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Unread 03/21/2009, 11:49 PM   #51
drummereef
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Quote:
Originally posted by AJP
Have you ever seen how the sit on a factory stand? It is scary how poorly made they are. I have an oceanic stand for mine which is better made than some but still it is a little weak I think. I can imagine using a pressboard stand like the ones at wal-mart.

But I digress, the fact is I would be willing to bet that it is fine, like I said the weight of the tank should even things out.

And call me Adam if you like.
You're probably right, Adam. Can't wait to get the tank on it and see how it sits. Just got to cut out for the plumbing and laminate it.











Woohoo, I own page 3!


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Unread 03/21/2009, 11:58 PM   #52
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I missed the last few pics... looks nice! That lap top looks small next to the skimmer


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Unread 03/22/2009, 12:02 AM   #53
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Quote:
Originally posted by Hop
I missed the last few pics... looks nice! That lap top looks small next to the skimmer
Haha, yeah it does look pretty funny next to the laptop. Getting it done slowly but surely... Might work on getting the plumbing cut-out tomorrow. Then hopefully laminate the top sometime this week.


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Unread 03/22/2009, 11:36 AM   #54
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Looks great so far! Nice clean build. Can't wait to see the rest come together.

I like the 2" space between baffles in the sump. I made mine 1" and it's a pain get the detritus out of that section.

What's the 6" lip on the left side of the sump for? Are you thinking the drain will go through it so the salt creep will be contained?

Keep the updates coming. I'll be following along.


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Unread 03/22/2009, 01:13 PM   #55
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bill14
Looks great so far! Nice clean build. Can't wait to see the rest come together.

I like the 2" space between baffles in the sump. I made mine 1" and it's a pain get the detritus out of that section.

What's the 6" lip on the left side of the sump for? Are you thinking the drain will go through it so the salt creep will be contained?

Keep the updates coming. I'll be following along.

Thanks Bill! I plan on drilling two holes into the top of the sump for bulkheads. This way the drain lines will have something to be secured to. Might help a little with salt creep but that's not my main focus for the lip. I'm still designing the sump and am going to include a bubble tower for the remote refugium drain. I'll update as soon as I have something to show.


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Unread 03/22/2009, 03:54 PM   #56
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I figured I should post a more updated pic of my 40g since I'm still maintaining it. For some reason I can't get a good front shot so I took this one through the side pane. Thought it was at least good enough to show you guys. The Monti is literally stretching from the front pane to the back. It's only a 12" wide tank. That "froghammer" in the foreground is about 10" in diameter.










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Unread 03/22/2009, 04:29 PM   #57
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That is a cool shot! Great coral!


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Unread 03/22/2009, 08:42 PM   #58
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Quote:
Originally posted by Hop
That is a cool shot! Great coral!
Thanks Hop! Wish I could get a better shot of the tank. These are the only ones I'm not totally embarrassed to show at this point. I'm still maintaining the 40g, but just not putting any money into it. Trying to focus all my time/funds towards the 180g. I really only see it about once a week now as it's over at my folks place. Decided not to move it to the new house cause of the hassle. Still need to clean it up though....


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Unread 03/22/2009, 08:47 PM   #59
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UPDATE:


I got a couple more mini projects done the last couple days. I started with some final leveling/flattening of the stand. As stated in the last couple posts, I was having an issue with some small gaps under the level as I looked down the length of it. I had some left over galvanized sheet metal from our HVAC project, so I decided to see what would happen if I tried shimming a bit with these. Worked like a charm. My level now sits totally flat along the 6' length. No gaps.



Tools: Tin shears and some metal.






About as flat as I can get it.








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Unread 03/22/2009, 08:54 PM   #60
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Next project....



Went ahead and cut the access holes for the plumbing. Needed to get out the big boy tools for this job. I plan on laminating the top so I wanted the cut to be as smooth and accurate as possible. Not that anyone would ever see it once the tank is set, but I'll know it's there.



Got out the beast.





I'm sure avid router users are familiar with flush trim bits, but here's a closeup. Melev uses these extensively on his sump builds. I used it to cut right next to my framework, nice and smooth. The bearing follows right along the profile of your work to guide the blade.






Started with a template.





Some measurements. Measure 100 x's, cut once.





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Unread 03/22/2009, 09:03 PM   #61
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Here we go....


Another handy tool for the box are some spade bits. These make nice round holes typically larger than what your standard drill bits will cut. Here I'm making some starter holes so I can drop in the router. Always drill half way through the work and finish from the bottom up. This way you won't risk tearing out the bottom side.





Once the router was set, I used a straight edge to guide the router.





Voila! The first hole cut.





Notice the detail the flush trim bit can make. I followed the framework around with the router to make the cut.





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Unread 03/22/2009, 09:10 PM   #62
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Here's the left side plumbing access.






And the right.






And when it's all done... the remains. Kind of sad.





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Unread 03/23/2009, 12:19 AM   #63
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Those gaps you found with your level would have driven me nuts. However, if it were me fixing it, I would have had to rebuild the stand when I made it worse trying to fix it. Nice job!

That's the most detailed write up I've ever seen on using a router. But it's those kind of write ups that make these threads informative.


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Unread 03/23/2009, 12:33 AM   #64
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Looking good. Wish I had cut my access holes a bit bigger. Was a PITA trying to get those nuts tight.


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Unread 03/23/2009, 06:39 AM   #65
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Quote:
Originally posted by gradth
Looking good. Wish I had cut my access holes a bit bigger. Was a PITA trying to get those nuts tight.
agreed... I fear the day I ever need to do maintenance on my plumbing.

well done, drummereef!


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Unread 03/23/2009, 09:13 AM   #66
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bill14
Those gaps you found with your level would have driven me nuts. However, if it were me fixing it, I would have had to rebuild the stand when I made it worse trying to fix it. Nice job!

That's the most detailed write up I've ever seen on using a router. But it's those kind of write ups that make these threads informative.
Takes three times as long to get it done when you're taking pics every other cut.


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Unread 03/23/2009, 09:14 AM   #67
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Quote:
Originally posted by gradth
Looking good. Wish I had cut my access holes a bit bigger. Was a PITA trying to get those nuts tight.

Thanks gradth! I just hope I cut them in the right place.


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Unread 03/23/2009, 09:15 AM   #68
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Quote:
Originally posted by crvz
agreed... I fear the day I ever need to do maintenance on my plumbing.

well done, drummereef!

Thanks crvz.


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Unread 03/28/2009, 12:07 AM   #69
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UPDATE:


Back at it today...


Part of the reason I started this thread was to help DIY'ers, like myself, with various reef related projects. And, I also wanted to try my hand at some projects I've never tackled.

That being said, I'd never laminated before. So... earlier this week I picked up some Formica Laminate sheet to laminate the top of the tank stand and header above the stand. This turned out to be quite the stinky project. I urge anyone who uses contact cement, or any solvent based product, to please follow the manufacturer's instructions and turn off all gas appliances including the pilot lights. This is of utmost importance as the adhesive vapor could ignite in the presence of an open flame.

With that little disclaimer aside let's proceed.


I chose a Formica product that was readily available at the orange box called micro-dot in a black finish.





I measured the pieces and added an inch or so to each dimension for overhang. There are a variety of ways of cutting laminate but I chose a utility knife since it was late at night and noise was a concern.

I taped off the cutting area to minimize chipping.





Then I snapped a chalk line.





Carefully tracing the chalk line with the utility knife, I made multiple passes. Probably a dozen or so passes with a firm grip to avoid blade slippage. Once I felt the blade was almost through the laminate I was able to easily snap it along the cut line.





Then I let the laminate acclimate approximately 72 hours per recommendation by the manufacturer.





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Unread 03/28/2009, 12:14 AM   #70
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Now that the laminate had properly acclimated, I was able to proceed with gluing it up.


Here's a short list of tools I used.





I chose to use Dap Weldwood Contact Cement to glue up the laminate. Again, this stuff is REALLY stinky. I urge you to follow the manufacture's instructions and turn off all gas appliances. This includes your furnace, water heater, gas logs, and all pilot lights.





Here we go! I used a foam roller to apply two coats of contact cement to each surface to be glued. Let each coat dry approx 15-20 minutes between coats.








When ready, the surface will look glossy. There will be a slight tack to each surface but should not "leg" when touched.





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Unread 03/28/2009, 12:21 AM   #71
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This is where it gets a little scary. When using contact cement you get ONE shot. Once both glued sides touch it's permanent. Using some spare scraps of wood as spacers I carefully placed the laminate on the stand and lined it up with my guide marks. One by one I started removing the wood strips. Using firm pressure, I pressed the laminate against the plywood top.





Once all the wood strips were removed I was ready to roll the surface. This is a laminate j-roller. They are readily available at the home center. Again using firm pressure I just rolled and rolled until I felt the two surfaces were completely bonded.





And there you have it!





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Unread 03/28/2009, 12:27 AM   #72
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Next was to do a little trimming. The tool I used for this job was a RotoZip. It's handy for a variety of jobs from drywall to tile cutting, etc... It made a decent laminate trimmer for this job.






Using the same flush cutting bit from an earlier project, I cut around the profile of the top. After gluing and trimming all edges I used a standard carpenters file to clean up any burrs and ease the edge.





Detail of the plumbing access cut-outs...





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Unread 03/28/2009, 12:29 AM   #73
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Voila! Finished surface.





Corner detail.





Detail of header above stand.





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Unread 03/28/2009, 12:45 AM   #74
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I'll finish trimming around the rough opening and by next weekend the tank will be in place! Finally, woohoo!!!


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Unread 03/28/2009, 07:03 AM   #75
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Wow, well done. Thanks for sharing all the details. I assume there's about zero worry in the texture of the laminate regarding tank support?


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