to build a tank or not to build

[brian]

i was looking at the dyi on www.garf.org on building a 72 in long 24 high 36 wide playwood sides back and botten with a glass front how many people think this is a bad idea
pleasw look at the plains on garf and let me know what u think

[fishfreek]

If your experenced wood worker and comfortable with your skills at wood work and dont feel your work would run the risk of leaking or busting then by all means buildit.

The biggest expense will be the two part expoy used to seal the wood.

Those plans have been around for years so if they did not work there would be many people with the knowlege they where bad.

[Irisservice]

Did you price out the supplies needed to make a tank that size it might be cheaper and easier to purchase a tank that size.

[fishfreek]

A tank that is 72" long 24" wide and 36" tall is 269 gal in approx capacity. it will be significantly cheaper to build this size tank the way garf describes than to purchase it new.

I priced it out once and it would have been less than $250 to do the tank and thats with the best grade wood and alot of that epoxy.

[Irisservice]

cool
8) Good to know.

[matrixnyc]

My only concern would be what if the tank starts to leak? to me it would be like building my own airplane :) I am not that skilled in woodworking.


Good Luck if you decide to build it. If you do, can you take step by step photos for the members to see your progress.

[Samurai]

to me it would be like building my own airplane :) I am not that skilled in woodworking.

If you build an airplane out of wood I will be VERY impressed :lol: j/k.

[bmcelhinn]

I saw fishfreek wrote that using the best wood would be around $250!?!?!
That is insane. I'm building one now and the plywood I'm using is about $90 a sheet. I used two sheets, the glass or plexi even on 72" is at least $180. The epoxy that you would need is about $60-80 a gallon. You would need at least 2-3 gallons of epoxy. The glass I'm talking about is 1/2 inch. For the size you are talking about you need 3/4 which is alot more. If you build anything higher than 30" you have to use 3/4.
I'm building a 240 right now, I'm about half way done. It's 96"X24X24, The lowest grade plywood you can use is 3/4 AC grade plywood and that is about $40-50 a sheet. You need at least 2 sheets for anything over 4 feet.

[brian]

i have built the tank just put forth coat of epoxy on tonight
tank is 28tall 36 wide 72 long
i ordered 1/2 temperd cost 90 dollers
5 sheets of 3/4 plywood 20 dollers a sheet
5 gallons of 2 part epoxy 140 dollers only needed 2 gallons only can get this kind in 5
drill bits to drill hols for pumps 10 dollers
so i dont think i cam out bad and as for haveing to have 3/4 in glass why would i need glass that thick site says up to 24inches use 3/8 so why wouldnt 1/2 work for 28 inches