DYI canopy - what materials?
- Thread starter Dmitry
- Start date
- Location
- NY
There are different grades of plywood. That would be a good start to your hood. You can get oak, birch, poplar, spf plywood. Each has their own appealing characteristics.
You can trim the hood with various moldings as well. Fluted casing gives a nice formal look. You can use quarter round, cove, outside corners, rosettes, plinths, crown, etc. It is only limited by your imagination and creativity.
The inside of the canopy can be finished with Kilz or an equivalent primer that will seal out humidity.
Oh, you should also use stainless steel screws.
swimmer
You can trim the hood with various moldings as well. Fluted casing gives a nice formal look. You can use quarter round, cove, outside corners, rosettes, plinths, crown, etc. It is only limited by your imagination and creativity.
The inside of the canopy can be finished with Kilz or an equivalent primer that will seal out humidity.
Oh, you should also use stainless steel screws.
swimmer
I too have been wanting to build a canopy...for a couple of months already...I keep forgetting what materials to get so this thread wud be informative...:biggrin:
I created a ghetto blue print...but i'm a go with a retro-fit kit instead of the light fixture....
Dont laugh...:lol2:
I created a ghetto blue print...but i'm a go with a retro-fit kit instead of the light fixture....
Dont laugh...:lol2:
- Location
- NYC - 10026
I used 3/4" maple-faced ply for the bulk of my hood with some poplar trim around the bottom. outside was stained and then coated with polyurethane, inside was sprayed with white epoxy appliance paint.
- Location
- NY
Any of those woods would be fine. It's all a personal preference. Some woods will have a much more defined and raised grain, ie: oak. This will take stain very well. Other woods are more suitable for painting, ie: poplar. Many people like to match the stand/hood to the furniture in their home or in the 'fish room'.
All the various woods should be finished on the inside of the canopy to resist moisture. There are a number of products on the market that will accomplish this successfully.
spf is the industry acronym for spruce/pine/fir. Most building/framing lumber is spf (your basic 2 x 4 found at HD or Lowe's).
hth,
Russ
I too have been wanting to build a canopy...for a couple of months already...I keep forgetting what materials to get so this thread wud be informative...:biggrin:
I created a ghetto blue print...but i'm a go with a retro-fit kit instead of the light fixture....
Dont laugh...:lol2:
What are you using for the reflector in the door?
I made a frame out of poplar, and then skinned it with 1/8 oak plywood veneer. After staining it, I put on a number of coats of polyurethane will protect it from water and humidity. A thing to take note of is that most polyurethane's yellow as they dry.
bad coffee
Inept at life.
- Location
- Location: Location:
http://bad-coffee.com/reef/canopy/index.html
I used oak 3/4" because its what i had around.
the stand is 2x3's with 1/4" oak ply.
My new canopy is 1x2 with 1/2" ply covering.
Match your stand, or what your stand will be once you're done.
Inside both my stands is FLAT white enamel. outside is spar urethane. It yellows less than poly.
B
I used oak 3/4" because its what i had around.
the stand is 2x3's with 1/4" oak ply.
My new canopy is 1x2 with 1/2" ply covering.
Match your stand, or what your stand will be once you're done.
Inside both my stands is FLAT white enamel. outside is spar urethane. It yellows less than poly.
B
bad coffee
Inept at life.
- Location
- Location: Location:
3/4" is just easy to get and is sturdy enough to use without internal bracing.
You could easily use 1x2's and 1/4" ply.
B
You could easily use 1x2's and 1/4" ply.
B
I think 3/4 is a bit on the heavy side, not problematic heavy, just more than you need. But a lot of DIYers have the 3/4 left over from making the stand. If I were buying materials from scratch I would say 1/2" is plenty for the hood. Also if you can find it, Marine ply would be the best material though it is more expensive, but it will not delaminate if you dont do such a good job of sealing the inside.
As far as paint goes, no matter what anyone in the hardware store says about the advances in Latex paint over the years, you cant beat oil based enamel for durability and moisture resistance. At the very least use an oil based primer/sealer on the raw wood.
As far as paint goes, no matter what anyone in the hardware store says about the advances in Latex paint over the years, you cant beat oil based enamel for durability and moisture resistance. At the very least use an oil based primer/sealer on the raw wood.
If I understand your diagram correctly it looks like you are placing a back panel on the canopy. I my opinion you do not need a back panel.this will leave you with enought space for cabels, over flow box if any and most importantly heat and moisture dissipation which could affect the the wood negativly causing warping being the most difficult or impossible to reverse.
Here are my very amateurish plans. The friend I'll be building it with is clueless about aquariums and canopies, but he's a theater designer, so he knows his way around a hammer and wood.
The idea for overlapping blocks to allow for ventilation I stole from badcoffee. I was thinking of building the skeleton of the canopy from 3/4'' square rods, but the rest in 1/2''.
The idea for overlapping blocks to allow for ventilation I stole from badcoffee. I was thinking of building the skeleton of the canopy from 3/4'' square rods, but the rest in 1/2''.
Attachments
Hope this might help: http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/tank-threads/23339-12g-nanodx-3.html
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