rosco Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Hi all, I am deciding whether to have a go at building a small rack to rack up 3 standard 2 foot tanks or get one made up in steel. I should be able tog et a small steel one made up reasonably cheaply but I thought I would investigate building one first. The rack is needs to 1450mm high x 300mm x 700mm wide (that is the maximum width I have available). It only going to have 3 standard 2' tanks so each shelf only needs to hold 50-60kg max. I was thinking 90x35 pine as the materials with 2 cross supports for each shelf. Will that be enough? cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colfish Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Hi all, I am deciding whether to have a go at building a small rack to rack up 3 standard 2 foot tanks or get one made up in steel. I should be able tog et a small steel one made up reasonably cheaply but I thought I would investigate building one first. The rack is needs to 1450mm high x 300mm x 700mm wide (that is the maximum width I have available). It only going to have 3 standard 2' tanks so each shelf only needs to hold 50-60kg max. I was thinking 90x35 pine as the materials with 2 cross supports for each shelf. Will that be enough best to use the same material as your other racks, then it will match with them and not look as if it was an after thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtiger Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Rosco, I'm planning to do the same thing but out of steel. This is what I'm doing. Cheers Hilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Miller Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Hi Hilton, Pretty sketch Is the stand for 3 standard 2ft tanks? What size steel tube are you planning to use? Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 I might go for steel as all my racking is steel. Looks like it is time to go buy a few cases of beer and do up a design. cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtiger Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Lee, I'll be using 25x25mm square steel tube. The proposed tank will be 2ft x 12in x 12in. Cheers Hilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Hilton, I am pretty sure that is the size of the steel tubing that I have and I have 3 2x18x18's on that and it is fine not bending. I cannot see the picture (due to them stopping images from photobucket ) but mine has 2 cross supports for each shelf as well as the ends. The more I think about it the more I think that I will get something made in a similar fashion for this rack. So hopefully beer might lower the cost cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Hi all, The rack is needs to 1450mm high x 300mm x 700mm wide (that is the maximum width I have available). G'day Rosco Did you consider placing the 2 foot tanks with the "sides" facing toward the front (Like my ones)? This will give you three more tanks , a total of 6 more tanks cya Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtiger Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Sorry ppl the dimension is 2x12x12 and not 18. The steel don't cost that much and the welding is done at our factory. So all up it will cost me a big fat zero. Cheers Hilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Sorry ppl the dimension is 2x12x12 and not 18. The steel don't cost that much and the welding is done at our factory. So all up it will cost me a big fat zero. Cheers Hilton Great price Hilton When cut into 770mm lengths does the steel have any flex at all? If it does I would consider running double lengths of it. **** PS Rosco: I Forgot. "Building a rack" is usually quite expensive, involving great expertise and expense, a willing participant, usually a short period in a "factory" facility followed by a long episode of whinging. Usually by a either the participant or their partner, depending on who wanted it and who paid for it. With some caution about who is allowed to touch "the rack" and when! I am told a similar set of events can occur when building another type of rack ! PS. Can you tell I am sleep deprived? cya Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Sorry ppl the dimension is 2x12x12 and not 18. The steel don't cost that much and the welding is done at our factory. So all up it will cost me a big fat zero. Cheers Hilton Great price Hilton When cut into 770mm lengths does the steel have any flex at all? If it does I would consider running double lengths of it. **** PS Rosco: I Forgot. "Building a rack" is usually quite expensive, involving great expertise and expense, a willing participant, usually a short period in a "factory" facility followed by a long episode of whinging. Usually by a either the participant or their partner, depending on who wanted it and who paid for it. With some caution about who is allowed to touch "the rack" and when! I am told a similar set of events can occur when building another type of rack ! PS. Can you tell I am sleep deprived? cya Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtiger Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Matthew, I think these steel are 2-3mm thick (need to double check) but we have made racks which is 1000+mm in length and have 200kg weight on top with no bending what so ever. Cheers Hilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Matthew, I think these steel are 2-3mm thick (need to double check) but we have made racks which is 1000+mm in length and have 200kg weight on top with no bending what so ever. Cheers Hilton No flex equals a happy tank, fish and owner If you do find they "sag" over time it may be best to add some more Padding. And I am talking about foam, above the Rack ! cya Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chorrylan Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Did you consider placing the 2 foot tanks with the "sides" facing toward the front (Like my ones)? I expect Rosco is planning on placing these against the wall opposite his existing rack. If so then he simply wouldn't have space to fit tanks in end-on. While Craig P's fishroom is a fine demonstration of the benefits to having narrow corridors in fishrooms for maximimising nipple pressure (*) there is a point of diminishing returns if the corridor gets two narrow. They'd need to be pressed hard up against the wall to ensure they extend 12 inches into the room and not much if any more. (*) ummmm a technical term related in some way to fishroom plumbing but too difficult to explain to those who weren't around when Shell and the Canberran lads went on fishroom crawl including Craig's place a while back (gotta organise one of them again some day. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Laurie is right, the maximum width I would want to go is 30cm. There is a space to do a 600x600 rack but it currently filled with single level tanks, this will probably change over time but not yet. For now I want to get the standard 2 tanksof individual stands to make up some room. Hilton having a look at your picture I would probably make a few changes. I would have the end pieces in between the uprights as opposed to attached to it like it appears in the diagram. I would also add a second cross support through the middle of each shelf., especially if it only materials that you are paying for. It will look a little cleaner as well and take up a less room and be that little bit stronger. If you do find they "sag" over time it may be best to add some more Padding. Matthew isn't sagging why most racks are rebuilt in the first place cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phenomena Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Sorry ppl the dimension is 2x12x12 and not 18. The steel don't cost that much and the welding is done at our factory. So all up it will cost me a big fat zero. Cheers Hilton Hi Hilton, Do you work in a steel/welding factory? I'm looking to get a 3 level rack for 4ft tanks but custom made is quite pricey. Maybe you can help out? Alas I can't use ready made rack as their dimensions are usually in metrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtiger Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Hi Phenomena, No I don"t sorry. I work in the plastic industry but luckily we have tool makers in our factory. Cheers Hilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 If you do find they "sag" over time it may be best to add some more Padding. Matthew isn't sagging why most racks are rebuilt in the first place It is best to get the models that have no sagging in the first place, later on of coure padding can be added . However there is of course a cost and other aspects as previoulsy outlinned . The alterntive is of course to get a newer model however these have alternate problems associated with them and often contain many hidden additional costs not least of which include removal costs of the original rack Rosco: Best of luck with your rack may it be erected and in operation ASAP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishdance Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 I thought this thread was going to be about a timber rack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chorrylan Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 The alterntive is of course to get a newer model however these have alternate problems associated with them and often contain many hidden additional costs not least of which include removal costs of the original rack Yeah... be very careful removing the old models. Once they've sat there for a while they seem to bond very tightly to the most delicate and expensive of your belongings so trying to remove it to make room for a less-saggy model can result in all sorts of damage to and loss of those belongings if you're not extremely careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 solid advice all around . I have decided to keep it consistent with rest of racks and get it made up in metal. cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyr Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 good idea mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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