# twin 125 project



## porksnorkel

figured i'd just make a new thread for this since i've abandoned my quad 75 project. picked up the 125 tanks last week. Wow...that was a project on it's own. had to take the front seat out of the scion just to fit the dern things in. made 2 trips to 2 different stores also, one of them about 30 miles away. u never really appreciate life until ur barreling down the freeway w/ 100 or so lbs's of glass next to ur head, praying the guy in front of u doesn't understand the concept of braking! and then i had the pleasure of unloading and moving them into the house, pretty much by myself. 
anyways..that was the hard part [i hope]. on to the fun stuff. here's the new revised plans for the 125 stands and 55g resevoirs underneath. the stands will be tall, as i'm not much for stooping, so i will make them a lil wider for stability. this will also leave me some room on the ledge for whatever. please feel free to nitpick. nm the missing crossbrace in #2. spilled water on the original and screwed up the printing/scanning process.


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## caferacermike

I think I love my 125 and you'll like yours as well. I wish mine only weighed " 100 pounds", mine was around 240lbs. I'm only here to agree with your decision to raise the stand to 36". Mine is at 30" and I feel that the tank is great for viewing from a chair but not so much standing up.


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## porksnorkel

i'm hoping they will be just about the right height for both chair and upright viewing mike. as far as weight goes, they may very well be 200 plus lbs. i have no perception of carried weight...especially since i never actually lifted them. i used a dolly and a rectangle table top to move them around. the tanks are oak trimmed Perfecto. 72x18x20"


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## caferacermike

You need to buy some Woods 8" suction cups if you are going to be moving around all those tanks. I can lift the 400g with only 1 other person using those things.


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## Zapher

Yeah i have a 110, quarter inch thick glass. Me and one other person carried it but it wasnt easy. I believe it weighs around 170 lbs. If only acrylic wasnt so expensive and didnt scratch so easily!

Good luck with the stand. I have a DIY stand for my 110 made out of 2x4's. The best thing you can do is notch the legs so that the base actually sits inside of them. Otherwise all weight will be put on the bolts instead of the legs.


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## beetlebz

8.3 lbs per gallon if i remember correctly... thats a heavy beast  i also have that 110 glass. The dude who sold it to me said it best... "theres heavy, really heavy, and oh my god. this son of a [email protected]#$ is definitely oh my god" 

lol 

if i can offer advise, porksnorkel, leave the end open enough so if something tragic happens you can just slide the 55 right out the side. id imagine it would be a nightmare trying to remove it from the front doors!


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## porksnorkel

i know where ur commin from beetle. i actually drew the first set of plans, sat back and went..."how the hell am i gonna get a 55g tank in the bottom of this thing! if u look at the top view ,[pic#2] u'll see one vertical support [red] on the outside of the main frame. it's outside so i can remove it if needed and replace the lower tank if it leaks or something. that's actually the only reason the stand is not asymetrical. the backs of the stands will not be covered w/ plywood.


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## Zapher

Ill take a few pictures of the frame i have for my 110 cause it isnt covered in paneling yet to help explain what i meant by notching the legs. It is perfectly stable enough to hold my 110 and i usually estimate about 10 lbs per gallon even though its 8.35 when you add in rocks and such. I also try and allow for an extra 100-500 lbs of support depending on the size just in case. That really is the last thing anyone needs is gallons upon gallons of water leak onto the floor. Ive had it happen in a 10 gallon on wood floor and it is horrible!


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## beetlebz

in the fire apparatus world we use 11lbs per gallon. that helps make up the difference for the weight of the tank itself, and thats poly. for glass aquariums id be tempted to assume 15lbs per gallon just because the glass gets so heavy and it leaves some room for error 

pork, I see now what you mean by the removeable support, brilliant! my stand was prefabricated and came with the tank (both tank and stand are 2nd hand, anyway) but I put the stand down, put the tank and giant hood on, filled it with water, then realized that there isnt enough room to put the pre-wired VHO ballast under the cabinet LOL there isnt enough clearance between the tank and the wall. now i have to drain the damn thing, move it 2", shove the ballast in the back of the stand, move it back then fill it with water lol ooooooh i can be such a moron sometimes...

anyway i digress. I hope we get a photo journal of the build!


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## porksnorkel

i will do my best to document the process and provide a materials list. please keep in mind that this project will take some time.


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## Zapher

> It is perfectly stable enough to hold my 110 and i usually estimate about 10 lbs per gallon even though its 8.35 when you add in rocks and such.


I was a little inebriated last night and now that im reading that sentence it doesnt really make sense. I meant that water weighs 8.35 lbs per gallon and that i usually estimate 10 lbs per gallon when you add in rocks and decorations. Though as beetle put it, you really cant estimate too much so the more weight you allow the stand to hold the better!

Definitely looking forward to seeing your progress since i am doing the same thing.


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## caferacermike

Ok everyone is talking about making the world's strongest stand here, way over built. Hands down. One 2x4 upright can generally handle 2,400lbs of downward force. That would mean that one 2x4 36" long should hold the entirety of this tank. As a reference I will say that my 125g is help up using nothing more than 1/2" furniture grade MDF board with only 2x2's in the corners. There has never been a mishap and I have a 36" long 28" tall door right in the middle of it all on both sides (F&R) of the stand. Not a single 2x4 or 4x4.

My 400g stand was built using only 2x2's spaced about every 24" and skinned with 1/4" furniture grade oak plywood (cabinet type wood) came built this way from the manufacturer of the tank. Not a single 2x4 or 4x4 to hold up 400g of water.


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## jsm11482

I know what you mean. If you want to see overbuilt, have a look at my cabinet! I used 4x4's for the corners, 2x6's for the around the top and 2x4 bracing at the bottom! Thing is so heavy. But I thought: better overbuilt than underbuilt!


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## porksnorkel

ALLLLRIGHTY THEN! after many wasted days off, sitting around doing nothing [cause my stupid old roomate wouldn't get his crap outa my garage!] i'm finally off to the races. picked up 25, 96" two by fours on monday and got to cuttin em up today. i went ahead and did most of the frame cutting for both stands. the "frame" cut list goes...

13... 36" 
4 ... 74"
14... 17"

that's per tank mind u. i will still have to cut the vertical braces, which i didn't include in the drawing for clarities sake. i also got 2 boxes ceramic coated 3" wood screws, and some framing equipement. hopefully i'll have at least one together by next week. derned if a job doesn't screw up the fun!!!


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## caferacermike

Put some glue between the pieces. It is amazing how much stronger everything will be. If you have the patience pre-drill your pieces. If you over size the piece that the screw head rests upon you will get a tighter fit than trying to run a screw through 2 pieces. Trust me you'll see that a free spinning screw in the first piece allows the screw to draw the second piece in closer. I just built a quick (1 hour total) 36" tall stand for a 55g the other day. If you glue it you will be amazed at how much stiffer it feels the net day. I used the "gorilla" glue as it sets up better if there is a slight gap than carpenters glue will.


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## porksnorkel

allright guys and gals. 2 good days in the garage have yielded all 4 top/bottom frames for both stands, the lower deck of 1 stand, and 1 side connected on 1 stand...top/bottom. here's how it went...










this is how i made the outer rim, top and bottom for both stands. these pieces are glued and double screwed. i used liquid nails 'heavy duty'. i wasn't going to bother w/ glue till cafe mike suggested the stands would be much more rigid/solid. mike had me sold on Gorilla glue over wood glue to help fill in the gaps, where the wood doesn't meet perfectly, do to sawing imperfections. i found the Gorilla glue to be a bit on the expensive side at 5 bucks for a small bottle, so i chose the liquid nails which is about 3 bucks for a larger tube, and is dispensed w, a caulk gun.










this is a sweet lil gadget that clamps wood at 90 degree angles. if u use it right it will make a perfect square. i bought 4 of them at around 8 bucks a pop. if u suck w/ wood like i do, then this is money well spent! they're made by Bessy and i found them only at Lowes hardware. home depot didn't have them or any equivelant product.










this is how i set up to do the drilling and screw install. all holes are pre-drilled [again at cafe mike's suggestion] to provide tighter clamping and it also helps keep the wood from splitting. i believe the drill bit is a 3/16 [i will double check that next week]. the ceramic wood screws i bought are performing flawlessly thus far. not one split screw. they are #8, 3" phillips II pine screws, for interior and exterior.










here's the site foreman...making sure it's done right the first time! {back to work daddy!!}










thank God the old roomy left this behind. it made cutting the 2x4's a breeze. 

anyways...









we move on to the center frame supports. i set these up using a piece of small scrap 2x4 from the earlier cuts. u have to pull the scrap wood out to install the clamps, so hold the crossmember in place w/ ur fingers while intalling the clamp....then do the other side. once bothe clamps are in place, lift the frame up and rest it on ur knees while u are kneeling[if ur to cheap to buy or build a table like me] ...then check the fitment of the scrap 2x4 from the bottom. u want a tight fit, but not so tight that the scrap piece doesn't slide in and out w/ relative ease. [trust me on this one...to tight means extra sanding...i'll explain later.]










both clamps in place...now flip on side and install the screws. i didn't use glue on any of the internal crossmembers, because the glue would just wipe off when i wedge them in. i may go back later and pump some glue in the excessive gaps.










after doing the 2 outer/ internal crossmembers, it's time for the middle crossmembers. i measured 37" inches and drew a mark...then remeasured from the other side to be sure, and then did the other side of the frame the same way. this is pretty much the same procedure as the last set of crossmembers, except we are doing 2 at a time w/ 4 pices of scrap wood to set the gap. the scrap 2x4's are of course split at that 37" mark.










here it is half way set. now tip and screw.










and this is what we have so far. keep in mind i am doing 4 of these...each step i explained i did the same time and way on all 4 decks [lets call em decks for confusions sake] if u were just building 0ne stand, u would of course only need two of these. 

after completing all 4, i busted out the sander and leveled the crossmembers so they were'nt sticking out either above or below the main frame. this would make for an unlevel surface on the bottom and also on top where the tank rests. some 60 grit on a sheet sander did the trick fairly quickly. if u know someone that can mill these w/ a lathe...that'd be the best thing to do. 










now to connect top and bottom. this is the most crucial step, which i couldn't finish today so i'm not sure how i'm doing so far. i set 2 decks up and then laid a vertical support through each end. the measurement u see being taken must be "exact" on both ends. here's where the crossmembers being to tight on the vertical becomes a problem. it is very difficult to move the decks and the vertical around if it's to tight,thus screwing w/ ur measurement. i had to do some sanding here as mine were to tight. once i got them where i could move them around, i remeasured again and remeasured after that. then i added glue to the ends of the vertical on one side...top and bottom, and let it tack for a few minutes. then i drilled my holes, but only installed the inside screws. i still wanted to be able to move the other side around a bit, and that is difficult if all of them are installed. then i went to the other side and did the same procedure. again the measurement must be the same for bothe sides. even a lil off could exaggerate the angle that the tank sits, making for an unlevel stand. [in retrospect, i may have been better off building the vertical frames first. haven't thought that all the way through yet.] i then finished all the screwin and gluin. 










this is how the stand sits as of now. i clamped a 2x4 to the other side[shown in pic] in case it were to get bumped or something before i can get back to it. 

IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/porksnorkel/091.jpg[/IMG]

here's a cheapo template i made outa one of the clamp packages to keep my screws uniform. i did the same thing for the crossmembers, only using half a sheet like this w/ 2 equal holes. just placed it over the pieces to drill/screw and mark w/ pencil or pen.










i did get the bottom deck top started today. this is one of the more mentally taxing phases of the project [save the design itself]. fortunately it doesn't have to be perfect. this piece must be installed before the back verticals are installed. for the lower decks i bought a single sheet of 3/4" plywood and had them cut at Lowes...20" x 74". for those that don't know...Lowes and Home Depot can cut wood for u far more accurately than u can do at home. the first few cuts are free. i didn't pay any extra to have them cut these. the best part about this is i could actually fit them in my car after being cut. 

instead of trying to measure out all the internal cuts, i just mocked up the frame on the plywood, and drew around it. then i went back over it w/ a right angle to straigten up the lines. the cuts were made w/ a jigsaw. i only got 1 done today. i will use this piece to template the lower deck topper for the other stand. this is the piece the 55g will sit on.










post cut










cutting the center...i did the same for the middle area, and made my first known mistake. i cut both sides the same way...forgetting that the back of the stand only has one external support. no biggie though. again this piece is underneathe the stand, so it won't be seen. this may be a good thing anyway...i do need access to the lag bolt, to remove and install the 55g tank. i think i'll just cut a piece of plywood from my left overs to cover the opening. that way i can stash stuff under here too. like my secret pleco fruit salad recipe or something..????

that's all today folks...update again next week or week after.


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## porksnorkel

the template pic that didn't come out.


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## jsm11482

Looks good so far, only thing I am wondering is....how are you supporting the top? If it's just a 2x4 against a 2x4, screwed together, then all the weight of the tank is ONLY supported by the screws. What you really want is for the top frame to rest on the 2x4's or 4x4's that way all the weight is directly translated down the legs and to the floor. Maybe this is already how you're doing it but I just wanted to check!


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## porksnorkel

that's the plan jsm. i wasn't sure how i wanted to do that when i did my cuts, plus i would have run outa wood, so i'm waiting till both frames are done, and then i will "stack" them, as u suggested. i didn't draw those into the diagrams, because it would have been confusing to look at.


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## jsm11482

Cool, sounds like you know what you're doing! Good luck with the rest of the build!


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## porksnorkel

another productive day at pork's place. week 3 update...

finished up both bottom deck lids and did a decent sand job on them. had to check the cuts where possible. this is not a good piece to have a tight fit on. gaps could be caulked in if the builder deems appropriate.










again the lower deck lid has to be in the stand before the back verticals supports can be put in. i used a couple of clamps to hold it upright in the center of the stand, so i could slide the verticals in. 










this can be a tight fit...that's why i say make sure to overcut the lower deck lid a lil bit so these pieces can be slid into place. this pic shows how i pumped glue into the joint prior screwing. some were tighter than others, and on those i couldn't seperate i just put the glue down then slid the verticals into place. 

this is another critical measurement. the stand must be exactly 36" on all 4 corners now, prior to installing these vertical supports.










here's where i bolted in the rear, center vertical. didn't bother to countersink these two pieces, as it's not really necessary. plus, i won't need a socket to get them out. 2 wrenches will work. these bolts are 3/8" x 4. 3 1/2" would have been fine, and that is actually what went into stand #2.










i moved the two center cross members from the design point to better support the 55g. the upper deck does not have these 2 crossmembers. the ones i'm referring to, are the 2 that stand alone...about 1/3 and 2/3 the way down. i put them at 14.5" from the center crossmembers...relative to the side it's on. hope that makes since.














































the mainframe skeleton complete. had to kick the lower deck lid into place. again...to tight. i put glue around the the edge where the lid meets the lower deck, then put in #7 ceramic coated 1.5" screws, at each corner.










now for the "stacking" as i've heard it called. if i were to put a tank on one of these stands right now, the tanks weight would be on the screws, instead of the wood. so we remedy this by doubling all vertical supports...sandwiched in between the upper and lower decks. this requires 9 29" 2x4's, per stand.
the tighter these pices are the better...but not imperative. i flipped the stand bottom end up, so i could press the stacked vertical against the upper frame as tightly as possible. on most pieces this wasn't really an issue. i had to beat them into place, cause the fit was pretty tight.










i started w/ the 4 front/rear/outer supports. these had to be screwed into place because bolts won't fit into these,do to the fitment of the side verticals. i started using 4 screws right down the middle, but after doing 2, i discovered i was going to run outa screws. so i went to 3 per vertical to avoid buying another box. as these pieces are screwed instead of bolted, a nice tight fit is needed to keep the weight on the 2x4's and off the screws. all i want the screws to do is hold the vertical in place. the clamp u see is just holding the wood where i want it.










for the other 5 stacked verticals, i'm using 3/8" x 3.5" bolts, w/ 1 inch washers on either end and a nylon prevailing torque fastener [locknut,layman].
there are 2 per beam and they are set at 5 inches from the top or bottom deck. all of these are countersunk and bolted from the outside.




























gratuitous nut shot!










and...1 full frame in all her glory. got cut short here today, so i'll have to do the other stand next week. i'll also be adding the top deck lid [i bought these pieces today and had them cut, but soon discovered i had bought the wrong kinda wood, and didn't match the bottom. looks like i'll be making a workbench or something soon]. next week, i'll also be adding the exterior cover and cutting the door holes. i must find someone who sells unfinished cabinet doors. i think i saw some at home depot. doors are beyond my tooling and knowledge. hopefully i'll be able to sand next week and be ready to stain the following week. till then...


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## vidiots

Hello, I'm new here. I noticed that you mentioned you were putting the tank at a 36" height for better viewing. Just thought I'd mention the only problem I ran into with a large tank on a tall stand. The problem is that if the upper rim of the tank is above the height of the inside of your arm pit you cant reach the bottom of the tank with your hand from standing on the floor. Meaning that when you place the tank you have to leave room around it for a step stool. I do think taller makes for better viewing though..


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## caferacermike

If the man overbuilds a simple stand like that, bet he will build a nice step.

Enjoy it PS. Thanks for the pics.


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## porksnorkel

ty mike. havin a good time building it ...didn't think i would. i had tried this years ago and for a 75g tank, and it was a disaster. amazing what a lil info and the right tools can do. 

vidiot...good point on height issues and maintenance. i think i'll be ok though as i'm 6ft tall. might have to stand on my toes, but i think it'll be worth it for the few extra inches. especially when i'm working underneath.


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## vidiots

caferacermike said:


> If the man overbuilds a simple stand like that, bet he will build a nice step.


LOL, when I was first looking thru those pics I was thinking to myself that it ought to be sturdy enough to land a 747 on. One of my future DIY projects will be to build a step around the back side of my 180g planted tank because it's upper trim is about even with the top of my shoulder and that makes maintenance a chore cause I have to keep moving the step stool to reach a different spot.


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## porksnorkel

slow weekend at pork's. couldn't get as much done as would have liked as i had to do some babysitting. to much sanding to have baby in the garage w/ me. but...i did get both frames completed and got all the cover wood picked up, which is no small project itself.




























both frames now completed w/ upper deck lid installed. got the right plywood this time, which is a nice grade 3/4" oak sheet. one 4x8 does both upper decks...cut at 20"x74". this piece took some doing to get it situated properly. about this time i'm discovering just how imperfect wood is to work w/. it is glued and screwed where applicable. had to watch the corner screws, so they didn't get to close to the 3" crossmember screws.











for the exterior i chose a wood called AC PLYwood. was also labeled blondewood. similiar to the birch stuff they had, just less expensive. the wood is harder than the oak top, but smoother, w/ less imperfections. i know it will not stain the same color as the oak, but the oak will be mostly out of sight. anyways...did all the sanding prior to installation. i rounded the corners and edges to keep them from splintering. i didn't sand the the sheet part of the wood because it mars to easily. doesn't really need it anyway. just the edges where it's been cut. this wood is a nice enough color that i may not even stain it. doesn't match the other furniture though. i'll have to see what the g/f thinks.










again the pieces don't line up perfectly,mostly do to warpage. glued w/ a screw at each corner and middle top and bottom. the sides can't be screwed, as there is nothing behind it to screw through. this may be a problem when i put the front on. i'll see how it goes.

till next week...


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## joeshmoe

I gotta say thats stand looks realy nice. :shock: ps. nice flat tire 8) lol


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## porksnorkel

ty joe.

[that flat tire belongs to an 85 300zx. 

40 over and NA. just an abandoned project really.]


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## joeshmoe

lol i was just joken


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## porksnorkel

oh i know mon. poor car has a nice rebuilt engine, but needs lots of work everywhere else. i intended to put the motor in a nissan truck but never got around to it and sold the truck. so there she sits...for about 4 years now. just to expensive to tag and insure.


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## porksnorkel

welp...as expected i've gotten very little done today. spent most of my available time trying to figure out what kinda doors i wanted, and looking at door hardware. in the end i decided to go w/ my original idea of removable doors. the prefab doors are alredy stained and very expensive. i was gonna make some hinged doors, but it's a bit complex and the hardware and another sheet of plywood would easily cost an extra 60 or 70 dollars. w/ removable doors i can at least use the wood that i cut the holes from. the only drawbacks are having to set them aside when i'm working under the tank, and no ability to mount food and med racks to the insides of the doors. on the bright side they are easier to make and cheaper, and i won't have the doors in the way when i'm doing maintenance. i have 1 sheet cut and am half way through the other. i may get both sheets cut this week, but that will be about it.:wallbash::wallbash:


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## porksnorkel

well scratch that. i did get a few things done today. i picked my trim out this morning and bought it. over 100 bucks and i think i'll need a bit more. had to finish cutting the front panels and get them screwed on. here's how it went...










i had to pick the side i wanted and which end would go up first. i then layed the sheet, top side down, across the 2 stands to cut and measure [making sure i was not gonna cut the stand].










i measured 5" from top / 5" from outside panel to outside door / 34-1/2" from outside panel to inside door / 31-1/2 from top panel to bottom of door. it took me forever to figure out how to do this. i had to call on some exteme porkgenuity to make sure everything was right before i screwed up 30$ worth of wood. 



















i bought this thing to help me cut a straight line. verdict....useless w/ a jigsaw. it causes the blade to bind and cock sideways. it does however make a great straightline tracer. 










i used this set up, in addition to a free hand, to keep the wood from falling or sagging to much on the last 2 cuts. 










here's a finished panel about to be installed. i did run a line of glue between the side panel edge and the front panel edge, to help keep them from warping. the first one went pretty well, but the second had line up issues again. this was mostly from a warped side panel that was left leaning on something for a week before install.










post install










side panel warpage gap










attempt to repair side panel warpage. i'll leave this on till next week and see what happens.










here's a shot from behind at the lip of the front panel bottom door hole. the lip is there to lock the door. i'll explain later on.










lip at side of door hole to brace door a bit.










before i put the door lock thingy's on, i made sure to match each door to the same hole it was cut from. otherwise they wouldn't fit well, do to cut inconsistencies. 

here's how i installed the lower door "lock thingy".basically the door is flush w/ the front panel, so i have to have something to keep the bottom of the doors locked in and lined up. i used scrap 2x4's to make these. the 2x4's will also keep the trim from being damaged when i lean them against the stand for cleaning. 










since the lip at the bottom of the panel is 1'' , the 2x4's must stick out about 1-1/8" . this keeps the bottom of the panel from rubbing on the bottom of the door. also helps w/ removal and replacement. 










prior to glueing the 2x4's in place i did a test run w/ 2 screws at each end of the 2x4, only halfway screwed in. had to do this to make sure the 2x4's didn't stick out to much, causing the top of the door to rub the panel.










all panels installed and door bottom locks on.










trim selection










trim saw...not the easiest thing to use, but gets the job done, and under 20$. i had been using this to do my flooring trim.










part of door trim cut. i forgot the measurements, but it overhangs 3/4" on sides and 1/2' on bottom. the the 3/4" sides are to cover screws in front panel. this is gonna be the worst part for me i think. difficult to get squared on. see how it goes next week.


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## porksnorkel

feelin good about it now. things are coming along and i can smell victory! had an extra day this week to work. here's what's new...










the door trim was ruff to get started. first i leveled the stand lengthwise. [my garage has a nasty slope and some lumps.]










then i measured about 1.5" on either side to center up the top piece. [this point meets the inside tip of the trim on either side]. i left the 1/2 " overhang for the top trim and marked the 2 ends. on the cabinet face for an approximate reference. the long line u see is to help me line things up. a bit of a jugling act. 1 hand holds the level and trim, the other shoots nails. i shot the first nail in the middle, so i could still level the ends 



















a little glue and then ready the brad nailer gun. 1.25" nails were to long, but oh well. i figure if it bothers me then i'll just cover it w/ some thin woodstrips. for now i just cut the leftover nails off the back of the doors.

after tacking down the first strip, i just add a new strip to the last. i used the right angle to keep things as square as possible. they were difficult to keep straight, because the nail gun is pretty violent. each piece should be cut as u go,btw. i measured from the outside point. can be a trial and error process, but only the very last piece can be a loss, because u just move ur imperfect cuts to the next door. by imperfect i mean, slightly off measurement...not wrong angle cuts or backwards angles.










the key hole was also a challenge...and almost disaster. i'll explain next pic. first i drilled through the back of the door w/ a 1/2" spade. coulda used a hole bore bit, but couldn't find the right size. 

first i found my center the used the lock arm to get my distance from top. u'll see the lock arm later. the lock requires a 1/2" hole, so the main hole must be 1/2". the trim ring for the lock however needs a 3/4" hole. the problem here is i cannot now drill w/ a hole saw, because i have no wood to "pilot" into. 










the solution...i happened to have this vhs tape rack w/ 1/2" dowels in it. {macguver in action folks. pay attention,lol}










i first clamped the trim to keep it from seperating. then i marked the dowel in the center and notched it, so i could line up my drill. the dowel is twisted up into the hole from the bottom.










now i drilled w/ the 3/4" hole saw. when i got near the door panel, i just blipped the drill trigger while eye balling my depth. a lil bit to far and the door will be marred by the bit teeth. this is not a repairable mistake on this type of wood.










here's what it looks like after. 










now i just twist the dowel up to pop the trimmed hole out. [remember i can't go all the way through it w/ the hole saw or the door will be destroyed. so the cut piece is still attached.]










here's the lock installed. i used drawer locks for 9/16th's wood. they come w/ several different lock arms. i used the 2" and a 180d cam lock.










all 4 doors installed. the doors lean out at this point. i'll show u how i fixed that next.


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## porksnorkel

here's some cabinet door retainers i installed to keep the tops of the doors flush. they work great except on 2 door corners that are warped. at these corners i installed 2 retainers. very pleased for the most part. 2 of the doors are a bit tight to remove and install, but no biggie. still fairly simple.










here's the strikers installed. this is a shot from the back of the cabinet. i also bent the lock arms, which also helps keep the door tops flush.

the rest of this DIY will not include how to descriptions. all that's left is the outer trim and stain, which is your preference, i will say this part is difficult too. i'm having trouble leveling the stands, so i used measurements to keep the trim straight. the rosettes, i don't really like, but i needed them to cover up the side panel screws. no way around it. 










side trim...upper...










the doors flushed...










trying to straighten a door...




























more tommorrow...


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## porksnorkel

almost home folks. some touch ups and stain will spell victory.


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## Lupin

porksnorkel said:


> almost home folks. some touch ups and stain will spell victory.
> 
> http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/porksnorkel/wk6pt2002.jpg
> 
> http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/porksnorkel/wk6pt2001.jpg


Nice.:mrgreen: Good luck.:thumbsup:


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## verbosity

Those are beautiful!!! Great job!


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## porksnorkel

thanks guys. won't be long now. just finishing the stain this week.


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## verbosity

I've noticed in shopping used tanks for a while that a lot of the salt tanks hardware on the stand starts to rust.

Maybe for a preventative, you should put smear some silicone over all of your bolts before you put the tank in the bottom. (Just on the inside of your cabinet)

Just an idea.


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## porksnorkel

my 125g's made it onto the DIY stands today. 11 vertebrae were lost in the process.



















the stands kinda overpower the tanks don't they? at 37" they are almso twice the tank height. i'll have to do some extravagant aquascaping to keep the eye on the tanks.


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## porksnorkel

verbosity said:


> I've noticed in shopping used tanks for a while that a lot of the salt tanks hardware on the stand starts to rust.
> 
> Maybe for a preventative, you should put smear some silicone over all of your bolts before you put the tank in the bottom. (Just on the inside of your cabinet)
> 
> Just an idea.


good idea verb.


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## 92smokeaccord

for some one on a hard core budget like me heres mine as a starter basic frame. i can build the siding and doors later and screw them on.
cost me $40 to make and 2 hrs to build.

moved the hight to 33 3/4 due to my wifes size.lol


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