Making A 6ft Cabinet And Hood.

[Sloory]

G'day! i'm currnetly working on a cabinet and hood for my 6ft tank that my fronties will go in.

I plan to post pics as i go and give a bit of an explination of what i'd done in each post.

Tonight i started the frame and almost had the frame finished cept i ran out of screws. dang!
Oh yeah, this is an after work project so it might not happen very fast, then again... it might :wink: .

I'll post picks of the frame work tomoz when i get more screws.

[mac_man_luke]

im very interested in this

Want to build one for my turtles 4ft tank

[Sloory]

G'day
so i got the screws and finished the frame. it's a nice strong frame more than capable of holding the weight of the tank.

For the Legs of the frame i used 70mm thick pine and the restwas made with 70x35mm pine.

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/2213/framedt5.th.jpg (http://img95.imageshack.us/my.php?image=framedt5.jpg)

Next i cut a sheet of chipboard to fit and slid it in.

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/8518/floortz3.th.jpg (http://img95.imageshack.us/my.php?image=floortz3.jpg)

I cut two more bits of 70x35 pine for the back braces and screwed them into place.

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3923/bracesij3.th.jpg (http://img154.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bracesij3.jpg)

Now came the time to make it actually start to look like a cabnet.

I cut some 70x20mm pine to size for the top rim that will hide the tanks foam and bottom.
I 45ed the corners and nailed in with it sticking up 40mm.

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/2525/screwrz9.th.jpg (http://img154.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screwrz9.jpg)

Then i started to nail the cladding on the sides. I started from the front corners and worked back.
when i got to the end i simply mark the last peice, cut it and nailed it in.

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/5742/sidepanels2zd5.th.jpg (http://img154.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sidepanels2zd5.jpg)

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/111/sidepanelsjb9.th.jpg (http://img154.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sidepanelsjb9.jpg)

And thats as far as i've gone sofar, hopefully tomorrow night i'll start the doors!

I should point out that i'm constantly checking that every new bit that gets added is
being double checked that it going in square to save any headaches!! :wink:

[mac_man_luke]

Looking great

What types of saws are you using?

[Sloory]

G'day mate,

I'm using and circular bench saw and also a circular saw fixed to a triton work bench for the cuts such as the long cladding cuts.

You can just make out my bench saw in the top right hand corner of the last pic.
I'll take some proper pics of them tomoz.

[mac_man_luke]

How do you find the triton? which model is it? im looking at picking something similar up

[Marc]

Good work Sloory ... it's really looking the goods :)

[joz]

Looking good there,looks like a good workshop space aswell.
I wish I had some woodworking skills :(

[Sloory]

Thanks for the kind words blokes :biggrin: I'll post more pics tomorrow arvo.

Hey joz this is my first proper woodwork i've done since year 8!
I'm just lucky cause i'm building it at my dads and he has the great workshop.

[Sloory]

G'day,

Today I finished the door frames.

I nailed (and glued) a peice of 35x19mm pine behind each piece of vertical cladding either side of the door gap.
Then I nailed a piece across the top to set the door height.

Then i cut the some cladding for across the top of each door frame and also some for the bottom of each door frame.
Nailed them in and that was that.

Tomorrow i'll stick on the bottom skirting and make a start on the doors :)

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/9962/doorframefinishedla4.th.jpg (http://img224.imageshack.us/my.php?image=doorframefinishedla4.jpg)

[Sloory]

G'day here's an update.

Last thursday i put the skirting around the bottom.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/7516/skirtingpf1.th.jpg (http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=skirtingpf1.jpg)

Then i started to make the door. i cut the frames and joined them with wood glue and a biscuit joint.
I also made the top of the door a bit bigger so a could make a fancy smancy wave thing. (you'll see).

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4667/doorsbr4.th.jpg (http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=doorsbr4.jpg)

[Marc]

Looking sweet Darren, not far off now hey ?

[Sloory]

yeah thanks marc,
i haven't touched it this week yet but i'll get stuck into it tomorrow night.

Its actually coming together quite quick considering it only gets worked on after work.
Its having all the tools there on hand that helps!

I move to melb in 1 1/2 weeks! it'll be harder to make stuff being so far away from my dads shed.
looks like im going to have to invest in some wood workin tools eh! :p

[Sloory]

Ok i've moved and i didn't quite get my cabinet finished.
BUT! it now only needs a sand and some stain.

Here's how she looks with the doors on.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/8819/readytostainwz1.th.jpg (http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?image=readytostainwz1.jpg)

[wombat1100]

Hey Daz , funky door arches, I like 'em! :biggrin:
Just make sure that when you seal the unit that you seal ALL the timber surfaces with a few coats of clear, especially all 6 faces of the doors or they will twist. :wink:
Lots of moisture in there wih heaters and filters.
just some advice from an old cabinet maker!
Dazz

[Sloory]

Hey Daz , funky door arches, I like 'em! :biggrin:
Just make sure that when you seal the unit that you seal ALL the timber surfaces with a few coats of clear, especially all 6 faces of the doors or they will twist. :wink:
Lots of moisture in there wih heaters and filters.
just some advice from an old cabinet maker!
Dazz[/b]


Will do mate, thanks for the advice :) .

[joz]

Ok i've moved and i didn't quite get my cabinet finished.
BUT! it now only needs a sand and some stain.

Here's how she looks with the doors on.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/8819/readytostainwz1.th.jpg (http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?image=readytostainwz1.jpg)[/b]


Looks like its coming along nicely,I bet you can hardly wait.

[Sloory]

G'day i finally put a coat of stain on.
Its such a dark stain that i think i'll leave it at one.
I've put it on kinda roagh but thats the look i like.
Now it just needs some spray on clear gloss. :)

http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/4903/cabinetstainedvs1.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cabinetstainedvs1.jpg)

[Sloory]

Here's a pic of it squashed into my room! LOL

I still haven't got it running yet, too many other tank have been getting done first.
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/189/6x2x2cabinetfinishedmt6.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=6x2x2cabinetfinishedmt6.jpg)

Also i won't be getting my WC Mpimbwe's for a few months so i have time :) .

[silkieboy]

very professional work mate. U a carpentar by any chance? ;)

[Sloory]

very professional work mate. U a carpentar by any chance? ;)[/b]


lol no mate, i'm a ceramic tiler :) .

[GoGuppy]

Here's a pic of it squashed into my room! LOL

I still haven't got it running yet, too many other tank have been getting done first.
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/189/6x2x2cabinetfinishedmt6.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=6x2x2cabinetfinishedmt6.jpg)

Also i won't be getting my WC Mpimbwe's for a few months so i have time :) .[/b]

G'day Sloory

How's the tank set up coming along? Dis you get the WC Mpimbwe's yet?

Any chance of a few piccies? :rolleyes:

Cheers

[Prowse]

Nice work mate, well done!

Just wondering how much you spent on materials?

[native_ drew]

good job go the fx5 just dont break the impeller your wallet will not enjoy it!

[dearis]

Hi there,

it looks great you know the back should brace it for you if you use something like marine ply

Regards Darren