My 40g tank stand

[poolshark181]

hey all, just wondering from you diy types if this stand is structurally sound. I used pressurized 2x4's and no rust nails and screws to hold it together.

[kimoy]

it looks good but that nails and screws are still going to rust. is that a glass or acrylic? I ask because if it is acrylic, you need to support the bottom of the tank.

[fatman]

There are two types of pressure treated wood. One is called womanized, and the other is a cupric (Copper)pressure treated. One is basically like a creosote pressure treatment like used with telephone poles and the other, which is supposed to be for gardens, is pressure treated with a copper preparation. You definitely do not want water from evaporation dripping off of the copper treated into a sump or refugium. Also if it is womanized the petroleum products will not be great introduced into a tank. I personally would not replace the materials , but I would put a couple coats of spar varnish over the wood and silicone caulk the seams between the framing materials and the covering materials. If it is copper treated the galvanized straps used at your joints are going to suffer from galvanic action as copper and galvanizing materials do not mix. The nails and screws used with copper treated wood should be stainless steel so as to inhibit reaction with copper as much as possible. The second choice in nails and screws are plastic (resin) coated. Hopefully that is brownish grey wood and not green tinted (copper). All will be OK after coating with Spar Varnish, or lots of urethane. And silicone. Think natural wood in the future, no pressure treated, no pressed board and if possible no plywood unless it is marine plywood or at least plywood with resicorinal glue. IE CDX (exterior) rather than AC (interior). Otherwise it means sealing all surfaces real well, or pray for a lack of condensation, splashes, evaporation and leaks.

[poolshark181]

ok, i looked up the wood, and it is greenish, ACQ top choice treated prowood from lowes. i looked that up and it says it's copper treated. the nails i used are galvanized and support the braces, while the screws i used phillips 2 durafast.

i had planned on painting the rest of the stand, but i willd efinitely look into the spar varnish/urethane. i figured treated wood would be better and not warp, but i guess i didnt think about natural wood. any other suggestions?

should i use another type of nail to hold the frame together as it seems the nails im using now will rust eventually? also, im putting in corner braces under each corner in the frame, any type i should look out for? thanks

keep in mind, im not a diy type. this is my first wood project and i only went by what the guy at lowe's told me and what i could scrounge up from the web, so all information is welcome. act like you're teaching a child! =]

[fatman]

I would use stainless steel nails and screws. They are readily available. I would also put something non-conductive between the sheet metal brackets and the wood. Something as simple as plastic from a plastic bag would work. Just make the plastic sheeting a little large and trim the excess off with a razor blade after putting in the screws/nails. Any fasters used with the copper treated wood should be stainless. As well there should be a non-conductive layer of something between any dissimilar metal and copper. You definitely do not want to spend the large amount of money you would have to pay for stainless steel brackets. Super expensive to say the least. To tell you the truth, with the additional money you would put into all the stainless steel nails and screws, you could probably replace the wood you have already cut up with natural wood and still not spend anymore than you would paying for all stainless steel fasteners. They are much more expensive than common nails and screws. Consider 4 or 5 times the cost as being a good deal for stainless steel fasteners over plain steel, which is all you really need. All screw and nail heads should be painted or covered with polurethane or spar varnish if they could possibly be exposed to salt water spray, drips or what have you, whether they are stainless steel , galavinized or plain steel. Just by common construction grade two by fours etc., do not let them talk you into buying Fir or structural grade lumber at two or three times the cost. Just look over the lumber and if its twisted, cracked or has a lot of inner bark on the edges refuse those boards and ask for others. If your building a stand for an all glass tank it is just the corner posts that are essentially carrying all the weight of the tank. The rest of the boards are actually just bracing for the corner posts, and surfaces for you to attach your facing and doors to.

[poolshark181]

ok, i used untreated wood, can i use those brackets to secure it without worrying about rusting?

[RyanG]

Galvinized will still rust, it just takes a little longer

[yote]

Pool.
Whats the measurements on your brackets?
I can cut you some out of stainless then you wont have to worry about them rusting.

[fatman]

Actually the easiest and cheapest way to go is to cut gussets out of plywood to use on your joints. They will do the same thing as the metal plates but will not rust. Use exterior grade plywood. If you need to save money, go to any construction site and ask for 10 or 12 small pieces of CDX plywood. Gussets are just small peices like your flat metal plates. The metal plates are "metal" gusset plates.

[fatman]

Originally Posted by yote

Pool.
Whats the measurements on your brackets?
I can cut you some out of stainless then you wont have to worry about them rusting.

Gee Yote! If I send you the money for shipping will you send me some stainless steel? You wouldn't believe what they charge even for mild steel in Alaska.