Making Of An 41 Inch Aquarium Cabinet Journal

[DevotedToDiscus]

Mate, you should be pleased! That is looking great, very professional job, and much nicer than anything you are ever likely to see down the LFS.

 

[Zikofski]

wow very nice looking forward to see the finished product

 

[Dan-CR4]

thanks guys for the comments. Im so glad I decided to make it myself, and think the wife is coming around to the look of it. hope to get all the mouldings on today and get the base in, then all I need to do is a center support for front and decide what im doing about doors and sand it. Thinking about trying to get some second hand oak kitchen doors but either way the cabinet is gonna be stained this weekend.

My tank looks like its going to be around the 265 litres to 290 litres, depending what online calculator you use which will give me around 100 litres extra than I already have.

will update with some pictures tonight.

 

[Tizer]

thanks guys for the comments. Im so glad I decided to make it myself, and think the wife is coming around to the look of it. hope to get all the mouldings on today and get the base in, then all I need to do is a center support for front and decide what im doing about doors and sand it. Thinking about trying to get some second hand oak kitchen doors but either way the cabinet is gonna be stained this weekend.

My tank looks like its going to be around the 265 litres to 290 litres, depending what online calculator you use which will give me around 100 litres extra than I already have.

will update with some pictures tonight.

Nice write up Dan, im in the same boat as Cazzie with the 8 foot ND stands being quite pricey and i'm quite capable of building my own, just not sure how i would finish it at the moment.

 

[Dan-CR4]

Nice write up Dan, im in the same boat as Cazzie with the 8 foot ND stands being quite pricey and i'm quite capable of building my own, just not sure how i would finish it at the moment.

I have just put some mouldings on and quite pleasded with the look so far. The doors I have thought about long and hard about, and im going to make them myself and have frosted glass cutout.......maybe. still deciding on doors.

had me quote yesterday off nd for the tank and ordering that wednesday, they said 4 to 6 weeks. gives me time to buy the light units and lights.

i have updated the 1st post with this mornings work.

 

[coldcazzie]

had me quote yesterday off nd for the tank and ordering that wednesday, they said 4 to 6 weeks. gives me time to buy the light units and lights.

Are you making a hood to match the stand? That's what I hope to do... then a custom LED lighting setup

 

[Dan-CR4]

Are you making a hood to match the stand? That's what I hope to do... then a custom LED lighting setup

Hi Cazzie, Yes will be making a hood for it, but going to wait till the tank arrives, to make sure I get the measurements right. Im hoping to have all the lights and substrate and most of the hardscape ready to go in by the time it arrives. I know sometimes you have to wait a week or two before the tank can be filled so that will give me time to sort the hood out.

I am just glad for now the sawing and glueing is over with, till I do the doors that is. Tonight my arms and shoulder are sore from the rubbing down of the wood, so decided to not stain it tonight and start a fresh tomorrow

 

[Dan-CR4]

Got the first stain on today, bit lighter than I hoped for but it seems to be getting darker as its drying. on the tin of the stain it says I got to do 3 coats so got coat 2 to do about 5pm tonight. pics are updated in the first post.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

Looking really really good Dan

 

[coldcazzie]

Looks great Dan

when you're done, could you do a tot up of the cost? (for the thrifty among us! )

 

[Dan-CR4]

Looking really really good Dan

Thank you, I have really enjoyed doing it, mainly because apart from a few little niggles its gone quite well

Looks great Dan

when you're done, could you do a tot up of the cost? (for the thrifty among us! )

Yes I have started to do that and will list all the parts and prices I used once im near completion. I will also give a few tips on what I would change as well if I did it again. This was my first woodwork project ever, so I have made a few little mistakes in the design but nothing that will affect the stucture, just really what it looks like. But my wife says im over critical on myself in everything I do

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

Looking really really good Dan

Thank you, I have really enjoyed doing it, mainly because apart from a few little niggles its gone quite well

Looks great Dan

when you're done, could you do a tot up of the cost? (for the thrifty among us! )

Yes I have started to do that and will list all the parts and prices I used once im near completion. I will also give a few tips on what I would change as well if I did it again. This was my first woodwork project ever, so I have made a few little mistakes in the design but nothing that will affect the stucture, just really what it looks like. But my wife says im over critical on myself in everything I do

Also, when you're done, could you pop round my place and build me one? I'll put some beer in the fridge!

 

[coldcazzie]

 

[Dan-CR4]

Also, when you're done, could you pop round my place and build me one? I'll put some beer in the fridge!

Thank you, I take that as a good compliment.

I put together the price and at the moment im at £130.79 (full prices on first post), so with the hood (not including light units or lights) and doors it looks like I will still hit my target of £150 and as the cabinet would of cost me around £250 I have saved £100 and got something I made , the costs do quickly mount up. The uprights I made may have been over the top so you could probably do without double skinning them, but as I never worked with wood I wanted it extra sturdy. If you dont Double skin the uprights you could save around £15.00, also I made mistakes with the mouldings that forced me to buy another lot doubling the cost of them. I probably could of saved some more money by getting the stain at toolstation but I was in B&Q at the time. I prefer toolstation to screwfix as they are cheaper on a lot of things, as screwfix is owned by the same company as B&Q.

Tools I used : Circular Saw, Drill/Driver, Jigsaw, Clamps, Combination Square.

 

[Dan-CR4]

Our tank was ordered this morning from ND Aquatics , cant wait to get it. They said 4 to 6 weeks, just hoping it goes quickly as really want to see a tank on the cabinet. Got to buy light starters and lights now, hopefully I will get at least 4 T5 tubes on it. Also got loads of other stuff to buy before the tank arrives.