# 210 diy stand question



## TheBanker (Jun 14, 2008)

how many of you ever skinned a frame with 1/4" plywood? I built my frame out of 2x6. My choice of wood is african mahogany, but locally only thing they stock is 3/4" and 1/4". I originally wanted 1/2". My last diy stand i used 3/4" oak plywood which added alot of weight. With the frame already made out of 2x6 im trying to cut down on weight and cost. Although weight is not a issue for my house because its on a slab, i want some opinions on working with such a thin plywood.

Another thing i thought about is buying some cheap 1/4" plywood from lowes, and then topping it with the nice mahogany. feedback please.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Two pieces of quarter inch is not as strong as one half inch piece, so if you back the mahogany, use half inch cdx. Unless you play touch football in front of the tank, you probably don't NEED to back the quarter inch, but over time, the framing might show through.


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## TheBanker (Jun 14, 2008)

if i use the half inch cdx, im back to 3/4". How much does a sheet of that typically go for? I think i'll be back up to the price on a 3/4" mahogany sheet. Im not really looking for strength combining the 2 pieces.


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## oscars4me (Feb 22, 2009)

I don't see why you can't just use the 1/4" you said your framing is 2x6 which is plenty strong. The 1/4" ply is going to add shear strength and is plenty strong to do that and the weight will be allot less than with 3/4". I built a stand for my 125 out of 2x4's then skinned it with 1/4" oak It's been is use for three years now with no problems at all.


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## TheBanker (Jun 14, 2008)

thanks for the picture, i was hoping someone who actually did it would chime in. Strength was not the issue, but i was wondering over time would the thin plywood start warping or buckling in places it wasn't actually nailed to the frame, like on the sides. thanks for the info.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

Never used the 1/4, so can't comment on that. What are you attaching the doors to, and how big will they be? My only concern would be if the 1/4" plywood would be strong enough to hold doors over time. Only one way to find out :thumb:

Personally I prefer the 3/4" plywood. No doubt about strength there, and it's not like you move the stand all that often.


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## john73738 (Sep 22, 2009)

If you are worried about warping then just add some 1x2 across the spans and tack the ply to it with finish nails. will cure the possibility of warping, will not add a lot of weight, and even good quality 1x2 do not cost much.

Just my 2 cents.....

Have fun.

Bear


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

oscar, did you also use the 1/4 for the doors?
is that a 1/4 oak or the oak covered ones?
nicely done stand by the way.

i will be building a stand for 75g but still doing a bit of research.
Tbanker, hope you dont mind me asking questions here.


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

Why are you using 2 x 6? Standard 3/4" lumber and 3/4" plywood is plenty strong. I have been building aquarium stands commercially for about 20 years. I have alway used 3/4" lumber to construct them. I have never had a stand colapse or fail (and I have built 1000's of them).

So, buy the 3/4" mahagony plywood for panel work, and just use the standard 4/4 mahagony lumber found at hardwood shops. Forget the 2 x 6, it is simply overkill!

Regarding the 1/4", if you do go that way, remember the only place where there will be downward pressure is where the aquarium frame touches the stand. there shouldn't be any warping or flexing of the 1/4" unless you plan on using it as load bearing. *1/4" plywood will NOT hold the wieght and should not be used as load bearing for any aquarium stand!*


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## TheBanker (Jun 14, 2008)

well the stand is built already. I used 2x6 because my original design included me not using any middle supports. So my thoughts were the 2x6 wouldn't sag over time and i would have plenty open space to access the sump. Instead of doing that i've added the middle support so i can add 4 doors. The 2x6 is overkill for sure, and heavy so instead of adding to the weight with 3/4" plywood i was wondering what the pros and cons of using the 1/4" ply was.

This is the plan i was following. The plan called for only the top rails to use 2x6, but i wasn't thinking and just brought enough 2x6's to finish it all.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169964&pp=25


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## john73738 (Sep 22, 2009)

again I would just add 1x2 stringers to keep the 1x4" ply from warping.


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

at this point, having it already built, i would agree with john73738

there aren't any cons to using the 1/4" when you have built the rest of the stand out of 2 x 6.

Be sure to post some photos so we can see the finished product!!


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## 8mycash (Oct 20, 2009)

redblufffishguy said:


> Why are you using 2 x 6? Standard 3/4" lumber and 3/4" plywood is plenty strong. I have been building aquarium stands commercially for about 20 years. I have alway used 3/4" lumber to construct them. I have never had a stand colapse or fail (and I have built 1000's of them).
> 
> So, buy the 3/4" mahagony plywood for panel work, and just use the standard 4/4 mahagony lumber found at hardwood shops. Forget the 2 x 6, it is simply overkill!
> 
> Regarding the 1/4", if you do go that way, remember the only place where there will be downward pressure is where the aquarium frame touches the stand. there shouldn't be any warping or flexing of the 1/4" unless you plan on using it as load bearing. *1/4" plywood will NOT hold the wieght and should not be used as load bearing for any aquarium stand!*


Could not agree more. The plywood is what really brings the strength to your stand. My stand for my 500 gallon tank has 1 inch plywood and is made out of 4x4 posts. An earth quake last summer still broke a brace on my tank. Build your tank for the worse case events


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