Want To Build Stand But So Many Questions Before Starting

Bingo. Grip-rite #8 last screws you'll ever need to buy. Good for anything and work with any standard Philips head bit so no searching for weird bits. I always buy the same stock so I always have compatible leftovers.

 

So I bought the Spax screws. Unfortunately, I still have to do pilot holes. I think it's because my drill sucks.

I built the top and bottom rectangle frames and it's not going as I wanted. There were a few screws that got stuck midway that I couldn't take out. I managed to hammer one in but it split the wood.




At another corner (s), the screw got stuck but I managed to break it with a hammer. Then I drilled right next to it and got the second screw in. In the photo, the screw that I managed to break off is above the top screw.




Will either of these cause issues? If they are still okay to use, should I use the split one on the top or bottom?

 

They should be ok. What do you mean the screw gets stuck? Is your drill just stopping? If tjhats the case you can use a hand screwdriver.

Ok, I don't want this to come off as mean, but you have to push into the screw with more force when you are turning the screw. This prevents the bit from jumping in the screw. The bit is harder than the screw and every time it jumps or slips it takes material from the screw, making it more likely to slip again until your screw head looks like a square opening instead of a cross.

 

They should be ok. What do you mean the screw gets stuck? Is your drill just stopping? If tjhats the case you can use a hand screwdriver.

Ok, I don't want this to come off as mean, but you have to push into the screw with more force when you are turning the screw. This prevents the bit from jumping in the screw. The bit is harder than the screw and every time it jumps or slips it takes material from the screw, making it more likely to slip again until your screw head looks like a square opening instead of a cross.

I start drilling and the screw goes in about 2/3 of the way. Then it just stops spinning.

Thanks for the advice. Not mean at all. I learned that and now I am pushing down as hard as I can when drilling and it's working better.

Also, when I press down on one of the corners, I can tell that it's slightly off balance. When pressing one corner, the opposite corner will rise just a teeny bit. How can I rectify this?

 

The screws will do that for you. Or are you talking about the stand being off balance?

 

Yes stand is slightly off balance. Very slightly. I realized it's because the room I built it in is off balance.

 

Do you mean it leans? Most rooms lean a slight amount towards the middle over time. If that's the case it isn't square. You need the top of the stand to be pretty level. Any issue is magnified with the weight of the water in the tank. You can either redo it or shI'm it by placing something under the non level parts.

 

I worked on the frame today and am seriously considering redoing the entire project for the following reasons. Do you think it's necessary to redo everything?

1. As mentioned above, there is a split on the rectangle top/base. I haven't decided which will be the top of bottom.



2. As mentioned above, there are a few places where a screw was intentionally broken off and a new screw was put right next to it.



3. Because I didn't build the thing on a level surface, the structure seems to lean/off balance as well.

4. I screwed in the "guides" (term used in Joey's video) to one of the rectangle frames (frame A). When I put the other rectangle frame (frame B) at the other end of the frame A, the guides didn't really line up. To make sure the guides got screwed flush to the unscrewed frame B, I used a block in addition to the clamp like below to keep the guides straight.



After screwing that, I went to screw the guides on the other end of frame B.The gap is pretty big. I'm sure I could push the guides to get it screwed but I am concerned that the frame will weaken over time since the 2x4s will always be trying to "pull away" from the screws.



5. I did my measurements correctly but because there were a lot of misalignments during the assembly, the supporting blocks (the 8 pieces screwed to the 4 guides) actually don't fit snugly. It's actually short so the only option is to cut new pieces that'll fit snugly or jam some 2x4 scraps to make sure it's snug.

As you can see, there are several issues. Do you think it's better to just build something new and use what I made for something else? Or, is this still safe to use for the tank?

 

Seriously that guy probably works for spax screws company. They're no good. Reinventing the wheel. Just get exterior screws or decking screws and a drill bit. It's tedious I know but you can't argue with success or the convenience of not having to track down those starhead bits. They ruined durock screws by switching them to starbit. It's a racket. Don't buy into it. You'd be done with the build by now. It's only a couple hours of assembly

 

You can absolutely shI'm the legs if your cuts were off. In the future when cutting wood decide if and when to "cut the line" or "leave the line" respectively. All those supporting legs sould be cut strong and tapped in with a hammer. Don't worry about it for now and jam a shI'm in there but remember you can only send it in 1"5/8 as that's the width of a 2×4 so you might have to cut the shI'm in half for the desired effect. And don't buy shims in a package called "shims" use cedar shingles they're wider. You can probably snag a few out of a loosely bound package

 

I'm a carpenter btw with 20years experience. I've been keeping critters since I was 6. Got my first 15 gallon in 1987 from Woolworths five&dime store. But what do I kno...

 

Also the extra length of shI'm can be scored and snapped off with a utility knife. Then your paneling/plywood will sit flush against your frame

 

Get this corner vise. It holds them at a perfect 90degree while you put the screws in. Then take it off and move to the next one. It'll be perfectly square with this tool

 

You can absolutely shI'm the legs if your cuts were off. In the future when cutting wood decide if and when to "cut the line" or "leave the line" respectively. All those supporting legs sould be cut strong and tapped in with a hammer. Don't worry about it for now and jam a shI'm in there but remember you can only send it in 1"5/8 as that's the width of a 2×4 so you might have to cut the shI'm in half for the desired effect. And don't buy shims in a package called "shims" use cedar shingles they're wider. You can probably snag a few out of a loosely bound package

Last year I built a deck on the back of my house and have built other in the past.I can tell you this those star tip screws are the best thing since sliced bread,I did nor ruin one screw during the installation and the tips are super sharp so there is no need to predrill.I had a bunch of them left over from the deck build and used them on my tank stands

 

Thank you. I'll look into purchasing a corner vise. Can someone address the issue where my guides (the part that determines the length won't sit against the corner unless I really put force on it.

 

Thank you. I'll look into purchasing a corner vise. Can someone address the issue where my guides (the part that determines the length won't sit against the corner unless I really put force on it. View attachment 348696

Something is not straight/true. Do you have any carpenter/framing squares ?

Or possibly (but doubtful) your 2x4 is that warped.

 

HI everyone

Thanks for the help so far. I decided to redo the frame. There were just so many screw ups and spending an extra $20 on wood to do it properly seemed worth it.

I worked on the frame on a flat level surface and it's coming out much better. I also spent more time making sure the pieces were cut to exact length (as close as possible). I also bought a corner vise, a right angle measuring thing.

I'm planning parts 2 and 3 now - wrapping and painting/staining. Does anyone have links or guides to how to wrap this thing properly? Also, does anyone have guides for how to paint/stain (haven't decided yet) an aquarium stand so it comes out nicely and protected from water?

 

When I built mine I wrapped the front and side with plywood except for the opening for the doors.Made the doors to overlap the top and bottom which eliminated a center post. Cut the trim and installed it than hung the doors after everything was stained and Polyurethaned

 

Would just wood glue work well for the plywood wrap?

 

Kiln dried wood is definitely more brittle and I wouldn't attempt to screw through it without pre-drilling

 

You can pre -drill if you want but it just takes more time to do.The only screws I used were to assemble the frame and I used an impact driver and torx deck screws to do that.The plywood and trim was done with a finish nail gun.

 

Some people stain all the stock first outdoors as the fumes are noxious. Then make your cuts. It's also easier to work cleanly this way. I'd lay a whole sheet against each side and scribe out exactly what you need from the other side (inside the stand). Then lay it out on a couple saw horses and cut your doors out with a jigsaw. Make a drill hole in the corners to insert your jig blade. If they're all 90degree angles you might be able to do this with a circular saw but you only get one shot so be careful, it's the finish. Jigsaw is easier. Then measure for the doors and you'll probably want about a 1/2" overhang all the way around. Depends on what you're using for hardware at this point and make sure you're using finish nails for this. Preferably with a pneumatic gun but you can go old-school if you buy a retracting nailset. I kno Lowe's carries them they're blue and you put the nail in one end and hit the button on the other end so you won't marr your wood. A lot cheaper than buying a compressor or a rechargeable battery powered nail gun (which are awesome). I've included a photo of the type of nailset I mean. Rock on!

 

Kiln dried wood is definitely more brittle and I wouldn't attempt to screw through it without pre-drilling

I've used about 6000 Spax screws over the last 2 years with kiln dried lumber while drilling no pilot holes and I have not split a single board.

 

You probably have more experience. In the op's photo the wood split so I put my 2 cents in. For someone who's never used screws every day for a month I wouldn't recommend any of those
new-fangled screws... I only buy exterior screws and use them for everything so I don't run out. It's never the last project I'll ever do so it's better for me to have stock on hand. Every trip to home depot adds 3 hours to my workday. It's so unorganized, I really avoid going there but as it's the only place that's located everywhere I always end up there. The less I have to source during a build the better. Carpentry doesn't change, all these new products are redundant if you don't do it everyday - KISS

 

Hey guys

I’m in the final stretch (will post pictures after I cross the finish line).

1. When adding plywood to the 2x4, are nails or screws better?
2. When adding moldings to the 2x4, are nails or screws better?
3. Is there a benefit to staining rather than painting a DIY stand?
4. If staining, is the process wipe clean surface —> stain a few coats using a rag —> apply polyurethane a few times?
5. If painting, is the process wipe clean surface —> use paint with primer mixed in —>apply polyurethane a few times? Or, do I just use waterproof paint and forget the polyurethane?
6. When I attach the plywood to the top where the tank will sit, will the nail or screw that is slightly bulging out cause issues by putting pressure on the tank?

 

Screws are almost always going to be stronger. Nails are easier to hide, if you use brad or finishing nails.

Staining is easier to reapply if it wears. Paint has to be stripped off to redo in most cases. You can, however, use a heavily pigmented stain that will be almost the same kind of look.

Stain and paint applications depend on the base you use. If you're going to add a clear top coat I'd use stain. You may be about to hit a snag. If you spray water on the wood and it beads up, you can't stain it. You will have to let it age.

Never let any of your hardware directly touch your tank. Ever! This is why some people use a thin foam piece on top for the tank to sit on, but this can cause pressure points also.

 

Screws are almost always going to be stronger. Nails are easier to hide, if you use brad or finishing nails.

Staining is easier to reapply if it wears. Paint has to be stripped off to redo in most cases. You can, however, use a heavily pigmented stain that will be almost the same kind of look.

Stain and paint applications depend on the base you use. If you're going to add a clear top coat I'd use stain. You may be about to hit a snag. If you spray water on the wood and it beads up, you can't stain it. You will have to let it age.

Never let any of your hardware directly touch your tank. Ever! This is why some people use a thin foam piece on top for the tank to sit on, but this can cause pressure points also.

I'll look into nails since the plywood is just a covering and the 2x4s are doing the work. Or maybe I'll find small screw that can be hidden.

I'll spray some water. If it beads up, can I just use paint instead or will I have to let it age for painting too?

My tank has a trim on the bottom. I don't remember where but a video or post said putting styrofoam for trim tanks is a bad idea

 

Paint will be ok since generally it doesn't need to be absorbed readily. Just make sure to sand prior to painting and then wipe it down well for maximum adhesion.

 

Screws should all be countersunk

 

I am finally finished. After a failed attempt, I restarted and am happy with how the stand came out. Thank you for all of your help.

The top and bottom are done. This was my second attempt. The first attempt wasn't square and pushing down on one corner made the other rise. The second attempt wasn't perfect but it was close enough.



"Guides" in place.



Finally level. Building on a level surface wasn't common sense to me. I've learned.



Supports in place.



Top, bottom, and side panels in place.



Yes, finally almost there. I used a very thin piece of wood since I had no plywood and didn't want to spend more. It turned out nice though. I just need a magnet.



I decided to paint. I think the wood was pine (not sure) and supposedly staining is difficult. Also staining costs more.



I'm happy with how things turned out. I think it was overbuilt. I could probably get away with using 4 support legs rather than 8. The stand is a lot heavier than I expected as well. It's for a 20 gallon long but I need help carrying it.

A few key takeaways for people who may stumble on this thread and have zero experience with woodworking or building..

1. Buy a good drill. I spent a ton of time trying to drill properly and waiting for the battery to charge. I bought the cheapest drill at Home Depot and the drill was weak.

2. Measure twice. I measured everything but when you're trying to make everything fit perfectly, 1 millimeter counts.

3. The stand is heavy so build it in the place you plan to keep it. I live in an apartment so I had to go to my family's house to build it. Now I have to bring that thing over to my apartment and it's very heavy for 1 person to carry alone.

4. Buy a corner vise over a clamp if you have to choose one.

5. Check to see if the surface your building on is level. If the surface isn't level, your stand won't be once you bring it to another spot.

All in all, it's fun to just learn and a great experience!

 

There you go,it` lookin good.You know I have build things on surfaces that were not level,it is a real pain.When doing so you got to make sure all your lumber is cut exactly right,then you got to make sure everything is completely square,framing ,speed and trI -squares are used to do this. Nothing will be level and plumb until you put it on a level surface,but like I said it`s a pain and real time consuming.

 

There you go,it` lookin good.You know I have build things on surfaces that were not level,it is a real pain.When doing so you got to make sure all your lumber is cut exactly right,then you got to make sure everything is completely square,framing ,speed and trI -squares are used to do this. Nothing will be level and plumb until you put it on a level surface,but like I said it`s a pain and real time consuming.

turns out my floor in my apartment was severely slanted anyways so I had to use shims

 

Finding a level place to do the construction is always the easier way,otherwise you mind will start to play tricks on you but the square will not lie to you.If I were going to build another stand and the floor was not level I would get a piece of 3/4 " plywood larger than the stand that I was building I would shI'm that on the floor and build off of that.Than that piece of plywood would become the top after the frame was done.In the end shims are used.