Materials:
Factory stands for smaller tanks (up to 150 gallons) are typically constructed from particle board and plywood. For my low-cost design, I chose premium 1" pine boards. Pine is strong enough for tanks up to 150 gallons, but soft enough to making screwing easy and worry-free. While many people put a premium on hard wood construction, I don't see the need for hardwood in painted stands, such as this one.
Construction:
Unlike the AGA stands, my prototype is built using the same design as larger stands: top and bottom rings, connected by vertical supports that are "overlapped" to ensure accurate placement of the legs, and resistance to racking forces. On this prototype, I also chose to include corner blocks. These further reinforce the stand, making it extra-rigid. For the prototype, I used a piece of curly maple to make the corner blocks, lending a bit of two-tone color to the finished piece. Of course, these corner blocks are hidden in a complete setup, and the stand looks all-black from the outside.
Magnets keep doors closed |
Finally, I added a couple of custom touches not found on factory stands: magnets to hold the doors closed, and a light-blocking flap behind the left door.
curly maple corner blocks add color to the piece |
Finishing:
In
keeping with the basic, low cost design, I finished this stand with black latex paint and a clear coat of polycrylic. While such a finish isn't the most durable one in the world, it is the same finish used by many stand makers, such as AGA.
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