the Craigslist 55g Journal

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zzyzx85

the casual hobbyist
Dec 3, 2007
1,008
0
36
OC, CA
Now that I think about it, I think I'm going to leave the interior as is for ease of finding things. Ever seen one of those backpacks with a yellow interior? It's like that to make it easier to find things in the pack. Same idea going with this. If anything, I'll put a few coats of urethane on the inside.
 

txbetta

Little Betta Girl
Oct 7, 2008
60
0
0
DFW
ooo I'd have fought my mom if she wanted me to paint that stand I liked it the was it is lol then again black would go better with... hmm maybe I should paint my stands black... bah look what you've done!

Look forward to pics of tank with water :p

PS: I just got an AWESOME deal on craigslist, for 50.00 I got the exact same 55 g tank a heavy box of crap incluidng several filters, heaters, live rock I will never use (dont do salt water other then brineshrimp), decorations, air pumps, power heads, 2 10 gallon tanks 1 5 gallon tank, 1 30 gallon tank!

0.0

But damnit still no 40 g for my stand... /cry

Been trying to find a 40 g for 60 bucks or less bare tank for WEEKS, mine broke and I have this beautiful wooden stand and canopy that was fairly expensive and I want to use it! -_- The only 40 I've seen is like... well 120 bucks yech

Hurry up and finish the suspense is gonna kill me!
 

zzyzx85

the casual hobbyist
Dec 3, 2007
1,008
0
36
OC, CA
Personally, I find black more elegant. Lighter wood doesn't do it for me. It must be the Asian in me. :lol2: You know, all the black lacquered furniture. I love that look.

But yeah, the whole sanding/staining/varnishing thing ate up my break. If I hadn't had to change the color, this tank would be up and running by now. But I did learn how to stain wood :).
 

txbetta

Little Betta Girl
Oct 7, 2008
60
0
0
DFW
Well I am in the process of staining mine lol, my husband wants it to match my other stands... any tips? Right now I am staining the bottom part, then the trim and doors will be stained separately and attached. I think I should paint it black think it would look better/hide imperfections, plus I am not sure how that kinda wood will look stained... I plan to stain it, then use a gloss top coat, or do you have better tips?

55stand.jpg
 

DAVIDFBT

Extinct? Since when?
Feb 3, 2008
3,584
0
0
30
Great Lakes, Illinois
Real Name
Definitely not David
That makes sense to leave the inside plain to ake finding things easier. I'll probably end up staining the inside a cherry finish, but keep a little fluorescent desk light in there to let me actually see things.
 

zzyzx85

the casual hobbyist
Dec 3, 2007
1,008
0
36
OC, CA
Well I am in the process of staining mine lol, my husband wants it to match my other stands... any tips? Right now I am staining the bottom part, then the trim and doors will be stained separately and attached. I think I should paint it black think it would look better/hide imperfections, plus I am not sure how that kinda wood will look stained... I plan to stain it, then use a gloss top coat, or do you have better tips?
The "grains" of your wood are quite broad. IMHO, I think that painting it is more appropriate, unless you like the look of it. I might try staining a less noticeable area first to see if you like it.

In the FW Equipment/DIY, I made this thread here about whether I should paint or stain my stand. There's a few good posts in there.
 

6.5x55

AC Members
Nov 26, 2008
85
0
0
51
England
www.riflesintheuk.com
Nice deal! I recently did the back of an established in black. I cleaned the glass and gave it 3 coats of black acrylic - it's cheap, waterproof, quick-drying and tough and it razorblades off perfectly if you later change your mind :).
 

zzyzx85

the casual hobbyist
Dec 3, 2007
1,008
0
36
OC, CA
I picked up a can of black enamel (the cheap $0.97 per can ones). Not sure if it's acrylic or not. 1 can did the whole back side, but I don't think it's holding very well. Coverage isn't that great. I'll let it dry overnight and see what happens. Might have to scrape it off and buy a can of the better stuff. I'll see how it turns out tomorrow.

:lol2: slightly dizzy from that...
 
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