Building an Elevated Garden Bed & Hydroponic Table

Transcription

1 Building an Elevated Garden Bed & Hydroponic Table Materials: Lumber (2x4, 2x6, 1x4), Exterior Grade Wood Screws (2 1/2 & 1 5/8 ) and Hardware Cloth (enough to cover a 24 x48 area) Tools: Cordless Drill (with driver), 1/8 Drill Bit, Saw (hand saw or chop saw), Wire Cutters *Additional tools that might be helpful: Bar Clamps & Carpenters Square 1. Cut materials to specified lengths: Shelf/Base Supports: 2x4s (2@ 20.5 ), (2@44.5 ), 1x4s 17.5 ) Legs: *Length can vary to achieve desired height* ) Bed Supports: 2x4s (2@ 44.5 ), (3@ 20.5 ), (2@17.5 ) Bed Frame: 2x6s (4@ 24 ), (4@ 48 ), 1x4s (4@ 9 ) 2. Begin by assembling the legs/base of the table. Using a stable work surface, preferably a work table or the floor, lay out the pieces for the base. 3. Lay out two leg pieces, flat and parallel to one another on the work surface. Lay a cross piece (44.5 ) on top of the legs so the cross piece is perpendicular to the legs. The cross piece should be lined up with the outside edge of the legs, and about 3.5 from the end of the leg. *The length of the leg pieces can be varied to achieve your preferred height.

2 4. Attach cross piece to the legs with 2.5 exterior grade screws. Repeat this process for the other two legs. *If possible, use a carpenters square to assure that the pieces are perpendicular and square to each other. 5. Using the two remaining pieces (20.5 ), join the two pairs of table legs together. The cross piece from previous step should be oriented to the interior of the leg assembly.

3 6. The next step is to work on the shelf assembly using the 1x4s cut to These pieces rest on the 2x4 cross pieces at the lower part of the leg assembly. The edge of the first piece should be flush with the edge of the 2x4 below it. Space the pieces 0.5 apart. Attach using 1 5/8 exterior grade screws *Pre-drilling the ends may help prevent the wood from splitting 7. Turn the leg assembly upside down on your work surface. Attach 2x4s (17.5 ) in the gap between the legs using 2.5 exterior grade screws. Repeat on the other end.

4 8. Using 2.5 exterior grade screws, attach 2x4 cross piece (44.5 ) to the exterior of the legs, bridging the long side of the table. 9. Mark the center of the cross piece on the narrow edge of the 2x4. To the left and right of your center mark, find and mark the center between the inside of the leg and the center of the board, dividing the interior space into quarters. These marks indicate the placement of the three supports pieces of the table. Attach these supports by screwing through the cross piece into the ends of the supports. Use 2.5 exterior grade screws.

5 After all three supports are attached to the first cross piece, attach the last cross piece to the legs on the opposite side and repeat step #9 to attach the supports. 10. To make the bed frame, lay out a frame with four 2x6 pieces (2@24 ) & (2@ 48 ) so that the longer pieces overlap the small ones on the outside. Make sure the wood is flush at the corners. Attach each corner using two 2.5 exterior grade screws.

6 11. Install 1x4 pieces (9 ), one in each interior corner of 2x6 frame. The ends of the pieces should be recessed 1.5 from the bottom edge of the 2x6 (See Step 14) 12. Repeat step #10, building on top of the first 2x6 frame. Secure the top and bottom frame together by screwing through the interior 1x4 pieces from step #11

7 13. Install hardware cloth over the supports on the table base. The hardware cloth can be secured using screws, nails or staples. Once secured, cut away excess material, trying to fold and fasten at the corners well. 14. Take the bed frame and slide it down atop the table supports. The 1.5 recess for the 1x4s (Step #11) should point downward. This allows the bed frame to overlap the supports resting on the ends of the 1x4 pieces (on the interior of the bed frame). Secure frame to base as desired, using 2.5 exterior grade screws. *Should it ever become necessary to remove/replace soil, these screws can be removed and the frame lifted for added convenience *Place weed barrier over hardware cloth before filling with soil. Then experience the joy of gardening with greater ease on the knees!