I'm building a stand for my aquarium that will hold about 1000 lbs, and I'm considering a construction with 2x4s. I'm planning to attach plywood panels for aesthetics, but I want to ensure it's stable enough to resist bumps from kids or pets. I've heard that half lap joints are quite strong, but I'm a bit confused about how cutting half the material in those joints could affect their strength on the stretcher. Any insights on this?
2 Answers
Check out this video by Rex Krueger—he really breaks down why half lap joints are actually much stronger than you might think. Personally, I wouldn’t trust any stand to hold 1000 lbs without half lap joints at the very least.
Gluing and screwing the plywood on will indeed help, but make sure your base is wide enough and consider securing it to a wall or the floor for extra stability. You also want to ensure that the weight is supported evenly—don’t rely solely on the corners where the legs touch. And for that half lap joint, you could cut the leg slightly shorter so it doesn’t directly line up with the tank’s end grain. It might help distribute the stress better!