Metal Tank Stand

[junior627]

I currently have a 55 gal established tank on an old black metal stand.
i was tinkering with the idea of building wood cabinet around it to make i look more like furniture.
Does anyone have ideas or plans that have been used before?
Also what are the opinions on the cheaper particle board frames sold at stores such as Petco?

thanks in advance...

[PfunMo]

There are a number of ways that you can dress it up a bit without too much hassle. First question might be if you are planning to do this without tearing down the tank and unloading the frame? Also how are you set up for tools? Can you drill the metal to fasten wood to it? I'm sure there are a lot of ideas here but most will depend on your situation.

[junior627]

No i didnt plan on breaking down tank.
and i didnt think drilling holes was an option do to comprimising strength of the frame.

[kjhydock]

I wouldn't drill into it with the tank on it. The only way I would drill into it is if it was broken down and the wood was incorporated into the integrity of the stand and not just as decoration. In that case you're basically just building a new stand all together.

I can't really give any ideas as I don't know your situation. I wouldn't touch most metal tank stands but that's just my preference. I'd imagine that it wouldn't be too hard to just make a skin for it with cheap plywood and a couple of 2x4s.

[PfunMo]

Okay, that gives us somewhere to start. Hard to make a firm plan without seeing the frame to tell where the metal is on it. Sounds like a wooden frame built around the metal might be the way to go. I will assume cheaper is better? Limited tools , maybe? Some paneling cut to fit could be put on the metal using a construction adhesive like Liquid Nails. For simple, four panels glued to the metal sides to butt together at the corners. For covering the corners there are corner moldings that can be placed with the same adhesive. If clamps are not on hand, these moldings can be held with string tied around while the adhesive sets firm. Read the directions for getting the adhesive to set quicker and get a type that says something about quicker setup. Usually involves putting pieces together then pulling them apart for a time before putting them together for the final set. At the top either corner molding or an item called a panel cap can be used to pretty up the top edge. If the panel you find to use tends to bow out enough to be a problem, some wood like a strip of 1X2 or 2X2 glued on the inside will cut the bowing. Any of this sound like it works?