Is it safe to cut a stand?

mujtba · 06/19/2007, 12:29 PM

just bought a 150g with stand.. stand is 46" tall and too big for the room.. Forgot to add the canopy height when I got it..

I want to make it like 25" tall. SO it seems to be a professional stand and not home made.

Towards the bottom where the base is, I see a bunch of screws that connects to the center piece, and the center piece is connected to top part.

I was going to unscrew the whole bottom, then cut the center down to what I want, and then screw them together...

Is this safe to do, or am I better building one like this:

http://www.fishandtips.com/step1/ste...Step2=checked#

I already bought the stand so I thought maybe I can save some $ and cut it down to size...

What do you all think? Has anyone had a stand crash!!

That site shows almost $150-$200 in parts when totally finished! Do you think home depot parts costs that much?

ctreefer · 06/19/2007, 01:06 PM

You might need to take some pics and post them as I really can't comment on the information given so far. (pics worth a thousand words(or 150 gallons on the floor!!!))

I would think you should be able to salvage it though.

mujtba · 06/19/2007, 01:11 PM

ok i will post some pics.. if there is a carpenter near the philly region who wants to help me out, be my guest!! I will give you some xenias and mushrooms for your help!

nikon70 · 06/19/2007, 01:24 PM

im a carpenter... but not near you!

you can shorten any tank you want, its when you want to add holes etc.

i have made many custom stands, if your unsure, post some pics and i will let you know if its ok or not, or where to cut etc.

mujtba · 06/19/2007, 01:49 PM

ok i will post pics later today.. please check back!! don't forget about me! I have to shorten the stand without spilling 150g of water...

i was gonna just mount it back how i unscrewed it off... not sure if i need to put 2x4s for added support after..

ill show u pics!

mujtba · 06/19/2007, 05:22 PM

Okay so here are pics. Stand is dirty, but you get the picture. I also noticed in the center section, the vertical wood has some staples in the bottom part, possibly connected to another wood on side. Is it safe to remove staples and use screw?

Front full view with left door removed. The tape you see is where I wanted to cut.

Full back shot

Bottom part inside

Top part inside

Center part inside bottom

So it does not seem to be 2x4 or 4x4 wood. What do i do!?

Hop · 06/19/2007, 05:26 PM

A lot of work to do it right. You'll need to completely tear it apart and use a good table saw or something similar. It's almost easier to build a new stand.

rsw686 · 06/19/2007, 06:20 PM

Also are you sure 25" is how short you want the stand. When I started building mine I had to tear the base apart to make it higher as the skimmer wasn't going to fit. Just make sure all your components you want to put underneath fit before you cut.

The stand looks to be a mess to take apart. I'm not sure how you would get straight cuts to hold up the weight without dismantling the whole thing and using a table saw. You could probably sell that one to cover most of the cost of materials to build a new stand.

mujtba · 06/19/2007, 07:09 PM

ok so the whole bottom section was one piece which i removed successfully!

now i was going to use this saw:

and use a square ruler to make straight lines:

then I was going to just cut it standing up and me holding that round saw sideways.. will my plan work?

or do you think its easier to remove the top how i did the bottom in order to cut the sides and lay them flat to cut??

This isn't as hard to unscrew the TOP and BOTTOM bases and cut the sides. See, I don't have to touch the top and bottom, just the sides, so isn't it easier to redo this than build new one? I don't know who to sell it to! If you do, let me know and I can put the base on...

help!! b4 i mess it up! thanks

Hop · 06/19/2007, 07:23 PM

The plan is as good as you are... if that makes sense. even with 20 years of woodwork behind me, I wouln't do it to that stand

Too much room for error. I would carefully dismantle the whole thing and make proper cuts with my table saw. But my saw is on a 4X8 table and makes for easy cuts on big pieces.

poppin_fresh · 06/19/2007, 07:32 PM

25" tall is waist level (unless you're a little person) are you sure you want it that low? You are going to have to kneel to look into the tank (again, unless you're a little person).

mujtba · 06/19/2007, 08:01 PM

no im not little. haha.. the tank itself is 28" high.. my current 75g stand is 28" high, and the tank is 22". so i wanted this setup to be about that height... canopy will be around 14" high. so what do you think should be nice height for stand? remember i need 28" tank + 14" canopy..

why does the bottom part need to be 110% straight?? its going on the bottom anyway... OR is it because it holds tank up?

i was going to add some 2x4s inside around the other studs for additional support, does it make sense?

poppin_fresh · 06/19/2007, 08:21 PM

I would think that if you like the height of your 75, I would make the new stand the same height. I think having to step up and reach into a taller tank would be less inconvenient than having to kneel to view it.
A 28" stand, plus 28" tank, plus 14" canopy is only 5' 8"... this should be well below ceiling height.

You want the TOP of the stand as perfectly flat and level as possible to prevent uneeded stress on the seams of the tank.

mujtba · 06/19/2007, 08:47 PM

ok so i guess theres no real way to test the strengths of the stand until i put the tank on top and fill it with water?

mujtba · 06/20/2007, 11:06 AM

where is nikon70? he said he will give me his input..

mujtba · 06/21/2007, 03:50 PM

ok so i went ahead and cut it all up... now I will try to put the stand together the same way it was...

so my question is this..

1. a 150g tank is around 800lbs, right? i kinda pulled that number from the air.. well my tank has 1/2inch walls and is heavy without water even.. so what do you think is the weight?

2. Lets assume it is 1000lbs, and the tank is 6' wide. SO, initially this stand never had any 2x4s in it! It has this wood in it as the walls on the LEFT, RIGHT and MIDDLE sections:

That is the LEFT wall.

so even if it is 1000lbs, im guessing that PER foot, it may have about 175lbs of weight as it is dispersed, right? So do you suppose that's why 2x4s or 4x4s were not used? Does anyone know the physics behind this or do we just say 'damn its heavy, use 2x4s'.

3. So all I did was make it shorter and will try to mount it back the same way. Do you suppose it won't be as sturdy now since it was opened? Should I put 2x4s inside as extra support?

mujtba · 07/12/2007, 07:20 AM

ok so i went ahead and cut the stand.. it was quite some work, but for some reason i feel it still was easier than building a new one.. plus i already had paid for this one.. its been up for 1 week now and i hope nothing goes wrong..

so far so good, knock on wood.

MTB · 07/12/2007, 09:02 AM

It's fine to cut the stand the way you did. As long as you fsatened the bottom shelf back to the supports that is. If you did then I can't see any weakness in structural support as that will prevent the "legs" from walking out on you. Looks like they used plywood instead of 2x's. I probably would have added some 2x4s to the coners.

mujtba · 07/12/2007, 09:12 AM

yea i had to cut it all apart.. but once i dissambled it all, there were just 4 legs and 3 doors to cut down to size and then rescrew it all up.. the stand seemed sturdy.. i had 600lbs of people stand on it b4 and jump b4 putting the tank on. i put extra screws all around so it seems secure.. each night i sleep, i keep wondering if the stand will be there the next morning..

but if i built my own stand using 2x4s, i would have still gone to bed wondering if it will break.. only because i did it.. im handy, but this is 1500lbs we are dealing with.

06/19/2007, 12:29 PM	#1
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	Is it safe to cut a stand? just bought a 150g with stand.. stand is 46" tall and too big for the room.. Forgot to add the canopy height when I got it.. I want to make it like 25" tall. SO it seems to be a professional stand and not home made. Towards the bottom where the base is, I see a bunch of screws that connects to the center piece, and the center piece is connected to top part. I was going to unscrew the whole bottom, then cut the center down to what I want, and then screw them together... Is this safe to do, or am I better building one like this: http://www.fishandtips.com/step1/ste...Step2=checked# I already bought the stand so I thought maybe I can save some $ and cut it down to size... What do you all think? Has anyone had a stand crash!! That site shows almost $150-$200 in parts when totally finished! Do you think home depot parts costs that much?

06/19/2007, 05:26 PM	#7
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	A lot of work to do it right. You'll need to completely tear it apart and use a good table saw or something similar. It's almost easier to build a new stand. __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

06/19/2007, 06:20 PM	#8
rsw686 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: VA Posts: 549	Also are you sure 25" is how short you want the stand. When I started building mine I had to tear the base apart to make it higher as the skimmer wasn't going to fit. Just make sure all your components you want to put underneath fit before you cut. The stand looks to be a mess to take apart. I'm not sure how you would get straight cuts to hold up the weight without dismantling the whole thing and using a table saw. You could probably sell that one to cover most of the cost of materials to build a new stand. __________________ The Reptile File Forum (Google It) Discussion forum dedicated to geckos, lizards, snakes, turtles, amphibians, and other reptiles. Current Tank Info: 90gal reef w/ 20 gal sump, Aquactinics TX5, Octopus NW150, AquaController Jr.

06/19/2007, 07:23 PM	#10
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	The plan is as good as you are... if that makes sense. even with 20 years of woodwork behind me, I wouln't do it to that stand Too much room for error. I would carefully dismantle the whole thing and make proper cuts with my table saw. But my saw is on a 4X8 table and makes for easy cuts on big pieces. __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

06/19/2007, 07:32 PM	#11
poppin_fresh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,982	25" tall is waist level (unless you're a little person) are you sure you want it that low? You are going to have to kneel to look into the tank (again, unless you're a little person). __________________ PBITAWA! Current Tank Info: None now. Past- 180g w/ 100g basement sump and 20g 'fuge. H & S skimmer, T'5s & Tunze

06/19/2007, 01:06 PM	#2
ctreefer Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: southern CT Posts: 3,274	You might need to take some pics and post them as I really can't comment on the information given so far. (pics worth a thousand words(or 150 gallons on the floor!!!)) I would think you should be able to salvage it though.

06/19/2007, 01:11 PM	#3
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	ok i will post some pics.. if there is a carpenter near the philly region who wants to help me out, be my guest!! I will give you some xenias and mushrooms for your help!

06/19/2007, 01:24 PM	#4
nikon70 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: london, uk Posts: 161	im a carpenter... but not near you! you can shorten any tank you want, its when you want to add holes etc. i have made many custom stands, if your unsure, post some pics and i will let you know if its ok or not, or where to cut etc.

06/19/2007, 01:49 PM	#5
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	ok i will post pics later today.. please check back!! don't forget about me! I have to shorten the stand without spilling 150g of water... i was gonna just mount it back how i unscrewed it off... not sure if i need to put 2x4s for added support after.. ill show u pics!

06/19/2007, 05:22 PM	#6
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	Okay so here are pics. Stand is dirty, but you get the picture. I also noticed in the center section, the vertical wood has some staples in the bottom part, possibly connected to another wood on side. Is it safe to remove staples and use screw? Front full view with left door removed. The tape you see is where I wanted to cut. Full back shot Bottom part inside Top part inside Center part inside bottom So it does not seem to be 2x4 or 4x4 wood. What do i do!?

06/19/2007, 07:09 PM	#9
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	ok so the whole bottom section was one piece which i removed successfully! now i was going to use this saw: and use a square ruler to make straight lines: then I was going to just cut it standing up and me holding that round saw sideways.. will my plan work? or do you think its easier to remove the top how i did the bottom in order to cut the sides and lay them flat to cut?? This isn't as hard to unscrew the TOP and BOTTOM bases and cut the sides. See, I don't have to touch the top and bottom, just the sides, so isn't it easier to redo this than build new one? I don't know who to sell it to! If you do, let me know and I can put the base on... help!! b4 i mess it up! thanks

06/19/2007, 08:01 PM	#12
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	no im not little. haha.. the tank itself is 28" high.. my current 75g stand is 28" high, and the tank is 22". so i wanted this setup to be about that height... canopy will be around 14" high. so what do you think should be nice height for stand? remember i need 28" tank + 14" canopy.. why does the bottom part need to be 110% straight?? its going on the bottom anyway... OR is it because it holds tank up? i was going to add some 2x4s inside around the other studs for additional support, does it make sense?

06/19/2007, 08:21 PM	#13
poppin_fresh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,982	I would think that if you like the height of your 75, I would make the new stand the same height. I think having to step up and reach into a taller tank would be less inconvenient than having to kneel to view it. A 28" stand, plus 28" tank, plus 14" canopy is only 5' 8"... this should be well below ceiling height. You want the TOP of the stand as perfectly flat and level as possible to prevent uneeded stress on the seams of the tank. __________________ PBITAWA! Current Tank Info: None now. Past- 180g w/ 100g basement sump and 20g 'fuge. H & S skimmer, T'5s & Tunze

06/19/2007, 08:47 PM	#14
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	ok so i guess theres no real way to test the strengths of the stand until i put the tank on top and fill it with water?

06/20/2007, 11:06 AM	#15
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	where is nikon70? he said he will give me his input..

06/21/2007, 03:50 PM	#16
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	ok so i went ahead and cut it all up... now I will try to put the stand together the same way it was... so my question is this.. 1. a 150g tank is around 800lbs, right? i kinda pulled that number from the air.. well my tank has 1/2inch walls and is heavy without water even.. so what do you think is the weight? 2. Lets assume it is 1000lbs, and the tank is 6' wide. SO, initially this stand never had any 2x4s in it! It has this wood in it as the walls on the LEFT, RIGHT and MIDDLE sections: That is the LEFT wall. so even if it is 1000lbs, im guessing that PER foot, it may have about 175lbs of weight as it is dispersed, right? So do you suppose that's why 2x4s or 4x4s were not used? Does anyone know the physics behind this or do we just say 'damn its heavy, use 2x4s'. 3. So all I did was make it shorter and will try to mount it back the same way. Do you suppose it won't be as sturdy now since it was opened? Should I put 2x4s inside as extra support?

07/12/2007, 07:20 AM	#17
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	ok so i went ahead and cut the stand.. it was quite some work, but for some reason i feel it still was easier than building a new one.. plus i already had paid for this one.. its been up for 1 week now and i hope nothing goes wrong.. so far so good, knock on wood.

07/12/2007, 09:02 AM	#18
MTB Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Illannoy Posts: 1,365	It's fine to cut the stand the way you did. As long as you fsatened the bottom shelf back to the supports that is. If you did then I can't see any weakness in structural support as that will prevent the "legs" from walking out on you. Looks like they used plywood instead of 2x's. I probably would have added some 2x4s to the coners. __________________ Got Frags? Current Tank Info: 40 breeder. Kessil lights. Reef octopus skimmer. Vortec mp40 x2.

07/12/2007, 09:12 AM	#19
mujtba Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 693	yea i had to cut it all apart.. but once i dissambled it all, there were just 4 legs and 3 doors to cut down to size and then rescrew it all up.. the stand seemed sturdy.. i had 600lbs of people stand on it b4 and jump b4 putting the tank on. i put extra screws all around so it seems secure.. each night i sleep, i keep wondering if the stand will be there the next morning.. but if i built my own stand using 2x4s, i would have still gone to bed wondering if it will break.. only because i did it.. im handy, but this is 1500lbs we are dealing with.