# Best way to check if stand top is coplanar?



## Harry Muscle (Mar 21, 2007)

I'm dealing with a new Miracles Aquariums stand with a top that is 60" by 18". What would be the best way to check if the stand top is coplanar? Putting the tank on it unfortunately is not possible cause it's over 200lbs ... once it's on it will stay on. I'd like to verify the the top is coplanar before the tank goes on, just not sure how to do that easily ... are they any tools available to help with that (like the coplanar equivalent of a level)?

Thanks,
Harry


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Coplaner: Lying on a common plane. 3 points are always coplanar because you can have a plane that they are all on. But 4 point are usually NOT on the one plane (unless they are carefully chosen to be).


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## afnaveils (Nov 1, 2015)

You mean a horizontal plane? Why not use a spirit level?


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## Kajendra (Dec 12, 2010)

I would suggest using a few marbles and rolling them at once to see if there are any big deviations.

I wouldn't worry about anything you can't see because of a marble.

You could also shine a laser or light and look for shadows.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I would simply use a 2 foot straight edge level. You want to make sure there are no cups (hollows) or rises large enough to create point loads on your tank. 

Better yet, just put some closed cell foam down under the tank and be happy, because even if the stand shifts when fully loaded or bends under stress, glass will not break until it has a point load on it somewhere.

Coplanar is worth fretting over on a table saw or a jointer. It's not worth fretting over on an aquarium stand. Holy cow that's a big tank. Five feet long? One and a half feet deep? How high? I would be more worried about the total weight and the structural integrity of the stand over time under that amount of weight. 

Warren


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

The easiest way would be with the use of a laser level and tape measure. The first thing would be to make sure the four corners were in the same plane, and then, using the tape as a vertical scale you can move it around and check various spots on the shelf to see if they are all in the same plane. Alternatively, you could place a piece of styro under the tank and be done with it.


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