PVC growlight stand plans?

Jagonjune I don't watch much TV is there such a show or is the red green for stop and go? Ernie

Paul sorry you don't seem to see the need to make things better Glad you are happy with yours.

Melissa has posted two pictures of hers the first is empty and the shelves appear relatively stright.

The second picture shows the same shelf with two flats of starts on one shelf which is obviously starting to bow with the weight.

To help her and others who are interested get a little nicer finished product I am trying to stimulate creative problem ideas to accomplish this. Ernie

eweed - The Red Green show is on PBS (public TV). They are the duct tape kings! (originate in Canada) I love their closing line "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!"

ernie,
............. I think while I am hoarding cast off windows and patio doors to build my GH, I have a design in mind that I am going to make a prototype, out of Sch 40 just to see if it will fly......OOOpppsie! ...wrong word....see if it will stand. There that's better *smile*


A picture of me and my 2003 prototype.

I think the bowed shelving is caused by the extra joints added to the shelves, more cuts made it weaker. Also it should be somewhere in the directions to 'whack a good one' with a rubber mallet to really seat 'each' compression fit tee-joint good and solid.
ss

On the Positive side, mine isn't sagging any more than it was, even with the added weight, but I would like to get that sag outta there. :-)

AHH _ HAAA !!
.............. I see little green thingies, they don't seem to care that they are a lil side-ways. As long as the unit stays together I see no prob. Good going =)

They're all sideways cuz their momma hasn't put them upright after sliding out their tray to see if any of their brothers and sisters had sprouted in the back! LOL

I forgot to add the most important thing, whether it sags or not,

IT WORKS!!! and I am SOOOOOOOo grateful for everyone's input and ideas here. Were it not for this, I would have had to waited til spring to start growing my babies!

This message was edited Jan 29, 2004 11:18 PM

And you're right scooter, I've never whacked em good to get em good and solid in the joints either.

If you can't find the PBS listing and you have some time between your handy man projects rent "Red Green the Movie" it cracks me up what these guys can do with duct tape. Sort of a modern day 3 (but two or many) stooges.

And it all comes crashing down...

I came home from school to find my plant stand in peices on the floor. I think the Puppy must have climbed it.

I'm just SICKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

I think the majority of my seedlings are ok... except for the ones that dumped out. I was just saying to hubby last night that we needed to bring the crate in for the puppy.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to put it back together, I have to leave for class again at 3, and have homework to do in the meantime.

I could just cry.

Hang in there Melissa. Things will get better! You'll do OK! Wish I could come help you pick up the pieces!!

Oh no Melissa, I am so sorry to hear this heart-breaking news. I don't know what else to say my friend..hang in there =)

Yesterday's worries are only thoughts that
Have fallen into the sea with the sunset:
It is tomorrow's dreams that survive.


§

Oh, Melissa. My heart hurts reading this. I hope that you are able to save most.

LimeyLisa Kay

Melissa sorry for your setback you are resourceful so I know you will prevail. Ernie

Melissa - So how are the seed babies? I have a feeling that most of them will make it. Let us know.

I have been enjoying the seedling stand discussion, and it finally hit me yesterday..... I kept thinking of "heat tape", which can be used to wrap pipes to prevent freezing. Then I remembered that when I raised and bred snakes (my apology to those who shudder, but it was a great hobby!) I had (and still do in storage) a bookcase like "rack" into which the tupperware boxes slid that held my lovelies. It had grooves in the shelves, weaving from one shelf level to the next, in which the tape lay. The tape was held in place at corners by plastic-headed pins, and the tape controlled by thermostat.

Problem is, no room for lights to be added, so I can't use the old racks. But that commoner heat pipe tape could be run from end to end on the PVC shelves. What do y'all think?

Peter

Sounds like a plan Peter.

Paul

Hopefully they'll be ok, they got "haircuts" compliments of the lights sitting directly on them. I'm probably lucky my house didn't burn down.

There were two seedlings that I'm not sure what they are now. Have an idea, but, not positive. I lost a few that got sucked up in the vacuum I think.

You can see in the picture, where the light sat on top of them, their leaves are singed.

So glad that not all is lost. All that work. Must have made your heart stop for a minute!

LimeyLisa Kay

Melissa well what was the out come ? Ernie

I think they're "stunted" but they're still alive.... not very tall though. Maybe getting their heads burned off made them produce more roots? LOL

bump ...........

Some more money savers

Heat box for germinating seeds ( holds 2 trays)
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php/fp.php?pid=22259

PVC plant stand ( holds 12 seed trays)
http://www.carlnet.org/~ttsdaly/plantstand.html _nice color coded instructions
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/169142/
My total cost for PVC and T-connectors @ home Depot only $34.64 (last year)

Seedling trays are cheap =)
http://www.novoselenterprises.com/products/seedling.asp


This message was edited Nov 7, 2004 10:23 PM

Thanks for the bump!

lets bump this again... great info ;=j

These are functional but you can get six adjustable shelves on casters for $72 bux from costco. They are very well built with heavy duty wire shelves. Ernie

Well, the PVC project would be a great thing to do with my kids. Meanwhile, we don't have a costco here, but it is on my Sam's Club list. I bought a light from Indoor Gardening Supplies, and have it set up. I have to go look again, but I don't think it is even like pictured. If i am not satisfied, I will post here again, and in the watchdog. Thanks everyone for all the great tips, I have Spring Fever!

FYou know, since this thread is alive again, I gotta say something about flurorescents. They don't work for me. I made the plant stand last winter, so I am in the second year of growing things under lights - cuttings and seedlings. the combination of the 2 types of bulbs - can't remember the usually recommended pair - just doesn't work well. Plants do better on my window sill, even in dim conditions. Anybody have any ideas?

Peter

Peter are your seedlings within two to four inches if not you are to far away. I use four tubes in each shelf of mine alternating cool white bulbs for the blue side of the light spectrum best for vegatative growth and warm white bulbs to provide the red light part that is best for flowering and fruiting.I keep my starts very close to the bulbs and have good results. As we speak I have two flats of onion starts simmering away and they will stay there till mid febuary when I will harden them a bit and plant them out. Each year my plant stand is nursery to hundreds of seedlings. Ernie

They work great for me. I have to go buy some 2 ft lights tomorrow, I"m WAY downsizing the amount I'm starting this year.

Peter, The lights need to be 2 or 3 inches from your plants/seedlings.

Also make sure you get 40 watt bulbs also. They come in 25 and 40 W.
As scooterbug and eweed said the bulbs need to be 2-3 inches from the plants.

Paul

Right now, I have African vilets under the combination of cool and warm lights. They are about 3' from the plants. The leaves are bunching up, not like leaves that are missing light and reach up but in a rounder cluster with slight cupping of the leaves. They are exposed about 12 hrs. a day. Last year, seedlings got leggy and lacked stem vigor. It may be my fertiliaation program that is to blame. I'll be starting some seed soon; we'll see. I am going to go to a higjh phosphorus, low nitrogen liquid feed.

pdkrones, I'm not an expert (this is my first winter using lights,) but I think 3' is way too far from plants or seedlings. Scooterbug is right, the lights need to be 2 or 3 inches from your plants/seedlings. I have read no farther than 6", but nevertheless, a lot closer than 3'.

I have (4) 4' florescent lights, all with just plain ol' lights (no mixture of warm/cool) with tropicals and succulents growing under them for the winter. They are all doing amazingly well. But the light fixtures are not more than 6" from any plant. I wasn't feeding, at all, but when all the plants starting getting full and putting on growth I added some Osmocote, just in case they needed it.


Edited for spelling

This message was edited Jan 19, 2005 4:47 PM

I musta typed wrong. I am at 3 inches! :-) I think my issue is proper fertilizer formula and strength. You're right; the Osmo is always a safe choice!

Peter

I built the pvc plant stand but I made a few alterations. In the center of the horizontal pipes instead of putting a t connector, I put a + connector and put vertical pvc pipes to support the shelves to each layer. I also put the shelving on a piece of plywood with rollers on it so I could move it in and out of my garage during warmer days and move it back in at night when it's too cool out. Just make sure you glue the horizontal pipes so they don't pull apart while moving. I also put the white light weight shade cover (or bug cover) on it so the sun wouldn't burn the leaves and the wind wouldn't damage the leaves. I just held it on with the pinching clothes pins. Hope this helps. Happy planting.

Joann

OK, I made me one of these so I thought it was time give it another good bump! I also made the shelves 20" apart instead of 15" and I'm glad I did. I don't currently need all the space for starting things but I figure maybe in time ;) I need more strip lights!

I did also place an order with novosel for trays and things and I have to say, I expected the same quality as the Jiffy trays I would pick up at Walmart but they are much better quality IMO and I'm so glad I ordered some. And the inserts are super cheap and now I have a variety of sizes (some are deep!) and they separate out easily, love that.

Thanks for that tip Scooterbug!

URVW ;o)

Here's a picture of my weekend project. I'm not sure which thread I found the link to the diagram that I used to build this, but it's exactly what I was looking for. Total cost for materials at Lowe's was less than $65 and that includes two light fixtures and sun-stik bulbs (full spectrum). In case anyone else is interested, here's where you can find a copy of the materials list and diagram for putting it together. My son did the cutting and assembly for me. He has a PVC pipe cutter which really sped up the process ... he probably spent in total, maybe a couple of hours doing all of this. The gluing seemed to take longer than the cutting. The long vertical pieces are not glued so it can be broken down for easier storage.

http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/ladygardener1_1168446806_613.jpg

I found a coleus on the 'I'm almost dead' shelf at Lowe's yesterday for 50 cents and am experimenting with rooting cuttings from it following tigerlily123's great instructions. Once I either finish killing the coleus or get some good results, I'll probably put this all away until around the end of January.

Bump! Tis the season! lol

In case you all wanted the new link to plans:
http://www.tsflowers.com/plantstand.html

Melissa..this goes to show people that "You should never under estimate the power of a woman!" I'm so impressed that you made this by yourself, with help of son. Way to go! Pat yourself on the back. What do those racket scissors look like and how do they work? I would not be able to cut a straight line with or without a hack saw, believe me. You should see the cuts on my WS jugs and soda bottles made by box cutter. Good thing we aren't graded on cutting those!