Lets see those steel stands!

[Reef or Die]

Question. If I copy this design and use 1.5 inch iron and make it 42 inches long for a 36 inch tank will I have any issues without bracing in the front? I want it to be open as possible and plan to put the tank in the middle. That would leave a 3 inches on each side.
I will then put plywood on top.

Thanks
Thanks QUOTE=reefanatik;24441456]Here is the sketup i came up with. It will have 4 gussets on all sides to help when i go to skin it and to help with added support.
[/QUOTE]

[uncleof6]

Using 1.5" steel tubing, at those dimensions, and setting the tank in the middle, will basically suspend the tank on the two center "spaghetti noodles" that are in shear, not compression. The rule of tank stands is direct vertical support from the botton of the 4 corners of the tank to the floor. Steel is pretty strong stuff, but it will still deflect. You want the load transfered directly to the floor, not indirectly.

[StephanR]

I like this post for my new tank. The tank and stand will be the same size 120x80x80 cm (47.24x31.5x31.5 inch)
I have draw me a stand but need some advice.
The frame will be made of steel 4x4cm 3mm (1.58x1.58 inch 0.12 inch)
Would this be enough to carry a tank of 190 gallon / 720 liter

[FunFishin24]

Hello. I'm not good at sketching like most of you here but if I were to build a stand for my new 500g bowfront do y'all think if I used 2x4 tubing 3/16 thick for my top frame & 2x2 tubing 3/16 thick for everything else(legs, cross section supports). Would that be heavy enough steel for that weight?


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[sayitfast]

Originally Posted by ReefRealEstate

2"x2"x 1/4" I'm guessing this will do it. The guy laughed at me when I asked if the stand was strong enough.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/pi...ictureid=74528

Glass is 3/4" all round - Starphire glass on front and left side. 1 Piece euro brace on top....I love her....

Super nice...

[pfoxgrover]

This is my plan for a stand for my new 60" x 60" x 24" 375 g acrylic aquarium. The stand is made in 2 large pieces plus a removable center leg so that it will fit through my door. In the pictures I left a space between the sections just to show they are separate.

Assembled the stand is 71" x 68" x 42"

The steel I was planning on using is 2" x 1.5" x 1/8" HSS and 2" x 0.75" x 1/8" HSS.
I also plan to use two layers of plywood on top.

Please let me know if you see anything that looks like it will not work good.

Thanks,
Paul

[pfoxgrover]

Here are two more views:
Top


Side

[pfoxgrover]

bump

[Yaryman]

First, I am not an expert. I'm just trying to help based on my LIMITED experience.
Being that you are in Southern California you might want some cross support.
Second, I would build both stands as separate stands that could be bolted together.
Third, not an expert opinion, but you should be able to get by using 1.5" steel.
Here's a link to my design, still going strong after 4 years. I used 3/4" plywood under the tank to support in on the stand.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...postcount=2077

[pfoxgrover]

Yaryman,
Thanks for sharing your stand design. I forgot to add them to the drawing but I was planning on adding some 4" x 4" triangular gussets but had not decided how many. The idea was to bolt the pieces together after I get then through the doorway.

[Yaryman]

Originally Posted by pfoxgrover

Yaryman,
Thanks for sharing your stand design. I forgot to add them to the drawing but I was planning on adding some 4" x 4" triangular gussets
but had not decided how many. The idea was to bolt the pieces together after I get then through the doorway.

Again not a expert, here's my 2¢.
You most likely don't need that many cross supports on top, again looking at my design
you tank is 2/3's of mine. If you build the stands as two complete stand alone stands like 2/3's of mine you should be fine.
That would mean there would be two support beams in the middle, one from each complete stand.
The only difference between yours and mine at 2/3's would be the height of your steel stand.
Maybe the vertical steel should be two inch.

Hope what I've described makes sense.

[2smokes]

Not iet finished.Its made from half an inch thick steel plates and massive C beams.This is only the suport of the aquarium.At the stand im still working.The paint job is bad but it has no importance because this will be covered in stirofoam for thermic isolation.

[BigDave]

I just realized I never posted any pictures of mine. This post was extremely beneficial in my design. Here's two pictures, one of the stand during the paint process (it's upside down). The second picture is in the house with the tank and equipment loaded back in it.

[Synodontis]

Our steel stand.
75mm x 75mm x 5mm SHS, 3ft opening's across the front, 4ft opening at each end. 30mm ply on stand, then 10mm LD foam & then a 20mm HD foam layer.



Some sound proofing with 50mm foam top & rear.



Lined with 16mm MDF, then a sealed with 6mm white acrylic.





Strip lighting installed





Electrical section sealed off





Setting up electrical side

[pfoxgrover]

Originally Posted by Synodontis

Our steel stand.
75mm x 75mm x 5mm SHS, 3ft opening's across the front, 4ft opening at each end. 30mm ply on stand, then 10mm LD foam & then a 20mm HD foam layer.

Wow! great setup you got there. I would love to see more pictures if you got them.

[11f150]

Does anyone use or know if Over The Edge metal stands are good?

[MBC2012]

Some amazing stands here. I would like some suggestions for leveling my steel stand. Stand measures 96X32 and sits on tile flooring. Obviously want to protect the tile. Plywood then shims? Thanks

[ballhog]

Originally Posted by MBC2012

Some amazing stands here. I would like some suggestions for leveling my steel stand. Stand measures 96X32 and sits on tile flooring. Obviously want to protect the tile. Plywood then shims? Thanks

I would use leveling feet with plastic bottoms. Just have small steel pads drilled and tapped then welded to the bottom.

[nightOwl]

Hoping to get some input from you guys here on my proposed plans for a new steel stand. I checked around and found out a steel stand is not as expensive as I thought it might be. The dimensions are sorta rough right now but the overall tank dimensions will be 82" x 40" x 26" (roughly) peninsula eurobraced and I was hoping to have a little bit of overlap around the tank with the stand. The top will have a 3/4" piece of plywood and 1/8" yoga mat the front side against the wall will be skinned with plywood. Both sides and the back will remain open for access to the sump and any other equipment under the tank. Currently the sump measures 46" x 20" x 15".

Overall Stand Dimensions:
84" x 42" x 42"
Top of stand: 1.5 x 3 (Rectangular Tubing)
Legs and supports: 1.5 x 1.5 (Square Tubing)

Questions:
If using 1.5 square and rectangular tubing what gauge should it be? Currently think 11 gauge.

What's the longest span I should be able to go without a vertical support brace? Currently biggest opening is 40".

How big should my corner braces be? Currently they are 6"x6"

What the recommended thickness of the corner braces 1/4"?

I need to break the stand into two parts in order to get it in my home. What is usually a good place or way to divide.?


Work in progress renderings:

Stand


Top

[Yaryman]

nightOwl, just a quick look and opinion. You don't need that many corner braces unless you are expecting a 8.0 to 9.0 earthquake in Maryland.

Cut the corner braces in half and you will be fine.

Disclosure. I live in CA and don't have that many corner braces.
Also, I am not an expert, and my free opinion is worth just that.

[Gorgok]

I don't have any corner braces but i know my welds are sound.

As to breaking the stand into two, it really depends on what is the limiting factor on moving in as is.

If you can't swing something that long/tall then making two cubes that join in the middle would help. Getting them co-planar again will take some doing, but its not much more than just leveling it out normally.

If you can swing something that long/tall but its too fat to fit through a door then you could make it two thinner stacked frames. Enclosing each end into a loop of both pieces and having the middle verticals entirely removable will make it really quite thin (being basically two C shapes to work around door openings and such). It will need better fitting on the verticals and bolts/nuts and flanges, so some additional work for building, but it should be pretty easy to setup if done right.

[SnakeKing]

I am looking to build an acrylic aquarium and steel stand for it but am having an issue with the stand design. My issue comes from the length and width or the tank (120x80) I am trying to have the stand as open as possible underneath for filtration and need help with material and design.

TIA

[nightOwl]

Originally Posted by Yaryman

nightOwl, just a quick look and opinion. You don't need that many corner braces unless you are expecting a 8.0 to 9.0 earthquake in Maryland.

Cut the corner braces in half and you will be fine.


Disclosure. I live in CA and don't have that many corner braces.
Also, I am not an expert, and my free opinion is worth just that.

Yaryman - I had them to be able to attach a skin to the stand easier. So 3" triangles should work instead of the 6" ones?. The tabs on the to are so I can secure the 3/4 plywood to the stand with recessed bolts.

Originally Posted by Gorgok

I don't have any corner braces but i know my welds are sound.

As to breaking the stand into two, it really depends on what is the limiting factor on moving in as is.



If you can't swing something that long/tall then making two cubes that join in the middle would help. Getting them co-planar again will take some doing, but its not much more than just leveling it out normally.

If you can swing something that long/tall but its too fat to fit through a door then you could make it two thinner stacked frames. Enclosing each end into a loop of both pieces and having the middle verticals entirely removable will make it really quite thin (being basically two C shapes to work around door openings and such). It will need better fitting on the verticals and bolts/nuts and flanges, so some additional work for building, but it should be pretty easy to setup if done right.

I think I like your idea of two c shapes so I updated my design. One side is colored so you can see where the split will occur.

Here is an updated stand the two colors show where the division will occur.

[Konadog]

nightOwl, if you look back on the first page, you'll see a few stands that are close to yours (including mine). I didn't use any corner bracing either, I just drilled into the stand to secure my cover. My stand was 60l x 30w x 40t, and I think the center gap was 36" wide, with 12" gaps on the sides. I used 2" tubing, and don't remember what gauge it was, but it wasn't thin. I think your split would be fine, but I would find a way to bolt it together once in place to keep things level.

[Gorgok]

Originally Posted by nightOwl

I think I like your idea of two c shapes so I updated my design. One side is colored so you can see where the split will occur.

Here is an updated stand the two colors show where the division will occur.

My C shaped idea was vertically stacked, which i am far more comfortable with than two cantilever ends on a horizontal set...

It would depend on the fastening how much strength you lose in that gap. Done right would mean putting in sleeves in the tube so you can actually tighten them without crushing it. Ideally fairly tight fitting so they don't have to just rely on friction to not slide off plane, maybe even pins or lips to help prevent it.