Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > General Interest Forums > Do It Yourself
Blogs FAQ Calendar

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 01/16/2010, 04:54 PM   #1
eugreef
Registered Member
 
eugreef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 59
DIY 60 gallon stand - Do I need a center brace?



Does this stand need a center brace?

The top brace is 2X6, everything else is 2X3.

Ive read that the maximum deflection that silicon, in a tank, can take is 1/8" before it starts to fall apart. I think it is reasonable to assume that the best case scenario is zero deflection. The total weight of the tank, water, live rock, canopy, lights + for my setup is about 700 lbs. Since there are two horizontal beams each beam will support 700/2 = 350 lbs loaded uniformly. For calculations lets assume its uniform loading.

deflection for:
(2X4) Horizontal top struts - .038"
(2X6) Horizontal top struts - .01"

I see a lot of stands on reefcentral that have no center brace with longer spans between the vertical end struts. If failure occurs at 1/8" deflection (2x4)'s provide a 3x factor of safety while (2x6) provide a 12x FOS. I dont think at all its over engineering to use (2x6)'s. I feel uneasy that the horizontal members will constantly be deflected due to the weight of the tank. With constant deflection the silicone seams will also be in a constantly loaded/unnatural state. This may not be too bad, because the enormous pressure of water will load the silicon seams. But too much is no good. My question is not how much is too much, but is designing a stand knowing that it will deflect smart? I would really like to not have a center brace so I can have a deeper sump/refugium. Any input??


eugreef is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/16/2010, 05:27 PM   #2
kgross
Premium Member
 
kgross's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Nampa, ID
Posts: 5,870
No you do not need a center brace on that stand. 2x4s will be fine, but if you do use the 2x6 you will not have any problem. There is a great thread on here about building your own stand created by rocketengineer, that if you read through the whole thing will give you lots of info on the engineering.

Kim


__________________
Proud Member of the Idaho Marine Aquarium Society

America will only be the Land of the Free as long as it is the Home of the Brave.

Current Tank Info: AGA 180gallon tank, VHO/MH lighting, DSB, calcium reactor, Also a 7 Gallon Nano softy tank, and a 32 gallon cube
kgross is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/16/2010, 10:41 PM   #3
eugreef
Registered Member
 
eugreef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by kgross View Post
No you do not need a center brace on that stand. 2x4s will be fine, but if you do use the 2x6 you will not have any problem. There is a great thread on here about building your own stand created by rocketengineer, that if you read through the whole thing will give you lots of info on the engineering.

Kim
kgross, thanks for your input. I looked through the thread you are talking about and got the idea for my stand skeleton from there. My concern is not really about if the stand will hold the weight (it definitely will) but if the given deflection is passed the recommended deflection for a stand.


eugreef is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/16/2010, 10:42 PM   #4
eugreef
Registered Member
 
eugreef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 59


This is the stand with 1/2" oak skin with a center brace built into the skin. the back will have no center brace and Im worried about off balance deflections.


eugreef is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/16/2010, 10:44 PM   #5
kgross
Premium Member
 
kgross's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Nampa, ID
Posts: 5,870
Don't be worried about it it will be fine with or without the skinned brace.

Kim


__________________
Proud Member of the Idaho Marine Aquarium Society

America will only be the Land of the Free as long as it is the Home of the Brave.

Current Tank Info: AGA 180gallon tank, VHO/MH lighting, DSB, calcium reactor, Also a 7 Gallon Nano softy tank, and a 32 gallon cube
kgross is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/16/2010, 10:47 PM   #6
peppie
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,883
Use .75" 13ply plywood you will gain 1.5" on the inside of your cab. It will hold alot more than 700 lbs. As fore your idea a 2x6 will be better with no center brace. Using plywood will reduce any racking or sagging if constructed with the right placement and use of joints.


peppie is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/18/2010, 09:40 PM   #7
eugreef
Registered Member
 
eugreef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 59
Thanks for all the input. Now, I am trying to get away with not using nailers. How do I attach the top horizontal bracing to the vertical struts without using nailers?


eugreef is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/18/2010, 11:23 PM   #8
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by eugreef View Post
Thanks for all the input. Now, I am trying to get away with not using nailers. How do I attach the top horizontal bracing to the vertical struts without using nailers?
Pocket holes, perhaps. Check that out here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1771506


iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
center brace, stand


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:18 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2025 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2025 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.