Would this be wise to do?

[Guppysnail]

On 3/26/2022 at 2:59 PM, sweetpoison said:

“square board does not fit by 1 inch or more at the bottom”

Guppy!  OK so remember I’m not real bright when it comes to this stuff. Square board I have no idea what that is nor what you mean by that statement. But what I am gonna do once I get my stand home fully built I’m gonna take pictures of it and show you guys make sure it looks OK and then I’ll tighten it up.

Now does that sound like a plan or what😂

 

Means corners are cut to 90 degrees. I added pics to last post. I’m not handy either. Hubby explained it at the time with many unpleasant expletives 

[Widgets]

An easy quick check is to measure diagonally from left front corner to right back corner. Then measure from right front corner to left rear corner. If the stand is square the measurements will be the same.

[Odd Duck]

On 3/26/2022 at 9:22 AM, sweetpoison said:

Really?  Sounds about right never thought of it that way🤦‍♀️  OK so Lefty, do you think this is a good idea?

OK dumb question ~

After adding the plywood and setting everything up, how do we KNOW that the legs aren’t going to buckle or the middle isn’t going to cave-in?

I guess we don’t know that for any stand, really 

Exactly as stated by @lefty o.  The plywood will distribute the weight to those nice, strong, 4” x 4” posts you’ve got for legs there and no further worries about it being a thinner board in the middle section of the table.  The weight of the tank will indeed hold the plywood board in place just fine.  I can see from the pics of the underside that the legs are sufficiently attached to the frame under the table top and around the drawer and it’s not the fasteners holding weight, they’re just bracing everything together.  My only concern was it appeared to not have lots of screws attaching the top to the legs (which says the top isn’t thick enough wood to hold much weight), but since all the weight will be born by the plywood and the legs, which are solid wood, you should be just fine using the table.

I recommended the 3/4” plywood because I’m confident that will hold just fine.  I have a tank rack that we used 3/4” plywood to replace it’s thin and rather flimsy particle board shelves.  Each shelf holds 4 x 10 g tank, a total of 40 gallons, and the boards are held up by a fairly thin metal lip that they rest on.  No bowing in the middle or anything.  They are rock solid.  Your tank will be near the supporting legs so the plywood doesn’t have to hold much weight in the center, which is the farthest from the supports.  The tank itself will distribute the weight close to the underlying supporting legs.  This means there is minimal leverage type force on the wood.

It will work and it will be beautiful.  Multiple thin layers of paint.  Semi-gloss or satin finish, whichever you prefer, but wipeable at least, and best if waterproof.

[sweetpoison]

On 3/26/2022 at 11:52 AM, sweetpoison said:

OK you guys have made my decision. I’m gonna get the stand instead of using this because I am famous forgetting I’m filling my tank and I have overflow and this will get soaked😢 although a 29 gallon will fill pretty quick quicker than a 55 gallon. But I want to thank all of you for taking the time to help me figure it all out♥️
 

Petco will put my stand together for $10 ~ it’s well worth it to me because I don’t like asking people to do anything for me there’s always a price to pay😉

I CHANGED MY MIND!!  I am going to go with the plywood and stand!  I got my tank too!

Don’t leave me yet guys♥️🙏

 

[Widgets]

Keep us updated.

[sweetpoison]

On 3/26/2022 at 9:06 PM, Odd Duck said:

 

It will work and it will be beautiful.  Multiple thin layers of paint.  Semi-gloss or satin finish, whichever you prefer, but wipeable at least, and best if waterproof.

I got my wood!!

[sweetpoison]

This plywood fits perfectly thank you guys so much for all your help!  I decided to cover it with a cloth, instead of staining or painting.  I have many ~   300lbs on this table is freaking me out I will admit😳 

[JettsPapa]

On 3/31/2022 at 10:18 AM, sweetpoison said:

This plywood fits perfectly thank you guys so much for all your help!  I decided to cover it with a cloth, instead of staining or painting.  I have many ~   300lbs on this table is freaking me out I will admit😳 

 

It will be fine.  I'm confident it would be safe with twice that much.

[Odd Duck]

I would still seal the plywood with something like a polyurethane or waterproof paint or any water will make changes you don’t want.  I think it will look great!

[sweetpoison]

On 3/31/2022 at 8:49 AM, Odd Duck said:

I would still seal the plywood with something like a polyurethane or waterproof paint or any water will make changes you don’t want.  I think it will look great!

Well shitums, Duck!  I already put it all together🤦‍♀️ if you really think I should seal it I will do that. Front and back of the wood?

[Odd Duck]

On 3/31/2022 at 12:07 PM, sweetpoison said:

Well shitums, Duck!  I already put it all together🤦‍♀️ if you really think I should seal it I will do that. Front and back of the wood?

Top and sides at least.  Any spilled water will go to work on the plywood and could make it swell.

I would seal every surface.  It’s what I did for my plywood shelves.

[Widgets]

On 3/31/2022 at 11:18 AM, sweetpoison said:

This plywood fits perfectly thank you guys so much for all your help!  I decided to cover it with a cloth, instead of staining or painting.

I would drape a piece of plastic with a little overhang over the plywood, then drape cloth over that. You want the plastic long enough to help protect the ends of the plywood, but also to prevent any spilt water from wicking between the plywood and the tabletop.

[lefty o]

it is a good idea to seal the wood. quick easy fix would be to lay a piece of plastic down over it, then your cloth to hide it with the tank on top.

[Torrey]

On 3/25/2022 at 6:37 PM, sweetpoison said:

Thank You!  OK Duck ~  what do you think about these two.  Kind of ugly but they look sturdy😂

 

I have the top one under my rimmed 4' tank that we only fill halfway (paladarium due to an unfortunate tap in the top corner). They are impossible to properly level, and do not make a remotely close to flush top for the tank to rest on. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time getting it as level and flat as possible, and then need some shims. If I had to do over, I would have put a piece of wood on top (would have made it much easier to level safely).

[sweetpoison]

On 3/31/2022 at 10:18 AM, lefty o said:

it is a good idea to seal the wood. quick easy fix would be to lay a piece of plastic down over it, then your cloth to hide it with the tank on top.

I was thinking about a large thick black garbage bag and just put the plywood inside and wrap it all up ~ then put the tank back on top.  Or maybe even two bags.

What do you think?

 

[Widgets]

If water gets between the plywood and the tabletop, it will wick in and be impossible to dry out. It will destroy the finish on the table. I would use some sort of barrier that hangs down below the tabletop that will keep water away from the tabletop.

[sweetpoison]

On 3/31/2022 at 7:21 PM, Widgets said:

If water gets between the plywood and the tabletop, it will wick in and be impossible to dry out. It will destroy the finish on the table. I would use some sort of barrier that hangs down below the tabletop that will keep water away from the tabletop.

But still use the plastic over the plywood?  I’m not sure what “barrier that hangs down below the table they will keep water away the from the table to” means🤭. That’s not the black plastic bag?

[Widgets]

On 3/31/2022 at 10:58 PM, sweetpoison said:

But still use the plastic over the plywood?  I’m not sure what “barrier that hangs down below the table they will keep water away the from the table to” means🤭. That’s not the black plastic bag?

When water spills onto the plywood cover and down the side, if the water is allowed to enter the seam between the plywood and the tabletop, it will wick into that seam and be impossible to dry out. I am suggesting that there is a waterproof barrier that overhangs on the sides enough to cover that seam. This will direct the water downward and help keep it away from the seam. This waterproof barrier could be a separate piece of plastic beneath your cloth cover, or maybe the cloth cover has a waterproof lining.

If you cover the plywood with plastic, but have it tucked in at the bottom between the plywood and the tabletop, you still have a seam that can wick water.

[lefty o]

if using plastic, make sure it overhangs the wood. if it overhangs by a little bit, water wont wick under it.

[sweetpoison]

On 3/31/2022 at 8:39 PM, Widgets said:

 

If you cover the plywood with plastic, but have it tucked in at the bottom between the plywood and the tabletop, you still have a seam that can wick water.

 

On 3/31/2022 at 9:01 PM, lefty o said:

if using plastic, make sure it overhangs the wood. if it overhangs by a little bit, water wont wick under it.

I think I got it ~ it’s about time right, Gentlemen🤣

You both are so wise and I totally appreciate it more than you know! 
 

i’m going to take a picture of what you guys are telling me and then you can tweak it for me💕

[Torrey]

On 3/31/2022 at 8:58 PM, sweetpoison said:

But still use the plastic over the plywood?  I’m not sure what “barrier that hangs down below the table they will keep water away the from the table to” means🤭. That’s not the black plastic bag?

I buy clear "table cloth vinyl" like is used at restaurants and by grandmothers who cover everything in plastic to keep grandkids from messing up the furniture. It hangs over the edge by 4" (or more) on all sides, preventing any water drips from damaging th wood. It's also thick enough and sturdy enough, you don't have to worry about pinholes developing.

I bought my last roll of it at Walmart, about $5/yard. I prefer buying from JoAnn's, but they didn't have any in stock.

[Brandon p]

I would worry that water would get under the plastic I use the tank panda the keep the water on top and have a table cloth cut and the edges to fit the tank then soeow the Semmelweis Around and if the pad gets wet I let the table cloth soak up the water and the wash the table once a week.

[sweetpoison]

On 4/1/2022 at 7:04 PM, Torrey said:

I buy clear "table cloth vinyl" like is used at restaurants and by grandmothers who cover everything in plastic to keep grandkids from messing up the furniture. It hangs over the edge by 4" (or more) on all sides, preventing any water drips from damaging th wood. It's also thick enough and sturdy enough, you don't have to worry about pinholes developing.

I bought my last roll of it at Walmart, about $5/yard. I prefer buying from JoAnn's, but they didn't have any in stock.

I like this Torrey.  I couldn’t remember what plastic to use so I came back here to look ~ so it’s tablecloth plastic I’m going to pick some up♥️

On 4/2/2022 at 6:25 AM, Brandon p said:

I would worry that water would get under the plastic I use the tank panda the keep the water on top and have a table cloth cut and the edges to fit the tank then soeow the Semmelweis Around and if the pad gets wet I let the table cloth soak up the water and the wash the table once a week.

Tank Panda?  I’m getting all paranoid now waters going to seep into that plywood no matter what I do😩

[Brandon p]

On 4/4/2022 at 1:50 PM, sweetpoison said:

I like this Torrey.  I couldn’t remember what plastic to use so I came back here to look ~ so it’s tablecloth plastic I’m going to pick some up♥️

Tank Panda?  I’m getting all paranoid now waters going to seep into that plywood no matter what I do😩

Sorry I take a lot of meds after my heart attack and I’m having the hardest time texting.  Tank panda was tank pad is supposed pull water to the core to keep the table dry and top dry. I have used it of a year and love it. I actually have a curtain that is on a thin rod bend a around the tank. I had been cutting and sowing a seem around the par that would go adainst the tank. I don’t sow welll and they were white and showed everything. So when to the curtain which is so much easier

Hope it read able. 

 

 

[sweetpoison]

Thank you for clearing that up!  I have been out of this hobby for a while so I’m thinking I’m gonna have to get some Tank Panda♥️