Water Station Build

[+Grog]

I already have an RODI unit from Bulk Reef Supply mounted on the wall. Right now I'm just making it in buckets and keep flooding the garage, so I need to hook up a float switch so I stop flooding my garage. I want to mount that in a Brute trashcan, and I need a stand to put the can on top of. This build thread is for my RODI and saltwater mixing station. Will probably take me a couple of weeks to get this project completed and I'll try to update this every few days with my progress.

First part of the upgrade is a stand for the Brute can. I'm using the design found on Reefcentral that was posted by Rocket Engineer. Designed as a tank stand it should be fine for my purposes.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169964

I'm using this for my water station for a few reasons.

1.) Easy
2.) Want practice with some new tools and techniques before I build the stand for my 144 gallon tank. First one I made wasn't as good as I would have preferred, make it better this time.
3.) Made one before and didn't document it, this gives me the opportunity to document the process and maybe help someone else by doing so.


Please keep in mind that I'm not a pro wood worker. I'm slightly above noob and may not do things the absolutely best way. If you know of a better way to do things, let me know and I'll try it. My purpose here is to show what I've done and that even a noob can produce decent results with a little patience and a few tools.

My Requirements

1.) Needs to support a Brute trashcan full of water
2.) Tall enough so I can put a bucket under it
3.) Gravity feed for water output, don't want a pump here (Will add one on the salt mixing side but that is coming later)
4.) Look halfway decent, so it will be skinned with plywood.

The Build

Decided to change the design a little bit. Instead of butting the top and bottom pieces, I decided to use 45 degree miters. Butt joints work but I like the look of the miters better and I wanted to use my new miter saw. I the four top pieces on the long dimension of 24".

Then I assembled them, for a dry-fit, in 4 right angle jigs. Picked these up for cheap at Harbor Freight, they are like having a good helper around. I think they were $10 bucks each.



After I was happy with the dry fit, I loosened one side and added glue to both ends and re-assembled. Did the same to the board opposite. That way each joint has some glue.



Drilled two holes on one side and one on the the other with a 1/8" bit. Then screwed them together. I'm using 2 1/2" Grip Rite screws for exterior use. I figured they would hold up to the potential presence of water better than a plain screw. These come in little tubs with a star drive. Star drive is pretty good at not slipping.



Note on assembly. Don't run the screw in at top speed and bury it the wood. Wood splits. Go slow. Also, I like to drive the center hole first. Seems to help the assembly hold its shape better. This is how the ends look after being screwed together.



Then I repeated for the second one. So, now I have the top and bottom made. Will work on the leg assemblies tonight. Planning on adding a door and interior storage for bungs, refractometer, etc Debating staining the exterior or laminating it, not sure yet, will see how I feel in the end.

[sifuentes31]

[bige]

Looks good so far. If you drill a pilot hole then screw, you won't split the wood.

[Robb in Austin]

The only thing I can add, and I'm no woodworker so take this with a grain of salt, is why not a mortise/tenon type joint?

Are those frames going to support the weight of the water barrel?

As I see it, and understand it, those screws will be supporting the weight as opposed to the wood itself. All the stand builds I've read state the wood should support the weight straight down to the floor.

(Obviously, this is not always the case and it works; see RCA's FW stands holding 125g tanks plus more.)

[bige]

The only thing I can add, and I'm no woodworker so take this with a grain of salt, is why not a mortise/tenon type joint?

Are those frames going to support the weight of the water barrel?

As I see it, and understand it, those screws will be supporting the weight as opposed to the wood itself. All the stand builds I've read state the wood should support the weight straight down to the floor.

(Obviously, this is not always the case and it works; see RCA's FW stands holding 125g tanks plus more.)

I assumed those squares were the base, like feet. But Robb you are correct, those screws would be holding the weight if used in that configuration.

[jestep]

Bit of a tangent, but those screws are one of the best inventions ever. We rebuilt a huge deck and about 500ft of picket fence last summer at my parents house in Colorado. Expensive as heck but worth it all the way. I'll never use normal philips again for large projects, especially ones that require high torque.

[+Grog]

Looks good so far. If you drill a pilot hole then screw, you won't split the wood.

Drilled pilot holes in all of them this time.

The only thing I can add, and I'm no woodworker so take this with a grain of salt, is why not a mortise/tenon type joint?

Are those frames going to support the weight of the water barrel?

As I see it, and understand it, those screws will be supporting the weight as opposed to the wood itself. All the stand builds I've read state the wood should support the weight straight down to the floor.

(Obviously, this is not always the case and it works; see RCA's FW stands holding 125g tanks plus more.)

I assumed those squares were the base, like feet. But Robb you are correct, those screws would be holding the weight if used in that configuration.

These are the tops and bottoms. The screws will not be supporting the weight. Weight will transfer from top to legs, then to bottom and finally floor. This stand is total overkill for the 25 gallons of water that will be in the trashcan. I'll make the legs tonight, maybe even assemble them too.

[+Grog]

I was able to spend more time on this project after work today. I even remembered to take more pictures.

First thing I wanted to do was add a center piece to the tops and bottoms. Cut to 21" and centered at 10.5" from the edge. I put two screws on each end, and some glue.

Next, I moved onto the legs. 8 pieces at 15" Why 15"? I wanted to be able to fit a bucket under the faucet and my bucket is a little over 15". The boards will give me another 7", and the plywood top will raise it a bit more. Should be plenty of clearance for the bucket, even if I have a downward pointing ball valve or spigot.

Cutting the legs, lots of cuts but easy. Then I assembled them to each other. This was the hardest part of the project. I aligned them in the right-angle jigs.

Once I was happy, I removed the one that butted to the other (see pic) so I could slide it back into the jig and not have to totally re-align it. Glued, screwed, with 3 screws.

Here the legs are all done.

Now I need to add the 'nailers'. I cut these 19" long so when centered in the leg, I'll have 2" of overhang on the ends. I cut a piece of scrap 2" to use as a spacer when aligning.

This was pretty easy to line up and clamp as the pieces are already squared up from the previous operation. The C clamp was the only one I had that would fit. Not the best clamp to use here but I was careful and didn't tighten it down and mar the wood.

I oriented the 'nailer' so it was flush with one of the boards. Just used 3 screws here. Screws were done on the 'inside' so there is less hardware on the outside of the stand.

Once that was complete on all four leg assemblies, I put the legs on the bottom. I oriented them so the longer sides were on the same side of the bottom.

Those sides will be the sides of the stand. The smaller legs, wider opening will become the front and back. I wanted the wider in the front so I can have room for a larger door.

They were screwed 2x from the inside. This was super easy. Everything was nice flush and square because of the attentions paid to squareness earlier.

I did not attach the top yet, but it will be attached in the same manner as the bottom. I am going to hold off on attaching the top, because I want to cut and fit an interior shelf in the bottom. It will be much easier to do without the top in the way.... Maybe tomorrow? Might try to sneak a table saw by 'the boss'.

[Robb in Austin]

Ahhhh! Very good.

Good luck with the table saw. Let us know if we can help in that regard.

[+Grog]

Got a little more work in last night and today. For those who are following along; the table saw discussion didn't go over to well with 'the boss'

Here is a picture to show you the area that will be cleaned up by this project.

Today I wanted to install the lower shelf. It would be a beast to install with the top on, so I decided to do it now instead. I measured and cut the patter out with a jigsaw. Jigsaw is like my least favorite thing to use; inaccurate is the word to me. lol I managed though.

I dry fit it, then applied glue to the bottom, remember to put it with the nice side up. I nailed this down with 1 1/4" brads using a brad nailer.

Then I glued the top of the legs, and added the top on top of them. I used a spreader bar to align them nice and square. Didn't get a picture of that. Again Harbor Freight was a great buy for the spreader/clamp. It works to expand or compress, just unscrew the small end and flip it over and it works in reverse. 36" model for $18.00. They have a cheaper one for $6.00 but that was more suited for picture frames than an aquarium stand. Comparable unit at Lowes was $38.00. While I like 'name brand' tools, I have no problem getting consumables (drill bits, gloves, etc.) at Harbor Freight or things I don't use very often, like a 36" spreader bar...

One point to note here is that I'm using several power tools. Mainly because I got them as gifts. None of this project is unmanageable with hand tools, small miter box, finishing nails, nail set, etc.... I'd say a power drill is a must though. I'd hate to drive all those screws by hand. Truth be told I'm using two power drills, one corded and one battery. I use the corded for drilling holes and the battery operated one for driving in the screws. This is a huge time saver because it sucks changing bits out over and over.

Another tip on tools, I have a lot of Dewalt stuff, it lasts. Pawnshops are a great source for tools. I can regularly get tools for <50% of retail that way. Pay knock-off prices for name brand stuff. The catch is that you may not be able to get what you want when you need it. I like stopping by pawn shops every couple of weeks and seeing what they have that I may need. Kind of a fun errand for me.

Next steps are skinning the outside, installing the top, and making a door.

[bige]

Looks really strong. I've never bought tools at a pawn shop but I buy harbor freight all the time. I can use their stuff and if it breaks, it breaks. But nothing really has.

[chark]

Nice stand. I need to get me some of those clamps. Where did you get them?

[+Grog]

Nice stand. I need to get me some of those clamps. Where did you get them?

I assume you mean the right angle clamps? Harbor Freight on Parmer over by Frys.

[+Grog]

Skinned the RODI station today. The 'boss' totally poo-pooed the table saw idea so I used my ghetto method of ripping plywood. Laid the plywood down on top of a sacrificial layer of foam and cut on the ground. Set the depth of the saw enough to cut the wood but not down to the concrete below. Used a simple fence as a guide. This ain't fine cabinetry so I temporarily attached the fence to the plywood with a couple of brads for my cuts.

Cut the back first, so the sides would overlap the back. Cut the front next so it would overlap the side, then cut the top last so it overlapped everything. Installed the pieces with the top of the unit face down, so the top would be flush. (If there is an imperfection, it will be on the bottom of the unit, not the top and less visible.....)

All of the faces were glued and nailed with a brad nailer. Top was attached with screws too as the sheet of ply had a bit of a bow.

Here are the front pieces. Thought it would be easier to do four small pieces and patch with filler than use the jigsaw. Came out ok.

Here I've sanded with a belt sander and patched gaps with wood filler. I'll sand and trim and prime tomorrow. Door will be the final thing.

Oh, remember to measure twice and cut once. And clean up afterwards, your wife will thank you. NOTE: I'm painting this stand. If I were staining, I would have paid some attention to the direction of the wood grain, and used better grade plywood. Here I was maximizing utilization of the wood, not worrying about grain direction, as the paint will hide it.

Sides and back are all 3/8" ply. Top and interior shelf are 23/32".

[Planeden]

Looks good. I may steal this plan for my mixing area. Although, not with nearly the quality and craftsmanship.

[bige]

Looks good.

[+Grog]

Added trim to the top, primed with 2 coats Killz premium, and painted with 3 coats of red Valspar.

Trim work was a first for me. The L shaped trim was spendy but I needed it to hide some of my poor joinery. All good now. Was fun matching up the 45 degree joins, never did that before.

Some painting tips. Paint does not hide problems, it makes them more visible, do your sanding and filling and sanding before. Use primer, especially around water, it helps the paint bond and you will use less paint. Red and yellow are notorious for having poor hiding properties and needing many coats. Primer helps with this. I favor Killz premium, it has done me well on many instances. It not only helps the paint adhere but is good against mold etc., So, I coated the inside with it too. If I was making this for my DT, I would have sanded and filled more beforehand. I would have sanded the primer coats, etc. This will be in the garage, I don't care so much. Finishing work, like paint or stain can easily consume 1/2 of the time you spend on a project like this....

I've seen some folks use two part marine epoxy on their stands, I think that is overkill for this project. I could build two more stands for the cost of the marine epoxy. I will top coat with spray on polyurethane for protection and gloss, after I do the trim work tomorrow.

You are probably wondering why I chose such a garish color..... Well, I want it to match my Craftsman cabinets and I had the paint as spare from the dining room painting.

This is what I'm matching up to. The door on my RODI stand will be black to match, trim too. Maybe some aluminum or nickel pulls and hinges. No lock on this stand LOL

[bige]

I'm always surprised how much hinges and latches cost. I went to replace my bio cube stand hinges. $25 each what?? So mine are still rusty. I can't wait to see this come together. I'm gonna build one soon. So make yours real nice so I can show my wife and get the "ok".

[+Grog]

I'm always surprised how much hinges and latches cost. I went to replace my bio cube stand hinges. $25 each what?? So mine are still rusty. I can't wait to see this come together. I'm gonna build one soon. So make yours real nice so I can show my wife and get the "ok".

Tell me about it. We are mid-remodel in the kitchen. Looking at pulls and hinges once the backsplash and counters are in. Did a bit of pre-shopping and WOW! Can spend some $ on that stuff....

Other thing that is costly is drawer and shelf interior organization, racks, etc. Sky is the limit.

[+Grog]

Built a little door out of a square of plywood and a frame of 1X3. I tried something different and painted before assembly. Don't know if that saved me any time. Next time I'll probably assemble first like I normally do.

Drilled a hole for the knob. It came with a round head screw, used a spade bit to sink the head into the frame so the door would shut.

Began assembling the plumbing on the side of the trashcan. 1" bulkhead, reduced to .5" CPVC. Why CPVC? I liked the valve that was available for CPVC so I used that. I wanted a circular valve, rather than the I shaped valve. Figure it would put less strain on the bulkhead over time.

Drilled a hole in the side of the trashcan with a simple 1" hole saw. Easy cutting plastic with this....

Glued all the stuff together. I like to dry fit everything in the store and at home. I'm a plumbing dummy and cannot tell you the times I've had to make several return trips to the store due to my oopsies. If you use CPVC be sure to use CPVC cement vs. normal cement. Oh, and the purple primer...... You will get it somewhere that you don't want. It is a law.

Used a small miter box, plastic kind very cheap, to cut the PVC to length. That worked good IMO, and used the box cutter to remove any burrs.

All assembled with the can on top. I painted RODI on the can, and SALT on the salt can so my kids don't mess things up.

Will work on relocating the RODI filters, adding the 150g per day upgrade, and the float switch this evening. Cleaning the garage now. Will post some more for-sale stuff in the non-reef related later. Garage organization makes me happy!

[bige]

Looks good. So you will fill buckets from the cans?

[+Grog]

80% of my RODI use is in the house for cooking, drinking, tea, etc. We fill gallon jugs for daily use and top-off. Will use a bucket to transfer between the two water tanks.

I considered a pump but can't justify the expense. This will work for a long time and has less stuff to break.

Quick answer to your question is 'yes'.

[Planeden]

Very nice grog.

[+Grog]

I was industrious today.

More work after lunch!

Relocated the RODI unit, added the 150g per day upgrade (extra RO membrane) and auto-shut off valve. Here is a shot of the relocated RODI unit.

Here is an idea I had that worked out really well. Wanted to clip the water lines in place. Had some of these fasteners used for holding coax in place. About the same size so they work great. Holding my lines where I want them. I didn't buy the special water line cutting tool. Seemed like a waste; I just used a new razor to cut the lines perpendicular and it cut like butter.

Drilled a hole in the unit and added the float switch. Seems to be running OK. Fun weekend project and an easy thing that anyone can do.

Next step is to run splitters on the waste line that is going out the window. That is our front yard flower bed. We want water going to a couple of target areas instead of just one place. I'll hook that up during lunch tomorrow. Then next week, I'll start working on the cabinet to hold the salt container. Won't take as many pictures as it will basically, be a copy of the previous one. Will resume when it is all together.

[bige]

Glad to see your doing something with your waste water. I don't consider any water a waste. I was trying to figure a way to water my grass with mine. Still thinking on it.