Can't Think Of A Title...my New To Me 5 Foot :)

[jojouk]

Anyway,

I have now got my 5 footer, and as some of you may know I have has a small issue with the quality of the tank.

Bought it second hand from a family member, only to find that it had a chip in the bottom pane. It had been there for the entire time he had it, and it was obviously fine, but being the super paranoid soul that I am, I worried.

I have at the moment, filled the chip with 'asbo steel' epoxy putty. The idea being just to physically support the join. I let it set for 5 days, and yesterday sanded it down so it's flush with the glass. Looks pretty good to me. I'll add a photo later,

Before sanding:

I'm off to buy a little bit of glass to add onto the inside of the tank today, just to increase the seal area around the chip, and to strengthen it.

I have now started work on the stand. It was a dark mahogany colour, with quite a few chips, chunks, scratches etc...it's a commercially produced stand, in quality mdf, lol, and a dark wood veneer.

I have sanded it all down to provide a key, undercoat will go on Sunday most likely, then will have a fresh coat of paint.

Whilst sanding, the hood fell apart, so a bit of DIY needed there! Also, I am keen to improve the structure of the stand too. Looking at it, I have no idea how it supported the weight of the tank all those years. It has 1 inch mdf front and sides, a mdf support in the middle, but that support does not come into contact with the floor. Basically all of the weight is through the side panels. as the front has doors for storage access.

Makes me nervous! Going to make a frame for the base, to provide additional support, and a larger 'footprint' to even out the weight. And also adding a couple of interior supports, to reduce the strain.

How on earth it coped I have no idea!

I'll add photos this afternoon as a pic is worth a thousand words and all that!

 

[mattyeatsmatts]

it will be worth it in the end im sure

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Looking forward to it, need some pic's before a title.

 

[jojouk]

Just picked up the glass... £6 for a 23cm x 20 cm 10ml

 

[jojouk]

Stand before sanding (with 2 doors taken off)

Door detail

Glass bit fitted and silliconed to within an inch of its life...

This is what I was talking about the structure of the tank stand - this is the view from the back - think it needs a bit of extra support!

 

[coldcazzie]

You're right about that stand, it doesn't look like it should be able to hold a 5 foot tank you're doing right to reinforce it.

 

[FishFanatic04]

This will be interesting to watch. The glass "bit" Was it a full sheet or just a piece against the area with the chip?


I love threads like this. Makes me "noob" feel like I am in aquarium school I was always the nerd who liked going to class.

Oh reread that part. nevermind

 

[jojouk]

This will be interesting to watch. The glass "bit" Was it a full sheet or just a piece against the area with the chip?


I love threads like this. Makes me "noob" feel like I am in aquarium school I was always the nerd who liked going to class.

Oh reread that part. nevermind

It was a piece next to the glass, 230mm x 200mm.

I love documenting this kind of thing, not that any of my stuff I do should ever be repeated! Its all kind of hit and miss...

 

[FishFanatic04]

That's actually how breakthroughs and inventions often come about.

 

[jojouk]

Ok, so work has progresed!

Stand has been sanded down, and a first coat of undercoat has gone on:

The hood, that fell apart whn in transit, has been fixed back together, all gaps filled, and sanded:

Got a bargain on some polystyrene from Wickes. It was a broken sheet, so I managed to get it for £4.

The epoxy filled site of the chip has been sanded down:

And the glass insert inside the tank to strengthen the chip area has thoroughly dried:

Made a rookie mistake on the polystyrene however, its too thick, by about half an inch. It sticks out above the lip of the stand Im hoping that the weight of the tank will compress it down a bit, but I think I am being overly optomistic!

Any pearls of wisdom on what I can do?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Only thing you can do is buy thinner polystyrene really, can't wait to see it stocked and planted.

 

[jojouk]

Only thing you can do is buy thinner polystyrene really, can't wait to see it stocked and planted.

I feared that was the case! Im going to be setting up the tank outside for a week or so to conduct a leak test...maybe that will be a good indicator of how much the polystyrene will compress, but I dont think that it will make much difference.

I too cannot wait to get it stocked and planted, taking ages!

 

[bae1994]

Looking good

The polystyerein barely compresses tbh

Atb bae

 

[jojouk]

So my bargainous bargain was a waste of money

Story of my life haha!

Will have to go back and sabotage a thinner piece so I get another bargain...???

 

[jojouk]

Ok, Tank is out in the garden, undergoing a leak test. I am 100% sure it did not leak prior to me getting it, but as mentioned, I am a paraniod soul, so since adding the exterior repair, and the piece of internal glass, I have the time and the space, so it's currently full up outside for a week or so.

Will also give me a chance to give it a good scrub down.

Its second hand, and has been moven around a lot, so its best to give it a good going over.

Still need to go and buy the wood to re-inforce the stand, then once that is done, I can finish painting it all up.

Aiming to have it all up and running in a couple of weeks!

Picked up a bargain of a piece of marsh root the other day, for £3.20! Lovely shape. Ill post a pic later