$50 craiglist 225 tank/cabinet/canopy DIY refurbish

I have info on how to place the glass. I guess you are going to place the bottom on the sides with the tank upside -down? First off you could where surgical gloves -this will help with oil from your hands. Second - Glass shops use Big Suctions cups with handal's. They are made for the purpose of moving sheets of glass. You could buy or barrow a set of these. That would make placement of the glass easy. No need to touch the sides at all. I have constructed tanks with bare hands (cleaned with Alcoholic) and never had a problem! Silicone squishes out everywhere and you just clean up the access.

Good Luck, Arkangel77
 
Arkangel77 said:
I have info on how to place the glass. I guess you are going to place the bottom on the sides with the tank upside -down? First off you could where surgical gloves -this will help with oil from your hands. Second - Glass shops use Big Suctions cups with handal's. They are made for the purpose of moving sheets of glass. You could buy or barrow a set of these. That would make placement of the glass easy. No need to touch the sides at all. I have constructed tanks with bare hands (cleaned with Alcoholic) and never had a problem! Silicone squishes out everywhere and you just clean up the access.

Good Luck, Arkangel77
Click to expand...
Your suction cup idea is actually much better and easier then the one I have which is to place the aquarium upside down on saw horses and from the open bottom ground use a hydraulic transmission jack fitted with a special boxed wood extension and padding, then lift the glass bottom off the 4 panels just enough to lay the silicone then lower it back down again from the center never touching the sides.

I am defiantly going to call around to find out if I can rent a set of glass suction cups, that work of course. Can you imagine losing suction 4 feet off the ground:shocked:. But that won't happen with the right gear. With 20 casino's on the river we have about 10 glass shops, so I must be able to rent some from somewhere. THANKs!
 
Yup, the suction cups was my first thought for moving it around.

Gotta love that weather!

I don't get the extremes like that as much down here in NC. I grew up in KC,Mo. And we'd get some weeks of 100+. Then 0, winter days.

My last winter there. I got to change a water pump on my truck at 7am in the parking lot at work. At a nice -20 with a -40 wind chill. It was kinda like... take the wrench from buddy. Break a bolt loose, hand it back real quick before it stuck to your hand. lol I don't miss that stuff at all.
 
Well as I said its very low humidity here in AZ compared to my last home in Chesapeake VA where I lives for 7 years. Although the temps were only in the 90's in summer, the humidity was 80% so other then swimming it was almost impossible to do anything outside without having a heat stroke. Ironically in the desert as long as you have water, you body's ability to cool itself is far more efficient in low humidity becasue evaporation releases heat and cools the body, whereas in high humidity locations there is no evaporation only sweat and the body cant cool itself even with water and can go into shock. So although hotter in the desert it is much more comfortable then the tropics.

Anyway I finished the top and trim stain and after a 4 hour bake in the sun laid on 2 coats of polyurethane, all is well. tomorrow I will be taking a brake and driving my wife to the airport to visit my daughter in Portland where she is a work at home software and website developer. So I have two weeks to get the tank fixed, tested, cleaned and installed replacing my 60 tank using the water, fish, and filters. This in order I build a reinforcing stud frame for the inside of my 60 tank fiberboard cabinet which is starting to fail in the center only after 8 months as I can stick a CD easily under the tank in the middle but the ends are tight, you can also see the sway warp looking down the counter top. The reinforcing frame will be hidden inside and the cabinet will be suspended over it for looks only.

Pics of the cabinet drying poly coat.
CabinetComplete004.jpg

CabinetComplete002.jpg


For now the canopy will have to wait as I have the large glass panel covers that came with the tank 6 total. But the tank will not truly come into its own until the canopy is reinforced and refinished as it also has a very nice carvings. Oh and encase anyone is wondering this is only my 2nd refinish the first my 120 tank that needed no repairs other then stripping which was the first time I have ever attempted to work with wood furniture. So this is my first attempt and placing a top and working with trim. I know its not Orthodox carpentry work but neither am I lol.
 
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:thm::headbang2::mwave::cheers:
 
Wow, that is truly beautiful, you have done an amazing job on that stand! :omg:

It's too bad that pane of glass has to be so heavy, it would be perfect to be INSIDE the tank, propped up on saw horses or something similar, arms up and just lower it into place.. no touching of the ends needed there either.. altho perhaps with 3-4 guys this could work too *shrugs* I am sure you'll figure it out.. you've came this far!


 
excellent looking stand i want it ! :)
 
Looking good, Gunner! Nice work.
 
Thanks all, I wish I could feel real good about it but the really hard, icky, and scary part faces me now, especially since I have two panels to replace, a side and bottom. But I am confident that providence willing, I will get through it. Your encouragement has been greatly appreciated and encouraging.
:grinyes:
 
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