Building a plywood frag tank. Need some info!

[mike31154]

Yes, it's a frag tank, West System epoxy is not cheap but it is after all a DIY thread and think of the possibilities & flexibility of a plywood build. You have the freedom to build it any size and shape you wish without too much hassle. Easily drill holes to your heart's content. Epoxy is totally inert once cured and provided you do the work in a properly ventilated space, the fumes while curing are not a problem at all. Many of us use two part epoxy putty for securing frags, so where the idea of toxicity comes from in this thread I don't know.

Although I haven't built a plywood tank, I have built a boat and I'm sure a rectangular vessel to hold some frags would not be that difficult. Fewer panes of breakable material to worry about. You don't have to get too fancy, but if you wish, you could get quite creative with wood, including inlays.

[sphelps]

Building a glass tank would still be a DIY project as much as a plywood tank. Although plywood can be shaped this is not an easy task nor do most people have the tools to do so and in addition I'm not sure what that benefit would be. Chances are the plywood tank would be identical in size and shape of what you would build from glass. Building a tank from plywood would be more difficult, you have to cut the material, glue and screw it together with pre-drilled holes, then you have to prep the surface and remove excess glue, then paint at least three coats of the most toxic paint I've ever used, and then finally silicone all the seams. Although the paint isn't toxic once dry it's horrible when you're painting it on and not many people have vented areas to work in.

Having built both plywood and glass tanks before I can assure you glass is easier and superior for most applications and is even easier to clean and maintain, not to mention it's clear.

With larger tanks or multiple small tanks plywood can be a good choice but in my mind the major advantage with a plywood build is cost savings. When building a plywood tank you have to use premium grade plywood which starts at around $60 per sheet, I can build a 36x24x12" glass frag tank for around $60-80 quite easily and it would only take around 30min.

[jphong]

Where can you get enough glass to build a 36x24x12 tank for $60-80?

[zum14]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Building a glass tank would still be a DIY project as much as a plywood tank. Although plywood can be shaped this is not an easy task nor do most people have the tools to do so and in addition I'm not sure what that benefit would be. Chances are the plywood tank would be identical in size and shape of what you would build from glass. Building a tank from plywood would be more difficult, you have to cut the material, glue and screw it together with pre-drilled holes, then you have to prep the surface and remove excess glue, then paint at least three coats of the most toxic paint I've ever used, and then finally silicone all the seams. Although the paint isn't toxic once dry it's horrible when you're painting it on and not many people have vented areas to work in.

Having built both plywood and glass tanks before I can assure you glass is easier and superior for most applications and is even easier to clean and maintain, not to mention it's clear.

With larger tanks or multiple small tanks plywood can be a good choice but in my mind the major advantage with a plywood build is cost savings. When building a plywood tank you have to use premium grade plywood which starts at around $60 per sheet, I can build a 36x24x12" glass frag tank for around $60-80 quite easily and it would only take around 30min.

From most of the builds I have looked at and researched it works out that unless the tank is larger then like 200Gal its cheaper with glass. Plywood builds are great for huge builds (1000Gal and such) without breaking the bank. I agree I think there more work but easier for myself then working with glass (not much experience there) The other downside with plywood is most builds that follow up show limited long term results. Its a fact that epoxys and glues can fail with repeated cleanings and banging around and I havent heard of any 30year old plywood tanks yet (keeping my eyes and ears open), glass however is pretty common. But I also would like to know where your getting your glass from. A few pieces for my coast to coast was $150.

[sphelps]

Well I just recently moved from Saskatoon, purchased all my glass from Aero Glass, they charged me $4/sqft for standard 6mm which included cutting and minimal edge work. I haven't purchased glass from Calgary since I've moved but I would assume a similar deal can be found. I know that $5/sqft is typically what most places charge which is how I came up with $60-80 (~$4-5/sqft) Now you might have to add a few bucks for an overflow if that's in the plan, it wouldn't effect my cost as much as I have to tools to drill and the extra glass needed is minimal. However glass shops typically charge $25 a hole if you order the glass through them, again this is based on my Saskatoon experience.

[zum14]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Well I just recently moved from Saskatoon, purchased all my glass from Aero Glass, they charged me $4/sqft for standard 6mm which included cutting and minimal edge work. I haven't purchased glass from Calgary since I've moved but I would assume a similar deal can be found. I know that $5/sqft is typically what most places charge which is how I came up with $60-80 (~$4-5/sqft) Now you might have to add a few bucks for an overflow if that's in the plan, it wouldn't effect my cost as much as I have to tools to drill and the extra glass needed is minimal. However glass shops typically charge $25 a hole if you order the glass through them, again this is based on my Saskatoon experience.

Wow. Well it doesnt surprise me. My town kind of thinks we need to fund the rest of the province or something, I belive I got charged like 6 or 7$ a sq foot here in town for my glass.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by zum14

Wow. Well it doesnt surprise me. My town kind of thinks we need to fund the rest of the province or something, I belive I got charged like 6 or 7$ a sq foot here in town for my glass.

Yeah I'm sure the price varies not only from town to town but from store to store as well. If you're in a small town you will likely pay more, bigger cities should offer better deals.

I know even in Saskatoon some places would charge as much as $10/sqft so just knowing where to go is key. That's what I miss most about Stoon, the knowledge of where to get my fish stuff