canopy/pendent build Q's

[Rayman]

What paint/epoxy or whatever do you use to coat the inside and the outside, i am looking for material that will hold up as it is diy but i hope it turns out with a semi pro look that will stand up, i have all the electrical goods with the exception of a fan and plan on using both metal and wood so i need ideas for both as i wish to get started tonight on this.

I am off to play in the snow for now.

[ohioreef]

Do you need fans? I have 2-12V fans with power supply I dont need.

[Rayman]

that would be great thanks!

[Riderc82]

My stand/canopy is painted, I used primer, latex paint if you want added protection top that with polyurethane.  They have different sheens depending on what you are looking they are all very easy to wipe down with a damp sponge/rag.  I thought I was the only one who didn't like the look of stained wood.

[cyberwollf]

I thought I was the only one who didn't like the look of stained wood.

You are  j/k, but its hard to beat the look of a good cherry stain and semigloss wipe on poly lol

[HUNGER]

well i just put clear coat  on mine but when i redo it this summer im going to paint the inside white

[lazylivin]

To protect the wood inside the canopy consider brushing on fiberglass. It can go on like paint, is cheap and resistant to saltwater. Next for all your flat surfaces you can purchase aluminum on a role. It is less then a 1$ per foot and be cut with scissors. I use stainless steel screws to hold in place.

The aluminum can be found in roles at The Home Depot or Lowes in the roofing section next to the concrete

[HUNGER]

thats a good idiea with the alumim

[ghurlag]

Lazylivin, thanks for that info.  I will file that into my bag of tricks for the canopy that I build this summer for my 29g

[Rayman]

luckily i had some left over and was wanting to use it looks like i will indeed be putting it to use.

i have built the canopy and am working on installing all the goodies, but i need to paint and such first, i am so exicited ti finally get to build this it is funny how hard it is not to mount the light and set it atop the tank to see the new light, but i am taking my time so it is 100% complete and sweet before i try it out, otherwise i think i would end up with an unfinished wood conopy lol.

I like all natural looks, woods, stone and so on but for this it needs to be painted. I plan to paint the inside white and then mount reflector/mogul and then cover with the roll aluminum and then paint the out side black it will be 12" high and have a hinged front door.

[lazylivin]

Sounds like a good plan Rayman. Are you snapping a few DIY pics for us? 

[HUNGER]

sweet cant wait to see it all done

[Rayman]

i will have pics but this may be put on hold for a bit as i am going on vac this week, so i need to shift into packing mode.

[HUNGER]

naa you can finsh it and pack latter

[Joel]

The two part epoxy paint made for painting the inside of concrete swimming pools is what I use on the inside of stands & canopys. It is available in a bunch of colors and is some really tough stuff. You can buy is at most swimming pool supply shops for about 50 bucks (look for sales this time of the year - this is the off season for that industry) I use white to help with light reflection

[Rayman]

Thanks Joel that one had me stumped because i read it in another build and could not figure out what epoxy you where using, I may try that on the 120 build.

Well i have the day off so it looks like i will get to make some progress on this project after all.

[UD Flyer]

Also, the big box stores sell a product made by Homax called Tough As Tile and it comes in brush-on or a spray. This is epoxy paint and is roughly $30 for a quart of the brush on, the spray on is a little more expensive. Its readily available, i think Ace even has it. Its pretty hardy stuff.