DIY Tank Stand (36"L x 18"D x 30") for 40 Gallon Breeder Tank

[GeoPappas]

I was originally going to purchase an All Glass tank stand for a 40 gallon breeder aquarium (36"L x 18"D x 16"H) that I am putting together.

I went to the local pet store to order one, since most places don't carry a stand with those dimensions. I decided to take a look at the build quality of the stand and was pretty amazed that there were no studs for a frame. It was basically a bunch of 1"x4"s stapled together. I put some weight on it and tried to move it side to side and it swayed slightly. :eek3:

Since I have two small children (that are constantly running around the house), I need to be careful that the tank will be able to withstand one of them falling into it by mistake while they are playing.

So after looking at some great threads on this site, and gaining some confidence from their results, I decided to go out on a limb and have a go at it.

:hang:

This thread is meant to document the process for any others that dare to follow in my (amateurish) footsteps.

Legalese: Please note that I am not a professional carpenter. On the contrary, I am a computer professional that sits in front of a monitor for most of the day. So if you use this thread to build your own tank, and it falls apart, then don't blame me.

==================

I started out by searching for plans on the Web. Many of the plans seem to offer a strong design for vertical strength, but most seem to lack any strength if a torque (twisting or side to side movement) is applied.

Since I am not a professional carpenter, I went a bit overboard on the design to make sure it was strong enough (sort of like how the guy (Tim Allen) on Tool Time builds his stuff) and could withstand any sort of torque.

I didn't want legs in each corner of the stand, because I didn't want a lot of pressure on each leg or the carpet beneath. If I ever decide to move the tank, I don't want four indentations in the carpet that will never come out. I wanted to distribute the load as much as possible, hence the horizontal 2x4s.

I built two of these. One for the bottom and one for the top.

http://www.pbase.com/image/82443527.jpg

Here is a view of the inside corner. I used stainless steel angle ties to connect the inside of the 2x4s.

http://www.pbase.com/image/82443532.jpg

Here is a view of the outside corner. I used 4" nails to connect the outside of the 2x4s.

http://www.pbase.com/image/82443535.jpg

Here is a view after I added the outer "leg" supports. I only used stainless steel ties to connect the legs to the bottom base and nothing else (no nails or screws).

I was originally thinking that I would use nails or screws to connect the "leg" supports to the base, but they would have needed to be at least 6" or 7" long. The longest nails I could find were a little over 4", which wouldn't be long enough (since a 2x4 is 3.5" wide). I could find lag screws that were longer (up to 7" or 8"), but then I would have needed to drill countersinks for the large lag screws heads (which I thought was a little too much work). So I decided to try stainless steel ties. I'm glad that I did, because this thing is built like a rock.

http://www.pbase.com/image/82443537.jpg

Here is a view of the inside corners after I added the "legs":

http://www.pbase.com/image/82443545.jpg

Here is a shot of the outside corner after I added the "legs":

http://www.pbase.com/image/82443555.jpg

Here is the stand after I added the top support:

http://www.pbase.com/image/82443557.jpg

You'll also notice that I decided to add some more strength to the center supports as well:


http://www.pbase.com/image/82443559.jpg

Stay tuned: More to come...

[AnDr3w]

WOW! Very over built! Great work.

[rwilliams254]

nothing like over-engineering! Looking good.

What kind of finish?

[GeoPappas]

What kind of finish?

Sorry that I never replied, but I guess that I didn't have an answer at the time. I never thought about the finish before making the frame. I first wanted to make a sturdy frame (which it is). But after I built the frame, I realized that it would be difficult to put the finish on (since the stainless steel angle ties and screws were another 1/8" to 1/4" above the surface of the frame).

After talking this over with some friends, the two choices seemed to be: (a) add strips of wood on the exterior (between the steel ties) to "raise" the surface so that exterior pieces could be added, or (b) route the back of the exterior wood pieces where the steel ties exist. I chose the second option.

I have added some pictures below...

[GeoPappas]

Sorry for the delay, but I have been quite busy in the last few months and it has been brutally hot here (over 100 degree days) making work outside almost unbearable.

I added a 1/4" piece of lauan plywood to the bottom of the frame to act as a shelf.

I then decided that I wanted to waterproof the frame so that it wouldn't rot (and weaken the structure) from any water or moisture that was spilled onto it. As a first step, I applied wood putty between all of the cracks to seal the frame tight. I then applied two coats of stain and two coats of polyurethane to the entire frame.

Here is a shot of the frame after those steps.

http://www.pbase.com/image/85369508.jpg

This shot was taken just after I added the sides (which are made from 3/4" plywood w/ an oak finish) and front pieces (made from (2) 1"x6" red oak pieces). I cut down the bottom piece on the front so that it was the size of a 1"x5" (or 4.5" high).

http://www.pbase.com/image/85367164.jpg

Here is the back (which I plan to leave open).

http://www.pbase.com/image/85367471.jpg

Here is one of the sides.

http://www.pbase.com/image/85367510.jpg


This shot shows the back of the side plywood piece with the area above the steel tie routed out (so that it would fit flat onto the frame).

http://www.pbase.com/image/85367526.jpg

Here is another shot that shows the wood routed out above the steel ties. This is the bottom horizontal piece on the front.

http://www.pbase.com/image/85367583.jpg

Here is a little trick that I learned from a magazine that I subscribe to that shows how to protect wood while hammering in finish nails. It is a small round rubber piece that normally goes under the legs of a piece of furniture or couch. I drilled a small hole in the center to allow the nail to go through. This helps protect the wood if you miss the nail or when the nail gets close to the wood. I then used a 1/32" nail punch to set the finish nails under the surface.

http://www.pbase.com/image/85367606.jpg

Here is a shot that shows the (3) 1"x4" vertical pieces that I added to the front.

http://www.pbase.com/image/85368921.jpg

Here is another shot that shows all of the external pieces added.

http://www.pbase.com/image/85368931.jpg

Well, that's it for now.

I plan on adding some trim pieces and then staining/polyurethaning the outside. Finally, I will be making the cabinet doors.

Hopefully, I can get to that in the next few weeks...

[brett_93_ex]

very nice build.

looks great.

[C98Hall]

Wow that looks really good.

What kind of doors are you going to put on the front of the stand?

[GeoPappas]

very nice build.

looks great.

Thanks very much.

[GeoPappas]

Wow that looks really good.

Thank you.


What kind of doors are you going to put on the front of the stand?

The plan is to build doors out of strips of 1"x3" red oak (for the sides) and 1/4" plywood (either oak or lauan). But you know how plans go...

[southpaw]

Looks good....

I think the only thing I might have done different with it is to make the front trim pieces cover the plywood sides raw edges in the front instead of letting them show. But I guess you could put some corner trim on the edges to hide it if you wanted.

[GeoPappas]

Looks good....

I think the only thing I might have done different with it is to make the front trim pieces cover the plywood sides raw edges in the front instead of letting them show. But I guess you could put some corner trim on the edges to hide it if you wanted.

That is part of the plan. I will be adding trim to the top, sides and bottom (when I get some time) to make it more "furniture like".

Thanks for looking...

[zachjohnson65]

Can you break down your costs for me? If you have that info. I need to build a 55 gallon stand. Did the metal braces help to keep every thing level and plumb while building?

[ThePBM]

that looks amazing.
i was actually about to build one for my 40 gal breeder, but then i went the lazy route and bought a board slightly bigger than the tank's footprint, painted it black, put it on top of a TV stand that was just 2" short on each side (hence the board), and called it a day.

[kj5kb]

Looks great and sturdy!

Building a top? PM me for measurements/pix of the one on my 40G Breeder.

FYI, those strong-tie connectors aren't all Stainless...most are galvanized steel-but plenty fine for a tank stand!

[GeoPappas]

Can you break down your costs for me? If you have that info. I need to build a 55 gallon stand.

So far, I have spent about $240, but I still need to buy materials for the doors. So I will probably spend around $300-325 in total. I will have a better idea of the total costs once it's all done.


Did the metal braces help to keep every thing level and plumb while building?

As I stated at the beginning of the thread, I am no professional. Keeping everything plumb and making everything fit perfectly is something that I am still working at. Every piece of wood has warps, twists, bumps, etc., so you have to really work at getting things to fit correctly. I use clamps whenever I am attaching pieces together. This seems to help things fit better. Once the steel ties are attached, the pieces are pretty tight. But there were still one or two times when I had to "force fit" some pieces before they were nailed.

Hope that helps...

[ThePBM]

Hey GeoPappas, what are you using for filtration on that tank?

[GeoPappas]

Hey GeoPappas, what are you using for filtration on that tank?

I will be using an AquaClear 70.

[GeoPappas]

I finally got some more time to work on the tank stand this weekend.

I was able to install all of the trim/molding and I started to fill the nail holes and gaps with wood filler. I'm very pleased with the results so far.

Here are some of the the latest photos.

This shows all of the trim installed (except for the matching left side trim). You might notice that some of the trim has a lighter color, since it is made from pine and the main exterior pieces are made from red oak.

I used a miter saw to cut the corners of the trim at 45 degree angles so that they would fit snug:

http://www.pbase.com/image/86512874.jpg


Here is a closeup showing the bottom trim and side trim. You will notice that there are two holes. I mistakenly drilled a hole that was larger than the nail. Oops! :duh: So I had to drill another hole that was smaller:

http://www.pbase.com/image/86512864.jpg

Here is another image showing the bottom trim and side trim.

http://www.pbase.com/image/86512866.jpg

Here is a photo of the top and side trim pieces. I used a 1"x3" for the top and then installed crown molding underneath to give it a "classy" look.

http://www.pbase.com/image/86512871.jpg

Here is another angle of the same thing:

http://www.pbase.com/geopappas/image/86512867/original.jpg

Here is a look at the top trim from the back:

http://www.pbase.com/image/86512869.jpg

I will hopefully be able to finish filling the gaps with wood filler next weekend. I then have to sand, stain, and varnish everything.

Finally, I will make the two cabinet-style doors.

Stay tuned...

[southpaw]

Looking good...keep us updated !!

[Kuhlifan]

sweet, I'm hoping to do this myself soon

[aya7med]

awesome

thank you excellant

[ct-death]

GeoPappas, Very impressive! I'd be curious what your time and cost investments are once done.

Very, very nice craftsmanship man! :bow:

[AnDr3w]

Yes I am too. This is turning out to be great. Good luck finishing the rest! :thumbsup:

[j_chicago]

Just a tidbit that my Grandpa, who was a great woodworker, told me as a kid, when cutting the angles for molding, shaving the inside edges of 45 degree cuts helps get the corners snugger.

[GeoPappas]

I'm sorry for the long delay and had no idea that this thread had become active again. It seems that I wasn't subscribed to my own thread! Well, I subscribed to the thread now, so if anyone replies I will at least know about it.

Thanks to everyone for all of the compliments. I am certainly no master craftsman, but I am happy with the way it turned out. My wife said that she was pleasantly surprised (which made me very happy).

Anyways, I was able to finish the stand (without the doors) and get it installed. I am currently cycling the water and plan to purchase my first fish next week (3 Long-Finned Leopard Danios and 3 Long-Finned Zebra Danios).

Here is a picutre of the stand in our room with gravel, two large stones,a fake hollowed-out log, and a piece of driftwood:

http://www.pbase.com/image/89187685.jpg

I am currently working on the cabinet doors and hope to have them finished in the next week or so. I'll post some more pictures as things progress.

[irishspy]

I've been looking at stands and considering DIY -- this is a great piece of work! :clap:

I know this is an old thread, but have you done any more with the stand and tank since the last entry?

[GeoPappas]

I've been looking at stands and considering DIY -- this is a great piece of work! :clap:


Thanks for the wonderful comment.


...have you done any more with the stand and tank since the last entry?

Just a little bit. Unfortunately, I still haven't finished everything yet, but I am close. I was able to make the doors, but I still have a little bit left to do (trim/route the door edges, stain, varnish, and attach).

It's winter around here and I don't have anyplace inside to do work work (without getting sawdust everywhere). So I am waiting for it to warm up a little (should be another few weeks) before I get back to finishing the stand.

But that didn't stop me from getting fish. The structural part of the cabinet is done. I have some fish and have started to add some plants (see image below).

Here are some images of the cabinet doors...

Outside view

http://www.pbase.com/image/93066561.jpg

Inside view:

http://www.pbase.com/image/93066620.jpg

Closeup of inside corner view (note pocket screw holes that attach pieces together):

http://www.pbase.com/image/93066637.jpg

Finally, here is the aquarium as it stands today:

http://www.pbase.com/image/93067360.jpg

[irishspy]

Thanks for the update. I was wondering how pieces of a door get screwed together. :)

And the tank looks great.

[GeoPappas]

Thanks for the update.

No problem. It's nice to know that others enjoy the writeup.


I was wondering how pieces of a door get screwed together. :)

From what I understand, there are lots of different ways to make doors. I used a technique which uses "pocket hole screws". Basically, a tool drills holes at an angle into the corner pieces, and then screws are used to hold the two pieces together. The tool I used can be seen here:

http://images.lowes.com/product/647096/647096223113.jpg


And the tank looks great.

Thanks. It's a work in progress. It will probably never be done, but I'm having fun learning.

[BoredAgain]

It definitely looks good, and definitely a great way to learn new things...that's the best part of DIY projects. I'll be diving into some DIY lighting here in the next few days, so that should be fun...but nothing as involved as your project.

[GeoPappas]

I'll be diving into some DIY lighting here in the next few days, so that should be fun...

How ironic. I was just searching the forums for DIY hoods and canopies. Now that I have some plants, I need some more lighting.

Good luck with your new project.

[BoredAgain]

How ironic. I was just searching the forums for DIY hoods and canopies. Now that I have some plants, I need some more lighting.

Good luck with your new project.
Thanks. I'm just going to be modifying the existing canopies to fit a CF bulb or two...nothing big.

[Reddog80p]

This tank ever get fish? ;) update?

[GeoPappas]

This tank ever get fish? ;) update?

Yes, it has had fish since November of 2007.

There are currently 14 fish and 5 shrimp: 8 Neon Tetras, 2 Zebra Danios, 1 Leopard Danio, 1 Guppy, 1 Sunset Coral Dwarf Platy, 1 Fire Red Dwarf Gourami, 2 Japanese Amano shrimp, and 3 Ghost Shrimp (2 of them were born in the tank). Everyone seems quite happy.

I still haven't finished the doors on the stand, but that will hopefully happen in the next month or two.

[Marcotte]

WOW, that is a Herculean (sp?) stand, how much does it wiegh, do you know? It is a beautiful piece of work though.

[GeoPappas]

WOW, that is a Herculean (sp?) stand, how much does it wiegh, do you know? It is a beautiful piece of work though.

I have never officially weighed it, but my guess would be about 60 lbs. I carried it myself up the stairs on my back, so it can't be that heavy.


It is a beautiful piece of work though.

Thank you very much for the warm compliments.

[happybob59]

sorry to dredge up such an old thread, but I was wondering where you got those rafter ties? I've looked at menards lowes and home depot and cant find them!!

[GeoPappas]

sorry to dredge up such an old thread, but I was wondering where you got those rafter ties? I've looked at menards lowes and home depot and cant find them!!

I got all of the metal ties at Home Depot and Lowe's.

They are NOT located in the hardware section of the store, but back where they sell lumber. They are called Simpson Strong Ties.

I just did an online search at both homedepot.com and lowes.com and both of the searches show results for Simpson Strong Ties.

To connect the pieces of the base together, I used Angles (A21):

http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/A-Z.asp

http://www.strongtie.com/graphics/categories/A.gif

To connect the base to the legs, I used Rigid Tie Angles (RTA22):

http://www.strongtie.com/products/categories/rigid-tie_diy.html

http://www.strongtie.com/graphics/categories/RTA.gif

The company makes lots of other connectors as well. See here:

http://www.strongtie.com/products/category_list.html?source=topnav

I hope that helps.

Have a great day.

[happybob59]

AWESOME! now i can start working on this!!! thank you!!

[biggdadyapisto]

whats funny is i was looking for a thread like this and couldnt find it so i started my own now this one pops up lol. awsome job papas once i get my designs for my stand finished im starting right up on building it "on the designing thank you subxero".

[GeoPappas]

AWESOME! now i can start working on this!!! thank you!!

Your welcome. I'm glad that I could help.

[doogah]

i just looked up plans today, bought wood, cut some pieces, and will finish the project tomorrow. you inspired my creation for my 30 gallon. perhaps i can post pictures when i finish. all i have to say is... WELL DONE, SIR. well done.

it's only been 50 dollars for the frame for me so far including the metal things and screws. i only expect another 50 at most. i have no earthly clue how you expect to spend over 300 dollars on this... by the way, what are the dimensions of your stand? i wasnt sure, but i figured that a shorter height to length ratio would be more stable.

i may go back and make one for my 20 gallon as well.

[GeoPappas]

it's only been 50 dollars for the frame for me so far including the metal things and screws. i only expect another 50 at most. i have no earthly clue how you expect to spend over 300 dollars on this...

I finally finished the stand about two months ago.

It ended up costing a total of $330. This includes the cost of everything (the wood, molding, braces, ties, screws, nails, wood glue, wood filler, stain, varnish, foam brushes, door knobs, hinges, etc). But there are a few caveats to the price:

- First, lumber was MUCH more expensive when I was purchasing wood about two years ago. Since then, the cost of lumber has dropped dramatically (mostly because of the collapse of the real estate industry).

- Second, some of the wood that I purchased was a little bit more expensive (since I wanted the piece to look like a nice piece of furniture). For example, I used red oak which is a little pricier than pine. If you just use pine, then it would probably be much cheaper.

- Third, I had to redo the cabinet doors, because I ended up making a huge mistake (I wanted to route the outside edges of the doors, but ended up routing the inside edges). This meant that I had to repurchase wood for the cabinet doors twice.

But we are very happy with the finished product. I am amazed that I was able to pull it all off (since I had never built a piece of furniture before). It was definitely a great learning experience.



by the way, what are the dimensions of your stand? i wasnt sure, but i figured that a shorter height to length ratio would be more stable.


I have a 40 gallon breeder tank (which measures 18" deep x 36" wide), so I made the stand to fit that. The height of the stand is a total of 32.5", but that measurement includes the molding that covers the bottom black frame of the tank. The tank sits on a 1/2" thick piece of blue styrofoam. The styrofoam sits at a height of 30".

I have never had any issues with stability. You would really have to pull on it with some force to get it to topple over. But of course, the lower the height of the stand, the more stable it will be.

Hope that helps.

[GeoPappas]

For those that are interested...

Here is a picture of the finished product:

http://www.pbase.com/image/117214128.jpg

Here is a closeup of the routing that I did on the outside edge of the cabinet door:

http://www.pbase.com/image/117214710.jpg

[FISHSHROD]

Wow, 2 years later!!!!!!!!!!! It does look nice though :)

[katschamne]

That is an awesome stand.

[The Zigman]

looks great!!

[jward6004]

First off, you did a great job constructing this stand! I have a 30 gal breeder with very similar tank dimensions that I am interested in building a stand for. I was wondering if you knew what the dimension were for your frames and legs??

[flyinby]

Nicely done!

[CWO4GUNNER]

From scratch no less, you are gifted. :grinyes:

[PaulJ69]

Did you or are you going to build a canopy?
Great Job!

[Doc7]

Hello..

Old thread but does anyone know if the center brace going front-to-back on the top is necessary? Is it just to hold the frame steady? No tank weigh directly falls on that.

[Doc7]

For the reference of anyone else reading this thread (I love it and the design, and it has convinced me to give my own shot at woodworking, to the point of purchasing a circular saw yesterday), an idea may be to try to cut out windows of a single sheet of plywood for the front face such that the entire face has grain in the same direction. If I can teach myself to plunge cut (thank you internet) I will be attempting this.

[Khemul]

Hello..

Old thread but does anyone know if the center brace going front-to-back on the top is necessary? Is it just to hold the frame steady? No tank weigh directly falls on that.
As far as I know it doesn't do anything. Shouldn't even be necessary to hold the frame steady, since the stand isn't long enough for that concern. You do see them put in these builds often, since it doesn't hurt anything either.

[Doc7]

I am thinking of modifying this design so that instead of the bottom frame being pre-built into a rectangle, instead the vertical legs go directly to the floor, and then the bottom frame butts against the legs. In other words it would look similar to this stand in silhouette, but the legs would have to be lengthened by 3 1/2" to achieve the same height.

Reason for this change so I can put leveling feet in - I can't figure out a good place to put them with this design as they would be 1/2" off from the center of weight pressing down through each leg.

Reasonable? I will probably try to sketch it up and get it posted here in a new thread if need be.

Thank you...

[Doc7]

Here is what I mean...

http://i55.tinypic.com/11hs0vp.jpg

[mellowvision]

I replied to your thread, but this actually makes installing leveling feet less sturdy. Installing the feet into the end grain of the wood will fail more quickly than if they are installed across the grain of a horizontal member.

[mellowvision]

Nice build here by the way!

[GeoPappas]

Did you or are you going to build a canopy?

No, I never did tackle that job. Too many other things to do... Maybe one day.


...does anyone know if the center brace going front-to-back on the top is necessary? Is it just to hold the frame steady? No tank weigh directly falls on that.

It's been four years since I built the stand, so I don't remember a lot of the thoughts that went into it. But I'll give it my best shot...

If I remember correctly, I was looking for a stand that had more lateral support (as opposed to vertical support). Many of the commercial stands that were sold in the big box stores (PetsMart, Petco, etc) were built with only four (4) legs (one in each corner). I was about to purchase one of them, but when I took a hold of them and tried to move them, they had a lot of lateral movement (which was kind of scary considering that it was going to hold a tank that weighed about 400 lbs). Since I had small children at the time, I could imagine one of them grabbing the stand, pulling on it, and the whole tank coming down on them. So I decided to do a "Tim the Toolman" number and build my own stand. So the middle braces are not there for vertical support, but are added mostly for additional lateral support.

In addition, if you want to have two doors on the front, then there needs to be something in the middle (in between the doors). So this was also a way to add a center post for the doors.

Hope that helps.

[GeoPappas]

...an idea may be to try to cut out windows of a single sheet of plywood for the front face such that the entire face has grain in the same direction. If I can teach myself to plunge cut (thank you internet) I will be attempting this.

If you used a single sheet of plywood for the front face (on top of the 2x4s), that would provide lots of lateral strength (as well as vertical strength) - as long as it was thick enough. So you could probably do away with the middle two (2) legs in that sort of design. But I would probably use a different sort of tool than a circular saw to cut out the holes in the plywood.

[GraphicGr8s]

If you used a single sheet of plywood for the front face (on top of the 2x4s), that would provide lots of lateral strength (as well as vertical strength) - as long as it was thick enough. So you could probably do away with the middle two (2) legs in that sort of design. But I would probably use a different sort of tool than a circular saw to cut out the holes in the plywood.
Circ Saw works just fine if the plunge cut is done right. Even 1/4" plywood would be strong enough to prevent racking. l Use it all the time as a back to stop racking and to square up the carcass.

[GeoPappas]

Circ Saw works just fine if the plunge cut is done right. Even 1/4" plywood would be strong enough to prevent racking. l Use it all the time as a back to stop racking and to square up the carcass.

Being that I am the paranoid type, I would use thicker plywood (maybe 1/2" or 3/4"). In addition, if you want the stand to look good, you would want the face to have some thickness when you open the doors (at least IMHO).

[Doc7]

From former first-timer to current first timer, now that I have cut out my entire frame assembly (2x4s for the same frame you built), I believe my next steps will be to sand all the pieces and apply a couple coats of urethane, then assemble and apply filler to the gaps (between boards and where strong ties are) so water doesn't stay there.

I know you assembled and then applied filler/stain, is there a difference to the effectiveness of my process vs yours?

[GraphicGr8s]

Being that I am the paranoid type, I would use thicker plywood (maybe 1/2" or 3/4"). In addition, if you want the stand to look good, you would want the face to have some thickness when you open the doors (at least IMHO).
That is why I use it as a back. It fits into a rabbet in the sides and the top and bottom shelves. I was using 1/4" as an example. Actual thickness varies upon where you use the plywood. I'm almost done with a large library system for our spare room. All plywood carcasses with solid face frames. You can't see any plywood edges at all. But then again I've been making cabinets and whatnot as a hobby/semi pro for over 30 years. All that said I'd never use the technique of cutting openings in plywood. There's better ways to make cabinets. Call it what you want it's basic cabinet construction.

Key is if the OP is happy with how it turns out and it holds the tank for more than a minute it's all good.

[mellowvision]

I just want to point out that using a circular saw for plunge cutting plywood is one of the least safe things you can do with the tool, I would never recommend it to anyone. A plungerouter with a guide is a far better way to create an opening in a sheet.

[Slappy*McFish]

That is why I use it as a back. It fits into a rabbet in the sides and the top and bottom shelves. I was using 1/4" as an example. Actual thickness varies upon where you use the plywood. I'm almost done with a large library system for our spare room. All plywood carcasses with solid face frames. You can't see any plywood edges at all. But then again I've been making cabinets and whatnot as a hobby/semi pro for over 30 years. All that said I'd never use the technique of cutting openings in plywood. There's better ways to make cabinets. Call it what you want it's basic cabinet construction.

Key is if the OP is happy with how it turns out and it holds the tank for more than a minute it's all good.
As a fellow cabinet maker, I agree. A solid face frame (pocket screwed) would be the way to go and would look professional, as well.

[GraphicGr8s]

I just want to point out that using a circular saw for plunge cutting plywood is one of the least safe things you can do with the tool, I would never recommend it to anyone. A plungerouter with a guide is a far better way to create an opening in a sheet.
Plunge cuts with a circ are done all the time. Done correctly it's as safe as any other method. Technique is the key.

[GraphicGr8s]

As a fellow cabinet maker, I agree. A solid face frame (pocket screwed) would be the way to go and would look professional, as well.
Yeah this build I am doing is pocket screws. Still prefer the mortise and tenon though. I knew going into this project though I wouldn't have the time. I try to use the least amount of fasteners and prefer to rely on the joinery and glue. Today's glues are amazing.

[mellowvision]

There's really no room for argument here, plunge cutting with a circular saw is not a safe operation, and I have personally seen very experienced cabinet makers nearly lose limbs doing it. It is not recommended practice.

This thread is over 2 years old, and has gotten way off topic, so it will be closed. If there's a need for an additional 40 breeder stand thread, please start one or take part in a current discussion.