The Class Act Aquarium Stand

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Are you trying to get the black laquered look?

Don

Hi Don,

Not really going for the black laquer look. Just a nice finish. I'd used the Benjamin Moore Impervo on a Audio/Video cabinet before, so I had the stuff around and decided to use that. It seems like I have a lot of paints and oil poly around from time to time, so rather than dispose of it I try and use it. :D

Cheers,
Alex
 
After I started the test I knew that the Profin and primer were compatible, so I started to work on getting some Profin and primer on the stand.

And of course I had to test fit everything and see how it will look. Seems as though I miscalculated somewhere as everything is fitting fine.

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And here's another photo of the fitment. You can see how close things really are in this photo. At this point I begin to wonder how I am going to get any sort of paint on there without to much of a build up and still fit things in. :p

And this is just a preliminary test as far as those little piece of wood go in the sump. Just getting some ideas as I go. All these ideas swimming around in my head. :D


IMG_0014.jpg
 
So before painting to much, I figured I had better decide where the holes in the back would be and come up with a way to cut them in the back. Remember, I haven't really spent much time woodworking and still learning all the fun stuff you can do with a router.

Anyways, I came up with a template using some scrap wood and a hole cutter on my drill press.

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So finally after all this, some paint on the stand. Started painting the inside of the stand with a Marine Top Coat boat paint and the backside with some Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo. Both paints were thinned with some Penetrol by Flood to help the paints self level.

IMG_0020.jpg


Firstcoatofpaintonback.jpg
 
So before painting to much, I figured I had better decide where the holes in the back would be and come up with a way to cut them in the back. Remember, I haven't really spent much time woodworking and still learning all the fun stuff you can do with a router.

Anyways, I came up with a template using some scrap wood and a hole cutter on my drill press.

That nice little offset router plate you made is perfect circle cutter. Just a drill tiny hole in it. Pop a finish nail through the plate into the material at the center of where you want the hole. Plunge the router and spin, perfect hole.

Don
 
Thanks for the info Don. I actually don't have the plunge base for my router. Most of the time my router is in the table. I have thought about purchasing the plunge base until I saw the price and decided I would be more likely to use a few more router bits than the base.

What I did do for the holes is I put the template I made into the inside of the stand with some carpet tape. I then drilled a starting hole on the inside of the template hole. The starting hole is where I placed my flush trim router bit and then started to trim away. The flush trim bit I used is a 1/2" collet with the bearing on the lower portion of the bit.
 
Thanks for the info Don. I actually don't have the plunge base for my router. Most of the time my router is in the table. I have thought about purchasing the plunge base until I saw the price and decided I would be more likely to use a few more router bits than the base.

What I did do for the holes is I put the template I made into the inside of the stand with some carpet tape. I then drilled a starting hole on the inside of the template hole. The starting hole is where I placed my flush trim router bit and then started to trim away. The flush trim bit I used is a 1/2" collet with the bearing on the lower portion of the bit.

You dont need the plunge base for through cuts. Use a spiral bit loosen the wing nut and twist the router right through the plywood tighten the base and go for it. :)

Don
 
As I progressed through the painting stages I decided to work on a few other items for the stand build.

Here's a few photos of the reactor holder that I made from some scrap wood. Figured why not, this is going to be a Class Act stand anyways, right? :D

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You dont need the plunge base for through cuts. Use a spiral bit loosen the wing nut and twist the router right through the plywood tighten the base and go for it. :)

Don

Sweet! Now I know how to do that a better way. I'm still in the learning phase with my router. I'll say that is going to have to be the second to the next router bit I purchase. I need to purchase a wedge tounge and groove bit first. Or maybe just buy a biscuit cutter, Rockler has the PC biscuit cutter on sale right now.
 
Next I decided that I didn't want to just toss the American DJ power strips into the stand or next to the stand. I want to try and incorporate everything into the stand so that I don't have a lot of equipment outside of the stand. Not a whole lot of room where the stand will be sitting.

So I came up with this little box idea. The photo is of the semi finished product as I cannot find the photos that I took during the build.

IMG_0088.jpg
 
Sweet! Now I know how to do that a better way. I'm still in the learning phase with my router. I'll say that is going to have to be the second to the next router bit I purchase. I need to purchase a wedge tounge and groove bit first. Or maybe just buy a biscuit cutter, Rockler has the PC biscuit cutter on sale right now.

Save your money and dont get cought up in all the edge banding bits especially that birds mouth. The PC plate joiner is a good purchase especially at the price it is now. But I'll tell ya a little trick with rockler and their christmas specials. For example the nice 31" bessey K clamps are $60 for two. Go buy six for $180 same price as the joiner. You buy two have you wife buy two and go back the next day and by two more. Now you have $150 in gift cards to use on the joiner, throw in another $30 and you have some real clamps. :)

Don
 
Here's the same box with 2 DJ power strips mounted into the box. Looks good to me.

All the screws, nuts, bolts and washers are 18/8 stainless steel. The mounting screws that will hold the DJ strips into place are stainless steel 18/8 and coated black.

DJMountingBox.jpg
 
Here's the same box with 2 DJ power strips mounted into the box. Looks good to me.

All the screws, nuts, bolts and washers are 18/8 stainless steel. The mounting screws that will hold the DJ strips into place are stainless steel 18/8 and coated black.

DJMountingBox.jpg

If I ever have to build another stand, I know who I am calling!!!

Awesome job Alex
 
Save your money and dont get cought up in all the edge banding bits especially that birds mouth. The PC plate joiner is a good purchase especially at the price it is now. But I'll tell ya a little trick with rockler and their christmas specials. For example the nice 31" bessey K clamps are $60 for two. Go buy six for $180 same price as the joiner. You buy two have you wife buy two and go back the next day and by two more. Now you have $150 in gift cards to use on the joiner, throw in another $30 and you have some real clamps. :)

Don

That sounds like a good idea, only problem is my wife says I have way to many clamps as is. Those are nice clamps too.

Price I show now is 39.99 each and you have to buy 2 to receive a $25.00 gift card. That is in the latest flyer anyways. I figure it was easier to get my wife to allow a $40 router bit rather than $180 in clamps. She'd kill me for sure.
 
Thanks DolphinLVR.

Been working real hard to make this a nice piece. So far so good. BTW the stand is in it's final stages. I finished up the first stage of finish sanding yesterday and decided to give my hand and arm a rest today. Bck at it tomorrow and then start testing stains and ebonizing ideas on scrap pieces.
 
And now for all of those who have been waiting patiently.... The wait is almost over.... Some photos of the stand with another test fitment of the reactor holder and DJ box. Those hindges on the DJ box have since been replaced with white ones.

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That sounds like a good idea, only problem is my wife says I have way to many clamps as is. Those are nice clamps too.

Price I show now is 39.99 each and you have to buy 2 to receive a $25.00 gift card. That is in the latest flyer anyways. I figure it was easier to get my wife to allow a $40 router bit rather than $180 in clamps. She'd kill me for sure.

Ive got the instore flyer just a printed piece of paper, thats where I got those numbers. The birds mouth bits are a gimick and dont do much if anything in the way of strength. What those are really for is production cabinet makers to self center the edge banding so the panel can be place in a panel press without banding slip. The the panel is pushed through a wide belt to level the banding. They dont add strength. A plain 1/4 T&G bit set will give you the strength and you can use it to make your door stile and rails.

Don
 
Thanks Don,

I'd been looking at either one of these bits to do some edge jointing. I need to join to pieces of wood on edge together, 3/4" material. Just looking at joining two pieces together for this project and figured it might be cheaper to use a router bit than buy a biscuit cutter.

Not sure if I'll be building the door or not yet. Might have an in law who does woodworking for a living make them for me.

Rockler Wedge Tongue and Groove Bit - Rockler Woodworking Tools

Rockler Tongue and Groove Router Bits - Rockler Woodworking Tools
 
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