Skinning Shelves for a "Stand"

[rlpardue]

OK everyone, it's confession time.

I made an impulse buy (thought about it for one week) and bought some heavy-duty steel shelving to use as a stand for my 5x2x2 build. It was $159 at Lowe's, which I thought was a nice price to pay in order to avoid building a wooden stand with a bunch of 2x4 uprights in the way of sump access.

The plan is to put my sump on the bottom shelf, put the tank on the middle shelf, and mount a metal halide/VHO fixture on the top. There will be no wire shelving btw, everything will be mounted on 2x4s which will in turn rest on the steel beams. The structural engineers in the family have assured me that the steel structure can indeed hold the tank, and can do so with several hundred pounds to spare. The shear forces are also adequately dealt with.

My PROBLEM is that I underestimated how difficult it would be for a wimpy and unskilled office-dweller to build an aesthetically pleasing "skin" for my cool contraption. For the sake of simplicity (because there are indeed MANY important issues involved with this build on a steel structure not designed with tanks in mind), let's aim to keep this thread focused on how to build a nice looking exterior. If you see something else I'm completely missing, please do feel free to smack me and tell me I will die if I do it this way, but then add a comment like "use Ikea cabinet doors" afterwards. :debi:

Now for the technical details:
-The stand's beams are 72" between the inside of each upright.
-The tank is 5x2x2.
-I need a "canopy-skin" (let's call it a "Cskin")
-I need a wooden skirt around the bottom (aka "skirt")
-I need the Cskin to have two panels extending downwards on either side of the tank. These will be 6" wide in order to cover the ugly gap on either side of the tank.
-I need some side panels.
-I want to "latch" each panel onto the steel stand and be able to remove each panel when desired to access the sump, the lights, etc.
-I'm planning on putting slide rails on the light fixture so it will slide back into the 24" rear space.

Also, I'm leaving a 24" space behind the stand for access. This will be enclosed on the left side (see picture) and open on the right side. Note- In the picture, the stand is in its proper position in the room.

Some questions:
-Is this an easy undertaking?
-How much should a contractor charge for this? (last resort)
-would plywood panels with some squares cut into them and doors added work?

Is my impulse buy recoverable? Will my multiple coats of rustoleum on top of the powder coat eventually fail? Anyone have some links to relevant threads?

Thanks guys. The rest of the build is underway, as you can see from the photo. (75g "scooted" 2 feet to the left to make room for the new tank - I do not recommend scooting your tank, it was a dumb move). I made a platform for the sump to rest on (also attached as pic). The tank (glass, with bottom trim) will be resting on a row of 2x4s which rest on the beams.

I want to get this build right so I won't have to mess with aquarium building for at least 5 years :)

[mr.maroonsalty]

Am I right that you want this to look old tv style with a box and one viewing panel? Skinning the stand is the same as skinning a wood stand other than fixing them wont be done with standard nails or screws. Check out what others do to finish their steel stands. In general, carpenters double the cost of materials to cover their labor. Detailed trim work costs more, as does staining or any other work that is much more than "paint and putty."
Things could be as simple as three panels and a few doors with some type of edge treatment that could be as simple as putty, or some spendy veneer that matches the +$200 a sheet plywood, or perhaps things could be more complex raised or flat true panels with concealed hardware; there are many degrees in between, and the choice is yours.

[rlpardue]

Thanks Mr. Maroon. Unfortunately, yes this will be old-school tv style :(

Coraline covers so quickly that I usually end up only cleaning the front glass anyway, so I guess I don't mind too much.

I'll go with the three panels and some doors to keep it simple. I can use putty on the edges? That sounds simple enough. I think I'm a little puzzled on what I should do for the edge along the side and center panels. If they're both removable then I don't know what I ought to do for edge treatment.

I had a contractor over last night - he said $700. I should've just bought a wood stand lol.

[jackde]

Where are you located? Sounds like a simple build by building some face frame and attaching it to the steal stand from the inside. There maybe some reefers with cabinet expereance in your area that can offer some help.

[nemosworld]

shoot me a pm on Marsh, i will help you.
Felix aka Flexrac

[rlpardue]

Will do sir! I'm glad to hear it's not too complicated.

[mr.maroonsalty]

If are thinking paint, then yes, wood filler putty on the plywood end grains sanded smooth is standard practice. I might use MDO plywood for its stability, ease use and forget putty all together.