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ElizabethB
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Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
Location: Lafayette, LA

Table height SFG

Hi All,

Last spring George built 2 new 4' x 4' boxes for me that never got planted. I can no longer get down to ground level.

G made the boxes with 2" x 10" boards. I want to convert the boxes to table height boxes (top of the boxes 28/30" from ground level)

I have a general idea of what to do. My question concerns proper bracing. I plan to use 3/4" plywood for the bottom of the box (holes drilled for drainage and lined with landscape fabric). I will use 4 x 4's for legs - one on each corner and one in the center. What do I use to brace corners, bottom, legs? Any ideas/Suggestions would be appreciated. Keep in mind that the 4' x 4' boxes are built. Need a plan for the bottom and legs.

Thanks in advance. I know I will get great advice.

pepperhead212
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

If you plan on using plywood, you should get some marine plywood, otherwise, it will have a very limited life span. However, I'm not sure if marine plywood is food safe. For bracing those 4x4 legs, I would run a 2x4 down the sides of the 2x10 and about a foot on the 4x4 legs, and bolt them together with 2 carriage bolts in each section, with some gorilla glue or Titebond 3 to add more strength. To add strength to the plywood, screw and glue that to the 2x10s with some SS right angle brackets added, for more strength. A good place to get stainless screws and bolts is https://www.mcfeelys.com

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

We have a handicap bed that is at wheelchair height in the idea garden. Wood legs are a problem in Hawaii, wet wood rots and the termites love untreated wood. Instead of wood legs, the box which is made of redwood sits on hollow tile legs. The bottom board sags and the nails started to come out from the weight of the wet soil and plants. The new box sits on a steel mesh bench grate that sits on the concrete legs. The bottom of the box gets supported that way and does not sag. The box was lined with pond liner and perforated pvc tubes were put at the bottom and they are drilled through the side wall to let the water drain out. The drain actually goes back to a barrel where it can be recycled again. A sock was put on the pvc tubing to help it last longer and keep it from getting clogged. The bed is 4x8 box that has been partitioned with the square foot garden grid. sides of the box were 8 inches high and made with 1x8x 10 cedar (double blocked) The sides also had vertical support braces to keep the sides from bowing out and it allowed the installation of a hand rail so gardeners had something to hold onto or could hang their tools with a hook on the rail. For the shorter gardeners we had a two step stair for them to reach the middle of the bed. The area surrounding the bed had a rubber mat that made it easier for the wheel chairs to get around instead instead of having to go on the uneven ground.

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ElizabethB
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Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
Location: Lafayette, LA

Thank you both - great ideas.



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