415 Gallon Plywood Tank Build
- Thread starter acrylic51
- Start date
scott t
Active Member
Very nice Shawn, You have many talents. I wish I had 1/4 of the talent you had at building things. Lol when I need something built I have to call My step father. He is the one that Built the stand for my 14 gal Fresh water tank, he did an amazing job on it. Just have to get him to tell me what I need to build the stand for the 75 gal. LOL
acrylic51
Active Member
Thanks Scott T.....just slow at getting back to it with all the things going on as you know!!!!! Al, thanks....Corey turned me on to the color. Hadn't given Sherwin Williams a thought for stain....Expensive, but definitely rich, quality products IMHO......Meowzer I'm with you....I'm just anxious to see it completely stained......At this point it would be a major accomplishment. I'm hoping when/if Monsinour makes the trip I can con him into a little epoxy work!!!!!!
Corey that is with 3 of those shock hinges installed. The canopy door isn't even reinforced yet, so I think I will have to go with some type of damping system like those dual shocks.....Yes the door starts moving quickly, and then it's just slows it down and so gently when it ends....Actually when it starts to close as the shock takes over it actually sucks the door back in tight against the rest of the canopy....The shock;hinges actually have 2 movements to them....the front to back isn't very noticeable unless you watch it at the end suck the door back in tight.....I wish I could find the exact same hinges, but heavier duty.......
Corey that is with 3 of those shock hinges installed. The canopy door isn't even reinforced yet, so I think I will have to go with some type of damping system like those dual shocks.....Yes the door starts moving quickly, and then it's just slows it down and so gently when it ends....Actually when it starts to close as the shock takes over it actually sucks the door back in tight against the rest of the canopy....The shock;hinges actually have 2 movements to them....the front to back isn't very noticeable unless you watch it at the end suck the door back in tight.....I wish I could find the exact same hinges, but heavier duty.......
B
brandonsivek
Guest
This is just AWESOME! Any updates on the build?
acrylic51
Active Member
Thanks Brandon!!! Things are moving a little slow. Had some side projects an setbacks along the way, but we are slowly getting back on track.
I have made some headway, between reworking Flowers sump and dealing with UPS and extra long hours at work. I turned my attention to the tank for a bit... I think it felt a bit lonely, so ordered the rest (what I thought) was the last of the fiberglass, it I still came up 8' short. I had originally only glassed the bottom back wall and front bottom support for the glass and bottom of the overflow, but I want a bullet proof tank. Between rebuilding Flowers sump and work and the holiday, I managed to get the entire tank glassed including the underside of the eurobracing, all the frame area for the viewing panels. The only thing left are the 2 walls in the overflow to be glassed. After all the classing is done, I'll crawl back inside and sand it down a bit and smooth my edges and corners out and begin the final pouring of the tank.
Already I can see a good build of epoxy around the viewing panels giving me an idea how thick. I ha put into a call to West Systems to see what they recommended for pigment for the epoxy. They recommended Tempera Powder paint or I think it was Evercoat Gelcote. Still trying to make a few choices before that stage, but it's coming!!!!
I haven't forgotten about the stand and such.... Right now I have finished all the prep sanding for the front skin of the stand, and just need to stain the front skin. All the other major pieces of the stand are stained with the exception of all the doors....just so much detail sanding with all the trim work!!!!!! I haven't even started the sanding/prep work on the canopy yet.
Light rack is still where I had last updated it!!!!
So....Need some help/opinions!!!!!
What color should I tint the inside of the tank? I am leaning black, but want opinions from everyone??? Hopefully Cranberry will step in and lend some advice on colors for photography ease!!!!
I am thinking to do initial tinting all done in white, and covered with black tint. Reasoning is if there woul be issues with epoxy flaking or such white would be noticeable against the black????
The bottom of course would stay white??? Leaning BB tank, but might do a SSB due to high flow and wavebox blowing sand around.... Need input guys!!!!
I do have pics and will have to post them in a bit.... Busy at work on my phone!!! LOL. Again looking for your input!!!
I have made some headway, between reworking Flowers sump and dealing with UPS and extra long hours at work. I turned my attention to the tank for a bit... I think it felt a bit lonely, so ordered the rest (what I thought) was the last of the fiberglass, it I still came up 8' short. I had originally only glassed the bottom back wall and front bottom support for the glass and bottom of the overflow, but I want a bullet proof tank. Between rebuilding Flowers sump and work and the holiday, I managed to get the entire tank glassed including the underside of the eurobracing, all the frame area for the viewing panels. The only thing left are the 2 walls in the overflow to be glassed. After all the classing is done, I'll crawl back inside and sand it down a bit and smooth my edges and corners out and begin the final pouring of the tank.
Already I can see a good build of epoxy around the viewing panels giving me an idea how thick. I ha put into a call to West Systems to see what they recommended for pigment for the epoxy. They recommended Tempera Powder paint or I think it was Evercoat Gelcote. Still trying to make a few choices before that stage, but it's coming!!!!
I haven't forgotten about the stand and such.... Right now I have finished all the prep sanding for the front skin of the stand, and just need to stain the front skin. All the other major pieces of the stand are stained with the exception of all the doors....just so much detail sanding with all the trim work!!!!!! I haven't even started the sanding/prep work on the canopy yet.
Light rack is still where I had last updated it!!!!
So....Need some help/opinions!!!!!
What color should I tint the inside of the tank? I am leaning black, but want opinions from everyone??? Hopefully Cranberry will step in and lend some advice on colors for photography ease!!!!
I am thinking to do initial tinting all done in white, and covered with black tint. Reasoning is if there woul be issues with epoxy flaking or such white would be noticeable against the black????
The bottom of course would stay white??? Leaning BB tank, but might do a SSB due to high flow and wavebox blowing sand around.... Need input guys!!!!
I do have pics and will have to post them in a bit.... Busy at work on my phone!!! LOL. Again looking for your input!!!
2quills
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///forum/thread/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/500#post_3335389
I think black Shawn, or a very dark bottom to a medium color as you go up.
That would be kind of cool. Like a deep dark blue on the bottom fading to a lighter blue higher up in the tank.
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///forum/thread/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/500#post_3335389
I think black Shawn, or a very dark bottom to a medium color as you go up.
That would be kind of cool. Like a deep dark blue on the bottom fading to a lighter blue higher up in the tank.
acrylic51
Active Member
I know what you mean about challenging doing it with just colored epoxy......Honestly I don't think there would be a way to do it with epoxy, for the simple fact your epoxy is setting up when you have it in the mixing container and your talking about having roughly 3-4 different shades sitting while your pouring 1 color and trying to "imagine" it as your pouring.....A real challenge for me there.....
As far as the background I think it would be rather simple....I would pour a very thin (very thin) layer of epoxy, just to make it tacky and then carefully lay the background out on the back of the tank....then once it's in place and smoothed out I would pour another very thin layer of epoxy over top of it to embed it into the tank. The color scheme you talked about was something I had shown a pic of earlier on in the thread.....I don't think it would be any different, or tiresome as some had suggested. "What if you grow tired of the background"?? What if I grow tired of the tank being epoxied in all black???? I'd still be tired of it????
.
I hate the background on the top, but the 1 I'm referring to is the bottom 1....It looks really distorted when I try to stretch it on the screen, but imagine looking into the tank from the front viewing area.....You could create a sense of the the tank actually being deeper than it really is, or IMHO a lot more appealing than the back of the tank being just black or blue.
Again opinions??? Suggestions????
As far as the background I think it would be rather simple....I would pour a very thin (very thin) layer of epoxy, just to make it tacky and then carefully lay the background out on the back of the tank....then once it's in place and smoothed out I would pour another very thin layer of epoxy over top of it to embed it into the tank. The color scheme you talked about was something I had shown a pic of earlier on in the thread.....I don't think it would be any different, or tiresome as some had suggested. "What if you grow tired of the background"?? What if I grow tired of the tank being epoxied in all black???? I'd still be tired of it????
I hate the background on the top, but the 1 I'm referring to is the bottom 1....It looks really distorted when I try to stretch it on the screen, but imagine looking into the tank from the front viewing area.....You could create a sense of the the tank actually being deeper than it really is, or IMHO a lot more appealing than the back of the tank being just black or blue.
Again opinions??? Suggestions????
acrylic51
Active Member
Corey I was cheating....I hopped over to your other thread on the 50G, and you understand what I mean about the background....It gives it a sense of depth, and actually looks as if the tank is actually backlit!!!!! That was a thing that was done to create depth is to backlight a tank, but the background does that for you!!!!! Again, back to the original thinking, even if it gets covered with coralline, no big issue.
2quills
Well-Known Member
It does create depth. I tried the black side of the backround, the wife liked it and I hated it so I switched it back to the blue. Not only does it give it a whole nother look but it give the tank a whole nother feel as well. And with the shimmer/ripples from the lights...it's very nice. When I have just the actinics and the spot lights on on my tank in the late evening is my favorite time to see the tank. Maybe you can do a small test piece with it. I don't know what effect the epoxy would have on the backround material if any, but hopefull it wouldn't cause the opposite side to bleed through or anything.
acrylic51
Active Member
I remember somebody having an objection earlier on.....I was sorta thinking the same thing about getting a small test piece and doing a little experiment before I proceed. I couldn't imagine it bleeding through, since you can embed pictures and other items, but my luck that's what would happen. Maybe this weekend I'll get down to Lancaster and buy a small piece and test it on some scrap. I might call West Systems tech department and get their advice or opinion as well as to if it might have any affects on the background....They are pretty helpful and always have tons of suggestions.....Their product might be a bit more expensive, but well worth the extra with the support they've given!!!!!
I still have to get some updated pics up!!!!!!
I still have to get some updated pics up!!!!!!
