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seeds Lowering seedlings

W

wordwiz

Just playing with my toms that have sprouted, I realized it will be necessary to lower my board that the toms are growing on. It is going to be nearly 3x8' with over 800 plants on it. As they reach a decent size and get watered, that going to be a significant amount of weight.

One option would be the type of chains that come with shop lights and lowering the plants one link at a time. Running them through an I-bolt would probably work but it seems that having four lines to adjust means I have four chances of screwing up or one of them breaking or pulling loose.

So I thought of another idea that would take a tad longer to build but would be a snap to adjust and enough foolproof enough for this fool! Get two threaded sections of pipe, two 2x4" 18 inches long pieces of lumber and two I-screws and two 36" pieces of angle iron. Screw the I-screws into the of the side walls of the growing chamber. Attach the 2x4s to the bottom of the board the plants will sit on, then drill a hole through both the 2x4 and the board. Run the threaded pipe through the I-screws the board and the 2x4. Attach a large washer and nut, and screw the threaded pipe down until it reaches the angle iron, with the washer and nut staying tight against the board. Put a nut on the bottom of the threaded pipe and weld it to the angle iron and secure the angle iron to the framing.

To lower the board with plants, I would only have to screw the nut down, allowing me to always keep the top of the plant canopy from 1/8" to 1/4" from the lights. If this works, then next year I may saw the board I use as the one for the plants to sit on into two sections so faster growing plants can go on one board and the others have their own section.

So you mechanically inclined men (and women), have I thought this thing through?

As a side note, I don't envision any plants growing more than 10 inches above the top of their pot or 16" total. My chamber is 24 inches tall, so minus the lights and the framing, there is 18" of room.

Mike
 
Why do you need to lower the plants? Why not just raise the lights? Oh, and you should totally post a picture of what you have planned cause my brain just aint picturing it.
 
Tx,

Because the lights (all 12 panels) will be attached to the lid. It will not lower - it sits on the framing. I hope to have a pic of the nearly finished project Thursday.

I use to have a neat program for doing mechanical drawings; I knew I should have saved that program that ran great under Windows 3.1!

I am not an artist, but here's a rough idea of the platform and how it will be designed.

setup1.jpg


setup2.jpg


Mike
 
Wordwiz that is a pretty good idea. Simple and gets the job done. Sounds like quite a few plants and therefore quite a bit of weight. How thick is your threaded rod?
 
Josh,

I'm thinking 1/2 inch, though I can go with 5/8. I have enough angle iron that I can use it instead of 2x4s to hold the board the plants sit on, but I don't think I have a drill bit good enough to drill through it, at least not without taking so long that I grow a beard.

But if I keep the rods straight, I don't think it bending is a major concern. The total weight, even after watering, should be less than 350 pounds - too much weight to let the rods sit on the floor (3/8 inch fiber board nailed from the bottom into 2x4s) but they, the 2x4s, should support what amounts to 90 pounds of weight.

Mike
 
So, you're adjusting the four corners of the board?

I see one possible downfall is adjusting the ones at the back, particularly if space is tight on the sides.

Instead of running threaded rods, what about a pulley system? tie nylon ropes, or some of that good thin 80lb climbing gear rope, not actual climbing rope to each corner, run up to a pulley at the top of each corner and then run through some sailing cleats(?) so as to lock them off. you could even half-hitch them to something for added security.

Otherwise, the threaded rods is inspired!

RS
 
Thinking of threaded rod... what about a couple of cheap scissor car jacks? You know the ones that come with most japanese cars?

Place underneath, and lower them as time goes by. Most lift about 12-16 inches, so hthat's covered, and one can usually hold about 500kg's
 
RS,

Actually, I'm adjusting one side of the board, either the left or the right. Front to back, the board will be raised the same amount.

My original plan was to use the scissors jacks. I HAD a couple of extra ones in the barn until my son decided to clean it out. Now the problem is finding them, though I suspect a junk yard may be a good source. They would be as good, if not better than the threaded rod/nut idea since it would be far less work to "install."

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Josh,

I'm thinking 1/2 inch, though I can go with 5/8. I have enough angle iron that I can use it instead of 2x4s to hold the board the plants sit on, but I don't think I have a drill bit good enough to drill through it, at least not without taking so long that I grow a beard.

But if I keep the rods straight, I don't think it bending is a major concern. The total weight, even after watering, should be less than 350 pounds - too much weight to let the rods sit on the floor (3/8 inch fiber board nailed from the bottom into 2x4s) but they, the 2x4s, should support what amounts to 90 pounds of weight.

Mike
Click to expand...
Sounds good but to tell you the truth I have no clue. I have hung plenty of things from threaded rod but never tried to use them as legs. Keep us updated.
 
Mike, pretty good idea...have you thought about the plywood warping under the load? eight feet is a pretty good span to hold that much weight without warping...the 3 foot span front to back probably won't be a problem, but the 8 foot link will warp downward under the load...you definitely will need center support...
 
AJ,

I hadn't thought about the warp factor, good point. While it should be minimal - I'm using a 7/16" piece of wood, using a piece of angle iron under the board should prevent any warping.

Mike
 
I am sorry. There has to be a way to lower the lights at first, and then raise them.

I feel like someone is trying to tell me that the world is flat!:)
 
Cheezy,

The world isn't flat but the top of my grow box is! The back of it is on hinges (or will be once I get the board) and will lay of the tops of the sides and front. The LED panels will be screwed into the top.

I suppose I could use another board, cut it so it fits inside the walls, screw eyebolts into it (all four corners) and use chains to raise it. An advantage of doing this is I could use it as another rack for plants but I'm hoping that by the time the plants are large enough to be transplanted into 4" or 6" pots it will be warm enough that I can move them into a cold frame outside.

Mike
 
Right on!

It is just that raising and lowering that many plants risks dumping them. Your rig will be subject to humidity, and probably out and out water.

I would not risk moving the plants up and down!

:)
 
You should just cut a board to fit, mount your LEDs to said board, and then raise and lower that. I've seen something similar done with a bunch of fluorescent lights, and it worked pretty damned well actually. They screwed a lot of those ceramic bases for lightbulbs to a board, put eye bolts in the corner and hung it from chains.
 
cheezydemon said:
Right on!

It is just that raising and lowering that many plants risks dumping them. Your rig will be subject to humidity, and probably out and out water.

I would not risk moving the plants up and down!

:)
Click to expand...

Hmmm, raise 2712 bulbs or lower 864 plants... :lol:

Except while the seeds are germinating, humidity should not be a factor. I plan on setting the trays in a tub and bottom water them, then let them set for a couple of moments in a spot where excess water can drain.

The stability of the thing is my major concern. I won't be able to dump the plants but I can see where using one spot each in a 2x4 to support 400-600 pounds might be risking a bunch. Having the platform setting on the full length of the 2x4s will be much sturdier.

Mike
 
Cheezy,

I was a big fan or Ronnie Reagan - Trust but verify! I have three months to play with this so I'll start with placing a board loaded with the same weights as the lights and see how it raises and lowers using chains and hooks. If it turns out to be a snap, great. It it is a PITA, I'll try the idea of lowering the board with plants on it, again using weights to simulate what the plants will weigh (I knew those old cast iron window weights would come in handy some day).

Either way, I'm gonna have a lid on the top, though it will be on hinges so I can raise and open it.

Initial results in about a week.

Mike
 
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