building tank stand

[coach_z]

My gf wants to put her new 10g tank in her room (because that is her only choice) but she does not have very much room at all. She has a bookshelf but it will not support the weight of a 10g tank...it will hardly support an iPod

so i was thinking....build a new bookshelf that is a little bigger so she can store even more stuff plus take the weight of her tank.

i was wondering if something like this would work out well for a 10 gallon tank. I was thinking of building with all 1 in. clear pine and maybe double up on the top piece to 2 pieces of 1" pine. it will then be painted or stained.

my 'rough' plan is attached. What do you think?
-chris

 

[ITHURTZ]

Looks good. Go with the 1" and double up the top if that is where the tank is going.

 

[Nolapete]

While wood has compression strength, it doesn't have sheer strength. You don't need to double up the top. You need to have a solid back on it though.

 

[coach_z]

nolapete, thanks for the advice. can you elaborate for a second about compression and sheer strength?

ithurts: i will use 1" wood, one day i will understand why 1x12xL is actually .75x12xL

I might double up the top piece for pure aesthetic reasons or get fancy with the trim
-chris

 

[ITHURTZ]

who knows why the idiots did that to the measurements. Try measuring a 2x4:headshake2:

 

[whitlock8870]

You guys are funny, but seriously, a 2x4 is actually 2"x4" when initially cut, but the wood is still wet, so it shrinks to 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" after kiln drying.

 

[oscarluvr]

it will snap into before it will break by compression or squeezing, no need to double the top, wont help any, excellent plan though.

 

[coach_z]

it will snap into before it will break by compression or squeezing, no need to double the top, wont help any, excellent plan though.

are you saying it wont be strong enough? i just got a little confused

 

[Nolapete]

What it means is that from the top pushing down is strong, but it's strength when connected to another pieces of wood is weak.

In example, if you've ever seen a house being framed it looks pretty strong right? It's actually not until they put the sheathing on it. The sheathing gives it rigidity and prevents it from moving side to side.

The side to side part where the sheer strength comes into play. While the top will hold the weight, without the back, the stand will collapse because it has little sheer strength.

 

[Tink]

Devil in the details . .

That much water weights about 80 lbs.

Your design does not look strong enough to hold that much weight.

First, you are missing any cross bracing. Someone posted about sheathing, cross bracing would serve the same purpose. Some type of wood must be fastened to the frame to keep the frame from twisting/shifting. The way it looks now it would be very easy to just tilt!

Any wood joined to hold that much weight and hold it safely should be joined with a dado (slot cut in the wood) to add extra strength.

Joinery must be precise. You should glue and screw the frame together.

Personally, I would choose 2 x 2 for the frame vs. the 3/4 material. That 3/4 material is not very strong.

I have built several tank stands. I tend to overbuild because of the risk involved.