Steel Tank-Stand Builders? - Page 3

Lunchbucket · #51 04/11/2007, 10:53 PM

NICE stands guys!

I just picked up a 4'x4'x20" tank w/ a powder coated stand. Stand measures 4'x4'x36". A BIG problem. I can't get this beast of a stand into ANY house easily. What I want to do is some how find an idea of what I should do?

Should I cut it in 1/2 (top and a bottom piece)and have a welder weld an "insert" in to the tubing so when I place the two pieces back together the "inserts" will slide inside the tubing on the other cut piece thus keeping the pieces perfectly straight together and the weight will be straight down on it's self?? What other options would be good for me? Any help from you steal welders would be great

here are the pics of it

I thought I'd put this question here since there seems to be such a gathering of some good welding/steel guys. Sorry for hijacking I can start a new thread if needed

thanks
Lunchbucket

tbone28 · #52 04/11/2007, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Konadog
OK, were not building offroad race cars here! IMO you have it way over built. Even with mine, I could have omitted one set of uprights. You won't believe how strong a steal stand is. It's no comparison to a wood stand so don't try to build it like one. I would drop any/all corner braces, if its welded correctly you are only adding weight, material, and labor, which all equal $$$.

I just don't want my tank on the floor! LOL. OK, OK, I'll price out a 1/8" x 1.5" x 1.5" which is not overbuilt!

servicky · #53 04/11/2007, 11:50 PM

cut it in half and have a welder come out and tig weld it back together... yes slid in insert inside then tig it it will be fine....

Konadog · #54 04/11/2007, 11:53 PM

tbone, I bet you would total a car if you hit any of the stand pictured in this thread!

Lunch, is there a way you could cut the bottom rails off and walk it thru a door? If so, you could make a separate bottom that the rest of the stand would sit in after it's moved in.

Does that make any sense?

tbone28 · #55 04/12/2007, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Konadog
tbone, I bet you would total a car if you hit any of the stand pictured in this thread!

LOL

So I've come to realize that labor here in Northern Cal. is a lot more expensive. Even if I price out a stand at 1/8x1.5x1.5 without the angle braces, the prices goes down only about $100. The labor is what's expensive up here! Wish I lived in SCAL or out of state right now!

Seems like if I'm set on a steel stand, I'll be paying about $1200-1300 before coating. I'm also leaning towards the Linex/Rhino coating now...worried about the powdercoat peeling off in the future.

Konadog · #56 04/12/2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tbone28
I'm also leaning towards the Linex/Rhino coating now...worried about the powdercoat peeling off in the future.

That's why I did it. I just know that sooner or later I would chip the powder coating and start a rust propagation farm!

Just a suggestion, check with local schools/collage/HVAC school and see if they have a welding course. If so, maybe you can find a student that would like a paying project

tbone28 · #57 04/12/2007, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Konadog
That's why I did it. I just know that sooner or later I would chip the powder coating and start a rust propagation farm!

Just a suggestion, check with local schools/collage/HVAC school and see if they have a welding course. If so, maybe you can find a student that would like a paying project

Great idea! Will look into that. On a sidenote, I'm not quite sold yet on either an AGA or Perfecto tank. I haven't heard many bad stories on the LeeMAR, so I gave em a call this morning. They referred me to Vivid Aquarium. Have you heard of that store? I'm in contact with Sean right now to price out a 180g with starphire front, black sides and back, Eurobraced. I'd have to drive down and pick it up though...my wife is the one who offered that idea!

Konadog · #58 04/12/2007, 03:02 PM

Yes, I have heard of Vivid Aquarium. They have donated to our Club Raffle in the past

Good luck on finding a welder. You might try an old muffler shop, some of those guys are good welders too!.
I know mine took a full weekend to cut and weld, it's just a long process to keep things straight.

hsvtoolfool · #59 04/12/2007, 09:02 PM

If you must cut and re-weld the stand, I recommend making it
less than 35" tall so that it will fit through a standard-width door.

If you want a taller stand (as I did), the best solution is to make
the stand 34-inches tall, but then weld 1/2-inch plates to the
bottom of each leg. These plates are then drilled and tapped for
1-inch stainless steel bolts. Remove the bolts to get the stand
through doors, then screw them when you set up the tank. The
bolts are intended as leveling devices, but it's also a nice trick to
get a tall stand through a door. To protect my concrete slab by
spreading the point-pressure of each a bolt, I placed 1/4-inch
steel plate 6"x6" squares on the floor under each bolt.

My stand was designed by a mech-eng friend, who came up with
this clever bolt solution. He assured me that the threads on the
bolt are plenty stong for my 250 gallon tank.

invincible569 · #60 04/12/2007, 09:33 PM

Here's mine.. made from 2" steel from a local named Abe. Seeing all the prices you guys paid, I must of got a steel. No powder coat, just thick black paint. Be careful if you have tile floor as it may create that pressure point. For mine, I added a rubber mat also in case i had spills or leaks which I can just wipe away.

OH.. I also had the issue of the stand not fitting through any door or window since its 72" x 40" wide. I had to tear down a wall and have it reconstructed. Behind the tank in the pic was my previous in wall so I just tore the entire wall down.

gws294 · #61 04/12/2007, 10:20 PM

tbone...
a ways back you mentioned that they were going to charge you $600 for 8 levelers... check out this web site (that's wayyyyyy too much)

http://www.levelingmounts.com/

I purchased 10 levelers after talking with one of their engineers for $19.50 a piece. I used 1/8" thick steel in my stand, drilled and tapped the holes in the bottom (3/8") of the stand and inserted the levelers. They are supported on lock nuts. The bottom of the levelers are about 2" in diameter.

Good luck....

Geoff

Treg · #62 04/12/2007, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tbone28
OK guys, I've contacted several local metal fabricators, and all quotes are coming in at least twice as much as you guys have paid. They're coming in between $1600-$2000 (stand & powdercoat)

Do you think this stand is worth $1600? If I decide to add levelling feet (8 in total), it will add another $600 for parts and labor.

Thats just a crazy price if you ask me and Not worth even close to it.

I built mine for around $350, that is counting a new Dewalt Chop Saw for $200 and paint!
So $150ish for materials... I had maybe 8-10 hours in actual cut and welding.
Maybe another 8 in sanding and paint.

You could buy your own welder and still come out $1000 ahead.

Just an idea, Might be worth running an add in a local paper and find a welding guy to take on a side job for cash. A lot of people weld other than fab shops.

Lunchbucket · #63 04/12/2007, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by servicky
cut it in half and have a welder come out and tig weld it back together... yes slid in insert inside then tig it it will be fine....

I figured that would work but what the heck do I know?

Quote:

Originally posted by Konadog
Lunch, is there a way you could cut the bottom rails off and walk it thru a door? If so, you could make a separate bottom that the rest of the stand would sit in after it's moved in.

Does that make any sense?

It does but the bottom piece is only like 1" tall. See the pic? I don't think it would fit through a door since it is about 36" tall. Need to cut off quite a bit to get it in.

Ok so how do I keep the moisture out of the inside of the stand causing rust from the inside out? My stand does not have plates over the ends of the tubes so would moisure get in there and mess it up from the inside out? Also if i cut it and did slid in inserts and TIG weld it how do I keep the moisture of of there?

Ok what is TIG welding?

thanks
Lunchbucket

Konadog · #64 04/12/2007, 11:10 PM

Lunch,by cutting the bottom off it would open up the stand, you should be able to walk the stand in by putting a set of legs in first, slipping them around the door jam. It looks like you would only have to do two sides for it to work. Think how you move a mattress into a a room if you have to turn down a hallway.

tbone28 · #65 04/13/2007, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Konadog
Nice stands, here's mine:

I didn't want powder coating, I'll chip it in no time and it will rust. I had mine sprayed with Linex truck bed liner.

It deadens the sound that can resonate thru a steel stand also.

Kona,

What made you go with Line-X over Rhino? I think I'm going with the bedliner route now.

Konadog · #66 04/13/2007, 08:15 AM

I knew someone at a Line-x shop, did it at cost for me

For this application, I think Rhino would work just fine too.

Lunchbucket · #67 04/13/2007, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Konadog
Lunch,by cutting the bottom off it would open up the stand, you should be able to walk the stand in by putting a set of legs in first, slipping them around the door jam. It looks like you would only have to do two sides for it to work. Think how you move a mattress into a a room if you have to turn down a hallway.

We will be buying a house that is older 30's-50's since that it our price range and the basement steps to my parents house built in the same time isn't 36" wide. I still dont' know if it would fit down some hallways. But I have thought about shifting it around door ways like you said. I'm thinking might just be easier to cut in 1/2 and put together. If it was a tight corner at the end of a hall you would never make it around into a doorway.

Lunchbucket

tbone28 · #68 04/13/2007, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by invincible569
Here's mine.. made from 2" steel from a local named Abe. Seeing all the prices you guys paid, I must of got a steel. No powder coat, just thick black paint. Be careful if you have tile floor as it may create that pressure point. For mine, I added a rubber mat also in case i had spills or leaks which I can just wipe away.

OH.. I also had the issue of the stand not fitting through any door or window since its 72" x 40" wide. I had to tear down a wall and have it reconstructed. Behind the tank in the pic was my previous in wall so I just tore the entire wall down.

Nice stand. AFter seeing your stand, I know my initial design is WAY WAY WAY overbuilt!

What kind of paint did you use? Rustoleum? Did you prime first?
Any potential for the paint to flake off?

tbone28 · #69 04/16/2007, 10:15 AM

Quote:

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OK, latest update...I'm finally under $1000!

William's Welding & Fabrication - $750 for the design you see in rwrussom's design, but with extra support:

2 additional vertical braces in the back
1 additional vertical brace in each side
2 additional horizontal braces on the top
1/8" x 2" x 2" vertical and horizontal supports
1/8" x 1.5" x 1.5" for all angled supports

$750 for the stand only. I'm going to either Line-X the stand ($135) or Rustoleum it myself.

Sounds like a good deal? (relative to the other quotes I've been getting)

It will cost $650 if I take out the angled supports.

There's also that guy I found off Craigslist who will do the stand in 3/16 x 2 x 2 with powdercoat for $600. He told me he's been fabricating for 25 years, and opened up his own shop a year ago. I drove by the address, and it looks like he's working out of his home. Can I trust him?

Which should I go for? Or should I continue my quest for a more reasonable price?

rwrussom · #70 04/16/2007, 11:24 AM

From what I paid, you are in the range now. All the additional bracing is a waste to me. Maybe if you had to, add one to the back. The angle braces can also be angle iron. Its cheaper and easier to weld on those inside corners. It may help the price.

Great price on the craigslist guy (if you get plumb, level, and in a timely manner)

Konadog · #71 04/16/2007, 11:41 AM

Working out of his home should not be a problem as long as its straight and level. He sounds like a retired welder or one that is doing side work.

I agree about the additional bracing, it's a waste of $$

gws294 · #72 04/16/2007, 11:53 AM

tbone,
also just a thought... if you still really want the bracing, it would do the same thing if both braces were on the top. Not one on the bottom, and one on the top. It would open up the ends to be able to insert a sump or what ever....

FWIW
Good luck,
GEoff

tbone28 · #73 04/16/2007, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gws294
tbone,
also just a thought... if you still really want the bracing, it would do the same thing if both braces were on the top. Not one on the bottom, and one on the top. It would open up the ends to be able to insert a sump or what ever....

FWIW
Good luck,
GEoff

Can you explain that differently. I'm having issues visualizing that...it's still early for me

Yes, guys, it's overbuilt!! But I also need to make sure my wife is comfortable. I'm slowly chipping away at her "worry-nerve". I'm hoping to be able to remove some of the extra support!

gws294 · #74 04/16/2007, 12:32 PM

Sorry for the poor description...
If you have a brace (45 degree angle) at the top and the bottom of the side panels(LIKE YOR ILLUSTRATION), it limits the size of the opening.....
If both braces are located on the top, then you have more room at the bottom of the side panel to insert a sump or what ever...

In other words... think about putting a large box through the end panel.... see which design would allow for more room.

Clear as mud...

Geoff

tbone28 · #75 04/16/2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gws294
Sorry for the poor description...
If you have a brace (45 degree angle) at the top and the bottom of the side panels(LIKE YOR ILLUSTRATION), it limits the size of the opening.....
If both braces are located on the top, then you have more room at the bottom of the side panel to insert a sump or what ever...

In other words... think about putting a large box through the end panel.... see which design would allow for more room.

Clear as mud...

Geoff

haha...got it now! Coffee's flowing through the bloodstream. Thanks for your idea...it makes great sense. However, my tank will be sandwiched on the sides by pantries...no access...which is why I'm making that huge front-side opening for my sump (48").