mridenour 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2013 That can only cost me money. Yeah tell me about it. I've made at least 8 trips to Lowes in the past week alone and not a single trip did I walk out with less than a $50 receipt. The tank alone has to be a lot of money to get up and running. I have done smaller set-ups but nothing on that grand scale. It is going to be amazing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2013 Definitely not cheap that's for sure, but not as much as saltwater at least. As the tank sits right now there's about $750 into it. By the time it is ready for fish (dual FX5 filters, dual T5 lights, dual inline 300w heaters) and all the rest of the equipment that number will be closer to $1600. Then the fish will add another $500 or so give or take. So it'll probably be around $2000 for everything by the time it's all done. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2013 Upper section is now done. Used two shades of gray followed by white highlights on the edges and raised portions. Have also started on the lower half as well..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2013 Not much done, but now that I'm back from fishing I did work a bit on the lower part of the wall tonight.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2013 Looking good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted May 13, 2013 I made this for the new office build and thought you guys might enjoy seeing it. Last week while at my cabin on a fishing trip I was picking up some of the downed trees and limbs that came down over the winter when I noticed a pretty cool looking dried out stump. When I see things like that I get all sorts of thoughts of things to make out of it swimming around in my head so I tossed it in the trunk before we headed back home. I ended up making this out of it. Basic idea of what I did was I made the base out of carved foam and then drylock coated it gray, glued some river rocks and branches, leaves and various things to make it look like a river log jam. Mounted the stump and then varnished and minwax clear urethane coated it. Mounted a 13" Rainbow trout fiberglass repo mount (from bass pro shops) and put a streamer with line in its mouth. Came out pretty cool and fits right in with the new office theme. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mridenour 0 Report post Posted May 13, 2013 Nice!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted May 13, 2013 Very good. You should make those and auction them for charity. Really cool. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted May 15, 2013 Been trying to juggle rod orders and office build along with yard work and other things, could use about 10 more hours in each day it seems, but have got some more done on the office/tank this week. It's really starting to look like something now.The wall around the aquarium is now done and just have some more detail work to do to it now (such as adding more foliage, moss, vines to give it a very realistic look). Just have to build in a door next to it now and then continue the rock wall over the door so it is not a visible doorway.I picked up a desk and cabinet over the weekend for $35. They were two separate pieces but I removed a couple parts, leveled them out and screwed them together so it is now one 6'6" wide unit. The wood color as well as the top were a perfect match for the floor/wood in the office. Couldn't have lucked out any better by finding this for so cheap. I also snagged the grey office chair today off Craigslist for only $20Still have a bit more trim/detail work to do on the stairs but the stairway&stairs are now cleaned, painted and green carpeted runner installed on the stairs.My grandfathers end table I refinishedI also started on the ceiling. Decided to go with 1 x 4 wood planks and stain them in Red Oak color stain then coated with Min wax spar varnish. These are two of the planks drying. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted May 16, 2013 First thing I will say. I love the trout mount, now that I've seen it's actual size. I was looking at it in the first post of it, thinking, "That's going to take up a lot of room!" But now I see it's a pretty neat table top piece. I think I'd be trying to run a lamp tube through the stump and turning that into a light. Everything else is looking very nice ... it's easy to see where you are going with a lot of it now. Well, done, Steve ... I am impressed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted May 16, 2013 Mike I actually was going to originally make a lamp out of it, but I already have one that I made a lamp out of a few years ago so I figured I'd just let this one be somewhat of a display piece more than a working piece like a lamp. I also just got done changing the stain color of the ceiling planks. The first two were just a bit too redish for my tastes after looking at them for a bit. So I flipped them and redid them now to a more natural/darker wood stain which looks much more like a nice rustic fly shop/cabin look.I have the first 5 boards drying with the poly coat right now so I'll snap a pic shortly so you can see the color of them now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted May 16, 2013 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riffleriversteelheadslayer 0 Report post Posted May 16, 2013 I love them boards that office is going to look great bro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flysmallie 0 Report post Posted May 16, 2013 Yep that color looks a lot better. Going to be a really nice room. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted May 16, 2013 Starting to install the ceiling now.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites