advice needed - tips on building a square level structure on unlevel ground

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I am thinking about building an aquarium stand. The stand would be about 36" long, 18" wide, and maybe 36" tall. I'm looking for tips on making a structure that is square and level when the floor that I'm working on in anything but. My welder (HH187) is located in my basement and the floor there is a bit uneven and certainly not level. I'm figuring building a simple frame out of 1" square tube. I'll then skin it with wood. The weight of a the tank will be about 850lbs. Any advice would be appreciated.
Reply:Frame it up with screws dry then weld it.
Reply:Get yourself a table, a level and something to level the table with (ie) shims pieces of wood scrap steel, whatever. then weld the fish tank stand up on the table. Level floor not a major concern.Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:If you make it square and even sized , have you considered blanking of the leg ends and tapping in some adjustable leg bases as you may move house or the aquarium later and the new location may be level,A good guess is better than a bad measurement
Reply:I will probably use some sort of adjustable legs like the kind on a washer or other appliance.  I'm thinking of using a piece of plywood to create a flat square surface to secure the 4 pieces that will make up the top and bottom parts of the frame.  I could screw down the pieces and then weld them up.  Maybe cut the corners of the plywood off so I don't burn anything.
Reply:Use threaded rod for feet under the legs. You just screw the table up/ down until you get it right.  I did this for my welding table/ workbench. 1/2" fine thread rod. 1 Piece, 2 ft. long. 6 nuts for the 6 legs. I cut the rod to lenght, and welded a flat plate under each section of threaded rod. I use anti-seize on the threads, thread the rod into the nut, and then after the table was built, legs all equal length, I flipped the table over,, set the nut inside each leg, and welded the nut in place. You have to leave the rod in the nut, and while it is hot, use some pliers to turn the rod a little, so it will keep the thread channels from warping. Easy stuff, works like a charm.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:I built an aquarium stand from wood and used shims under the 4x4 legs. Once the shelf is built to stand flat and even, shim up the shelf while checking it with a carpenters level.If you are placing this stand on concrete then the adjustable leg idea will fly. However, if you ever put it on a wooden floor, put some wide pads under the legs to spread the weight out and around.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:measure and cut the pieces so everything is equal, and make sure the distances between the legs and everything are the same when you weld it.Then just make adjustable feet.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Originally Posted by dedfishI am thinking about building an aquarium stand. The stand would be about 36" long, 18" wide, and maybe 36" tall. I'm looking for tips on making a structure that is square and level when the floor that I'm working on in anything but. My welder (HH187) is located in my basement and the floor there is a bit uneven and certainly not level. I'm figuring building a simple frame out of 1" square tube. I'll then skin it with wood. The weight of a the tank will be about 850lbs. Any advice would be appreciated.