looks good jaster! nice work!

Paw Broon

06-12-2009, 06:37 PM

turned out great! good job.

Taurus

06-12-2009, 06:38 PM

Father and son skills at their best. Nice product Nylons. :ssmile:

Jaster

06-12-2009, 07:05 PM

Thanks all! We're pretty happy with it too.
Now that the family has seen this and realized I can work a saw my folks want a new picnic table for their lake house, my g/f wants a picnic table for the kids and the adults, and my son wants to build a bearded dragon habitat... complete with rock background... lol

he has it all planned out... wants a stand like mine but with a enclosure on top. He wants a the right side of the stand to be a small enclosure and the left side a shelf. oh ya and a hole in there so the dragon can go from the big tank to the little tank below... Told him to go draw something up and start saving for wood. and told the rest of the family I charge by the hour and they buy wood. lol :hmm3grin2orange:

I think I know what I'm doing all summer... :help:

Thanks again all!

Paw Broon

06-12-2009, 07:30 PM

Make sure to show us your next projects as well!, i love seeing peoples builds and how they progress through them, gives me inspiration to go make the hood for my lights that i keep putting off. That bearded dragon habitat idea sounds great! good luck with it.

Jaster

06-16-2009, 04:31 PM

YAY!! DONE!!

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Depending on how softball games go tonight I might even get it in the house with a tank or 2 on it!! WOOHOO!!
Pics coming soon!

Northernguy

06-16-2009, 04:34 PM

That will look amazing with tanks on it!
I like your kids imagination.That will be a cool project!

KingFisher

06-16-2009, 04:38 PM

It looks great. I love the color of the stain.thumbs2:

rich311k

06-16-2009, 04:54 PM

Looks great, nicely done.

Fraoch

06-16-2009, 05:06 PM

Very nice! Was the gloss from the stain or did you put a sealer on it?

Jaster

06-16-2009, 06:41 PM

Thanks all!!
I used Cabbot's gloss poly.

Now if I can just get it in the house.... My son can't lift it up the porch stairs without dropping it... hope the g/f can do better! lol I REALLY don't want to have to do this on my own.......

Northernguy

06-16-2009, 07:01 PM

Isn't that what neighbors are for! lol
I do know the feeling,well I used too.My boys got bigger than me!:hmm3grin2orange:

Rue

06-16-2009, 07:31 PM

LOL...no kidding...I'm now the shortest in the family as well...and have the smallest feet...thumbs2:

Jaster

06-17-2009, 01:01 PM

YAY it's in the house!! I finally get to start moving things around and getting things set up! I get to go shopping later for sand and some fake plants!!
I'll have pics tonight of what I get done!!

Brookfish

06-17-2009, 01:35 PM

WTG Bud, stand looks amazing!

Jaster

06-18-2009, 04:05 AM

Well I got a ton done today... even with a t-ball and softball game this afternoon. So what if it's almost midnight! lol
Got both 10 gallon tanks ripped down, moved, and re-assembled. That was fun... I got the power strips on the back of the tank stand, wired up and labled. I got to some shopping and picked up some decorations, a background, and some sand, got all that cleaned and into the 55. Pick up the kids, drop one at all star tryouts (she made it btw!!), another at tball two towns over, stand in the rain for 45 minutes and watch tball, back to all star field deal with 14 overly hyper 9-11 yo girls and several in tears... (maybe next years girls!). McDonalds at 8pm... home at 9 and I put water in my new tank!!!!

I have the heater in and going and the airpump is ready for the two established sponge filters going in tomorrow. I have the stones running now just to move water around.

So by tomorrow there should be Angels in the tank!

The decorations aren't complete yet... I just wanted something in the tank. I'm going with a Asian type theme... Zen garden type thing. So grabbed a couple Bonzai trees. I'm going to add some tall plants in the back along with some white stone (if I can find some... any suggestions???) and make a type of wall or something. still working the bugs out.

but here are the pics!!

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Jaster

06-18-2009, 04:06 AM

the whole thing!

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Northernguy

06-18-2009, 04:12 AM

You've been busy!
That looks fantastic!thumbs2:
Great job!I'll let the smiley raise his hat to it!:22: Very pleasing to the eyes!

Jaster

06-18-2009, 02:06 PM

Thanks NG! Ya it was a long day... lol
Today is making up for it!! I just picked up a brand new in the box emperor 400 for $25!!!!!!!!!!!! So... Choice on what filter system has been made. :hmm3grin2orange:

The g/f got to talking to a friend at work about guys spending money and off she went on fish stuff. The friend says "hey I have fish stuff..." My g/f's friend at work son bought all this "stuff", didn't do a thing with it and went to collage. and it's been sitting since. She just GAVE away a 55 gallon tank to her neighbor. She tried to give me the filter... but... she's a friend so I had to be honest and tell her what this stuff was worth... but she didn't care. "The kid is gone and moved out except this crap and I want my sewing room."
so I'm checking out what else she's has tonight! thumbs2:

SCORE!!!! :jumpeveryone: :marvinmartian:

Northernguy

06-18-2009, 02:09 PM

Lucky score at that!thumbs2:

My mom threw out a bunch of my stuff ONCE! :cry:
It was only 6 boxes containing all my COMIC BOOKS and Original Hot Wheels cars! Not a scrtach or a rip on any of them!:roulette:
I still love her though!:green:
I wonder what that would have been worth today!