Skipton's 180 gallon aquarium cabinet

Finally!  A post about the 180 gallon aquarium stand I made for Skipton's Unique Aquaria in Boston.  I have posted previously about this cabinet, but until now I haven't had the chance to take decent pictures of it in the store.  So here they are!

At the time, this cabinet was the best I'd ever made, from the design to the fit to the finish.  It also taught me a lesson about materials and larger tanks:

180 gallon peninsula stand at Skipton's Unique Aquaria

Last month we installed a new 180 gallon peninsula stand in the middle of the showroom floor at Skipton's Unique Aquaria and Reptiles in Boston, MA.  The stand will support a 180 gallon freshwater planted tank display, smack in the middle of the store. 

This stand was my first attempt at a rubbed polyurethane finish.  It also features a custom molding I created with a couple of router profiles I have in my shop.  I am happy with the finish, which is mostly blemish-free, and has a wonderful satin sheen.  Those who have been following this blog will know that with this stand, I have achieved something I've been pursuing for a while: a good, clean black finish.

I also like the doors, which are full inset doors on soft-close hinges.  The doors are frame-and-panel, with 1/2" plywood panels rabbetted on the back edge.  The doors are still 100% flat and straight, in spite of the high humidity in Skipton's.

The stand is six feet long, two feet deep, and over three feet tall!  As of this writing, the tank hasn't been installed on the stand yet, so I don't have any pics of the complete setup.  When I do, I'll be sure to post them.  Until then, here are a couple snapshots of the stand in Skipton's.