I love birch but I like it in a natural look now a color stain. both Oak and birch are the same price here :rolleyes:

Steve

I used a water based stain and did 2 coats. I didnt prep the surface like I should have, but the stain looks even to me. I used a staining sponge to apply it, not a brush.

Its Alive!!!!
 

Well got all the water in and started the pump at lunch Yaaay!!!
I watched it for about 20 minutes and no leaks everything was great....still I am sitting here at work worrying about it lol

I will update things with pictures as soon as I get the chance

Joel

A quick suggestion if I may-Home Depot carries a 3/4 maple plywood here at $56.00/sheet. It is what they call paint grade, and yet it looks quite nice stained as well. As far as stain, I would recommend an oil based transparent, or preferably even an alchol base-tends to absorb to maple or birch quite well.
As far as mouldings-your'e right. They got you by the ..... there. It adds up quick. Maybe primed pine? Would have to paint to contrast the woodgrain finish, but it is a more affordable alt. if you don't want MDF
Robert.

Thanks for the reply Robert. It is nice to have a comment from a stand Guru. I think that I will be going with MDF but I will seal the heck out of it first.

My buddy has soome router bits for making raised panel cabinet doors so he can make the doors excatly the size that I want. and I don't realy care for contrasting woodgrain with solid.

What I was thinking of doing is getting him to cut all of the peices first, then paint them with a couple of coats and then get him to assemble them and touch up the nail holes.

Joel

Yeah, you definately want it sealed quite well. If you guys have difficulty in making the raised panel doors, let me know-I will let you know of some shortcuts. Just P.M. me-might be easier that way. Best of luck.

Robert.

Any updates Goldie? :mrgreen:

LOL funny you should ask...Last night I was thinking that I really should get some more pictures up.....

Not much has changed....I have been busy on getting my DIY skimmer running....that and the fact that my wife just had a baby has kind of been drawing my attention away :D


JG

Well... Congratulations on the new addition. :biggrin:
Hope all is well.

Still waiting on those pictures..?? :mrgreen:

LOL I know I know.....well not much has changed .....I have had no time to work on it .

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will get the chance to clean out all the junk that is piled up on the shelves and then I will take some pics :)

joel

Picture at last...
 

well here she is so-far......

Once it is all plumbed in it will be time to call in the finish carpenter to make it look purdy.....untill then it is a bit of an ugly duckling

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...49DSCF0237.jpg

Do you have an updated picture? What type screws did you use that could handle the salty environment?

Well no updated pics because not too much has changed except for the addition of some really nice long green hair algae :rolleyes:

Everything is screwed and glued so I wasn't too concerned with the screws rusting. I just counter sank them and painted over them.

Hopefully I will be putting in a new/larger sump soon as I don't currently have the time or energy to mess around with plumbing in my frag tank and fuge.

Needless to say my wife is a little less than impressed with the state of the tank as it sits right now...the fact that I had a medium sized flood yesterday didn't help. I accidentaly pulled the RO waste line out of the drain and dispite my best attempts at making the base of the stand a water tight basin some seepage occured and now my wife is convinced that our house is going to smell like salt water fantasies :mrgreen: (those who have been there will understand)

Hopefully this weekend I will be able to get all the leaks sealed up to prevent this type of disaster again.....

Well end of that long winded rant.....

back to work