90 Gallon Aquarium Stand Doing its Thing!

Supporting nearly 1400 pounds of rock and water, one of my aquarium stands is home to a 90-gallon reef aquarium that's just getting started.  It's a snug fit in a small room, but the owner of the tank is moving in a couple of months, where the 90 gallon tank will be in an appropriately-sized viewing room.

Hard to see the tank, huh?  That's because it's finished in black lacquer.  Actually, all but the doors are lacquer.  The doors came out pretty sorry looking, so I re-made them for the client, using a shellac sealer coat, then water-based pigment stain, then another coat of shellac, then finally an oil/urethane blend.  The doors (but not the case) were rubbed out with 0000 steel wool and soapy water.  The result was a great satin sheen on the doors, and a slightly less great satin sheen on the case. 

Compared to the client's reef, however, the stand - painstakingly finished doors and all - is decidedly, appropriately, invisible. 

For comparison, here are some pics of the stand during construction:

 

 

 

water-based stain goes on thicker than oil-based

the first coat of stain is the easy part...

ensuring squareness...

case parts are stained before assembly