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#1 Chopstick_mike

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Posted 11 August 2016 - 07:55 PM

Hi guys decided it was time I had a go at building a breeding rack so I knocked this up in couple hrs at home not finished yet but not far off edc9b2c91a474990c1c3eac4443b036b.jpg it's a 3 tier rack that should hold 3 6x2x2 tanks any input would be great

Edited by Chopstick_mike, 11 August 2016 - 08:01 PM.


#2 malawiman85

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Posted 11 August 2016 - 09:13 PM

Looks sweet. Iv'e done a couple of 4 foot two tier stands... 6x2x2s though... thats serious weight. I'm sure you're all over it but the only thing i can see it needs is Diagonal bracing or ply cladding. To stiffen it horizontally.

#3 BengaBoy

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Posted 12 August 2016 - 07:28 AM

hmmm. no specs on the timber, but I wouldn't think timber could suport 6x2x2 without a middle leg?

also, prefer to see that bolted? or is it nailed and glued?



#4 malawiman85

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Posted 12 August 2016 - 08:44 AM

As long as the legs stay plumb the weight shouldnt be an issue with that design.

#5 Chopstick_mike

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Posted 12 August 2016 - 11:01 AM

Ye I've got to brace and ply it still mate and weight shouldn't be an issue as mm said it is level it is screwed and glued , I don't plan on having 3 tanks on it but put it on Just in case I decide too. I really only going to have 4 3 X1.5x1.5 tanks on it for now and if I decide to upgrade tanks I can

Edited by Chopstick_mike, 12 August 2016 - 11:02 AM.


#6 sandgroper

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Posted 12 August 2016 - 03:53 PM

You need a middle leg front and back.



#7 Cawdor

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Posted 12 August 2016 - 11:32 PM

I too would not use that without some support in the middle. Legs would make the bottom parts ugly to look at - maybe metal bracing?

It's not about the stand breaking - that's unlikely to happen with this setup - it's about bending in the middle.

 

A 6x2x2 filled almost to the top is around 650L of water, plus weight of the glass, so maybe around 700kg? Even with that weight spread along the whole length of wood, eventually the wood will bend, which could likely lead to the glass cracking or at least the silicone popping.

 

I personally wouldn't take the risk.



#8 Buccal

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Posted 13 August 2016 - 06:48 AM

Being a carpenter (a proper one), and also a natural at engineering concepts with anything structural and fixing, I'd say your construction and design is above board and will be adequate,, just bolt the ring beams to the main center corner uprights that follow through from bottom to top,,, then galv bugal screws with Allen key head fitting (counter sunk).
Would have been nice to use exterior grade glue through the entire build, but if you bolt and screw in the correct places then no glue is fine.
As mm said, bracing, a 6mm sheet of non structural ply at back glued on as well as screwed will increase expenansially upright rigidity.
A tip,, paint the ply light in color, then you can get away with less wattage lighting as the ply becomes a partial reflector,, dark colors show up fish better yes, but it's a catch 22 because it also absorbs the light.

I do see the pine you've used is left over of a building site or obtained for free somewhere,,, if you bought it, then you made a wrong decision in going for a cheaper price tag,, those cheaper timbers are non-structural, basically means a roof carpenter can't use it as ceiling joists then walk on them because they'll likely break.
The timber you have is non-structural, as it's not inspected and certified for structural purposes,,, I can tell this because the knots running through the timbers width profile are deep and are week points that break very easily once under load.
80% of your load will be in every corner 4corners, so the knots may not give but they may.
Not to worry, this can be fixed with running tube steel against the inside lengths of the spanning beams 60x20mm steel square tube from bunnings with 4x 8mm gauge bolts spaced evenly each length,, I'd run liquid nails between steel and timber surfaces also.

Screw some door buffer stoppers on the bottom of the stands feet so it doesn't sit in water that you spill.

#9 Poncho

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Posted 13 August 2016 - 09:19 AM

Total height may be an issue for you depending on where you locate it but the bottom tank will have next to no head for things like water changes and draining. This can be a pain in the arse if you run a siphoning hose slightly uphill or into buckets. There are ways around it such as using a submersible pump but consider how you are going to do your maintenance before you set it up.

#10 Chopstick_mike

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Posted 13 August 2016 - 07:38 PM

Total height may be an issue for you depending on where you locate it but the bottom tank will have next to no head for things like water changes and draining. This can be a pain in the arse if you run a siphoning hose slightly uphill or into buckets. There are ways around it such as using a submersible pump but consider how you are going to do your maintenance before you set it up.

ye once I actually set it up I noticed that too :/ , was all gung ho about it and was just doing it on the fly so now can only put a 6 X 2x1 on there .....maybe in the future if I decide to go another route can make that the sump level


And buccal I got the timber from a carpenter who was using them for ceiling joists in a major builder firm for nothing he over ordered and had 4 lengths left over so wouldn't it be structural grade timber ?? I'm not meaning to sound like I'm having a go just curious but I'll take the advice you gave me and use it as it sounded quite reasonable and helpful thanks mate

Edited by Chopstick_mike, 13 August 2016 - 07:47 PM.


#11 Buccal

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Posted 13 August 2016 - 08:41 PM

There's writing on the bottom, on the timber,, it should say it.
Also sometimes out of a 30 or 40 stick bundle, can be about 3-4 crappy ones not fit and actually are from a structural bundle.
Or they may be wall plates mixed in with structural, as wall plates don't need to be structural.
Wether or not dude, if those are knots going through the timber, they're enevitibly weak points,,, I've only stated because I think I can see knots in that timber, that was all,

I've seen the odd 1.8m x .6m x .5m (in height),,, or just get one made,, give you tight but manageable access.

Actually, that center rail to the back, looks like two big knots,, it's good that the bad one is on the ground at the front.
Backing plywood could be slightly upgraded in thickness, and screwing through it into the rail with knots, and strengthen up.

Edited by Buccal, 13 August 2016 - 08:58 PM.


#12 Chopstick_mike

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Posted 14 August 2016 - 07:57 AM

Thanks mate I'll do that

#13 Pattison

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Posted 07 April 2017 - 08:30 PM

what size timber did you use?



#14 Chopstick_mike

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Posted 08 April 2017 - 03:48 PM

90x45




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