Beginning my plywood monster!!!

[MDH]

I was pointing that out because special nails/screws and most importantly, brackets are needed for p/t wood. Dont ask me why, just have always been told that. The chemicals eat every kind of metal.

In my stand built I stuck with kiln dried everything and painted it all flat black, then painted it with high gloss white until it was super white to ensure a protective seal. I wouldnt however take the risk with 6,000 lbs of water. I would go with cinderblocks and 2x12's. lol. but I take everything too far.


Looks great so far. Its obvious you have excellent craftsmenship.

Great looking tank! I don't mean to derail, but this post has me worried. I recently built a stand using treated 4x4's, and used normal wood screws to tack it together. I thought it was only aluminum that the chemicals ate, correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[oscarluvr]

Great looking tank! I don't mean to derail, but this post has me worried. I recently built a stand using treated 4x4's, and used normal wood screws to tack it together. I thought it was only aluminum that the chemicals ate, correct me if i'm wrong.

well about 20 years ago i built a deck out of treated lumber used ordinary black painted screws, some galvanized, and really just anything that resembled a screw, know what that deck and screws are still there. btw i am a structural engineer

 

[cvermeulen]

well about 20 years ago i built a deck out of treated lumber used ordinary black painted screws, some galvanized, and really just anything that resembled a screw, know what that deck and screws are still there. btw i am a structural engineer

A few years ago the pressure treating compound was changed to a new compound that is more corrosive to metal fasteners. The old compound was found to be carcinogenic. That's why "deck screws" are so damn expensive now - they are no longer zinc/chromate plated, they are a special coating designed to resist the corrosive properties of the pressure treating compound.

 

[MDH]

A few years ago the pressure treating compound was changed to a new compound that is more corrosive to metal fasteners. The old compound was found to be carcinogenic. That's why "deck screws" are so damn expensive now - they are no longer zinc/chromate plated, they are a special coating designed to resist the corrosive properties of the pressure treating compound.

Yikes, so I should be worried about my stand falling apart at some point over the comings years?!?

 

[KABB44423]

THATS A SWEET BUILD THERE BROTHER

 

[bukster]

how many gals. do you think it is total looks great by the way

did u ever do the calculations?

 

[cvermeulen]

Yikes, so I should be worried about my stand falling apart at some point over the comings years?!?

I don't know enough about the chemistry to make a call on that... I think maybe that in a damp environment like an outdoor deck the situation would be much worse - you may be fine with an indoor application, but I just don't know much for sure.

 

[oscarluvr]

A few years ago the pressure treating compound was changed to a new compound that is more corrosive to metal fasteners. The old compound was found to be carcinogenic. That's why "deck screws" are so damn expensive now - they are no longer zinc/chromate plated, they are a special coating designed to resist the corrosive properties of the pressure treating compound.

okay you got me i do not get into residential materials much epa banned chromated copper arsenate jan 1 2004, it was replaced with alkaline copper quat(acq) type b and d. copper or stainless fasteners are best.electrogalvanized will do quite well it is rated 5 to 110 normal g-60 check the label and try to buy g-185 electrogalvanized fasteners and you can sleep beside your tank for years. do not use aluminum materials by the way the old chemical contained high levels of arsenic.

 

[cvermeulen]

okay you got me i do not get into residential materials much epa banned chromated copper arsenate jan 1 2004, it was replaced with alkaline copper quat(acq) type b and d. copper or stainless fasteners are best.electrogalvanized will do quite well it is rated 5 to 110 normal g-60 check the label and try to buy g-185 electrogalvanized fasteners and you can sleep beside your tank for years. do not use aluminum materials by the way the old chemical contained high levels of arsenic.

Not familliar with those specs... but unless you're buying from a fastener supplier, or specialty plater, you probably won't see those specs on the package at home depot. I think the regular deck screws are zinc plated with a yellow (hex) chrome conversion, which is also on it's way to being banned. There are other screws there with a dark green coating - I'm not sure what that's all about - maybe those are the new environmentally friendly ones.

Anyways, the long and short of it is the "deck screws" are plated for a reason... whether that reason is applicable to indoor furniture construction, I dunno.

 

[arl]

Pressure treated wood can be treated as ordinary wood indoors (in terms of nails/fasteners to use)long as the humidity in the house is not higher than, I think 65%. They have this thing called equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of wood, which is basically the moisture absorbed by wood from air. If I remember corectly at 65% room humidity the EMC of treated wood is safe enough not to cause any corrosion on irons. It's something like 70% RH will result to 12 EMC or something. I did use deck screws for my stand but when I was re-inforcing it, I ran out of deck screws and just used ordinary nails. I ran my dehumidifier in my fish room any way to protect my wood since I got a super crazy humidity generator for filter. and it just runs 24/7