Then the hamster cage doesn't fit under. (Already went down that road.
) We have limited floor space. And, really, I'm not too confident about the floor - it's laminate and when we walk on it in the hallway it has a kind of a spring to it. But it is holding the couch and our other larger pieces ok, and the weight of this build would be focused over a wide-enough area that I think it'd be ok. I'll probably have to put shims under at least two of the legs anyway, as this floor is not level.
What I am thinking of doing, and I'll need to measure carefully, is:
getting something like a 2x2 (or the UK equivalent = maybe bed slats?) and have it cut into short pieces to go across the top depth (60cm), then place the MDF on that (for the time being); and,
if it still allows for the cage to go in (and I think it will) have the same or slightly stronger lumber cut to size to fit in tightly along the inside of the legs, and then little pieces cut to go between the bottom shelf supports and the floor. That way the legs which are supposedly steel, will have just a little more vertical support.
As much as I don't care for the look, Ikea has pre-finished tabletops that I could also lay over the top, for five quid. They have one that is long enough and exactly the same width, or one that is slightly larger that would overhang a little bit and hide most of the fiddly bits. I'd have to paint all the lumber that showed to a mat black, which is easy enough to do. So at least it would match the aquarium (which will have black substrate). Or I could put the slats in on top of the MDF, and the Ikea on top of that, but that would show a bit more. We have some furniture which has sort of an industrial look going anyway in that room, so it wouldn't be too out-of-place with the black metal legs. I am hoping someone with woodworking or engineering skills can tell me if it'd be strong enough and what kind of wood to use.
I'm trying to do this as "on the cheap" as I can without resorting to MDF/particleboard furniture (which most of the stuff available here seems to be, until it goes way out of my price range). And then when I go back to the States I can get a nice tank stand in a style I like. (And donate the other stuff to charity.)
If I had a pickup truck and the bench would accommodate Thor's cage, which it won't, and if I had any sort of refinishing skills, I'd love to have this. (Teak top!)
https://www.gumtree.com/p/tool-storage-workbenches/workbench/1335777912 It doesn't actually go with anything we have, in the way of furniture, but I bet it would hold an elephant!
There appear to be nine viable baby corys, all healthy.
