DIY 90G Stand w/ Entertainment Center

[drauka99]

Hey everyone,

I started this stand for my 180G tank that I was setting up due to budget I decided to setup my 90G tank on the stand I had started and slowly aquire all of the rest of the stuff I need for the 180. I figure this might be a good idea since I am currently using a 55 with lots of scratches and plan to turn it into a sump. I also want to be able to keep from making all the mistakes that I made with the first tank all over again.

The stand will house all of my equipment for the 90G as well as my tv and equipment. All of the electronics will be on top of the base of the stand. I plan to keep the bottom of the stand for all of the aquariums equipment. Hopefull I won't be busy this weekend and I can get most of the entertainment side done.

Oh yeah I am going for the built in look but since I am not sure this is where I plan to live for a long time I've kept the top half where it sould be disassembled and moved to some other house.

Enough explinations here are pics of where its at right now.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00639.jpg
TOP
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00632.jpg
TOP

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00633.jpg
SIDE

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00638.jpg
CORNER BRACE

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00635.jpg
UNDERSIDE BRACE

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00634.jpg
CENTER BRACE

[Michael Mota]

Can't wait to see this as it progresses, I think it is going to be nice

[Bergovoy]

Congrats on taking the first step. Getting mentally ready then actually undertakinig two projects, (the actual construction, along with the BLOG.

I will be following also.

Bill

[drauka99]

Mt only question in my head right now is - Do I want to put my 36" CRT tv in it or do I wanrt to put my 32" Widescreen HDTV in it.

I've been thinging about this one for quite a while so alot of stuff has long since been worked out in my head.

[Bergovoy]

This is exacly what I was talking about. Going from all the planning and what not, in your head, on paper dont matter. But getting that first step...

Now that you are committed, youwill have to make that decision, sooner rather then later....

My choice would be to frame it out for the maximum size needed for either tv, (so the you can put either tv in there. If you are going to have open space cause the wide screen shape, so be it. fill it with knick knacks, and make the GF or wifey happy..

[drauka99]

yep exactly what I have done.

Great minds think alike

[tabndust]

following along

[drauka99]

Suturday I got the shelves for all the tv equipment set and leveled and this morning I slaped on a couple coats of primer/sealer. I was planning on painting the stand black when it was all done but since looking at how the white looks with all the furniture and walls i might just put on a few extra coats of primer and leave it white.

Here are the updated pics
:D

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00640.jpg
overall

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00642.jpg
Shelf Detail

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00641.jpg
Beadboard side

[bebitte70]

The stand looks great. I would put paint to seal against moisture instead of primer.

[drauka99]

its Kiltx primer/ealer pain. right now ther are like 3 coatrs on all the parts so far and i will be adding another few coats when its done so it should be pretty well sealed

[drauka99]

on a side note - picked up spme scrap 8" pvc for the skimmer build, got 2 hunks that were around 20" in length, i figure that should be pretty good for a reaction chamber. I wanted to peices in case i messed up the first and the second one if i don't screw up the first i can build and sell/trade for something.

[Bergovoy]

primer / sealer is not paint. It is primer, and primer by nature is pourus, so although it is called sealar, it will still allow moisture into the substrate.

Teh sealar usually seals in stain, color, grain, and oils that would bleed through the paint.

Please invest ina quart of marine / exterior grade paint and finish off the project.

If youreally wanted to seal it, use EPOXY material. That stuff is great, and dont get any on you, unless youreally like that color...

Bill

[drauka99]

I will definatly stop by one of the marine places soon and pick up some stuff then.

Thanks for the heads up - even thoug i was to hard headed to listen the first time it was mentioned

[Bergovoy]

youwill be glad you protected your investment. (the hard word you invested)

Also for your piece of mind, primer a piece of wood with as many coats of primer as you like, then spill some coke on it, then wipe it off and youwill see a stain.

Apply a coat or two of real paint, then repeat the experiment, and you will see that the coke will wipe up.

Obviously, there are things that will stain paint, but those items usually destroy the film or coating that is paint, but I think point made here.

Also, the added coats of primer will definately not be a wasted effort as it will have penetrated into the wood pretty deep and SEALED any open pores you may have had. So, you did not waste anything, and your added labor will be rewarded with an item that will last much longer then a factory or other homemade project...

[drauka99]

hey Bergovoy yoursetup for you 180 is basiclly the exact same kind of components i was planning on for my 180, well still am when budget will allow

[Bergovoy]

i have some pics int the gallery of the setup

And I graduated from two 50 gallon tanks. I am at the popint right now where i am letting this tank get a bit more established, and keeping my hands out of the tank. I been aquascaping a bunch, and now I just want soe stability. I have a ton of coroline on the overflow and all the plastic, so I know things are going well, just want to let things gill in now...

[drauka99]

Looks nice Bergovoy

I am moving up from my 55 where I made lots of mistakes by listening expressly to my LFS, nice people but at thtat point they didn't know much more than me. This time I hope to put it all together and get it right from the start.

[brentstep1]

Very Nice Indeed!

[drauka99]

Thanks, I appreciate that, hopefully I will continue to do stuff right and not screw it all up :D

[brentstep1]

I know what you mean!

I am just starting out and I have gone through a lot of trial and error.

[drauka99]

Ask lots of questions, and not all in one place, thats what I did and I started off ok but I could have done much better

[drauka99]

Ok got the entertainment side done this weekend, and almost everything installed. Tank side may have to wait a few weekends while I work on finding a top trim for my tank with the center brace(mine was made without it).

Here are the pics
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00643.jpg
OVERALL

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/drauka99/DSC00644.jpg
Beadboard tieing into sheetrock

[oharaell]

Is that an original Nitendo??!!!

[drauka99]

oh yes, fixed it aboue a year ago, it is also MY original Nintendo. One of these days I am gonna break out my old Sega and hook it up.

[cutnup]

i hope you got contra

[drauka99]

one of the classics i am missing, Have Contra for the Sega though

[Michael Mota]

looking good!

[drauka99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9795575#post9795575 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Michael Mota
looking good!

Thanks Mike that means alot coming from a master

[effect]

up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,A,B,start

Anyone rember that?

[BenjieC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9798044#post9798044 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by effect
up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,A,B,start

Anyone rember that?

the kanomi code

[cutnup]

yeah thats what made that game so tight. it was like the first game to have a cheat code.

[ccorpse27]

Actually I think it was B, A, Start. :D

[Michael Mota]

Man you folks are bringing back memories:)

Master? I would have to disagree but thanks anyways:)lol

[drauka99]

My brother and Dad are the cabinet makers/handy men in our family, I got the book smarts I guess. So to me Mike u are a master. Just don't let it go to your head :D

HAs anyone on here replaced the trim along the top of a 90 gallon tank? mine is one of the ones without the center brace and I have been warned that this puts lots of stress on the joints and they might fail.

[Michael Mota]

I would think you should be ok if you get yourself a 4 or 6" piece of 1/2" glass and just silicone it to the tanks front and back panes. Or go to you local lfs and he should be able to order a new trim from AGA

[drauka99]

thats what i was thinking about doing since the current trim looks like crap and doesn't appear to be doing much.

[Michael Mota]

any updates?

[matt21ocean]

looks good did you get the tank in yet?

[drauka99]

been meaning to update, went to the LFS yesterday, he is looking into ordering me new trip panels for the tank. Project has kind of stalled with a couple of my friends moving and all kinds of family emergencies (nothing to major just time consuming), gonna see if a friend can help me set the tank as is in place this weekend and start measuring to ge tthe rest of the framing and facia on the stand, that way when i do get the trim i can finish this thing up in a hurry, also looking at buying a couple of glass bots to build an overflow since this tank didn't have one to start with.

[Michael Mota]

ok wheres the pics?!

[drauka99]

Got the tank up on the stand and got the new trim peice for the top. I need to check and see if they can get the bottom trim, should have got it when I got the other but at that point I didn't know how bad the bottom trim looked in relation to the new trim.

Havn't made much progress in the last few weeks due to trips out of town and just misc stuff coming up. Hopefully either this weekend or next I will be able to finish most of the top of the stand.

[Michael Mota]

won't the bottom trim be coverd as it sits in the stand. maybe by the cabinet trim? or is there a defect in it?

[drauka99]

This tank had the oddest trim I have ever seen, the trip for both the top and the bottom were basiclly installed like molding in your home mitered corners and all. It looked ok but a single molded peice is much stronger and when we set the tank up on the stand one side of the bottom trim almost pooped completly off so I thought it best to replace it before I go any further with filling the tank of any of that kind of stuff.

Today at lunch I stopped by the LFS that got the top trim and have them ordering me the matching bottom trim.

Yes the plan is for the stands trim to cover the tanks trim peices but I want to make everything as bulletproof as I can now rather than clean up a mess later.

[Michael Mota]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10141922#post10141922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drauka99
This tank had the oddest trim I have ever seen, the trip for both the top and the bottom were basiclly installed like molding in your home mitered corners and all. It looked ok but a single molded peice is much stronger and when we set the tank up on the stand one side of the bottom trim almost pooped completly off so I thought it best to replace it before I go any further with filling the tank of any of that kind of stuff.

Today at lunch I stopped by the LFS that got the top trim and have them ordering me the matching bottom trim.

Yes the plan is for the stands trim to cover the tanks trim peices but I want to make everything as bulletproof as I can now rather than clean up a mess later.
Makes sense to me! good luck and post pics!!!!:D

[drauka99]

Thanks, I have some help in the house this weekend so hopefully I will make lots of progress

[drauka99]

Just when I was getting back to working on this project I hit another snag, notting near as bad as Mike's thought

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=10412544#post10412544

[gguertin]

Is it really a rat.. or did you ebay Contra???

[drauka99]

its a tree rat, I have Contra for my SEGA which I need to hook up.

[oharaell]

up up down down left right left right b a b a start

that's like 99 lives, right?

[customcolor]

at least that tree rat came when it did istead of going swimming when your tank was done

[scbauer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10412894#post10412894 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by oharaell
up up down down left right left right b a b a start

that's like 99 lives, right?
Had to bring this back to live... because I believe it is:

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A B A Select Start :D

[drauka99]

lol and still not a whole lot of progress on the tank. Got all the parts, need to get it drilled and then I can finish it.