What tools are a must to DIY a stand

[morganatlanta]

You can order doors and face frames from rawdoors.net, probably for less than you can buy the wood for. You can stick those on the front of a 2x4 frame and skin the sides with plywood for a good looking, "mostly" DIY stand that you could build with just a circular saw.

If you feel you need to buy a new saw, I can recommend the Kobalt sliding miter/chop saw from Lowes that sells for around $200.

 

[rdnelson]

As a novice, I can tell you that MDF is a lot easier to work with and paints up very nice. You can hide a lot of mistakes with paint. With plywood, you can stain it but it adds a lot more work to make it look nice. For instance, while you can buy cabinet grade plywood that has a very nice finish on the face, once you cut it you have a raw edge that needs to be covered with something if it is exposed. With MDF, some good sanding on the edges, a good coat of primer and then a few coats of paint and you have a nice edge. It is also very easy when it comes to routing some nice profiles. Just my opinion.

 

[morganatlanta]

rdnelson99;708955 wrote: As a novice, I can tell you that MDF is a lot easier to work with and paints up very nice. You can hide a lot of mistakes with paint. With plywood, you can stain it but it adds a lot more work to make it look nice. For instance, while you can buy cabinet grade plywood that has a very nice finish on the face, once you cut it you have a raw edge that needs to be covered with something if it is exposed. With MDF, some good sanding on the edges, a good coat of primer and then a few coats of paint and you have a nice edge. It is also very easy when it comes to routing some nice profiles. Just my opinion.

Making or buying a face frame made from solid wood covers the ends of the side plywood in the front. The plywood ends in the back face the wall, which just leaves the plywood ends at the top, which are easy to cover with a little trim.

You could even order the side panels from rawdoors.net as well if you wanted to make them recessed or something to dress up the stand, and those panels would have finished ends.

 

[rdnelson]

Yes, you could do all of that but for me anyway, it would not be something I could say "I made that". LOL But, a nice looking stand is a lot to bite off if you have never done any woodworking so that is a good option. :yay:

MorganAtlanta;708992 wrote: Making or buying a face frame made from solid wood covers the ends of the side plywood in the front. The plywood ends in the back face the wall, which just leaves the plywood ends at the top, which are easy to cover with a little trim.

You could even order the side panels from rawdoors.net as well if you wanted to make them recessed or something to dress up the stand, and those panels would have finished ends.

 

[rededge2k1]

rdnelson99;708955 wrote: As a novice, I can tell you that MDF is a lot easier to work with and paints up very nice.

NEVER build an aquarium stand out of MDF! That's a disaster waiting to happen. MDF absorbs water and does not hold fasteners very well at all. Unless you can laminate it with plastic laminate or seal it with epoxy resin, water WILL get to the bare wood over time...especially in an aquarium setting.

But to the original question, you don't need a whole lot to build a good stand. In fact I built my first aquarium stand myself, using 3/4" plywood, with only a skilsaw, jigsaw, cordless drill and straightedge. I didn't even have a table/workbench so I built it on the floor of my garage. I bought the raised panel doors from an online supplier, and the trim pieces were the standard shapes from Lowe's.

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In my opinion, the most important tool you need before getting started on any DIY project is a plan. And I don't mean a set of plans, I'm talking about planning. You need to know every cut, every dimension, every screw location, etc in the project before you ever cut a single piece of wood. I like to use Google SketchUp to completely model all of my projects, down to the nearest 1/16" in accuracy and including all joinery, before I even buy the lumber and get started. It saves time, money and most importantly your sanity when it comes time to build. I can't begin to count the number of mistakes I've been able to avoid by detecting them first in the computer model, rather than in an underway woodworking project.

Plan, plan, plan!


Dustin

 

[db366]

Aren't most pre built stands made from MDF? I mean were talking about a stand for a biocube. At max 450lbs.

 

[rededge2k1]

db366;709539 wrote: Aren't most pre built stands made from MDF? I mean were talking about a stand for a biocube. At max 450lbs.

Yes, but they are laminated with thin plastic laminate to prevent water from getting into the particleboard (rather than primer and paint, like mentioned above, which is NOT waterproof). I'm assuming a newbie woodworker won't be laminating, but if they have the tools and desire, and understand how to assemble the pieces such that there are absolutely no tension/moment connections, then MDF will work fine.

Dustin

 

[db366]

Well if I did use MDF it would still be framed with 2x2's or something. It would just be skinned in MDF.

Isn't the Kilz primer waterproof? The latex stuff.

 

[rededge2k1]

db366;709545 wrote: Well if I did use MDF it would still be framed with 2x2's or something. It would just be skinned in MDF.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'll probably never fully understand why the aquarium stand DIY'ers of the world almost always use 2x lumber to build their stand, rather than 3/4" plywood. Some might say it's easier to build a stand out of 2x4s, but it's not. It's not at all easier, in my opinion, actually.

Plywood stands are more attractive, lighter, cheaper, faster to build and astronomically stronger than a 2x4 box skinned in 1/4" ply or MDF. Not to mention a plywood stand is self-squaring (assuming you can make a 90° cut with a saw and straightedge -- which I promise, you can), while a nailed-together 2x4 box is a racking, wobbling disaster unless all of your cuts are dead-on accurate. Sure, you can't beat plywood together with a hammer and framing nails....it takes a little more planning...but look at the end result.

I got started in woodworking after building the 90g stand pictured above because my wife absolutely refused to allow me to put a "fish tank stand" in our living room, let alone an ugly 2x4 box with crooked doors and pine knots everywhere. So, I took my time, made a plan, and the stand above was the result -- a piece of furniture that my wife wasn't ashamed of. It was much more than a "fish tank stand."

Ok, that's all of my rant.

Dustin

 

[grouper therapy]

I'd be glad to coach you through a biocube stand at my shop and tools if you like.

 

[rdnelson]

Holy cow. A chance to spend a few days with "Norm". :yay:

grouper therapy;709560 wrote: I'd be glad to coach you through a biocube stand at my shop and tools if you like.

And to dustin, that looks assume. It is obvious you have a natural talent. Using only those tools does make it possible but to many, they would not fare so well. Unless thy also have a natural talent.

 

[rodasphoto]

RedEDGE2k1;709537 wrote: NEVER build an aquarium stand out of MDF! That's a disaster waiting to happen. MDF absorbs water and does not hold fasteners very well at all. Unless you can laminate it with plastic laminate or seal it with epoxy resin, water WILL get to the bare wood over time...especially in an aquarium setting.

But to the original question, you don't need a whole lot to build a good stand. In fact I built my first aquarium stand myself, using 3/4" plywood, with only a skilsaw, jigsaw, cordless drill and straightedge. I didn't even have a table/workbench so I built it on the floor of my garage. I bought the raised panel doors from an online supplier, and the trim pieces were the standard shapes from Lowe's.

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In my opinion, the most important tool you need before getting started on any DIY project is a plan. And I don't mean a set of plans, I'm talking about planning. You need to know every cut, every dimension, every screw location, etc in the project before you ever cut a single piece of wood. I like to use Google SketchUp to completely model all of my projects, down to the nearest 1/16" in accuracy and including all joinery, before I even buy the lumber and get started. It saves time, money and most importantly your sanity when it comes time to build. I can't begin to count the number of mistakes I've been able to avoid by detecting them first in the computer model, rather than in an underway woodworking project.

Plan, plan, plan!


Dustin

That is an amazing stand you built. What method/technique did you use to join the wood together?

 

[snowmansnow]

if its your first stand I would be weary of doing anything curved (like you mentioned in the first post). It can be done of course... but it isn't basic wood shop.

ALSO IT HAS REALLY HELPED me to have someone plane my framing skeleton before I start cutting the parts out. That way all the wood has nice sharp 90degree edges and everything is nice, flat, and strait.

b

Edit: what I mean is... the parts youre going to build your stand out of... just have them planed before you start making the stand. Do the entire length of the lumber.. then use that nice strait wood to make a nice strait stand haha

 

[grouper therapy]

db366;709539 wrote: Aren't most pre built stands made from MDF? I mean were talking about a stand for a biocube. At max 450lbs.

Those that are made of MDF are not long term type stands.
While both plywood and MDF can rot from prolonged exposure to moisture, MDF will suffer structural degradation much quicker than veneer core plywood as rule.

I'm with Dustin in regards using dimensional lumber versus plywood. I think most use the lumber due to a lack of understanding of load transfer and basic cabinet joinery.

 

[rdnelson]

I agree that MDF will not have the same longevity as other materials but here are my thoughts as to why it may be better for a first time woodworker.

1. Making mistakes on expensive materials would not only be costly but may frustrate the woodworker to the point of giving up. Using less expensive materials would take away a little bit of the pain.
2. A "First Project" is most likely going to be pretty simple in design and after a year or two, I would bet an upgrade would be in the works. Therefore, why spend a ton on materials.

Just my opinion but yes, other materials would be better in the long run and look much nicer if done correctly.

 

[grouper therapy]

Good points but for a biocube you are only talking about another $17 bucks for a sheet of maple plywood over a sheet of (takes 2 people to lift) MDF

 

[rdnelson]

LOL Yes, I forgot we were talking about a bio cube. Oh, and when I built the plan table and kitchen Island out of 3/4 MDF I "MAN" handled all the full sheets of MDF myself. Just takes a little creativity. LOL

 

[grouper therapy]

rdnelson99;710118 wrote: LOL Yes, I forgot we were talking about a bio cube. Oh, and when I built the plan table and kitchen Island out of 3/4 MDF I "MAN" handled all the full sheets of MDF myself. Just takes a little creativity. LOL

No doubt .I have carried my fair share across construction sites and I <u>do not </u>miss it.

 

[rdnelson]

grouper therapy;710128 wrote: No doubt .I have carried my fair share across construction sites and I <u>do not </u>miss it.

That's why my table saw sits right next to the roll up door. Sheet goods can slide right out of the bed of the truck on the table saw. :yay:

 

[rededge2k1]

Rodasphoto;709996 wrote: That is an amazing stand you built. What method/technique did you use to join the wood together?

Just deck screws in pre-drilled holes and wood glue. That's it. Not the best way to join plywood, but it was my first project so I used the tools I had. Butt joints and screws worked fine because I designed all of the connections such that the screws were not supporting the weight of the tank -- the plywood panels were. The screws/glue were just there to keep the plywood panels together.

Dustin