1.8 meter stand - build

Betta boy got me thinking about reorginizing the fish room to accommodate a few more fish projects ... http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showpost.php?p=59602&postcount=20

Did the digging in the garage and found enough steel to do 1.8 x 1.X x 0.46 meter stand with several shelf configurations.

Would you trust a single 1.8 meter span with 25x25 tubing or should I use 25 x 75 to carry that span if I do not want to do a support in the middle? Idea being that I might want to squeeze a 1.8x.45x.45 tank or a standard 4ft onto one of the shelves then I do not want a support in the middle of my tank display.

Now I need to dig deep and find the energy to go and build it .. (no it is not an eskom issue)

Later Ferdie

 

OK done some more thinking ... this is probably what I want to build. Measurements are not 100% accurate but does serve to illustrate what I want to achieve. Quick and nasty done in openoffice - did not feel like getting sketchup working on wine. Excuse the incorrect joints ect .. think of it as an electronic napkin sketch.

 

Deleted

 

Whats the 000x000x000 of the top 3,center top,center,bottom tanks? (all the tanks)

 

The light blue represents tank + working space needed for the tanks. The block inside a blue block would be an actual tank.

For this pictured shows that I would have enough space "volume" for 3 2ft tanks on the top shelf
2 3ft tanks on the middle shelf and once 6 ft on the bottom - with a number of smaller tanks on the floor if needed.

I have terraced the shelves so that I am not tempted to do stupid things like putting a wide 6ft on the top shelf .. MTS and all that gets your better judgment.

 

cool,the measurements on the sides (example the 10.5 between the bottom of the stand and the top of the 6ft tank) are they in cm,mm,ect?

 

so on the diagram I just used the built-in ruler from openoffice .. but it translates to 4.6 would mean 46 cm .. etc ..

 

ok thanks,i'm designing it in a 3D program down to every inch/cm/mm to see how it looks

Edit:how many cm of space do you need above every tank?(the space between the top of the tank and the tanks above it)

Double Edit:Glass thickness for the tanks?

 

LOL - space between tank and shelf is usually 10 - 12 cm

glass would be: 2ft & 3 ft 4mm 6ft 8mm

and if you want it realistic remember the foam sheet on he base of the tank.

Take it you are using blender? - 2.49b does not like my current video driver.

 

lol,already done with the bottom half of the tanks.

I know i am asking too many questions but how thick is the steel/pipe/metal for the stand

 

25x25 mm - all good can not wait to see the results of the rendering.

 

Here is only the tanks,i havn't done the touch ups yet or the stand,have to help out around the house since today is cleaning day,will finish it later.



P.S Yeah i know it looks like crap at the moment

 

very cool, thanks for the effort ... you have done a good job at placing the tanks and it is the affect I am looking for against my one open wall ...

 

I like the idea, but I would be concerned that the 25x25 would not support all that weight, especially with the uprights not being in one straight vertical line on the sides? Would this not add too much stress to the side cross beams?

I have stands which I recently bought that can take 3 1.2m tanks, and each cross bar is 25x25 with another 25x25mm bar directly under it supporting it.

I would use the 25mmx75mm tubing if you can, and even add a vertical bar up the back centre to help support the span and reduce bending. Also make sure you have 3 or 4 bars spanning back to front along the cross beams to actually support the tanks weight?

I also assume you will use marine Ply boards under the tanks to spread the weight over the frame? You will need to allow for that at around 20mm in your drawings.

Also, would the top level be too high to service/work on? You would most certainly need a ladder to work on those tanks.

Hope that helps?
G!

 

For the vertical bars, I would recommend that you use at least 3mm/3.5mm wall thickness.
You can use the 25x25mm tubing you have, for the uprights.
The best is to go for 30x75mm tubing (3.5mm) for the bearers - vertical bars and make a "ladder" with flat-bar.
Gert

 

Thanks Big G .. good advice.

Yeah I am leaning towards the 25x75 bar for the front face. You are correct I will have a few braces under each tank and was thinking about going 15 mm ply but 20 is not much more.

The problem is when I build things the plan goes out the window 70% of the time and looking at Gareth's 1.8, makes me want to do a bigger space on the bottom shelf and that will push the top tanks beyond my reach.

Later Ferdie

OK - let me chew on that one Gert ... the flat bar ladder seems like a good idea. No sure what the wall thickness is of the tubing that I have.

 

The wall thickness is the most important for strength.
I use asbestos / fibre cement facia board instead of wood, for the shelves.
No problem with water-spills and is everlasting!

 

Looks very interesting there. What everyone has suggested with regards to the tube thickness seems in order.

Can I suggest you add some "K" bracing on the vertical and horizonal load. Basically if you have this built as you have designed, and all your bars on only runnin vertical and horizontal, you are relying on your welding to ensure nothing gives. Even professional welders in the building industry do not rely on this soley.

Basically what you want to do is run a bar from the bottom right, to the top left. Not the entire height... but rather zig zag it from shelf to shelf... if you understand what I mean.

Then I can assume you will be running bracing underneath the tank, here I would "K" brace it at well. Basically run a bar from the front left, to the back right. It will require a little extra steel, and cutting of those angles, but basically it'll give you very good rigidity in the frame. When the whole thing is standing, if you bump the top of the frame, this force is distrobuted evenly, and won't cause the whole thing to "topple over" or put undue tress on the welding. If you push the front left of the frame, it won't twist the entre frame, because again, the entire system will distrobute that forces. It's basic roof truss engineering and spreading the load as much as possible, which is only done in diagonal bracing. (WHich is why roof trusses are designed the way they are). The K bracing doesn't really add much stregnth to the entire frame, so don't rely on this for the standard strength of they entire frame. You are basically trying to distrobute as much of any FORCES PUSHED ONTO THE FRAME eveninly throughout the frame.

Let me know if you don't quite understand. I can draw up a quick diagram in Paint for you if need be.

 

Update


Still trying to fix the glass problem.

 

Thanks Zoom .. k-bracing almost like stormer has done ..
Gert - does that cut easy or do I use a normal masonry cutting blade on it ? What thickness fascia board or are they all the same?

WOW stromer - talk about taking an idea and running with it ... must say like the idea of the counter leaver shelving i.e. keep the load barring verticals parallel ..

For the k-bracing can I use normal 10 mm square rod or should I stick to the 25mm tubing?

I am now thinking of stromer's sketch ... should one add some vertical drops against the back wall and then k-brace them also?