Finally an affordable wire caddy

[elliott]

I went to the ebay site and bought one. Having said that, I don't think trying to make a wire caddy out of PVC is ripping anyone off at all. I have been seeing different caddy's made from PVC for years. Some very similar, some not. At the last GSBF convention in Riverside, Ca (2011), somebody had a few they were using at one of the workshops and I thought it was a good idea.
Since I have been heading over to my teachers house almost weekly, I got sick of my bucket of wire and found myself in front of the PVC area of a local hardware store. I bought a bunch of parts I thought I would need, went home, slapped it together, and had it fall apart the first time I tried to show it off to a fellow student, LOL!
So, since this guy has at least minimal do it yourself talent that I lack, I'm happy to give him my $ for one. Im sure there are better ones, but this looks good enough for me.
Another good idea, I put an ad on craigslist looking for a used salon/ barber chair. You take the seat off and attach a flat surface like a piece of plywood in whatever shape or size you like. Now you have a work table to work on trees with. It turns and goes up and down with a foot pedal to adjust the height.
A contractor called me saying he had 11 of them from a salon he remodeled and delivered them all for $500 (those chairs are usualy between $100 and $300 used). My teacher had his handyman convert them and we have awesome, adjustable work tables for all us students.
Anyone else got any ideas to "steel"?

 

[Poink88]

...I bought a bunch of parts I thought I would need, went home, slapped it together, and had it fall apart the first time I tried to show it off to a fellow student, LOL!

LOL You probably forgot to purchase the PVC cement (or bought the wrong one) LOL. No way it will move or fall apart if you used it properly. That thing melts it and basically fuses the parts together!

 

[elliott]

You can't cement all the parts together, how are you gonna replace the wire as it runs out? There has to be a part that unscrews. That's where it failed on me. There are probably 99 ways of doing it, but it's not my area of strength to figure it out in a long term usable way.

 

[Poink88]

You can't cement all the parts together, how are you gonna replace the wire as it runs out? There has to be a part that unscrews. That's where it failed on me. There are probably 99 ways of doing it, but it's not my area of strength to figure it out in a long term usable way.

LOL...yep that is the tricky part and I have an idea of inserting a nut at both ends OR use a metal through bolt (end to end). Things like this (as you found out) are not readily apparent from a picture that "inspired" you.

 

[mat]

He posted a how-to-assemble YouTube video link on the eBay page. It seems like that would be more help than the picture in sorting out all the parts and pieces.

 

[Poink88]

He posted a how-to-assemble YouTube video link on the eBay page. It seems like that would be more help than the picture in sorting out all the parts and pieces.

Thanks Mat. I didn't know that but I had enough idea after seeing the pic to make my own.

 

[BonsaiJack]

Re: BonsaiJack

Thanks Jkd and others for the kind words throughout this post. It’s a durable and affordable caddy. As others have said in the posts it can be sampled from and I encourage that.

It cannot be duplicated (in small quantities) though for less than our asking price as the internal specialized parts are very expensive when purchased individually. If you own one of these caddies you will understand what I am speaking of. If you try to build this exact unit from scratch it would cost well over $100 for the first one. Not to mention the labor, which is very tedious.

Can you build this exact unit for less than $20 and resell it on the internet for $40? Probably not, unless you plan on ordering parts for several hundred units. Even if you could we would frown upon it. You will spend thousands of dollars on bulk part purchases and may only end up selling four units per month with a net profit of $80. Not worth the potential multi thousand dollar investment.

Good luck and thanks again for the posts.


Jack

I hope he sells a bunch of these.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=Bonsai+wire+caddy&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

[Bill S]

I like this one much better, but it is nearly twice the money.

http://www.adamsbonsai.com/websitelong_003.htm

Regarding the one on ebay made of PVC: Who's to say this person thought of the design? He may have seen something similar and made one of his own, with modifications perhaps. Who knows. It is certainly enterprising of him to go into production and sell them, but imitation happens every day. Certainly there are subtle differences between a Ford Model T and a Stanley Steamer. My suspicion is that one was made before the other, and the latter took some ideas from the former.
Also this seller is not only selling some PVC. He is cutting and fitting and finishing and assembling, and charging for the labor as well as the materials. All tasks that some may not have the desire or ability to accomplish on their own. And just because someone sees it and decides to try to make one of their own, it does not necessarily follow that it will be as good or functional as the one copied. Ask Mr. Stanley how that worked out for him.

Comes down to as stated prior wether or not it is copy righted, if so it's theft, yes theft, if not copyrighted then it's up for grabs.

Al the Asians have been "copying" our stuff for years, our country has lost a lot to us Americans buying the cheaper knock offs. Kind of funny, we want what we want, we want in now, we want it cheap, and we want it built in the USA, and we want the highest wages while making cheap goods to buy, it's the American way, hypocracy.

If you want this answers to how does it feel, ask Vance, it usually doesn't take too long between someone asking about his grow boxes, to I built my own cheaper, you should use pond baskets they are cheaper, do you have the plans so I can buy my own, each time I feel bad for Vance, but give him huge props for not bitchin about it. He makes a great product, that is easily replaced, but would be something you could use for a long time, where alternates probably won't hold up, but are cheap and plentifull. Is it right, depends on your values, ethics, and the value you place on a business, and thier ability to stay in business.

 

[Poink88]

Is it right, depends on your values, ethics, and the value you place on a business, and thier ability to stay in business.

Do you wear clothes? Use toothbrush/toothpaste? Drive a car, use a comb, shoes, do bonsai, use pots, soil, knife, tools, pen, paper, etc.????

All of those fall under same products/ideas that were "copied" from generations before. EVERYONE uses copied products...if you don't think so, you are in denial.

 

[Bill S]

[COMMENT][/COMMENT]

Do you wear clothes? Use toothbrush/toothpaste? Drive a car, use a comb, shoes, do bonsai, use pots, soil, knife, tools, pen, paper, etc.????

All of those fall under same products/ideas that were "copied" from generations before. EVERYONE uses copied products...if you don't think so, you are in denial.

If that makes you feel good run with it, it's your choice, I am not your keeper.

Just don't protest whan a Home Depot opens up and the mom and pops close. or seventeen thousand variations therof.

 

[Poink88]

If that makes you feel good run with it, it's your choice, I am not your keeper.

Not to make me feel good...just reality.

Do me a favor, please name one product you used the past week that is not a "copy". I am sure for every one you can think of (if you can)...you used 1,000s that are.

Sometimes, reality sucks but sadly no way around it.

 

[xray360]

Where is everyone getting their wire?

 

[BonsaiJack]

Where is everyone getting their wire?

Stone Lantern, $18.50 for kilo rolls.




We will be adding bonsai wire to our USA made product line in about a year.

 

[Poink88]

Stone Lantern, $18.50 for kilo rolls.

Ditto. That is where I buy most of my wire, tools, and books actually.

 

[Paradox]

Meh I just keep my wire in ziplock bags with the size labeled on it. I don't have a permanent bench that I work the bonsai on. Sometimes I'm outside on one of my low benches and sometimes I use the coffee table inside. I have a large storage box on the back deck for fertilizer, screen materials, wire and other assorted bonsai stuff. My new bonsai club had a Bring your Own Tree night so it was much easier to throw some bags of wire in the bonsai toolbox and go.

 

[Poink88]

Meh I just keep my wire in ziplock bags with the size labeled on it.

I keep mine in a cardboard box...put a cardboard separator between each and works very well. I am actually still working on my wire sampler 1st set (eBay purchased Bonsai Training Wire 1-3.5 mm 6 250g rolls). I also bought a 2nd set of it and the kilo rolls (5.0 mm and 6.0 mm) I got from Stone Lantern ). I re-use my wire so I am probably set for years.

The ones that are being re-cycled are in a utensils tray (fork/spoon/knife etc.) LOL sorted by size.

I also hardly wire for now and use my tie wire guy wires most of the time, but that may change.

 

[barrosinc]

Does anyone know where to buy something like this??

 

[DougB]

Max if you Google 'Bonsai wire caddy' or bonsai wire spool" or even 'ribbon caddy' or spool' you will get a variety of responses. Here is a link for a DIY that may be of value to you.
Here is a vertical DIY model
And here is a Ribbon Caddy that you can use the simple design

 

[Adair M]

Wire caddies are ok for aluminum.

Don't use them with annealed copper.

 

[crust]

Does anyone know where to buy something like this??

My extensive googling resulted in Ziltch as to a buyable unit in the USA and also NO online plans of this nice type of dispenser--I couldn't even find buyable plans. There are a few European makers out there but it required a phone call. Evidently the limit with these units is that you have to unthread all the spools to replace one. There is a Japanese manufactured one that is choice--but it is very expensive--marketed at Dallas bonsai and also direct from Japan from several vendors but around 500 USD.