Redcap builds a system!

Mel Redcap

Changed the order of things a little; the liners are waiting for later (one has been rinsed and marked for cutting) and all the cages have been cut apart into growbed supports!

Not the best picture thanks to the angle of the sun, but should give you the idea:

I used up two cutting discs... and the side bracing handle has fallen off the angle grinder. :shock:

The drills aren't the only ones of hubby's tools that are getting a little old! I should be able to cut the liners without the handle, it doesn't 'kick' as much when cutting plastic, so it's a good thing I changed my mind and did the cages first!

Now I'm taking a break because wow, sore back and joints. Back into the fray in a couple of hours!

Deuem

With all the extra parts, could you tie the open corners. They look open in the pic. will the sides bow out? I would tie one strap at the top.

Mel Redcap

Deuem wrote:

With all the extra parts, could you tie the open corners. They look open in the pic. will the sides bow out? I would tie one strap at the top.

The bars that went across the top holding the liner in aren't long enough, and all the cut bits are shorter. I'm planning to use timber to neaten the edges and brace the sides, because otherwise yeah, the plastic will sag outwards like crazy if it doesn't have support.

Deuem

I was thinking to use 4 of those long bars in the photo and make a L shape bracket for the corner if possible. Or add some chain. Any metal to metal there should help prior to it putting pressure on the wood case.

Mel Redcap

Deuem wrote:

I was thinking to use 4 of those long bars in the photo and make a L shape bracket for the corner if possible. Or add some chain. Any metal to metal there should help prior to it putting pressure on the wood case.

There's only 8 of those bars, so even if they were long enough to go across the whole side I'd still need to get something else. :dontknow:

I've worked out something that should do the job and look OK at the same time, fingers crossed I can do it right! :mrgreen:

Deuem

Ok, I was thinking about cutting them just long enough to make the 90 at the corner. If you came up with an idea that would hold the sides together, go for it.

Mel Redcap

Deuem wrote:

Ok, I was thinking about cutting them just long enough to make the 90 at the corner. If you came up with an idea that would hold the sides together, go for it.

Wups, I don't think I was clear - that's not four growbed supports in the picture, that's eight growbed supports, stacked crosswise in lots of two. Each one has two completely open sides, so I don't just need to bridge a little gap at the corner, I need to put a brace across the whole side to support the plastic growbed.

Sleepe

If you want cheap just wire the sides together (two on each side) put the bladder in then slide tin or wood sheets between the wire and the bladder; then fill the GB's.

Mel Redcap

Sleepe wrote:

If you want cheap just wire the sides together (two on each side) put the bladder in then slide tin or wood sheets between the wire and the bladder; then fill the GB's.

Yeah I could do that :thumbright:

and probably will! But I want at least two of them to be able to be moved independently of the others (they're going to be over the sump tank; I'm thinking of making at least one of them a DWC bed so if I need to get under it I can drain it and it'll be light enough to shift easily) so at least those two will need their own side braces.

boss

Looking like great progress. Love the work too.

Sleepe

Sorry Mel I was rather short in my description; what I meant was wire them together individually ie from the top corner to the top corner on one bed then half way down the same, so four wires per bed.

Mel Redcap

Ah, gotcha! I read it as wiring two bed supports together and then sticking a board between the plastic sides. :lol:

Mel Redcap

Well, my husband insisted we buy a new angle grinder before I cut anything else up (something about him loving me best with all my fingers present and attached, which I can't really argue with), so we did that.

The new angle grinder is bigger. And faster. And generally kinda awesome. :headbang:

So! Pictures!

Suited up for safety! Not shown: gloves, because it's hard to take a selfie with them on.

Look, it was a good idea even if no bits went flying:

Imagine getting all that in your lungs and eyes. Bleh.

Everything that needed to be sliced has been sliced! Yay!

Of course I autographed the slab when they put it in. Also shown: awesome gardening clogs (with fluffy liners) that my best friend got me!

Next up, painting the growbeds for UV protection! :wink:

...Which I will probably not start until this afternoon, because wow it's windy today. Things next door are blowing over with impressive booming noises.

In other news, my radishes and broccoli and shungiku are sprouting!

skeggley

Hiya Mel, looks like it's coming together nicely. I prefer to cut barrels and ibcs with a jig saw as there is no dust or burning. Much safer too.
Keep up the good work, looking forward to the build.

Mel Redcap

I would too, but we don't have one. :dontknow:

We have other uses for an angle grinder, but not for a jigsaw, so grinder it is.

(I swear I tried to resize those pics! Photobucket, your editor has failed me for the last time!)

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics