# The Cabinet Viv



## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

So my last viv is not _quite_ done yet, but what the heck, onto the next project. This should leave me some things to finish up so I can go back and forth. I like to stay busy.

I hope to chronical this as a construction journal. I had hoped to do that on my last viv (http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=26214), but my thinking was that a journal would only add to the complexity of a project almost a year in the making already. Now I wish I had posted a journal I guess.

For some time now, I've been wanting to build a viv out of something a bit unusual. I figure anything is game. I've been watching ebay and craigslist for a bit, and settled on a cabinet of unknown purpose as my first trial. I probably paid too much for this honestly, but I bought it sight unseen becuase the dimensions were perfect and I got a little trigger happy. Oh well. The wood isn't that nice, probably pine, and this thing was _rough_. I'm sure these people were wondering what kind of yahoo would put this thing in their house, but then they had done the same at some point. In any case, since the wood isn't that nice, this will probably end up painted, not stained. If I could find oak, walnut, etc, I would stain it.

Here it is as I got it:










Honestly, I'm not sure what the story is with this piece. It may have been homemade, but I don't think so. I think it has been "remade" several times in it's history. At least twice is my guess and rather poorly. The doors can't be original and their are about 5-6 different kinds of screws in it that I've removed so far. Most of the wood I've taken off is obviously scrap from other pieces. If I found the guy who did all this, I would ask him to stop for the sake of furniture everywhere.

Here it is minus the doors: 










Here's a better look inside for an idea of the depth:










And this is as far as I got tonight:










All front trim that is going to be has been removed. There was an entirely new face/frame put in to support the "aftermarket" doors that were put in, so that had to go. 

More of the bottom to be removed next, and maybe some work on what will be the new bottom. This one consisted of 4 pieces of wood, all shabby and bound for the landfill. Wood has to be _bad _for me to throw it out, and I didn't even give this stuff a second look.

Will update as status changes. I'll post the dimmensions too on my next post. I have some interesting ideas that I hope to put into place on this viv, so I hope this journal will be of some use or entertainment to you. If nothing else, its a diary to keep my accountable on my progress. updates to come...


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

How do you plan on waterproofing this or are yoy going to glass line the inside>?

Nice idea


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

I'm going to epoxy it. Should be pretty easy, and much more user friendly than glass.

Thanks!


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## axolotl (Dec 31, 2006)

you could also fibergalss the inside of it. I think that it is going to be a great looking enclosure.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

You would have to epoxy it to use fiberglass :wink: Though I think from a strength standpoint, it might not be a bad idea to fiberglass it. 

Dude, you forgot the most important thing, the dimensions. What's the working envelope of this beast?


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

defaced said:


> You would have to epoxy it to use fiberglass :wink: Though I think from a strength standpoint, it might not be a bad idea to fiberglass it.
> 
> Dude, you forgot the most important thing, the dimensions. What's the working envelope of this beast?


Patience grasshopper. :wink: 

Yes, I suppose fiberglass would add to the strength, but I don't think it will be needed. The wood should be plenty when I'm done with it. I overbuild stuff generally.

Axolotl, the reason for using epoxy is several fold. I have some left from my last viv, it's really nice to work with, proven non-toxic, and has zero odor. The main pluses for me are that I know what I'm doing with this stuff, not so with fiberglass, and since I've already got it I don't need to spend anything. This viv is going to be an el cheapo supremo if I can help it.

Status update: Tonight, I got the back off which was pretty easy. 6-8 screws and it came right off. Not sure if I'll reuse it or not. Next, I got the bottom off. It was stapled and glued, so out with the pry bars for that. I started getting the top off as you can see in the pic, but the screws were all stripped and I couldn't get the other side off. I'll try again tomorrow night. Worst case, I'll saw right through them and it will be 1/32 of an inch shorter over all. Oh well...










Now that it is apart (almost) I think I'm going to do the epoxy while it is in pieces, and then reassemble and seal the seams with some GE I black that I also have left over. This will allow me to do multiple sides at one time and get done quicker. No way I could do that with it together since this epoxy is made to settle. 

Tomorrow I might not get anything done, not sure. Next I need to get the top off and I think that will be it for disassembly, unless something gets in the way as I add support or put it back together. After removing the top, I'll need to clean up all edges, remove some staples and generally get it ready for epoxy. I also need to think if I want to bother painting it first, not sure if there's a benefit.

Mike, here are the dimensions for you as promised. I also took the above picture with my hammer on top for point of reference. Just the cabinet interior: 19.5"H x 16"D x 29"W. That roughly equates to about a 40 gallon tank I believe, correct me if I'm wrong. BTW, the epoxy you used on your plywood tanks, is it safe from UV light? I think I may need to add something to do this right. I never did on my epoxied rock wall, but I was willing to risk it. No problems yet there....

Any chance I might impose on your artistic abilities with the hardscaping when I get to that point? I really want this to look nice, and you're much better at that than I. I'm hoping for something that will look like the bank of a stream, though I don't want to mess with a water feature I think. I don't really want to do a water feature w/o a sump, and this set up makes that unrealistic.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I don't remember if mine is UV stable or not. I do remember being able to buy UV stabilizer and adding it though. If you want me to I'll look it up. 

Epoxying the tank while it's apart is a really really really good idea. I have very bad run marks on the sides from doing my tanks in their set-up orientation. That will be one of the main things I change when I do my next round of plywood tanks. 

I have no problem helping you with hardscaping. I think I might have some ideas for doing a water feature that's easy to service and doesn't use a sump. 

Check your PMs in a few. And you need to change your sig, this ain't done so you're back up to 99 :lol:


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

As far as the stripped screws, it would be way easier and nicer to take them out then to cut of 1/4 inch..

to do this use a left hand drillbit which is cheap at a hardware store. Just pick out the right size or smaller... make sure it is a "left" hand drillbit and that it is about the same size as the shank of the screw..

or use a screw extractor


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Thanks for the tip! I had thought of that, the problem is their location. Hard to explain, but they're tough to get at. I don't think anythign involving a drill is an option. I'm going to try again tonight though. Worst case, I can put the entire cabinet on my table saw and make a nice clean cut through wood, screws and all that will only be the thickness of the blade, so 1/32 to 1/16th of an inch. We shall see...


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

If you've got a healthy soldering pencil (I've got a 40w if you don't), you can hold the soldering pencil on the head of the screw till it gets hot enough to char the wood around it. A little wiggling and you _should_ be able to back it out. I learned about this the other day on a guitar forum, so it may not work on large screws used for furniture.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Not too much to report tonight. I got the top off though. I ended up forcing 3 screws out with a lot of effort and cussing, but a screwdriver. The last 2 had to be removed with a hack saw. It didn't do too much damage to the wood, and nothing that will remain or be seen when I'm done with it. Disassembly is now complete, unless something is in the way.

Here we are now, hammer for size reference:










Next is:

-clean up and prep for paint on the existing pieces
-add new support braces across the top on the front and back
-buy and cut wood for the new bottom and back wall

That should take me some time. I hope to get this totally ready for assembly, predrilled and all, prior to epoxy. I may even paint it in pieces for the most part. It seems like it will be easier to me that way.

Will update as status changes. Probably nothing picture worthy for a few days at least. Thanks to all for your hints and tips. Keep them coming!


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

defaced said:


> If you've got a healthy soldering pencil (I've got a 40w if you don't), you can hold the soldering pencil on the head of the screw till it gets hot enough to char the wood around it. A little wiggling and you _should_ be able to back it out. I learned about this the other day on a guitar forum, so it may not work on large screws used for furniture.


Now that's a neat trick, I like that! I've got a butane one, so it might have done the job. I guess it shrinks the wood, leaving a gap so the screw doesn't have such a bite in the wood..?

Now I'm anxious to try that.


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## jasonflooringman (Mar 17, 2007)

love you idea for this tank got my brain all fired up.
it works I usally try to use a old screw driver that will fit in the screw and take a propane torch to the screw driver making it red hot while its in place(works alot faster that way)


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

*The Cabinet Viv ~4/26/07 Update~*

Not too much progress I'm afraid in the last few days. Tonight I sanded down the top pretty well, and patched up some holes. I hope to really get some stuff done this weekend, but we'll see. Employee, husband and dad duties abound, fun stuff on the back burner.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

*The Cabinet Viv ~4/29/07 Update~*

Not too much went on in the past few days, worked a lot, and took yesterday to meet with some fellow Ohio froggers at Larry's place in Butler OH.

Today however I got some work done. I cut a new bottom and back, removed all staples and splinters, sanded and primed. I put one coat of epoxy on the top, bottom, and one side. I'll do another coat tomorrow, the next day, and so on until all pieces have two coats. Most of the wood will have foam, silicone, etc on top of that, so no need for the usual 3+ coats of epoxy I think.

With any luck I'll be on to assembly by this time next weekend and have most of it done. This is going to be technically a pretty simple set up, so no extravagant wiring or systems as I did in my last tank. I'll keep my desired time frame for completion to myself for now as a personal goal, but I think I can make it if I stay focused and work doesn't get to be too much.

I got a chance to see both Tri-colors (first time in person) and Leucs this weekend, the two species I was contemplating for this tank. Nothing against the tri colors, but Leucs it is for sure. Man they are stunning!

TTFN, updates to come.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

More epoxy tonight, and got the wiring, etc for the lights. I'll post more pix in a few days. I think I can be done with epoxy in 3 more nights, so that means I should be ready for some assembly this weekend. I'll probably let it cure for a week or so then prior to working on the interior hardscaping, but that should be an opportune time to work on the painting of the exterior and any other such details.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

More epoxy tonight. Man, I love epoxy! Seriously though, if you ever need to use epoxy for anything like this, West Systems is the only way to go. This stuff rocks.

I got the front brace and back brace cut, which means squat to you dear reader w/o pictures I realize. Since I'm putting the epoxy on first then doing the assembly though, progress is only visible on my dwindling list of things yet to do.

I'm thinking I have 2 more nights of epoxy, just to be on the safe side. That will give me 2-3 coats on all interior surfaces, most of which will be covered with Great Stuff and/or Silicone in any case.

Once interior epoxy is done I can start working on the assembly and painting of the exterior. While I'm working on that, the epoxy will have a good time to cure to full hardness, just to be safe. 

I need to research yet how I'm going to paint the exterior of this thing, probably get that done tonight. I'm going to look at various styles, and see what suits the piece IMO.

**Question for anyone out there, maybe I'll need to post this under a separate thread for specific advice. I need to purchase a piece of glass for the front, 28.75" X 18.5" There will be minimal water in here, probably no more than 2 inches so I don't think pressure is a major concern. What I need to know is, what thickness do you all think I should get? I'm clueless on this, but it sure doesn't need to be as thick as an aquarium glass. I was thinking 1/4", but is that overkill?


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

More done tonight, you guessed it, epoxy. Only one more night of that left though I hope, not that it's that bad. I'm going to do touch up tomorrow hopefully, and make sure that I have all the corners, nooks, and crannies. I've at least stayed to my goal of epoxy every night until completion so far. I've a funeral tomorrow, so that may put me off.

Tonight I also cut out the one new trim piece on the front, pictures on that forthcoming I swear. While the epoxy was drying I also got my lights put together.

The one technical challenge with this tank is the lighting, since it does not have an open or glass top. I did see some antique dressers that had "glove drawers" on top that would have made a nice light box, but I couldn't find any of those in my price range. So, you have the ghetto light set up you see.

This is the top, or rather the underside of the top. In it's reincarnation, it will be hinged at the back for access to the tank from the top. 3 Coats of epoxy on here, nice and shiny.









What I did for the lighting is this. 2 CFBs, each inside a tupperware style container made by lock and lock I believe.







It is microwave and dishwasher safe, so I have to think it will stand up to the light from the CFBs. I had one on for about 5 mins w/no issue at all. I'll have them hooked up all day saturday and Sunday, just to be sure. 

Here are the lights, both wired in line to the same cord 









The nice thing about these plastic boxes is that they are really water proof. Also, the lids come off easily and lock on via a latch on each of the 4 sides. The lid will be siliconed to the underside of the viv lid and the container will then be attached via these latches. The access holes for the wires you see will be sealed with silicone, so I don't expect any moisture issues, but of course I'll keep an eye on it.

Any electricians out there, feel free to tell me a better way to wire these up than with wire nuts. If they're safe, they seem to work fine. They are on their VERY snug.

Finally, here are the lights on, they're really bright, maybe too much. I can always buy a lower wattage, these are to replace a 60 watt. I think they're 13.










I should be on to assembly on time, and then it's just carpentry, then the hardscaping/interior design. Last will be the front glass likely. Still need to price that...


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## cobaltsinoh (Mar 13, 2006)

So long as the wire nuts don't come of when they should be ok. Make sure to tug on the fairly hard. If they are the slightest bit loose over time, they will work free because electricity pulses and can loosen them. As for the plastic containers, BAD idea. The idea here is that most wireing is designed to withstand around 70 to 90 degrees celsius in temps. Even though they are dishwasher and microwave safe, neither of those two environments expose the containers to a constant temp. They will melt those fairly quickly given that fact. The light needs to be able to "breath" a bit. When you seal them up like that, it will increase the chance of melting. I'm fairly certain you'll end up with an ugly mess doing it that way. You'd be better served going to an electrical supply store and spending the money to get fixtures designed for damp environments that trying to make one yourself. Let me know if you need help locating them and I'll gladly find some and post you a a link. Hope this helps. 


Upon closer inspection of your lights, are they the little black sockets with pig-tails for wires on them? You definately want to keep the wire nuts away from the bottom porcelain section as that is what will produce most of the heat.
Tony


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Wire nuts are ok, but solder is a much better way of doing it. I can bring my stuff over this weekend and we'll do it. 

I'd definitely proof the boxes before putting them in a tank. Breaker (GFCI would be better) + cement floor clear of all combustibles + 48-72 hours would be a good start.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Tony,

If you can find them easily to post, let me know. I know they have the "vapor" lights at Anderson's general store, is that what you're speaking of? I could go that route I suppose. These really are NOT that hot though. When I proof them this weekend, I'll place a thermo in there with them to see what the high is.

The wire nuts are really tight, I tugged the crap out of them, and they aren't going anywhere. Thanks for the tip on touching the porcelain. 

BTW, the little lady I got from you and yours is doing well so far. Still in quarantine, but I'm not sure she likes that much. She is all over the place in there. She really wants out!

Mike, I have a soldering iron, probably not the caliber you're used to though. So solder them and then what, cover in electrical tape? I'm open to suggestions, I figured you would have a better idea than I.


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## cobaltsinoh (Mar 13, 2006)

I'll dig some photos up tonight for you. As for the solder, I'd agree its better, but you have to consider some things. Typically you would cover the solder with eletrical tape. Be aware that a good quality 3M brand tape should be used as over time constant exposure to heat will likely make the tape brittle, and crack.. Also, suppose you need to change out a light socket, then you have to unsolder, resolder and retape. Honestly I think the solder idea would be a bit overkill but its an option. I don't think short term those containers would be bad, its long term after constant exposure to the heat those lights put out. When you first fire them up they aren't too hot, but after they're on for several hours they will be. Trust me on that one as I nearly burnt myself on one once. Anyways, I gotta get to work, I'll dig some photos tonight. 

Glad to here she's doing well. She always was an active one, keep her with plenty of food and she'll be happy  She's a porker!

Tony


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Thanks Tony and Mike, much appreciated. I could always go with fluorescents and just build an acrylic box, or buy another Tupperware style container, I was only using these because I had them already for termites in the fall. Maybe fluorescents is the way to go. I need to keep a low profile and I don't want something that is going to be heavy due to the nature of where it is being attached.

Mike, I'll be eager to hear your $.02 if you're still coming over this weekend. Hope all is well gents.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I don't use electrical tape. It's too error prone. Shrink tubing for isolation + zip ties for strain relief is where it's at. I'll agree solder is a bit overkill, but it's a good, inexpensive option. The only other thing I'd consider are blade plugs, but they're a bit pricey in comparison. 

My soldering stuff it's extravagant at all. 40w pencil from Lowe's and a roll of .032" rosin core. 

Yea I'm still planning on coming over this weekend. I'll give you a call later tonight.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Some updates tonight. I'm all done with epoxy unless I see a spot I missed or that could benefit from another coat.

Now I'm back to carpentry, something I'm more accustomed to messing up at least :wink: 

The bottom is installed:










This was weight tested by both defaced and I standing on it, not at the same time. So we know it holds 150lbs :shock: 

Next the back brace was installed. This will be where the hinge for the top affixes to the tank itself so 2X was used here.










Next, the back plywood was installed. This is screwed and glued onto the back of the frame of the viv and across the back brace. This has been epoxied as well of course.








\

Lastly for tonight, the new front brace was installed. There was nothing here really in the previous incarnation but a small piece of trim. A bigger piece was required here for stability in the front, a flush surface for the lid to meet, and for the front glass.










That's all for now, stay tuned.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Not too much doin tonight. The house is a mess and I need to do some stuff for work.

One thing done: I originally epoxied the underside of the lid, but it started flaking a bit. Rather than put off a future problem, I removed all of the epoxy from the top. I'm glad I did, it came off too easy. It did not stick well at all to the undercoat of paint I used.

As a replacement, I'm using a plastic (not sure of the type) wall covering, the type used in showers to cover the walls. It was kind of pricey at $15 for a 4x8 sheet, but really there's a lot left over. More than I'll ever need, but it might be nice for a few future projects. Cheaper by the square inch than epoxy I would wager. 

So in any case, I cut and glued a piece of that to the lid, we'll see how that sticks and holds up. Tomorrow with luck I'll be able to start surface prep on the exterior for painting. Still need to find the right technique/look for the piece.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

OK, I've been a slacker. 

Just got myself over committed and had a lot going on. 

Last night I put wood putty in all the holes left from demolition and reconstrucion and sanded the entire piece to prepare for painting.

1st coat of primer will go on tonight. I'm hopeful that I can get it all at one time and do with just one coat. I'll hopefully upload pix tonight.


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## Guest (May 18, 2007)

Wow what a great project I'm interested in how this goes. . . Keep us posted! 

--Ps. are you Buddhist? I noticed the sig. . .


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

§lipperhead said:


> Wow what a great project I'm interested in how this goes. . . Keep us posted!
> 
> --Ps. are you Buddhist? I noticed the sig. . .


That's another project in progress.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

OK, enough slacking!

Here it is sanded










Who is that masked viv?! (sorry :roll: )










Primer on, side 










and front










I hope to get more done this weekend, but there are weddings, 10 hours OT, yardwork, etc. etc. so we'll see. Updates to come!


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Got it painted tonight, 2 coats and hopefully done. I went with just a satin black. I like the look of black cases contrasting with the natural interior, plus I've used this same paint before on the stand for my 72 bowfront and have been pleased.

I'll give it the once over tomorrow. Hopefully no touch ups are needed and I'll take off the masking and take some pix. With any luck, we'll be onto the interior next week.

Defaced, are you out there...?  I've got two sweet pieces of wood to add to there, even if I don't get that osage orange.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Dude, you act like I leave here :lol: I'm with you, flat black is a nice exterior color. Even if things don't pan out for Sunday and that tree I'll try to swing by (if you're available).

I've got a plan for that pump you killed. If you know anything about induced currents and the resulting forces, you'll know exactly what I'm up to. I need to get an adequate rectifier bridge first though.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

defaced said:


> I've got a plan for that pump you killed. If you know anything about induced currents and the resulting forces, you'll know exactly what I'm up to. I need to get an adequate rectifier bridge first though.


No clue. Just tell me you're not building a rail gun! :twisted:


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

I had to sand an add one more coat of paint. Unless it looks totally jacked up, I'm done with painting the body of the case. I've still got to do the lid, but am hopeful that it will be a piece of cake.

Pix to come soon.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

> No clue. Just tell me you're not building a rail gun! Twisted Evil


Close, a coil gun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coilgun I'll have the crude working of it done today.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

defaced said:


> > No clue. Just tell me you're not building a rail gun! Twisted Evil
> 
> 
> Close, a coil gun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coilgun I'll have the crude working of it done today.


Ooh, I was close! Not sure if that will be as much fun as a potato cannon, but I bet it will be fun to figure out. Plus, I suppose you could remotely trigger that a time or two for testing.

Maybe you could get one of the genetic experiments next door to you to flip the switch for the first test..? Tell them "a candy coated prize will fall from the sky if you push _this _button."


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Defaced came over today and helped get some more done, and donated a nice piece of Osage Orange to the cause as well. Thank you Mike!!!

It took us a long time to get a little done, but we did a lot of moving of wood and stepping back to look. Pretty much all of the hard scaping is now ready though. We cut and hacked at several pieces of wood and built the false bottom. All is planned out, and ready for the next steps.

I still need to order the front glass and can't do too much more until I put that in, so I'm hopeful that I won't have to wait to long. I should have ordered it before now.

Here is a "dry run" of how it's going to be laid out. 








Osage Orange on the left, Oak stump in the right plus some scraps. The stump is on 2Xs just to see how it will look on top of the false bottom. A stream is going to run over the right side of the Osage, down into a little pond area directly in front of the Osage. I plan on having about 2" of water total in there, really not much at all.

Here's the false bottom.









I scrubbed down all the epoxied surfaces tonight and then sealed all joints with some Black GE I silicone. Also glued one piece of oak into the top left. I have a bit more I can do until I get the glass, but probably not much more than 1 or 2 nights worth, so I hope I can get it ASAP.

...updates to follow.


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

Looking Good! Can't wait to see the finished product.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Thanks Stacey, me too! 

I think I have a line on some glass that I can get tomorrow or Wednesday. If that comes through on time, it shouldn't cause any delays.

Defaced: you were right, Beechwold hardware does stock 1/4" glass, though they were out when I called.


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## StevenBonheim (Feb 22, 2004)

Joints are just siliconed? Did you sand the epoxy beforehand?
Cool looking tank, mang.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

ah, no. Not just siliconed. I used Gorilla Glue and lots of screws on all joints. The silicone on the inside was just to verify water tightness. 

Yes, epoxy was sanded down a bit first, then I went over that with an alcohol pad just to make sure. As soon as I get the glass in and that silicone cured, I'll check for leaks.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

I got the glass in tonight, wahoo! It really looks more complete to me now with that. It's all siliconed, so I'll give that 24 hours and then do a test with 2 inches of water standing for another 24 and then check for any signs of leaks. If no leaks, I plan on crushing out the hardscaping installation, with any luck by this weekend, but that's a bit optimistic perhaps.

I ended up getting double strength 1/8" glass. At least that's what I ordered, I didn't check until I got home, but I'm thinking maybe I ended up with 3/32". I'll check to see how it feels after the silicone dries and see how solid it feels. I'm hoping/thinking I'll be ok. If not, I'll bust it out and go elsewhere. Impatience got the better of me again, hopefully it won't end up costing me a lot of time to rework.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Water added tonight to test water tightness of epoxy seal and siliconed seems. All appears well so far. I'll let it sit for 24 and proceed accordingly. If all goes as planned I'll do hardscaping a bit at a time and with luck and a day off for Memorial be done on Monday. Wish me luck on the water. Adding water to tanks always makes me so nervous.

Here's a bad pic, just as an update. The only other update is the one piece of wood that I gorilla glued into the top back, just because I could prior to glass installation. A good test of gorilla glue also.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Tonight I got some hardscaping put back in. I placed the false bottom, including a slot for the pump/filter (details below), the larger pieces of wood, and enough Great Stuff to hold them in place and backfill the voids behind them.

First piece of wood and false bottom in. The wood is a piece of oak, most likely it is upside down now and what I have trying to look like roots were at one time branches pointing skyward. There is a lot of this piece that has been eaten away, it was covered in ants when I got it, but what remains is really solid. This piece was bleached then blowtorched to make it dark again. Time will of course make it better. It is hollow at the top, so should be a nice planter for a vining type of plant.










Next, the pump was put in place. What I'm using is this: http://www.tetra-fish.com/Catalog/product.aspx?id=280 I have this in another tank, and I love it. It is really ideal for a viv water feature. Very quiet, and reliable so far. By putting it inside a plastic bag and then foaming around it, I can remove the bag and have created a foam sleeve for the pump/filter to go into. This way if it goes bad it's super easy to replace. This cost me about $12-13.









Next was a huge piece of Osage Orange that defaced was kind enough to donate. This will be both waterfall and back embankment to a small water area. I tested this first to make sure it would not float in the depth of water I'll have, and it only rocked a bit. I used some gorilla glue and silicone to stick it to the bottom. I'm hoping with that, and the Great Stuff all around, it won't budge. 










Next, one more piece of Osage in the bottom left, it was cut off of the above piece and fit in well.










That's it for tonight. I'll give the Great Stuff an opportunity to expand fully over night and check it tomorrow. Next I'll add more GS, maybe another piece of wood or two. Once all GS is in place, I'll be cutting it back and covering it with coco fiber and concrete binder up top and "silicone soil" where constant immersion in water is an issue.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

I got a good bit done today, but I'm too tired to post pix and details. Hopefully tomorrow. Sorry.


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## Guest (May 27, 2007)

_Lookin' good!_*

Hehe I wonder what the neighbors think :roll: :lol: .*


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

ah well. The viv is proceeding better than the journal. I'm afraid I've lost motivation to update you dear reader. Sorry. 

On the bright side, I went with my son on a field trip to Franklin Park Conservatory today. It was quite enjoyable. 

I'll post pix of the viv soon, but it may be completed by that time...


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Here are some shots of the tank at the 90% completion mark, plus an "aerial" view of the stream prior to that, just so you can see what I did in better detail. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the exception of the lights. My idea is working well enough, except for one major flaw; you can see the light housing if you're of a low enough angle to look into the tank from head on. You can see them just peaking out from below the top in the second pic below. Fortunately, it is a very low tank, so you're more inclined to be looking from a standing position downward. I may at some point still build an external light box and cut into the top, I just hate to do that.

The view from above: 









Close up:









Full tank shot:








If I had to do this again, I would hold out for an older/antique dresser that has "glove drawers" on top. They're pretty common and would be perfect for a light set up. The hard part is finding one in bad enough condition that it wouldn't cost a lot and I wouldn't feel bad about hacking into. Oh well, next time... :wink: 

I somewhat lost track of my budget on this project, but I would say in all that it is well below the $200 mark, less than I thought. I'm guessing $150 or less. The hard part was the time it took. I'm totally over budget there!

I've still got the water, leaf litter, plants, dirt and rocks, etc to put into the tank, but am going to do that when I've got it in place. I also need to screw in the hinge to the top which I'll do tomorrow and then create my seal for the top of the tank. It should be done before the week is out, Saturday evening at the latest.

I'll update with any mods, and probably a final photo when it's in place. Sorry I didn't do a better job with details and step by step photos. That was my intention, but it was just too much work. My hat goes off to those that take the time to share their knowledge in some of the great journals on this site.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Here is the tank, in place and planted. All that remains is the seal for the top, so no cosmetic changes. Obviously the plants need to grown in, etc. I didn't plant a bunch, and dont plan on it. I've got mainly Begonias with some climbing plants to cover the sides.










I may post some bigger more detailed pix if anyone has an interest

43 days (hardly focused effort here)
~$200.00 (a lot of the stuff I already had)

Lots of fun, and learned a bit on the way. My next viv if it happens will likely be to tear down and redo my 72 bow front that currently houses African Cichlids, but I could see myself doing something similar to this again as well.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

I put the 4 little guys in tonight, 0.0.4 Leucs. All seem happy and were eating right away. Pix as viv grows in.


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## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

Any updates on this viv? Would like to see it now.


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## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

Nice Tank and ECOFRIENDLY too.

Shows ya that ole' stuff still has a use instead of a destiny in the Landfill.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Last I talked to John it was still in service and the Leucs were happy with it. I'm not sure how often he checks the board, so you may not get an update unless you pm him and hope he has email notification of PMs turned on.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

great job!!


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Yep, I got a notification on. Thanks.

The viv is still up, and working very well. I really love the look of it. Thanks to Mike's help, and a lot of back and forth discussion prior to final hardscaping, it really looks nice I think. The only downsides are the lighting, which works well enough, just doesn't look professional, and the fact that it is so low to the ground, you really need to crouch down to get a decent view.

If I had to do this again, I would hold out for an older dresser, one with "glove drawers" on the top that could house the lighting. My next project may be to convert my 72 bow front African Cichlid tank into a viv, but I'm not sure on that yet.

Thanks again for the kind words.


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