LumberJocks
DAILY DEALS Painter’s Pyramids  |  Makita Makita Recon LCT203W 10.8 Volt Lithium Ion Impact Driver 2 Pc Kit

Bowfront oak aquarium stand

Project by Sawdustmaker posted 629 days ago 2295 views 1 time favorited 11 comments Add to Favorites Watch

Although this is one of my older projects, it took me a good chunk of time to produce it. After deciding to purchase a salt water tank, I started looking at tanks and stands. The tank I ended up purchasing was a 72 gallon bow front. The stand that was available with it looked to be press board and there was the whole idea of placing hundreds of pounds on top of something that did not look strong enough to hold my weight. I built (some might say overbuilt) a sub frame to carry the weight with salt treated 4×4’s for the uprights and salt treated 2×4’s for the cross members. I rabbeted the 4×4’s then bolted and glued them to the 2×4’s. The tank and the sump sit on 3/4” furniture grade oak plywood with 5 coats of spar varnish. I set the tank on a large piece of cardboard and traced out the outline of the tank. I also used the same ark to design the cross members for the doors to continue the profile of the tank. All of the individual 1×3 oak stays on the outside are screwed with stainless steel screws and glued from the rear. I added some rope molding to give it a nautical look and here it is.

-- Brian, Virginia Beach


11 comments so far

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9521 posts in 881 days


posted 629 days ago

That’s pretty nice. I gave up on killing fish a long time ago though.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7608 posts in 1111 days


posted 629 days ago

Great way to hide all that equipment!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View juniorjock's profile

juniorjock

790 posts in 658 days


posted 629 days ago

Good project Brian. I think it looks good and it was a good idea on your part to build it so strong. That’s a lot of weight for it to support. I’m kind of like GaryK, the fish stand a better chance of surviving if they stay in the lakes and rivers. Especially when I go fishing. LOL. Before my son moved out (finally), he had a medium sized salt water tank in his bedroom. I think everything in that room that was made of metal rusted. Again, good job.

-- JJ...... I guess you could say I'm a 54 year old "juniorjock". — Make things with wood.

View teenagewoodworker's profile

teenagewoodworker

2480 posts in 661 days


posted 629 days ago

great project. it was a good idea to find a place to hide all of that stuff and it looks great too. also now when you go and look at it it will give you a sense of pride because you know that you made that with your own two hands. great job!

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

20586 posts in 715 days


posted 629 days ago

Brian,

This is an absolutely gorgeous piece. The bowfront design of the piece makes this one unique. I like the rope molding as it adds a nice detail to the piece. Your lightstand is very innovative. All in all this is a very nice piece. It certainly puts to shame stands that are sold commercially and I am sure that you completed it for far less than it would have cost you from a pet store. And yours is obviously a vast improvement with respect to quality.

Well done. I will have to favorite this and put one on my to do list to replace the stands that I am now using.

Thanks for the post.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View cajunpen's profile

cajunpen

5968 posts in 959 days


posted 629 days ago

That is a really nice stand. I think that you should snap a picture of it and show it to the retailer that sold you the tank – I bet you will end up getting some sales for them.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

View Karson's profile

Karson

25792 posts in 1293 days


posted 629 days ago

Great looking tank. Luckily we only get 1 or 2 fish at a time and they die within a week. So no one wants another for a while.

Then we start all over again.

Now we just have a corn snake and a leopard gecko.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

11335 posts in 767 days


posted 629 days ago

That looks positively great. I have never tried, nor do I intend to try salt water. I have a 125 Gal. fresh in my living room with 4 Koi and one (big) comet, and a few plecostamus (sp?).

Bill is right.

View motthunter's profile

motthunter

2079 posts in 692 days


posted 629 days ago

looks good.. must be strong to hold up all of those soon to be not so alive fish… Oh I am projecting on my lack of skill in aquarium skills…

-- making sawdust....

View woodup's profile

woodup

145 posts in 836 days


posted 629 days ago

Stunning piece! Capturing the curve with the stand to match the tank is great. The rope trim and the hardware really complete the project! I made a light hood for my 55 gallon tank. I didn’t pay attention to how corrosive the saltwater would be to the wood and it has taken it’s toll. My fish tank hobbie is on hold indefinitely. I just don’t have the time money or commitment to do it justice. Your display looks terrific!

-- Michael, Fort Worth, TX. "I wood if I could!"

View PanamaJack's profile

PanamaJack

4447 posts in 970 days


posted 623 days ago

What a nice piece of woodworking. Just a great job.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

You must be signed in to post the comments.

  • View all advertisers
  • Advertise with us

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

HomeRefurbers.com

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

GardenTenders.com :: gardening showcase