Does Anyone have plans to make boxes yourself?

I have attended a webinar outlining the explosive use of the web for CO-CREATION. This is what is happening right here as several from across the world work together generating new ideas. The neat thing about this process is it saves lots of money while we ideate and innovate.

What a wonderful way to use the Internet!

You guys are amazing!

Bill ..All we ever called it was Glass Board or .F.R.P I'm sure Menards has it ..Would bet thar Home Depot.or Lowes would also carry it..For paneling a shower or tub
Good Luck with your totes..I'm sure you can make the cut out lid work,Like you said..
That was what I was going to do too..
Then the gray matter.got thiner & I remembered the Glass Board.LOL

My old boss NEVER wanted scrap G B brought back to warehouse And I have plenty places to store it..
Very handie around the farm (3 acers) lol

AWESOME!

Devota: Good job, it looks nice, let us know how it works.
joy

tubbytee - I will see if I can find it at HD.

The "Gyvota Wicking Sleeve"

Devota Good Job Might have think about side job in metal fabrication..lol
No seriously nice work

Tubby

prefer not to use 2 of them to make one unit

Billgrubbs/Devota: Doesn't it still take 2 Sterilites to make one unit?

Billgrubbs, that is what I am doing with the other two. Since these are BIG tubs, I will drill six matching holes across from each other where I want the lid/aeration thingy to sit and slide 1 inch pvc throughthem as a "shelf" for the lid to sit on, leaving the mid of the area for Gymgirl's "Amazing Wicking Sleeve." Same principal. I used two this time because I had one that already had a couple of holes in it.

"D" you've got d-mail...

Since it is still winter here, I am building a few tubs for inside use and I am designing them where they don't leak. Instead of a drain hole I have put a rubber grommet with a 1/2 " L connector in the side of the tub with a 1/2 " clear tube attached and pointing up. I can tell by the level of the water in the tube when I need to fill the reservoir. If it were out on the patio, I wouldn't have to have this option. In fact, using it outside, I think the idea of using the 1" pvc is a great idea. Again, why didn't I think of that? I get used tubs and other plastic parts at the used store for $1 each. By the time I get all of these ideas in place, I will be making them for $3-$5. Can't beat that!

Bill: Careful, you'll wind up where I am. I had a lot already until I made 18 HEBs and 5 HE buckets, now look where I am, trying to find a home for all of them. LOL
joy

joy, you are way over the top! How can you manage so many? I have an acre of land where I will be starting a new garden so the HEB is a temporary thing to keep me happy until May when we are able to plant tomatoes, etc outside. I have limited space under lights and in south facing windows where I can use the HEB right now.

Bill: I own an acre of land also, and I have 1 bloommaster, 6 GPs, 5 EBs, 1 homemade bloommaster, 2 topsy turvys, 4 revolutionary planters, 2 square footers, and now 18 HEBs and 5 HE buckets. Not to mention 7 of Bob's grow bags and 6 hanging grow bags. LOL
I'll manage them. Will keep me busy though.
joy

here's my ebucket

..

Angiegr, How many do you have and what will you plant in them?

hi devota, i've got 4 done, gonna do one more, and i'm only using these for tomatoes, and making the tote ones for other stuff like peppers, squash, okra, beans and peas

Angie

what's neat is brushin your hand over the tom. plants and you can already smell them

That is neat. I noticed that tomatoey smell when I cut off some tiny little extra plants.

Angie: You used just a huge round PVC pipe and the mesh?
joy

4" pvc, i got the one that has holes in it already and added more, cut to 6" length
held in place with zip ties, then cut screen to keep mix from falling thru

Boy, that sounds do able too. So many ways so little time.

angiegr - I understand the 4" pvc, but what is the base for the potting soil made of? Did you use the bucket lid? Does the 4" pvc support all the potting soil or do you need additional supports underneath?

joy - you must be super human to manage so much! I am sure you probably have some growing plants in your home that you manage too.

Bill, I think that Angiegr has a bucket in a bucket which needs no support if I am right. go back and look at her photos.

it is bucket in bucket....drill holes in one then just sit down in the other....the pvc pipe wicking chamber holds it up while also creating more room for the water reservoir.....the pic doesn't show the hole for the fill tube, but there will be one.....and also a hole drilled on the bottom bucket for drainage...when you get ready to fill with mix, pack the pipe and saturate it really well before you start adding more mix to the bucket...make sure it's mounded as much as possible at the top of the pipe to ensure good wicking...then start adding mix a little at a time and saturating it well as you add...this is the key to good wicking...when i fill mine, i'm going to add lime into the last bit of mix that goes in....i'm going to cover the buckets with white plastic trash bags for moisture retention, and probably tie something around it or use big rubber bands to hold it in place....

angiegr, Have you seen how Boca Bob covers his EBuckets? He uses the lids and cuts holes for his plants. It does the same thing as the plastic would.

yeah i saw that, and thought of doing it that way, but i'm not going to fool with it...i am doing that with the totes i'm making tho, but cutting all the center out and just leaving the rim to snap down over plastic....i don't like the idea of having a limited size hole to work with when it comes time to transplant ...making these things to work is the easy part, as long as i have thriving plants :)

Absolutely. Well you've introduces some new and useful tools here. Good job!

billgrubbs'

Jerry: That is the way the square footers are you can see the water and there is a little red water indicator that lets you know where the water is and if it is ready for a refill. I love the PVC stand with lights.

Devota and Angie: Great job, I like the way you both made yours. A friend of mine let me use cable ties, he had a whole bag of them to hold my pond baskets into mine. I didn't know a cable tie from a zip tie.
joy

Has anyone seen the clever do hickey that is a cork with a light weight stick, [can't recall what it was,] that has a flag on the end. When the water is low the flag all but dissappears into the holw, floats high when the level is high?

Angie,
What size drill bit did you use for those holes in the bottom of the bucket? Also, you're relying on the zip ties on the 4" pvc tube to carry the weight of the filled potting bucket + the weight of a plant bearing fruit, and keep it from sliding down on the pvc tube? Please explain what's keeping the top bucket held up?

Thanks,

Linda

I have looked online and at HD for the grommet to make the water level viewer and can't find them. I went back to the hydroponic store and bought a few more of the 1/2" gromets and 1/2" L. I have provided a picture of them so you can see what I am talking about. As you can see, the grommet has a grove around it that makes it water tight. You attach a clear 1/2" plastic tube to the L and turn it straight up. I place a mark on the clear tube that shows me the fill line for the reservoir so I don't over fill it.

I am concerned that there is no air hole. I know oxygen getting to the roots is good. The only other solution for using inside was to set the whole tub in some other container so when water runs out of the drain hole, it will not get on the floor.

I don't know if you would ever need to, but this tube also provides a way to drain the reservoir if you ever needed to.

Bill: I had my artichokes planted in HEBs in the house, I just didn't cut the drain hole til I took it outside, you can make a dipstick to measure the water level ya know? Also if you must have the drain hole, put a pan under the drain hole to catch any water that comes out. Just a few ideas that popped into my head.
joy

Bill, I think I'd used the plastic hose as a drain; make it just long enough to stick into a jar or other receptacle to catch the overflow water. This would not only allow for an air exchange but also let you brag to others that your system even "recycles its excess water so it can be re-used"! :>)

Lots of great ideas on this thread! Ya'll done gooood! Love it!

Shoe

Linda, i used a 1/2" spade bit. and yea i do think it will hold the weight....it takes alot of pressure to break the zip ties and i don't see th pvc or bucket breaking cause it's very sturdy plastic and i didn't drill the hole close enough to the lip for that to happen...the weight should be distributed good enough to work fine.....and if i grow a tomato plant with fruit weight to break it, who cares !! lol =)

Another good idea.

I have several aquarium pumps. Do you think it would be a good idea to put an airstone in the reservoir to increase the oxygen saturation in the water? I could just drop it down the water tube, but don't know if there would be any advantage.

Angiegr,
a 4" hole bit? or 3-1/2" to give you a lip to rest the bucket on? GREAT design, BTW. And Just in Time, 'cause I'm constructing about 10 of these this weekend. 5 for me and 5 for my neighbor. She's my expansion project! I'm gonna let her plant the okra in hers since she has lots of sunshine in her back yard.

first i sat the pipe on the bucket and drew a circle around it to cut out with what's call a speed saw....i didn't leave a lip