"Dan White" wrote in message
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"George" wrote in message
. net...

For a single tank and with glued sheet goods to reinforce, the 4/4, which
is
really 3/4" thick hardwood would be rigid enough and support anything you
wanted to put to it as a static load.

Just to be clear, you are recommending that I glue, not screw, the panels
to
the frame?


Yep, sheet goods are stable enough in short runs that they can be glued in
place. Idea is to use them as filler and gusset both, though you could
float the panels and gusset under as well.

Carry your legs right up to the top
rails and use joinery that tries to compress the end grain and you'll do
fine.

I'm a bit new on the terminology. Can you rephrase what you mean by
"joinery that tries to compress the end grain"?


The plan you referenced shows it pretty well. The rails ride on the end
grain of the 4x4s. Wood is stronger that way. Of course, softwood,
especially softwood of construction grade and questionable moisture can make
that wrap lap into a loose joint in half a week by drying and contracting.
It may also compress enough on the face grain of the rails from bumps and/or
an uneven floor to become loose as well. Thus the recommendation of
hardwood with its greater face strength and gusseted or glued panels.


Any construction-grade "S-dry" stuff you get will do the pretzel
imitation
as it cures down, possibly warping enough to drop a corner or raise a
center
and cause your aquarium to leak. BTDT in the days of metal frames.


Again, you're talking about the glue used to attach the side, front and
top
panels to the hardwood frame?


Nope, construction grade "white" wood stored in the rain is more a work in
progress than a project maker. It's going to move a bunch as it adjusts,
and it's often cut from the worst kind of stuff, just to make that worse.

Oh yes, nobody's recommending you use 1" square lumber, least of all me.
But 3/4 by 2 1/2 will take a hell of a load against the 2 1/2 dimension over
a span of four feet. More, if you brace it in the middle.