Decided to give this a try, building a stand for my newly acquired frag tank. I have a small tank so this is going to be seriosuly overbuilt. Looking ahead to a possible tank upgrade, so this is practice for the possible upgrade. Using 2x3 for frame...
remember the fundamentals of framing is the same in wood framing as it is in steel.
your inherent weak points are at the joints, but properly joined, the joints should actually be stronger than the length itself.
with wood
always pre-drill / countersink - splitting the wood really compromises the strength. it technically still holds, but the strength isn't there anymore.
use appropriate screws - they're not all created equal. drywall screws are cheap and go in (relatively) easily, but do not have the same shear strength as actual wood screws.
I just finished my stand, the one thing I learned was using screws with square sockets instead of Phillips or slotted, they drive much better. I sanded every surface, inside and out and it is nice to not get splinters while working inside the stand.
I built mine from scratch earlier this year. I pasted a few pictures below. I strongly recommend picking up a Kreg Jig, made the process much easier. Happy to answer any questions you may have!
I built mine from scratch earlier this year. I pasted a few pictures below. I strongly recommend picking up a Kreg Jig, made the process much easier. Happy to answer any questions you may have!
So got a bit done today, took a little longer than I anticipated. Under estimated the amount supplies needed. I'm easy over 100 screws into it... Had to make two HD runs mid build. The stand will be painted, either dark brown or black. Here is the progress for today.
Looks like you've made some great progress and it appears you did a great job of making sure the load is transferred to the base. Have you been using wood glue in your joints? Make sure to do that going forward if you haven't as it great improves the strength of the stand. Wood glue properly applied is more important than the screws, which to some extent only serve to hold the wood together until the glue bond is complete.
I've heard having a miter saw/chop saw makes the job much easier than using a table saw, even if you aren't doing any true miter cuts. I used one but also wish I had a table saw for ripping bigger pieces of ply. A skill saw was also handy to have but not required.
Almost done, added the skin, some trim and a first coat of paint. Going to leave it door less for a while until I mount all the equipment. (gotta get it first)