Trenthany
Chumono
This is a very very good point!
Trying to decide on my how to do my free stands.
- Thread starter Trenthany
- Start date
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Here's how I do my benches:
Each bench costs $64, including the 2" x 8" x 8' treated boards. The blocks are just dry-stacked. Super easy - just make sure to level the bottom course and the rest goes up in 5 minutes.
Each bench costs $64, including the 2" x 8" x 8' treated boards. The blocks are just dry-stacked. Super easy - just make sure to level the bottom course and the rest goes up in 5 minutes.
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Japonicus
Imperial Masterpiece
What cultivar are those hinokis?
I'll take them both if you're up to selling them?
Trenthany
Chumono
It’s going to be 16’ as envisioned. A lot of empty space for a while but I’ll fill it. I’m planning three supports. They will be tied together (to each other and each block as well), board across back and all shelves attached but in 5 years when I’ve got 20 trees worth even $100 each that will be $2000 crashing down for me not spending a hundred.
I like what @Paradox said about stability and tree value. Even if I narrow to one layer wide higher up I’m widening the base! I just played with his design and it will be 20 blocks per column 3 columns and that puts me at 60 blocks. Guess it would be stupid to lose trees I’ve invested time and labor into to a windy day, animals, or stupid people. Let me see what I can scrounge in the meantime! Lol. Maybe I can come up with more freebies! Pallets? Nope not sturdy enough unless all my pots are 2 feet across or very light. Lol. Well maybe the plastic ones but again block count to get them high enough and stable.
Hmmm looking like room for one more tree will be left on the bench if I’m buying $100 in blocks and binding agents. May price glue see if it’s cheaper although the staggered design makes glue/mortar almost unnecessary.
Attachments
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I'm trying to get more
I brought those from California. They are "Golden Dwarf". Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea'.
Trenthany
Chumono
Single wide course. That’s what paradox has me worried about now. Lol I have all the material to make that. Excluding half bricks but a turned brick can do the same.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
All $ considered...is this still free? How many blocks?
Sorce
Sorce
Trenthany
Chumono
Free if I keep it under 32 blocks. Well minus screws to hold boards on. Call it $5?
Japonicus
Imperial Masterpiece
@Trenthany
www.bonsainut.com
Before I built my bench I worked my way through this thread ^ and took a couple ideas
from Adairs setup and made my own. There are many, so having a look thought should
help fix some ideas, to apply to your specific needs.
Show Us Your Bonsai Benches
I'm in a new house and going to be building some new benches soon. In the past I've done the standard board and cinderblock benches. Very functional and affordable, but would like to do something a little more attractive this time. Before I go get the lumber and start sawing, I thought I'd ask...
from Adairs setup and made my own. There are many, so having a look thought should
help fix some ideas, to apply to your specific needs.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
How bout wood? Unlimited?
The first design takes 6 blocks, so you can make four of those and creat a U which will net you three lengths of shelves. And have extra blocks to make it more stable. Or build an entire 5th pillar.
What nets you the most space? What is the wood?
Space isn't only about jamming trees on either, it's about allowing good airflow.
Account for more trees!
Sorce
Woocash
Omono
Dih, duh duh deh, deh duh duh, duh dih deh, deh duh duh, duh deh, dih, deh, duh, duh. I like this game.
Trenthany
Chumono
Been on the road running errands but I have looked through several pages so far and some of you guys are in an entirely different tax bracket! The trees! The benches! The yards! The houses! I’m bonsai on a budget to a degree but I’m free cycling my benches because the material is there. There are several block and board benches in there that helped me figure it out. Mom the architect also looked and we’re putting down a footer then blocks in a single thick 3 course for lower bench and two more course for upper. Will have 3 supports for the 16’ Standard staggered pattern of block. Going to attach all top boards, shelves, and a couple across the back to provide lateral stability. Going to take a couple days probably.@Trenthany
Before I built my bench I worked my way through this thread ^ and took a couple ideasShow Us Your Bonsai Benches
I'm in a new house and going to be building some new benches soon. In the past I've done the standard board and cinderblock benches. Very functional and affordable, but would like to do something a little more attractive this time. Before I go get the lumber and start sawing, I thought I'd ask...
from Adairs setup and made my own. There are many, so having a look thought should
help fix some ideas, to apply to your specific needs.
wood is old 2” x 6” x 16’ dock boards from our canoe dock that have a nice weathered look. Hoping it doesn’t look cheap. Probably going to scrub and waterproof to intensify aged look. Debating on blocks. To paint or not to paint.
I’ll definitely post an update once it’s up and my sticks are on it! I think two 16’ x 16” areas should hold my half dozen trees worth calling trees! I’ll probably also throw in a few rocks and other plants until I need room for more trees.
I’m excited! My only expense will be screws to attach wood for stability! And a $20 21’x 21’ 30% shade cloth I found on FB.
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leatherback
The Treedeemer
hahaha,
I know right?
Some of the trees are worth more than the car I own.
Some of the collections are worth more than my whole property. Trees included!
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
It is based on what I see at a lot of the commercial nurseries in SoCal. I've used it for 20 years in an earthquake zone when we've had rollers that have knocked 12" of water out of my pool... and my shelves never budged
And you are talking about footings and mortar? Don't get me wrong but I think you are way over-engineering a few garden shelves
You are going to end up with 1500 lbs of shelving material to hold 300 lbs of plants Just make sure your bottom course is level and in contact with a solid surface (I make sure mine are on hard dirt after I scrape away the top level of topsoil) and stagger your joints. I know you have already spread gravel but it is best if you build your shelves first and spread your ground material around the blocks, instead of placing your blocks on loose gravel. You maximize compression strength if all the block openings are aligned up and down... but again I'm not sure it matters for garden shelves; it's not like we are planning to rest a house on them One thing that will help - make sure you stay low and deep, and no wider than 4' per support. Don't go more than 5 courses vertical - this will put your top shelf at 40" (plus board thickness). Any higher and it is difficult to lift larger plants on and off - plus your plants will be too high to view properly. Also make sure your shelves are at least 16" wide - which will allow you to place flat growing containers (like Anderson flats) and wide and shallow bonsai pots. It is easier to stagger the shelves by going one course shorter for one shelf, and then back up for the next shelf. This simplifies using your shelves in areas with shallow curves.
Buy some half blocks... I think they cost me $1.50 at the supply store
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Trenthany
Chumono
Yeah moving the couple square feet of rock and some soil to throw down quickcrete is nothing. I’d rather have the area spread and move a little than try to spread it it with benches etc in the way Lol. I will skip the mortar and only use a little construction adhesive though.It is based on what I see at a lot of the commercial nurseries in SoCal. I've used it for 20 years in an earthquake zone when we've had rollers that have knocked 12" of water out of my pool... and my shelves never budged
And you are talking about footings and mortar? Don't get me wrong but I think you are way over-engineering a few garden shelves
One thing that will help - make sure you stay low and deep, and no wider than 4' per support. Don't go more than 5 courses vertical - this will put your top shelf at 40" (plus board thickness). Any higher and it is difficult to lift larger plants on and off - plus your plants will be too high to view properly. Also make sure your shelves are at least 16" wide - which will allow you to place flat growing containers (like Anderson flats) and wide and shallow bonsai pots. It is easier to stagger the shelves by going one course shorter for one shelf, and then back up for the next shelf. This simplifies using your shelves in areas with shallow curves.
Buy some half blocks... I think they cost me $1.50 at the supply store
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Trenthany
Chumono
I’m going to bolt boards onto the surface of the blocks. The holes fit a standard 2x6 though. I’ve got about 10
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I assume this is correct..2in x 6in x 16ft?
How are you accomplishing a 16inch surface?
You have a lot of boards!
I'm trying to see if you have extra wood..ahem...sturdy enough.... ahem...
To be able to use boards to tie your shelves together, which will work to hold design one together. Which I still like best because it offers you the most tiers. More tiers less tears!
That way, you don't have to use any adhesive, you just use what you have to make it stable.
I have been using and reusing good square drive stainless deck screws for a few years. It is a larger, but better investment.
Saw? Blades? Karate chopping?
Sorry, not much to do elsewhere!
Sorce
Paradox
Imperial Masterpiece
@Trenthany
How many trees to you currently have? If its not a lot, there is nothing wrong with building for what you have and expanding later when you can afford to get more blocks.
The blocks and 4x4s arent a bad system because they will last a long time. Wood pallets might be free but they will rot after a while and fall apart. You could end up spending more effort having to replace them every few years.
Im by no means wealthy. I started using cheap plastic benches that I purchased from Home Depot. After a couple of years those started to get brittle because they arent made to be outside 24/7 and the plastic deteriorates in the sun. When that started to happen, they started to be a risk of breaking under the weight of my trees.
So I started replacing them with greenhouse benching, a couple each year until they were all replaced.
I dont know how much cement block cost where you are, but here they are around $1.70-$2 each here.
My cold frame (pictured in an above post) is made of cement blocks and it probably cost me around $100-$120 to build just from the blocks alone. You wont need that many blocks for a bench or two again depending on how many trees you currently have.
How many trees to you currently have? If its not a lot, there is nothing wrong with building for what you have and expanding later when you can afford to get more blocks.
The blocks and 4x4s arent a bad system because they will last a long time. Wood pallets might be free but they will rot after a while and fall apart. You could end up spending more effort having to replace them every few years.
Im by no means wealthy. I started using cheap plastic benches that I purchased from Home Depot. After a couple of years those started to get brittle because they arent made to be outside 24/7 and the plastic deteriorates in the sun. When that started to happen, they started to be a risk of breaking under the weight of my trees.
So I started replacing them with greenhouse benching, a couple each year until they were all replaced.
I dont know how much cement block cost where you are, but here they are around $1.70-$2 each here.
My cold frame (pictured in an above post) is made of cement blocks and it probably cost me around $100-$120 to build just from the blocks alone. You wont need that many blocks for a bench or two again depending on how many trees you currently have.
Geez...
You’re making this MUCH harder than it needs to be! Why do you need two levels? A single, relatively wide bench is much better. That way you can get to both sides of the trees easily.
BNut’s idea works, if you have to have two levels.
Here are the columns for my benches:
If you did something like this with concrete blocks, you would create benches about 24” wide. Wide benches are more stable. You can offset the trees a bit, one forward, one back so they don’t shade each other.
I used 12 foot long 4x6 posts as my surface. They won’t sag. 2 by lumber will eventually sag without a center support. You wouldn’t need a full column as a center support, just a single stack of blocks would probably be enough to prevent sagging.
But your setup is temporary. Maybe sagging doesn’t matter to you. Regardless, since it’s temporary, I wouldn’t mortar or glue anything.
You’re making this MUCH harder than it needs to be! Why do you need two levels? A single, relatively wide bench is much better. That way you can get to both sides of the trees easily.
BNut’s idea works, if you have to have two levels.
Here are the columns for my benches:
If you did something like this with concrete blocks, you would create benches about 24” wide. Wide benches are more stable. You can offset the trees a bit, one forward, one back so they don’t shade each other.
I used 12 foot long 4x6 posts as my surface. They won’t sag. 2 by lumber will eventually sag without a center support. You wouldn’t need a full column as a center support, just a single stack of blocks would probably be enough to prevent sagging.
But your setup is temporary. Maybe sagging doesn’t matter to you. Regardless, since it’s temporary, I wouldn’t mortar or glue anything.
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