Canopy tips?
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Hey paint, I am just about finished with 1 that I am building for a MR member. It is about 10" tall with a hiinged top, and doors on the front for access. I have just about every tool u could ever use 2 build something, if u need a hand just lemiknow. U might need a router or router table, table saw, theres lots of stuff that is just handy 2 have. I also have a compressor with nail guns, staple guns, and sanders. I love the sanders the most cause I hate sanding by hand. U are just a few minutes from me, im in redford, lemi know if ya need some help, it would be nice 2 meet some more MR.
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I will try and get some pics up tonight, I jst got back from lowes and got a new router table cause the 1 I had I didnt like. I should be able 2 have the major part of the canopy done tonight, hopefully finishing up in the morning.
Hey Skippy, if you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for the Router Table-WE just picked up a craftsman benchtop model from Sears -it only has 330 inches of square working surface which is sufficent enough for our needs Plus we got the 6 piece piece bit set for 89.95-Sorry to intrude but comparative shopping is a good thing.
Thanks
Carrie
Thanks
Carrie
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1,276 Posts
Paint
You can always RENT some tools from Home Depot.
The other option is to look in the yellow pages for custom carpenter that might do some cutting and plainning (sp?) for you. You can plan on it being expensive though. But if you want perfect cuts, do it yourself or pay somebody else.
I was building shelves today. Had HD cut some 8 x 4 boards in half. The half was off by more than HALF an inch on some of them. I think it depends on who you get to do the cutting. Sometimes the help is half asleep and could care less what size you want the wood cut to.
You can always RENT some tools from Home Depot.
The other option is to look in the yellow pages for custom carpenter that might do some cutting and plainning (sp?) for you. You can plan on it being expensive though. But if you want perfect cuts, do it yourself or pay somebody else.
I was building shelves today. Had HD cut some 8 x 4 boards in half. The half was off by more than HALF an inch on some of them. I think it depends on who you get to do the cutting. Sometimes the help is half asleep and could care less what size you want the wood cut to.
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560 Posts
I have just finished the construction of my first canopy. It is complete cept for hinges for the doors and vent holes for the fans which will be done as soon as I get the fans, and hinge choice from the reefer. The canopy is clear pine. Top is 5/8 birch ply as I though this would be good for mounting any type of lighting, with the front 6" hinged with a piano hinge for access. Sides and front are made from two peices of 3/4 1"x 6" glued and biscit jointed. Doors were ripped from 1" x 3" down to 2" for the fram and the inlay is 1/4" ply (next door I am going 2 make some "fancy" inlay with the shaper).
Tools used for construction are as follows...
Table saw, jig saw, compound miter saw, router table/shaper, biscit jointer, palm sander, contour sander, pneumatic jitterbug and da sander, and brad nailer(sure I missed something)
Tools used for construction are as follows...
Table saw, jig saw, compound miter saw, router table/shaper, biscit jointer, palm sander, contour sander, pneumatic jitterbug and da sander, and brad nailer(sure I missed something)
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560 Posts
Srry for some blurry pics...
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gpep, I just got a different table and im not sure if I like it either. I got a delta shaper, that has a fairly small workspace. I plan on droping it into a workbench area that I have made for it so size isnt a factor with me, I just want to find a table I like to work with. I think it was $224 with the motor fixed as I have another router I use for protable reasons, so well see how I like this 1. It is the third that I have bought and tried and may be the third that I take back )
Nice woodworking, but here is my problem with the design (as this is basically how mine is designed. With taller tanks such as mine, the added height of the canopy front that doesn't flip up makes it almost impossible for me to be able to get my hand all the way down to the bottom of the tank. That is why I am thinking of having the hindged part flip up not only the front top, but the front sides (about 1/4 of the depth front to back), and the front panel part. This will allow me easier access to the tank. Just a thought for future designs skippy, but I can only hope mine looks half as good as yours.
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Thx for the compliment paint, I know what you mean about reaching the bottom of the tank. I also have a tank that is 24" deep minus the sand so about 20". With the doors on the front it adds about 1 1/2" over the height of the frame of the tank, this small ammount is needed for bracing for the canopy to sit on but is still small enough to enable you to reach the bottom of the tank. I am sure that as I build more of these I will come up with many different things to do, but there wil always be different things people want custom built to their needs. If I was building a canopy for my tank(which is recessed in the wall) I would probly have all but the back 6" hinge up, but he only wanted the front 6" hinged(although this can change very easy from how it is now with the removal of a few screws)
Great canopy Skippy! We just finished ours yesterday, hence the purchase of the router table. We did the flip up doors instead of the kind that you used. Nor did we hinge the top. Where ours we built for our needs, Yours has that polished look that most wives would perfer.
Carrie/gary
Carrie/gary
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