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diy canopy and false fronts


RDFISHGUY
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CACTUSLAKE003.jpg

230 gallon

CACTUSLAKE004.jpg

180 gallon

The false fronts are just stuck to the steel stands with magnets but they warped with the stain and had to be clamped to the tank to put back into shape. The magnets don't hold that well either so I'll replace them with velcro when I get home. Special thanks to Neil for helping me with this project.

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looks great!

Are you using regular magnets or rare earth magnets? Rare earth magnets are infinitely stronger than regular magnets.

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I'm using the regular type of magnets. I thought it would be plenty strong enough as it came in a1/2 '' x 10' roll w/adhesive strip. I put a strip on the top ,bottom and sides but it didn't hold partly because the panels warped a bit after staining. I'll try again when I get home , next Thursday. I'll also add pics of how I constructed the different pieces.

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I did a similar thing for my 135, except I attached 1/2 the front to each of the sides, making an L. I just stand them in place, and they stay nicely. I thought about the magnets - like stereo stand doors - but decided I was too lazy to go back to the store for the magnets..... :D

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Are you using regular magnets or rare earth magnets? Rare earth magnets are infinitely stronger than regular magnets.

Here is a place to buy rare earth magnets. They can not be drilled so you might want the type with a hole for the screw.

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.asp...amp;cat=3,42363

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  • 4 weeks later...
What kinda wood is it exactly, I'm interested in doing this for my 130, for stand and canopy.

Its 1/2 " fir plywood. It still isn't as great as I thought it'd be. The velcro sticks really well to itself but the adhesive backing doesn't stick too well to the plywood. Should I use gorilla glue to get the velcro to stick to the wood better or should I scrap the whole thing and cut doors and use self tapping screws to attach it to the steel frame?

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What kinda wood is it exactly, I'm interested in doing this for my 130, for stand and canopy.

Its 1/2 " fir plywood. It still isn't as great as I thought it'd be. The velcro sticks really well to itself but the adhesive backing doesn't stick too well to the plywood. Should I use gorilla glue to get the velcro to stick to the wood better or should I scrap the whole thing and cut doors and use self tapping screws to attach it to the steel frame?

You could always just staple the velcro to the wood instead of useing adhesive.

I think I'm going to do a false front too, a bit of a pain to get in to the sump and stuff, but a whole lot simpler to make and nicer looking too, I think.

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What kinda wood is it exactly, I'm interested in doing this for my 130, for stand and canopy.

Its 1/2 " fir plywood. It still isn't as great as I thought it'd be. The velcro sticks really well to itself but the adhesive backing doesn't stick too well to the plywood. Should I use gorilla glue to get the velcro to stick to the wood better or should I scrap the whole thing and cut doors and use self tapping screws to attach it to the steel frame?

You could always just staple the velcro to the wood instead of useing adhesive.

I think I'm going to do a false front too, a bit of a pain to get in to the sump and stuff, but a whole lot simpler to make and nicer looking too, I think.

Gump you are a god damned genius! You must have an IQ of 160. ..... Why didn't I think of that - way too easy.

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