need suggestions for finishing door opening ...

[Doozer]

I am building a hexagon aquarium stand for my daughter, kind of unconventional, but I just wanted to put something together using a sheet of plywood I already had, and I made the top from a maple end table I found for free.... since I took the picture, I have added moulding around the base and a smaller moulding just under the top all the way around, it looks pretty good! I plan to stain the whole outsisde with a light stain and probably just paint the inside to hide the glue and wood screws.

Its coming together better than I expected, but Im not sure what to do about the door opening edges... not sure if you can tell by the pic, but I just cut a rectangle door opening with my jigsaw, so its not perfect, and its plywood, so you can see it on the edges.. I made a door out of plywood and edged it with some 1/2" 90 degree edge moulding. I was thinking of using the same type of edge moulding around the door opening, but wasnt sure how it will affect the door operation. the door is about 1/2 wider than the opening.. I havent bought any hinges yet, but they will have to be simple ones.. . its just plywood...

Any other ideas?

[Doozer]

heres a pic

[PaulMarcel]

Sounds like you are doing an overlay door since you specify that the door is 1/2" wider than the opening. Since you are painting the inside and the door will hide the edges of the opening, maybe mix a good filler and fill the plywood edge so it becomes smooth and paint it like the interior. That should hide the plys. If there are no voids visible, a "high build" primer would do it; sand after it sets.

So that's a response to your question, but I'll give you some other ideas for thought that you can do later.

I have an octagon aquarium stand for an octagon acrylic aquarium. Here are some pics as you might like adding one thing to yours.

This is a 55 gallon that I now use with a water fountain and 2 (struggling) Orchids. Keeping a tank at a reasonable temperature in Arizona costs too much, though I've since seen "water air conditioning units" that cool the water. Maybe next year Your stand looks more sized for a 25 gallon. I have an octagon tank like that , too, but it's in storage.

The topper is really really nice. I didn't have the topper originally and it looks soooo much better with it on hiding the top water line, lamp, cords, heater cords, filter pipes, and used to keep my African diving frog from escaping too far

It's just another octagon made 1" wider than the top of the aquarium with a 1/2" rabbet on the underside so it sits on the aquarium. A similar rabbet on the top lets a plastic grid sit there to 'finish' the top, allow for air exchange, but keep the frog in

[jHop]

I'd recommend hinges similar to these.

http://www.rockler.com/gallery.cfm?Offerings_ID=5827&r=2&TabSelect=Details

you don't have to use these exact ones, but at least it's a starting point for hardware.

as long as the door is oversized, i'd say you really don't have to do much to the interior of the door edge. if you want to experiment, maybe do an iron on veneer? (practice, right?) As long as the finish is consistent, I don't think anybody is going to complain.

**

Just reread the post, and I'm not certain you even need molding around the door opening. Remember the "KISS" approach. (Kiss the wife before you tell her the cost...)

[Doozer]

Thanks for the replies.. I guess I shouldnt really worry about what isnt going to be seen, (unless the door is open). After all, its going in my 13 year olds room, so she will probably ruin it in a week anyway.. lol!

I really like those hinges, I think ill use that style. Ill post some pics after the finish is done.

[iSawitFirst]

You could try ripping trim that fastens to the exposed plys with the trim having a "lip" on it, just 1/16" or so, to cover the gaps.

Corners woud have to be mitered. Not a big deal.

Good luck!