saint_abyssal Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 I've been planning a rack of aquaria for a while now. I'm going to use a Uline widespan wire rack with wood laid over the shelves to better distribute the weight. My original plan involved large tanks supported by sections of "two by" lumber laid across the rack. Since then, I've revised my plans to use smaller tanks as pictured in the diagram below. I was hoping to be able to use thinner wood, like plywood to give me some more head room in the shelves, but I don't know how thin I can go before it's too weak to support the tanks. What thickness should I go with? Or do I need to stick with the original "two by" plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 i am no structural engineer, but id go for 3/4" hardwood plywood. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisnobody Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 3/4” minimum, 1” if you want it to hold a horse also. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony s Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 (edited) On 8/22/2024 at 9:24 AM, saint_abyssal said: I'm going to use a Uline widespan wire rack with wood laid over the shelves to better distribute the weight Honestly, this may not be necessary. Those wire support shelves are usually tough and don’t really bow any at all. Especially if you’re going to have a hard center support as shown. We use a different brand than u-line for supporting industrial 1 ton pallets. The goal ,for us because of the weight, is to stack as close to the edges as possible. But with small weight tanks and extra support in the middle, the wire is more than sufficient. Most people are usually thinking of the wooden shelves or the cheap shelves that come with standard rack. Wire is completely different Edited August 22 by Tony s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gabdewulf Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 The plywood in this case only purpose to keep the surface level across the wires by distributing the weight. 1/2 to 1 in should be fine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony s Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 On 8/22/2024 at 10:54 AM, gabdewulf said: The plywood in this case only purpose to keep the surface level across the wires by distributing the weight Yeah, I get that. But if there is actually a center steel brace, the size of each "hole" between braces is 30" x 24". not much room for deflection at all. Alternative scenario, I'd just ditch the wire and use 3/4" plywood. Is not any reason to do both materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gabdewulf Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 I would think that's part of the manufacturer 's base weight it can handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now