is this the right tool to use?

[garagejedi]

disclaimer- im fairly handy but have never used or had the need for a power planer. maybe i did have a need and didnt know but im hoping someone here can tell me if im on the right track or not

im building my own tank stand to put my 125 gallon on and i got terribly off on the top rim that will support the tank. as it turns out - i had a bad level - and the tank wasnt nearly as off as i thought - and it was confusing the **** out of me. check level - look ok - come back later (like an hour) and it had shifted. long story short i overcompensated - i sanded way too much where i though i needed to and now i really need to redo the entired rim around the top (2x8's)

my question is whether i can use the planer to basically sand down and put a perfect level edge all the way around the tank. i would start with my belt sander - to remove the bulk and then plane around.

any thoughts or suggestions? ive never used one and hate to waste money if its not useful but wouldnt mind if i was able to use the planer for other things as well (already fixed all the doors in my home by hand)

 

[CNGsaves]

What are you trying to do ?? 125 gallon tank for what . . . diesel, gasoline, water, home heating oil ??

What country are you in?? Too little information.

Pictures tell a thousand words. Post up some pics.

 

[garagejedi]

aquarium - america

i dont have a way to post pics - but its easy to imagine. a fish tank stand that does not have a level rim on which the aquarium to rest upon. there are gaps between the 2x8 and the bottom of the tank which is a bad thing. i want to completely level the stand so that the tank rests along the support beams all the way around without any gaps.

 

[larry_g]

If it is that 'wavy' can you put it on a table saw and rip it or attach a good straight edge and rip it with a circular saw?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[garagejedi]

i might could do that on one side - but the other side is actually two 2x8s joined together - and circular saw wouldnt go thru that


(i dont have a center brace in the front so i used two 2x8s for the front support)

i could scrap it all together and start over - but having never used a planer - i didnt know if this could be a solution or not. even by starting over im not real sure how to get around the imperfections of the crappy wood and a very unlevel floor. (not to mention the level i had that wasnt straight on one side and got me wayyyy off before i realized it)

 

[Jbullfrog]

Get a bigger saw. Makita makes a beam saw that will cut 6"

 

[srmofo]

IMHO the easiest and quickest way will be to disassemble the top and rip them on a table saw.

You could also use a circ saw and straight edge. Cut from the inside and outside for the front face. Use a wide chisel to smooth/finish the corners where the saw wont reach.

Next time build the stand square, then level it with adjustable feet.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Hand plane.

 

[JonBoehman]

If you have a router you can get a deep guide bit and a straight edge to level it out.

 

[bimmer1980]

go get a jack plane or hand plane. Get yourself a long straightedge. Also mark on the sides how much material to remove before you take the tank off.

Then make sure the plane is adjusted and start shaving it off.

I do recommend some practice on a scrap piece before just tearing into it with the plane.

I also highly recommend making sure the blade of the plane is nice and sharp and adjusted properly. There are wood working articles out there that can do a great job of this. Or go to the library and browse some woodworking magazines. You should find plenty of good advice.

 

[superspec]

3/4 ply on top and shim it. If you are having to ask for a way to do it then doing it right is going to be next to impossible. You can shim it and the plywood would spread the load.

That is one hell of a nice tank, the last thing you want is to have pressure points all over and crack the bottom.

 

[R.Anderson]

2nd hand plane or kinda start over and get some 3/4" plywood for the top of the stand.
Could use leveling feet on the stand to compensate for the uneven floor, I had them for my big tank before I sold it. If the wood is that crappy and its still drying you might find it warping more as it drys.