Aluminum Hods

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I haven't logged in here in a while, nor posted anything in a good long time, but this might be something to file under "what can I made from this pile of scrap".   My sister found a garden hod ( basically a glorified basket ) in a catalog and asked for one for Christmas.  My mother saw it, and said she'd like one as well.  I said, "Shoot, I can make that"   The idea is you can pick your fruits and vegetables and wash them off right in the hod. The hods in the catalog were mostly wooden, though, and that didn't seem like a great idea for a wet, food-safe application, so I wanted to use aluminum.  Plus, I can't weld wood.     Also, I had a bunch of aluminum kicking around the shop.  So the challenge was to see if I could make them without having to buy anything, or as little possible.   I procrastinated and wound up having to knock these out in a big hurry, so this is the only picture I believe I took.  I made 3, one each for my sister, and parents.  I drew and cut the end panels on my PlasmaCam... plain sheet for two, and diamond plate for Dad's ( making it technically a garage hod  ) Then I cut and welded a strip across the bottom of the two panels.  The ADP is a little thinner, so I used a larger X-shaped bottom in that one.   Then I took the 1/2" rods, and cut a slit in 2 (per hod) lengthwise.  I inserted the expanded sheet into the slit, and tacked it in place.  To assemble, I just stuck the ends of the rods into the holes in the panels, and welded them in.  The curve of the expanded sheet pretty much took care of itself.   They seem to work, and the only thing I had to buy was the aluminum expanded sheet.  Everything else was scrap.   About 5 minutes after I finished the last one, I realized a much better construction method, and almost broke my leg kicking myself.  Since I cut the panels from large sheets, I should have cut the two panels connected by the bottom strip all at once, and simply bent it into the U shape on my brake.  Stupid!  Would have been easier, faster, stronger and prettier.  I have enough material for a couple more, but haven't found the time to test my new method yet.__David Hillman
Reply:Very nice work!   Much better than the store bought ones I've seen.  I'm sure they'll appreciate them for a good long time.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Very cool project!  Thank you for sharing.  Just what I needed ... a little inspiration to make something new in the garage.  Thanks.
Reply:Great job man, they look awsome!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:OK, I had to find out what a Hod was.  Now I know!  They look great.  I was having a hard time getting a size perspective until I saw the chop saw.  They seemed very large at first glance.Hemi-T"Ignorance can be fixed, but stupid is forever."Hobart BetaMig 2510Everlast PowerPro 256 TigMiller Radiator-1 Tig cooler
Reply:Nice. This would be great for storing things like hydraulic caps & plugs.Millermatic 200Hobart Handler 120Victor O/A & Ramco BandsawLincoln 225 ACSnapOn AD HoodMiller XMT304/22AHypertherm Powermax 1650 G3Lincoln Idealarc DC600 w/Extreme 12 VSMiller Digital Elite "Joker"
Reply:Originally Posted by Hemi-TOK, I had to find out what a Hod was.  Now I know!  They look great.  I was having a hard time getting a size perspective until I saw the chop saw.  They seemed very large at first glance.
Reply:Great stuff! Wish I had "scrap" aluminum just laying around.
Reply:I got extremely fortunate last year or so.  Found a craigslist ad from a sculptor who was losing his studio space on the near west side, and needed to get rid of his raw material.  I bought about $2500 of sheet metal off him, for $125.  Still have two 10ga 4x10' aluminum sheets that haven't found a project yet, among other pieces.   Needless to say, that trip downtown has more than paid for itself.  He even had helpers there to load it.__David Hillman
Reply:Thats awesome to get those deals! Very rare and must jump on them when you get the chance! Lucky you!