Tiered Garden Rack

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In addition to my usual vegetable garden this year, I decided I wanted to have an herb garden as well.  Rather than have it halfway out in the yard, I figured it would be more useful on the porch, right next to the kitchen.Because we get a bit of wind here in central Oklahoma, and because I over-engineer everything, I decided on 2" square tubing (14ga) for the frame, 2"x2" angle for the shelf frames (1/8" was the thinnest the steelyard had), and expanded metal for the shelf bases (which I already had on hand, but I wanted specifically for drainage).Goofing around in Sketchup, I came up with this as a design:The top corners are mitered, as are the shelf frames; all of the other welds are simple T-joints.  Open ends of tubes will get plastic caps.  The two crossmembers toward the bottom will be bolted on (I'll make brackets from the scrap angle), rather than welded, so I can dismantle it.  Dimensions are 4' high, 4' wide, with shelves at 2', 3', and 4' off the ground.  Shelves are to be 4' long x 1' deep, and the shelf arms are 1', 2', and 3' deep so there will be no overlap between the shelves (to give the herbs space to grow).I spent this evening cutting the tubing, and got it all to length.  I started on the angle, but the chop saw didn't have the reach to cut all the way through the angle when I had it set up to miter.  (Note: I'm not a fan of chop saws.)  I'll finish the angle with a grinder and cutoff wheel, then hopefully get it all welded up this weekend.I plan to paint it with Rustoleum dark-bronze hammered metal paint; I think it'll look good against the medium brown stone of my house.Hobart cutting/welding torch.MM252, and nothing else.  My first welder.  Buy once, cry once....but I really would like a nice 50/60A circuit to run it at full strength.A bunch of ideas, and not enough time and money to bring them to life.
Reply:I built a plant rack for K'kins a while back.  http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ht=plant+standMono post design made it very attractive, and it's held up very well.  A 3 tiered system would also be doable in the single post mode.One of the few things I got around to painting, along with the speaker stands.She loads the daylights out of it, and it's held up very well.  Whole idea behind steel is the strength it offers in slender structures.  The base is 3" channel for weight and stability.  The piece of tubing connecting the pieces of channel is 11ga 2" square tubing, again for weight and stability.  The uprights, and shelf supports are 14ga 2" square tubing.  14ga will take a tremendous amount of weight, no need to overbuild something like this.You being in Oklahoma, like us, I imagine you haven't had too much garden work getting down what with all the rain lately (Thank God for it though).  She's just barely started, and still hasn't decided where to put all her pots this year.  She's just got stuff plopped on the rack to keep it under the eaves, and away from the hail, until she decides what the final masterpiece will look like  I'd imagine by the time all's done, she ought to get about a couple hundred pounds of stuff on there (dirt being heavy)"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:The moose is mine"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:My garden is about halfway done.  I've my tomatoes, peppers, garlic, strawberries, melons, and squashes in.  I still need to plant the corn, beans, okra, onions, and maybe a couple of other things; for the direct-seed crops, I've ordered a seeder (I've done corn by hand, and I hated it), which should arrive this week.I like your rack.  The simplicity of the single-post design is nice.  I've already cut the steel for mine, so I'm going to stick with the current design, but that doesn't mean it won't get repurposed somewhere down the line.  With 14ga 2"x2", I ought to be able to jump on it and not bend anything, so long as my welds hold.Hobart cutting/welding torch.MM252, and nothing else.  My first welder.  Buy once, cry once....but I really would like a nice 50/60A circuit to run it at full strength.A bunch of ideas, and not enough time and money to bring them to life.
Reply:We'd like a ground garden, but what with the rabbits and the dog..................................And I'd have to fix the tillerPut up fenceRun additional hosePut up fenceAnd put up fence(She still stops at the veggie seed counter at WalMart though,,,,,,with a determined look in her eyes)"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/