Bracing A 48" Stand

[logiktest]

I am going to make a stand for a standard 55gal. glass tank (48*13*21) and I would like some advice first. I'm not a structural engineer, but I was thinking I would NOT need center bracing with a stand/tank this size. Is this true? All opinions are welcome. Thank you for reading!

 

[spipedong]

When I built my frankenstand a couple years ago I originally had a center brace but I ended up taking it out in favor of a sump.

2 Years later nothing has bowed, deflected, or sagged.

I used 2x4's and 5/8" plywood.

Is it the most horribly hideous stand ever? Yes.
Is it sturdy? Absolutely.

Ended up something like this:

 

[Katchupoy]

Tell us what kind of wood are you using... Are you going to do 2x4? 2x2? or plywood? why not center bracing? is your sump big that it wont fit?

 

[Katchupoy]

If you want to make sure and over do it a little bit then maybe you can put two 2x4 in the front and then just do a center brace in the middle at the back.

 

[logiktest]

I plan to use 2x4's to frame it and 3/4" ply for the top of the stand and a top for the sump to rest. I may not even skin the stand(this does not need to look good, just be strong enough to not colapse). I want easy accese to the sumps. I will use another 55gal. as the sump or two 15/20gal.

 

[logiktest]

To give a basic idea, I was thinking two rectangles and four uprights similar to spipedong's.

 

[Katchupoy]

I dont think it will sag like spipedong said.


I took this photo from Disturbedreefer's stand build...

and

and i did the same but a bigger size...

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Most DIY stands are very overbuilt (not a bad thing)
My factory built stand for my 72 gallon Bow front is basically 4 each very soft pine/hemlock 1x5 legs with a couple 1 x 4 intermediate supports attached to the 5/4 inch frame. All stapled together. Been through the earthquake with no problem.

Swing out doors cover the "one by" painted frame in the front

 

[dnjan]

I plan to use 2x4's to frame it and 3/4" ply for the top of the stand and a top for the sump to rest. I may not even skin the stand(this does not need to look good, just be strong enough to not colapse). I want easy accese to the sumps. I will use another 55gal. as the sump or two 15/20gal.

Putting some kind of skin (or partial skin) on at least two (mutually perpendicular) sides provides lateral restraint. Otherwise there is a tendency for a rectangular side to turn into a parallelgram.
It is possible to make the corner connections stiff enough to provide the lateral bracing, but this is not often done.

One test to see if your stand has enough bracing is to sit on it and move around a lot. If the stand itself stays rock-solid, no problem. If the stand wiggles sideways, you need more bracing.

 

[logiktest]

The first pic Katchupoy posted is pretty much the idea... though I will use my own dimensions. My main concerns here are that the stand may sag under the wieght and crack the tank. I do intend to use foam padding/insulation/camping matress ect, to give the tank something to settle level on.

 

[dnjan]

The first picture Katchupoy posted is what I would consider to be inadequately braced, unless there is something I'm not seeing. Granted, the stand is much larger (footprint) than the tank (and the tank is not that big), but I would be uncomfortable with a 48" long by 21" high tank on a minimally-braced stand like that. Even plywood gussets in the corners would help.

(think about 500 lbs. trying to move sideways in an earthquake ...)

 

[logiktest]

dnjan, you are right about that design being inadequate for my purposes. It is just the opening in the front I want most. I can brace the back and sides for lateral and torsional stiffness... Maybe I will skin it too, I was just trying to be cheep So if I skin it, lets say I can brace this tank any where except the front, where I would like to end up with a 40x30(or preferably larger) opening. Would I still have to worry?

 

[Herefishyfishy]

When you consider that the compressive strength of pine is
750 pounds per square inch (a 1x1 could hold up 750 pounds), the
design of the stand isn't too important from a simple weight strength standpoint.
Almost any old design will not be crushed by the weight. What is
important is the stability of the design, i.e., is it braced properly
so that it stays rectangular and does not become a rhomboid. Also
important is how it supports the tank. The simplest solution is 1/4" plywood skin or cross bracing on the sides and back or the upper part of the legs.

 

[logiktest]

Yeah fishy, I hear ya. I DO NOT want a rhomboid/parallelogram. Skin will be the way to go. I will skin all four sides, the front skin will just be aesthetic.

 

[Katchupoy]

So Dnjan, in your opinion on the last pic i posted which has a 48 inch span from one leg to the middle leg and another 48 inches to the other end. Is this enough? any suggestion?

 

[Scooterman]

So Dnjan, in your opinion on the last pic i posted which has a 48 inch span from one leg to the middle leg and another 48 inches to the other end. Is this enough? any suggestion?

I used spruce or fir because they warp less but is a softer type of wood. On 48" I ended up jacking up my tank & using center studs because of sag. My tanks is 48"x24"24" I.D. Not sure is Pine would have the same affect but the spruce/fir wasn't as strong. I sheath it all in 3/4" Oak.
If I remember correctly, Big-T used all plywood with glue & biscuits on a stand, not sure if it was 36" or 48" long. Oh one other thing My stand is 32" deep also so if it was 48" x 24" that would make a big difference also, I can sleep under it if I didn't have that 60g sump in it LOL~!

 

[dnjan]

So Dnjan, in your opinion on the last pic i posted which has a 48 inch span from one leg to the middle leg and another 48 inches to the other end. Is this enough? any suggestion?

I wouldn't have worried about the 48" span for that wall unit. I wouldn't have thought that the 2x4 would deflect much. But given Scooterman's experience, perhaps a brace or doubling the 2x4's would be a good idea. Or, you could use select (grade) Douglas Fir. If you use cheapo home depot economy studs, they are less stiff.

I was talking about your first picture, which has only the corner connections to resist sideways movement or twisting. Put very much weight on that stand, and in an earthquake or other lateral movement the stand could easily collapse. Since the tank you show is smaller than the stand, the weight shouldn't be that much.

For your wall unit, the other parts of the unit, not directly under the stand, will help with lateral restraint.

 

[dnjan]

Yeah fishy, I hear ya. I DO NOT want a rhomboid/parallelogram. Skin will be the way to go. I will skin all four sides, the front skin will just be aesthetic.

Since you have plywood top and bottom, a 1/4" skin on three sides should be enough. You can leave the front open.

 

[logiktest]

Since you have plywood top and bottom, a 1/4" skin on three sides should be enough. You can leave the front open.

Sounds like that ought to do the trick. If I have to go to the hardware store for the 337th time this week I will just get enough material to skin the outer edge of the front too and include a huge lift out panel in order to give it a finished look. When I started thinking about this stand I figured I would just use materials I had laying around the house... $!

 

[DonW]

If you have a table saw and router two sheets of 3/4 oak or birch plywood is all that would be needed to build you a fairly nice stand. 2x material belongs under drywall.

Don