Oak stand question

[Mike in CT]

My commercial stand is pine, and it uses staples, looks flimsier then yours, and has been holding up my 75 for 20 years. Like you said, all commercial stands are built this way and engineered to be able to hold the weight plus some. Not sure about the gap but basic construction is fine.

 

[shoelaceike]

My commercial stand is pine, and it uses staples, looks flimsier then yours, and has been holding up my 75 for 20 years. Like you said, all commercial stands are built this way and engineered to be able to hold the weight plus some. Not sure about the gap but basic construction is fine.

Thanks

 

[143MPCo]

This will be holding a 180. It does have rear vertical supports....I will take a pic tomorrow.

I hate to admit it but @Mike in CT is correct, most if not all commercially made stands are put together with staples and wood glue...
Solid Oak seasoned & dry has a density of about 0.74 (103 kg/m3) or 45 (lb/ft3)*) yellow pine is 0.42 (103 kg/m3) or 23 - 37 (lb/ft3)*) and while that might not mean much to most, when all the math is done basically means it's a much stronger wood. I would however fill in the gaps and thus give the stands vertical supports as much floor contact as possible.

 

[shoelaceike]

Some more pics. Did the guy who made this know what he was doing? LFS claims he builds for all the stores in the area and has been for 30 years.

 

[143MPCo]

deleted.

 

[shoelaceike]

I knocked out the bottom. Do I need to use OSB or can I use a nice hard plywood? Also I see he nailed it in with finishing screws, can I do the same? Into oak?

 

[shoelaceike]

After seeing the back, oak or not I would NOT trust that stand...
the ledge that the tank will sit on has not structural supports under it from what I can make out in the picture, is that correct?

There is structural support all around the ledge where the tank will be sitting

 

[shoelaceike]

....

 

[143MPCo]

that 2nd to last picture is better...

 

[143MPCo]

This is what I would do if it was my stand...
new full sheet cut to size of birch plywood for the bottom.
two (one for each side) vertical support on the back sides in the corners, oak is fine, using finishing screws to attach them.

 

[shoelaceike]

This is what I would do if it was my stand...
new full sheet cut to size of birch plywood for the bottom.
two (one for each side) vertical support on the back sides in the corners, oak is fine, using finishing screws to attach them.

Thanks for your help!

 

[TD13]

Thats not a bad idea....I just didn't want to have to fool around with something I paid so much for.....it also concerns me what else is wrong if it was made like this.

Tell the LFS to have it fixed, you are unhappy with it... $$$$ does NOT grow on trees and as expensive as this hobby is and as expensive, IM SURE!!, as that stand was it needs to be right and to your liking! IMHO

 

[shoelaceike]

I tried that but its simply more worth it to just fix myself. I would have to rent a truck and drag it all the way over there. Big pain.

 

[TD13]

That's a shame. The LFS should have looked at that and turned it down. There is one here that was unhappy with the doors on one of their custom builds, they paid out of their pocket to have all the doors rebuilt. That's quality assurance....

 

[shoelaceike]

Haha they told me I shouldn't over think it and just fill it.

 

[jt17]

The gap is most likely the difference between what was needed and the standard 48" width of the plywood. 1 by oak is plenty strong to support a 180 if there is proper support to the 1 by material which you do not appear to have. IMO the load bearing sides should go all the way to the ground or have wood of equal quality beneath the entire span. You do not want particle board, that can fall apart if accidentally saturated, carrying the load which it appears you have. I am not a stand expert but my instincts are telling me the same thing yours are. You have to trust your stand, you need to be able to sleep at night. At least question your LFS and if they say all's well, then ask if they will warranty any damage resulting from stand failure. My $.02

 

[shoelaceike]

Thanks . I'm sure they won't warranty it. II think the best bet is to pull out the bottom and replace it with a strong piece of plywood. Like maple or birch

 

[SandJ]

Ok, lets pretend the 1x3 wood frame is enough to hold 1,800+ pounds of aquarium...

The other issue I see here is the shear strength of the screws. A 1 x 3 is 3/4" thick. That means at the absolute most the screw can be in the side panels 3/4" (1/2" is more realistic though). So what is the shear strength of those screws 3/4" in the oak side panel? 1/2" in the side panel? And yes there are two screws in some places, but it appears there is only one in other places.

There are no vertical members for the top to rest on so all the force is on the screws.

To me, it looks like if this stand gets bumped from the side (with the filled aquarium on it), the shear force could pop the screws out and cause the stand to collapse on itself.

And no, I am not an expert cabinet builder. I have built my own stands, along with many other building projects and have a general knowledge of structures (thanks to an engineer for a husband LOL). I think everyone here is just looking out for you (and your tank!) and want you to get started on the right foot

 

[shoelaceike]

Ok, lets pretend the 1x3 wood frame is enough to hold 1,800+ pounds of aquarium...

The other issue I see here is the shear strength of the screws. A 1 x 3 is 3/4" thick. That means at the absolute most the screw can be in the side panels 3/4" (1/2" is more realistic though). So what is the shear strength of those screws 3/4" in the oak side panel? 1/2" in the side panel? And yes there are two screws in some places, but it appears there is only one in other places.

There are no vertical members for the top to rest on so all the force is on the screws.

To me, it looks like if this stand gets bumped from the side (with the filled aquarium on it), the shear force could pop the screws out and cause the stand to collapse on itself.

And no, I am not an expert cabinet builder. I have built my own stands, along with many other building projects and have a general knowledge of structures (thanks to an engineer for a husband LOL). I think everyone here is just looking out for you (and your tank!) and want you to get started on the right foot

Thanks but the screws are not holding any weight at all. They're only there to keep the supports together. All the weight is on the 1x3 studs. It happens that the front and side studs are grooved together....

 

[SandJ]

Thanks but the screws are not holding any weight at all. They're only there to keep the supports together. All the weight is on the 1x3 studs. It happens that the front and side studs are grooved together....

I can't see where any grooves are (not saying there aren't any, just can't tell from any of the pictures), all I see from the photos are the 1x4s butted together and one or two pocket screw holes. Unless you mean it is a mortise and tendon joint, which would not show up in the picture, but I don't believe uses screws.

This post is interesting to me because I always build my stands with doubled up 2x4 studs (for a 90 gallon tank or less). Would be nice to know if that is over engineering and I can get away with using less material (and less cost and weight!).