Foam Help

[chatyak]

Not sure what kind or what thickness to buy.

I recently got this steel rack to place tanks on:

http://www.uline.ca/images/product/Medium/H_1060_M.jpg

The problem is that the center brace for each shelf is just a tad higher than the cross beams, causing the middle of the wood shelf to be raised slightly... and each end of the tank is like a teeter-totter ever so slightly.

I was going to place a thick piece of foam on top of the wood... then another piece of wood on top of that.... like a foam sandwich.

I just don't know what kind to buy or what thickness. Neoprene, the brittle hard pink stuff from home depot, a yoga mat etc...

[gpdno]

I get the 1/4" thick green stuff at Michaels

[chatyak]

I get the 1/4" thick green stuff at Michaels

Is that high density foam? I'm not sure the one we have here carries it but can give a look. Essentially I'd need it to compress in the middle (where the center brace is slightly raised) and then stay firm on the ends.


My other option could be to gouge out a notch in the board on the bottom where the brace presses into it... that way it would sit level on everything.

[gpdno]

Both the Michaels and Jo Ann's by me have the same green foam in various thicknesses from 1/6" to 4". You should be able to find what your looking for ;)

[billdogg]

What size tanks are you talking about? I don't think I'd trust that shelving nit for much over 10g. It should work nicely for drygoods, however.

Regardless - allowiing the foam (of whatever type) to compress to level things out really won't do a thing to prevent a pressure point in the middle.. Your tank(s) will still be undersupported at the corners.

[Donkeykong]

IF the foam will compress in the middle it will compress on the ends, so eventually it will settle and you will still have a huge pressure point in the middle. I also wouldn't notch the wood as you are going to make it weaker. If it was me I would shim the outer edges to level it with the center. I have worked with similiar shelving for storage and the wood is not sealed, make sure you seal it real well. But the biggest concern I would have is how big and how many tanks are you planning on putting on this? Not sure how much wieght I would trust on these things without bowing and flexing. I stacked some serious wieght on the ones I used and they never failed me, but I am pretty sure there was some bowing going on and that could be very bad for a glass tank on top.

[chatyak]

Each shelf is rated for 1,500 lbs load (stated), so it can hold the weight I had in mind (400lbs). The width of the rack is 18" and the 40 gallon breeder on each shelf is also 18" wide... so the weight/load of the unit is resting on the steel beams, not on the particle board itself.

I am sealing the particle board with Kilz and then polyeurathane or something like that.

<iframe class="imgur-album" width="100%" height="550" frameborder="0" src="http://imgur.com/a/DZvop/embed"></iframe>


See the photos attached.

Now I"m frustrated and don't know what to do.... spent $460 on two of these units and the damn center brace is slightly higher messing everything up .

[chatyak]

Just an update... here is what I decided upon after much deliberation.

1) Plywood base cut to fit size of the frame itself... 3/4"... will be painted with Kilz and wrapped in plastic sheeting to prevent any moisture.

2) L shaped metal bracks on each corner of the plywood base under the whole stand, for the L-shaped legs to rest on.

3) Got rid of the particle board and am using 3/4" plywood instead (even though it would have been okay). To fix the issue with the raised center brace I simply had the plywood cut in 2 and left a small gap. There is no issues of strength here because the whole tank rests on the beams, not the wood... this also removes the needs for shims/foam and the teeter-totter issue. It can also be covered up later with paneling etc.

Pics:



<iframe class="imgur-album" width="100%" height="550" frameborder="0" src="http://imgur.com/a/uazQm/embed"></iframe>