Cabinetry with a Novice 300 Gallon Reef

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 01:31 PM

Cabinetry with a Novice 300 Gallon Reef

Having recently moved into the house, we were trying to decide what to do with the space in the Family Room where most families would put the big screen TV. We were thinking bookcases, but needed a focal point. Having been interested in setting up a salt water aquarium in the last house, the thought returned. It was an opportunity to do some woodworking.

Tank Details: TruVue acrylic 96â€ x 24â€ x 30â€ w/ dual internal corner overflows.
Filled: May 1, 2008
Picture taken Nov. 5 2008

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 01:44 PM

House Construction Notes:
-Wall is load-bearing shear wall sitting on a reinforced concrete grade beam.
-Joists (TJI) run parallel to wall and tank. So, I decided to have the load bearing wall carry >50% of the tank load.
-The Joists are carried by a PSL girder.

Stand Construction:
Stand was built attached to the wall.
The stand is joisted (4x4s) attached with joist hangers to a 2x6 ledger that is lagged onto the wall.
The 4x4 joists sit on a 4x6 header which has its load transferred to the floor girder either directly or via the floor joist (16â€ away from the wall).
Being in earthquake country, I wanted to minimize the possibility of having the stand rack due to seismic activity
The ends and the top of the stand were sheathed in Â½â€ ply with 6d, 6â€ o.c. edge.

I now realize that I overbuilt this significantly but I wanted to minimize the chances of it moving.

reefnetworth · 11/26/2008, 01:45 PM

im almost speechless, very nice set-up WLachnit!!!
you did an awesome job, man!

how much to do one in my house? JKA! i probably couldnt afford it...

polywise · 11/26/2008, 02:24 PM

WLachnit,
I am not a builder, but I don't think your front support beam is sufficient? Did you add some vertical supports to the 4x4's in front?

marino420td · 11/26/2008, 04:05 PM

Stunning woodwork! The tank is nice too but the woodwork is phenomenal.

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by polywise
WLachnit,
I am not a builder, but I don't think your front support beam is sufficient? Did you add some vertical supports to the 4x4's in front?

Yes, I added a 4x4 post under the 4x6 header.

GlassReef · 11/26/2008, 05:09 PM

Absolutely love that cabinet! Did you build it all yourself? That maple is stunning - is that cherry as contrast?

RParker · 11/26/2008, 05:11 PM

Yours is similar to mine, but you have nicer cabinetry!

Very nice build.

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 05:13 PM

The canopy was also built using framing lumber and attached to the wall.

I skinned it with Cherry veneered plywood. And then built the two side units using kitchen cabinet style construction.

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GlassReef
Absolutely love that cabinet! Did you build it all yourself? That maple is stunning - is that cherry as contrast?

Yes, I did. I used Western Quilted Maple for the doors and Cherry for the rest.

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 06:23 PM

Moldings and Trim
I ended up milling most of the moldings out of 4/4 Cherry and Figured Cherry for economic reasons as well as wanting to avoid the stock look.
So, I decided to add several inlays when I milled all the trim to customize it further and help define the lines of the cabinetry.
For the baseboard, I routed a couple of grooves to add a White Holly and a dark Wenge Â¼â€ inlay. The inlays were made by ripping 1/8" strips of lumber.

I routed similar grooves to the bed moulding as well as the top.

The tops of the side units has a wide Birdseye Maple inlay as well.

The Cornice and Crown are made up of 5 pieces using contrasting woods including Birdseye Maple

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 06:38 PM

Raised Panel Doors
This was my first attempt at raised panel doors.
I used 4/4 Western Quilted Maple lumber
It required a fair bit of jointing, to join the panels

Once glued up, I had to to surface the fronts by sanding. I couldnâ€™t use my planer because of the width. Although, it also turns out that it was very difficult to plane due to the tearout from the wild figure.

I ran a 3 Â¼â€ cove router bit in my table. Again, because of the wild figure, it took about 4-5 light passes to avoid tearout.

I then sealed the panels using blonde dewaxed shellac

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 06:46 PM

Rails and Stiles for the Doors
I used 4/4 Cherry lumber for the rails and stiles which were rough cut, then jointed and planed to nice flat Â¾â€ pieces of lumber. I used a cope and sticking bit on the router table for the rails and stiles

I plan on using wire grilles for the doors on the side units

I sealed everything using dewaxed shellac. I used Amber shellac on the Cherry to give it a bit of a patina.

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 06:52 PM

Doors ready for installation

Doors hung

WLachnit · 11/26/2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefnetworth
im almost speechless, very nice set-up WLachnit!!!
you did an awesome job, man!
how much to do one in my house? JKA! i probably couldnt afford it...

Thanks, many many hours were spent...which I actually enjoyed.

Lunchbucket · 11/26/2008, 07:54 PM

HOLY COWS!! That looks great!

I wish I had those mad woodworking skills

Lunchbucket

todd rose · 11/26/2008, 10:09 PM

WoW! Beautiful work!!

jamesdawson · 11/27/2008, 02:14 AM

BEAUTIFUL cabinetry work and very nice tank!

Love the massive rock, Is it agracrete?

James

kingsland · 11/27/2008, 08:40 AM

Awesome cabinet!

EnderG60 · 11/27/2008, 09:39 AM

Ya know, I was going to just do a simple red stained cherry for my next stand, and then you had to go posting that. Thanks ALOT, now I have to do something similar!

whats that seahorse thing on the right?

WLachnit · 11/27/2008, 01:33 PM

Thx for the comments everyone.

James,
Actually, its' not agracrete. I used the DIY foam, epoxyy resin on eggcrate technique. I do have a few pix of that which I will post.

EnderG60,
The seahorse is an inexpensive imported wood carving that I stumbled on in a small town store.

jamesdawson · 11/27/2008, 02:50 PM

SCHWEET!

Good job on the foam/resin, especially on anchoring it since it tends to be pretty buoyant and your pieces are massive. Best I'v ever seen.

James

WLachnit · 11/27/2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jamesdawson
SCHWEET!

Good job on the foam/resin, especially on anchoring it since it tends to be pretty buoyant and your pieces are massive. Best I'v ever seen.

James

Actually, just the back is foam, the massive parts are LR. There were a couple of things that I did to get the foam to stay in place. I zip tied it to egg crate that was buried under the sand horizontally and I ran it all the way to the top.

Khandurian · 11/27/2008, 04:20 PM

I just have one question. Why do your rocks spell LOL?

EnderG60 · 11/27/2008, 08:25 PM

Quote:

EnderG60,
The seahorse is an inexpensive imported wood carving that I stumbled on in a small town store. [/B]

funny how that works. I kinda like that thing, reminds me of those aliens from the beginning of fifth element

11/26/2008, 01:31 PM	#1
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	Cabinetry with a Novice 300 Gallon Reef Cabinetry with a Novice 300 Gallon Reef Having recently moved into the house, we were trying to decide what to do with the space in the Family Room where most families would put the big screen TV. We were thinking bookcases, but needed a focal point. Having been interested in setting up a salt water aquarium in the last house, the thought returned. It was an opportunity to do some woodworking. Tank Details: TruVue acrylic 96â€ x 24â€ x 30â€ w/ dual internal corner overflows. Filled: May 1, 2008 Picture taken Nov. 5 2008

11/26/2008, 01:45 PM	#3
reefnetworth Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 3,810	im almost speechless, very nice set-up WLachnit!!! you did an awesome job, man! how much to do one in my house? JKA! i probably couldnt afford it... __________________ GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE FEEDS HIMSELF FOR LIFE. (NEVER, underestimate another man's greed) Current Tank Info: SPS dominated barebottom display with BB sump since 2005, most consistant parameters in 19+ years of reefkeeping.

11/26/2008, 02:24 PM	#4
polywise OLD SCHOOL-ish Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somers, NY Posts: 889	WLachnit, I am not a builder, but I don't think your front support beam is sufficient? Did you add some vertical supports to the 4x4's in front? __________________ Jim C.

11/26/2008, 05:09 PM	#7
GlassReef Got Reef Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Weeki Wachee, Florida Posts: 2,501	Absolutely love that cabinet! Did you build it all yourself? That maple is stunning - is that cherry as contrast? __________________ Tom No matter how much you try to push the envelope, it remains stationary.

11/26/2008, 05:11 PM	#8
RParker Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 314	Yours is similar to mine, but you have nicer cabinetry! Very nice build. __________________ Robb Current Tank Info: 265 - 3x400w HQI / BM250 / Dart Return / Dart Closed Loop x 2

11/26/2008, 01:44 PM	#2
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	House Construction Notes: -Wall is load-bearing shear wall sitting on a reinforced concrete grade beam. -Joists (TJI) run parallel to wall and tank. So, I decided to have the load bearing wall carry >50% of the tank load. -The Joists are carried by a PSL girder. Stand Construction: Stand was built attached to the wall. The stand is joisted (4x4s) attached with joist hangers to a 2x6 ledger that is lagged onto the wall. The 4x4 joists sit on a 4x6 header which has its load transferred to the floor girder either directly or via the floor joist (16â€ away from the wall). Being in earthquake country, I wanted to minimize the possibility of having the stand rack due to seismic activity The ends and the top of the stand were sheathed in Â½â€ ply with 6d, 6â€ o.c. edge. I now realize that I overbuilt this significantly but I wanted to minimize the chances of it moving.

11/26/2008, 04:05 PM	#5
marino420td Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cape Girardeau, MO Posts: 2,529	Stunning woodwork! The tank is nice too but the woodwork is phenomenal.

11/26/2008, 05:13 PM	#9
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	The canopy was also built using framing lumber and attached to the wall. I skinned it with Cherry veneered plywood. And then built the two side units using kitchen cabinet style construction. Last edited by WLachnit; 11/26/2008 at 05:21 PM.

11/26/2008, 06:23 PM	#11
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	Moldings and Trim I ended up milling most of the moldings out of 4/4 Cherry and Figured Cherry for economic reasons as well as wanting to avoid the stock look. So, I decided to add several inlays when I milled all the trim to customize it further and help define the lines of the cabinetry. For the baseboard, I routed a couple of grooves to add a White Holly and a dark Wenge Â¼â€ inlay. The inlays were made by ripping 1/8" strips of lumber. I routed similar grooves to the bed moulding as well as the top. The tops of the side units has a wide Birdseye Maple inlay as well. The Cornice and Crown are made up of 5 pieces using contrasting woods including Birdseye Maple Last edited by WLachnit; 11/26/2008 at 06:29 PM.

11/26/2008, 06:38 PM	#12
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	Raised Panel Doors This was my first attempt at raised panel doors. I used 4/4 Western Quilted Maple lumber It required a fair bit of jointing, to join the panels Once glued up, I had to to surface the fronts by sanding. I couldnâ€™t use my planer because of the width. Although, it also turns out that it was very difficult to plane due to the tearout from the wild figure. I ran a 3 Â¼â€ cove router bit in my table. Again, because of the wild figure, it took about 4-5 light passes to avoid tearout. I then sealed the panels using blonde dewaxed shellac

11/26/2008, 06:46 PM	#13
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	Rails and Stiles for the Doors I used 4/4 Cherry lumber for the rails and stiles which were rough cut, then jointed and planed to nice flat Â¾â€ pieces of lumber. I used a cope and sticking bit on the router table for the rails and stiles I plan on using wire grilles for the doors on the side units I sealed everything using dewaxed shellac. I used Amber shellac on the Cherry to give it a bit of a patina.

11/26/2008, 06:52 PM	#14
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	Doors ready for installation Doors hung

11/26/2008, 07:54 PM	#16
Lunchbucket Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Brookings, SD Posts: 12,924	HOLY COWS!! That looks great! I wish I had those mad woodworking skills Lunchbucket __________________ Trying to lose weight by walking is like trying to bake a cake w/ a cigarette lighter - Lunchbucket - "Nancy-Boy Extraordinaire" - maxxII- Current Tank Info: 58gal Oceanic RR, 2x400w MH (20k XM and 10k XM), Deltec PF601 Ca Rx, Deltec AP701 skimmer, mag950 return, iwaki 55rlt w/ an Oceansmotions 4-way unit, Tunze 7300 and 6000 each w/ controller, fluidized po4 rx

11/26/2008, 10:09 PM	#17
todd rose Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Ky Posts: 183	WoW! Beautiful work!!

11/27/2008, 02:14 AM	#18
jamesdawson Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: I AM THE SEA Posts: 1,303	BEAUTIFUL cabinetry work and very nice tank! Love the massive rock, Is it agracrete? James __________________ Old Reefers Never Die, they just...join the crew! Current Tank Info: I'm expanding my reach

11/27/2008, 08:40 AM	#19
kingsland Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 511	Awesome cabinet! __________________ bogey Current Tank Info: 220 in wall, 60 frag and 75, Reeflo 250, Vortech 4x, 100 gal sump, MRC CR2

11/27/2008, 09:39 AM	#20
EnderG60 Plumbing Engineer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 3,260	Ya know, I was going to just do a simple red stained cherry for my next stand, and then you had to go posting that. Thanks ALOT, now I have to do something similar! whats that seahorse thing on the right?

11/27/2008, 01:33 PM	#21
WLachnit Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,722	Thx for the comments everyone. James, Actually, its' not agracrete. I used the DIY foam, epoxyy resin on eggcrate technique. I do have a few pix of that which I will post. EnderG60, The seahorse is an inexpensive imported wood carving that I stumbled on in a small town store. __________________ (1) 300g mixed reef (Starfire DT) + 100g Sump (2) 100g Softie tank (Starfire DT) My Build Thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263472

11/27/2008, 02:50 PM	#22
jamesdawson Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: I AM THE SEA Posts: 1,303	SCHWEET! Good job on the foam/resin, especially on anchoring it since it tends to be pretty buoyant and your pieces are massive. Best I'v ever seen. James __________________ Old Reefers Never Die, they just...join the crew! Current Tank Info: I'm expanding my reach

11/27/2008, 04:20 PM	#24
Khandurian Completely Insane! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Cocoa Beach Florida Baby!!! Posts: 123	I just have one question. Why do your rocks spell LOL? __________________ 90 Gallon Tank 130lbs Rock 6" DSB 20 gallon sump/refugium CoralVue XP1000SSS Skimmer