starting my 70" long, 46" wide, 25" tall build

[verruckt]

oh yeah - i just put the other front panel on. its not got the glass cutout yet, got to take the whole rig to a friends house and use his tool. some multitool thing, i dunno wtf it is but he says its awesome. had my 5 yr old son help with the front panel. PUSH UP! HIGHER! OK, NOW - HOLD IT!! lol. you can tell he's not been up long, he's still in his spiderman underwear . kids and marvel characters.

 

[john73738]

With that type of ply I would definitely frame it. OSB is not as strong as regular plywood. and that size there is going to be a lot of pressure.

It is great in price, but......

If you do not want to frame then at least double it up.

 

[verruckt]

yeah im going to build a frame on the inside so its ez to hide. then screw all the plywood to the inside frame. i may roll 2x4's instead of 2x3's like i originally planned. that plywood was only 18.99 a sheet compared to 42.99 a sheet for the other. thanks for the comment tho. the more people who tell me i should frame it really makes me realize i need2

 

[verruckt]

need opinions! 1/2 glass plenty big enough? i hope so


verruckt

 

[john73738]

yeah im going to build a frame on the inside so its ez to hide. then screw all the plywood to the inside frame. i may roll 2x4's instead of 2x3's like i originally planned. that plywood was only 18.99 a sheet compared to 42.99 a sheet for the other. thanks for the comment tho. the more people who tell me i should frame it really makes me realize i need2

Why inside?? seems like a waste of space. Just remember that when you are holding in several thousand pounds of water, there is no place for being cheap.

Make sure you seal it both inside and out too.

Good luck

 

[verruckt]

john73738> i'm not trying to be cheap, im just tryin to keep it on a budget. i'll do what i have to do when it comes down to it. as for framing on the inside, i kinda would like to keep the outside smooth since this isn't going into a wall, and if i put a few more inches of board to the outside, i won't be able to get it threw my garage door into my den. here is the link to the tank i got the framing from the inside idea from. altho its 450g bigger than mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7nKf_kE4YI

 

[john73738]

Sorry, really not meaning to be rude,

Oh I see what you are doing, you are reinforcing the seams. With the OSB you are going to need vertical bracing, much like framing a wall for your house.

Good Luck


BTW just quit smoking, I have adopted a tell it like it is attitude and not always tactful.

 

[verruckt]

got the frame built, got to go buy some longer screws and some metal braces for corners and flat spots.

alot of work, 2 trips to lowes. bought the wood and had it cut, 6 pcs were to long so i had to go back to lowes to have them recut it since my saw is broken. after i put the metal corner and flat braces it should be strong enough i would think. then will be time for more silicone, and then fiberglass time!...


verruckt

 

[verruckt]

lol ur alright man, didn't really take it as being rude. i have the same attitude so nw's. yeah i reinforced it @ the seams, screwed everything from the outside into the 2x4's on the inside. it should hold. like i said, going to get the bracings sometime toward the middle to end of the week and nail or screw those into place. i really hope that frame works as is. if i need to throw a couple in the middle and sides i will but i think its ok.

 

[verruckt]

went out to the garage and sit in the tank and used my legs to push against the back of it as hard as i could, nothing popped or cracked but the center of the plywood did bow just a little, maybe 1/4" tops. so ive decided to add 3 braces to the center and 1 or 2 on each side. i guess to make everything smooth i wlll go buy some 1.5" foam to put between the braces on the side and back then fiberglass it. extra insulation never hurt.