TheLorax
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A honey-do potting bench project

I'd like to have a potting bench made for me by my husband. One trick though, no wood.

Here's a design I found that I really like unfortunately it's all out of wood-
https://progressivefarmer.com/farmer/diy/freeplans/images/pottingbench.pdf

Anyone out there who has made a potting bench from scratch out of products other than wood?

Gardenmom
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Location: Southern California

I have a question: why not wood? It's going to be hard to find plans for one that isn't made out of wood, although there is a material I found on a web site that talks about plastic made to look like wood.

Maybe you could use large, round pvc piping for the legs, then smaller piping and elbow joints for the frame. I know that some of the home improvement stores either have remnant pieces or will cut lengths of formica that you could use for a top. I guess there are ways, but it would take some searching around on the internet for more ideas.

My husband and I put mine together in a day (for my birthday) several years ago. We used scrap pressure treated lumber and dog-ear fence slats. It still works great. :D

TheLorax
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I get hives when ever I come in contact with pine or cedar. I must be allergic to the resins. We had to rip out a cedar closet inside our home when I started having problems breathing any time the door was opened. The other issue is that greenhouses have high humidity and even pre-treated lumber that comes in contact with water will eventually be a problem for me in the mold and mildew department unless I was bleaching the heck out of the surface.

I've seen some really nice work and tool benches inside of open garages that don't seem to be made out of wood and was sort of hoping something like that might be able to be modified for a gardener.

Gardenmom
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Wow, I guess you have a point. I'll certainly be on the look-out for one made out of a different material.

Dom Nizza
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Location: NJ the Garden State

Gardenmom wrote:I have a question: why not wood? It's going to be hard to find plans for one that isn't made out of wood, although there is a material I found on a web site that talks about plastic made to look like wood.

Maybe you could use large, round pvc piping for the legs, then smaller piping and elbow joints for the frame. I know that some of the home improvement stores either have remnant pieces or will cut lengths of formica that you could use for a top. I guess there are ways, but it would take some searching around on the internet for more ideas.

My husband and I put mine together in a day (for my birthday) several years ago. We used scrap pressure treated lumber and dog-ear fence slats. It still works great. :D
I agree .. don't make it so complicated. You could go back to wood working HS classes... and rediscover ... a ruler, Square, Pencil, Saw, box of wood screws... and quit fooling around. Just copy this one as best you can... and start potting up stuff. :!: ... :!:

[img]https://www.backyardcity.com/images/CCI/potting-table-3030.jpg[/img]

If you can't do this one for under $30.00 ... you need another hobby. Maybe building a rowboat... for family. Just kidding of course. That's another topic.
...

TheLorax
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You're right. I shouldn't make this complicated. I think if I can't come up with something for him to build for me... I'll print this off and hand him the thread with the pics and ask him to make it in stainless steel for me. My handyman skills are right up there with my computer skills so he's generally more than happy to take over these types of projects. If he can't come up with something, I'll just do the good lil wifey thing and take his credit card and go shopping online :) I really need a deep sink in there too and was looking at some very basic laundry tubs at Home Depot the other day. They were cheap. I'd like the potting bench and the sink to both fit into one section of the greenhouse to leave all other areas for benches. At least that's ideally what I'd like to do.

Dom Nizza
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Location: NJ the Garden State

Sounds good to me...!
...

Dom Nizza
Senior Member
Posts: 122
Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:34 pm
Location: NJ the Garden State

Perhaps this is what you are looking for...

[img]https://www.disas.com/images/Garratt.700.jpg[/img]

... Photo is big of this deflasker... WOW.. the tub is there too.
... Check it out.

TheLorax
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Bingo! That's what I want. Where did you find that please?

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Gnome
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TheLorax,

Have you considered having it made from the poly type wood substitute that is becoming popular for decks and patios? This material is manufactured from recycled products so that might be considered a plus. Take a trip to your local home center and see what they have. My local Lowes stocks this material. I believe they have more than one dimension. Here is an example of this material.
[url]https://www.clunlimited.com/poly-lumber.htm[/url]
I'm not sure about the structural specs. If this is an issue perhaps the framework could be fabricated from angle iron by a local welding shop and the poly material used as the surface. The laundry tub you mentioned could be incorporated into the design.

Norm

Dom Nizza
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Posts: 122
Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:34 pm
Location: NJ the Garden State

Source of "bingo"...
Click here...
https://www.disas.com/deflasking

Lots of technical stuff here... scroll "all the way" for
more photos on the process. You will find photo I posted.

... Had you right clicked the photo ... for properties, you
could have found the home LINK source easily yourself.
Practice that, when exploring. good luck ...

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Grey
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Location: Summerville, GA, Zone 7a

You know, my hubby hates me for this tacky looking thing, but we have an old, cast-iron sink that has a drying rack on one side of the basin.

For now what I have it sitting on is one of those home-made looking metal trash bin racks made of heavy pipe. I have set a bin to one side of the bottom to hold soil, and have pots sitting next to it. At some point I will pretty it up and get a faucet back on the sink and a bucket to sit under the drain to catch water as I rinse off root veggies before bringing them in.

The drying-rack side is perfect for a counter space for potting up, and someday I want a rack above it so I can put my garden tools away somewhere, but it works for now (and is hidden behind my home... though I maintain it could be so cute!).

TheLorax
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Gnome- the poly type wood is what we're going to do if we start from scratch. Really neat product. I stopped at Lowes this morning to follow up on your suggstion and they carry it. It's used for decks of all things. Neat product, thanks for mentioning it. A friend of mine did find a stainless steel combo piece that looks a lot like what Dom Nizza posted complete with a sink and backsplashes and racks plus all the bells and whistles that Grey mentioned which is very tempting. Problem is the cost. I had no idea restaurant supply equipment had that type of a price tag on it.

Dom Nizza- Have to wait until this weekend to figure out what a source is when right clicking. I right clicked and got a menu of some sort. Looks like fun. Now all I need to do is figure out how to use this right click.
Deflasking- oh how I laughed when I read these comments, "How to get the little buggers out of the bottle without killing them all". I grow a lot of paphs and phrags.

Grey- I'd go for the set up you described. I've got a cast iron ball and claw porcelain tub that my husband has a love hate relationship with. He hates it when it's just sitting out there with aquatics that were recently purchased or that need to be re-potted but loves it when I drain it and fill it with ice for backyard barbecues. Great way to keep beverages cool! It's horribly unattractive but it multi-tasks for me. For as ugly as it is, it sure is functional. Ours is hidden from view too, it's behind the garage otherwise I'm sure he would have hauled it off long ago.

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Grey
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Yep! My sink is perfect for holding a few drinks for parties in too. I just create a "skirt" to hide the hideous metal frame and it all looks much nicer!

84pagirl
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Location: SW PA

I think it would be great to find an old stainless steel sink top, set it on some 4x4 wolmanized legs with a shelf big enough underneath to put plastic storage bins to put your compost soil etc underneath and have a y at the garden hose so you could use the basin for washing and the drain to irrigate crops hmmmm...my thinking cap is on.



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