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I'd like to cut some plexiglas "plates" (does NOT need to be any high-grade type of plexiglas, either -- scrap issue will do) that fit into the inside of a standard 5-gallon bucket with about a 1/16" circumference clearance from the inside of the bucket. The "plate" needs to be thick enough to hold wet dirt without collapsing. I'll also need to be able to cut one 1" hole and drill multiple 3/8" holes in the "plate".
Is this doable with plexiglass? If so, how do I cut the plexiglas sheets? And, is there a supplier selling plexiglas sheets VERY cheap?
If not doable with plexiglas, recommendations for some other material for this project would be appreciated.
Will the plate be in the bottom of the bucket ?
Why do you plan to use Plexiglas ?
I have cut plexiglas with a jig saw but you must cut slow as it wants to crack and split.
Give a little more info as to what this will be used for, maybe sheet metal could be used.
GG Menard's has fiberglass sheets..4' by 8' ..This is very good stuff ..I worked with this material a lot..It will not split like Plexiglas..You can cut it with right or left hand tin snips...Easier than straight cut.. Or jigsaw even easier..It is on sale until July 12th for $ 14.95 Highly recommend above anything..I have install several thousand square feet of this..In meat lockers & cold storage facilities
Rentman,
I'm retrofitting 5-gallon buckets to be self-watering "eBuckets" for planting veggies. After I posted this, I went online and discovered a whole world of MOLDS and urethane stuff. All I need is a "plate" of some sort of material to drill a center hole 4", a fill tube hole 1" and multiple 3/8" drainage holes in the plate. It'll balance on top of a 7" piece of PVC pipe, the big one with the holes in it.
The plate needs to be strong enough to hold the bucketful of wet potting mix without collapsing. Any strong plastic, or whatever would do. Since this will be used for food production, it should also be food grade, whatever it is.
I have made some using the following links, GymGirl.
The fiberglass sheets sounds good, I'm sure Lowels or a good hardware store would have something. I wouldn't worry that it be classed as food grade.
A 5 gal bucket would be less heavy to move around, whatever you use to hold the soil off the water could be thin, as long as it has a number of supports
Also try searching Daves Garden, I canot find it now but I know I read something, maybe in Container Gardening, Good Luck
Just a followup to let you all know that I changed gears today.
Instead of the plexiglas (cause it's cost prohibitive for me to cut 30 circular platforms), I'm using tempered PEGBOARD. The guys at HD were EXTREMELY HELPFUL today. We walked the aisles looking for the proper material that could possibly be used, and hit on the pegboard with the holes already cut (drainage). Since it needs to be waterproof, the guy suggested I use KILZ. He says he and his father work with it a lot, and after it's painted on and dries, it's like plastic. Well, I bought a gallon. I'm gonna cut the circles out with a jigsaw then dunk the circles in the Kilz, hang em up, let 'em dry, and pray there's enough of a waterproof coating to last at least two planting seasons. If they hold up that long, I'll consider this experiment a success!
If ya'll know something better than KILZ that will seal the pegboard and provide a reasonable waterproof barrier, please LMK so I don't open the gallon of Kilz I just bought! Thanks!
P.S. I was thinking of some sort of polyurethane or clear plastic, but don't know of any such product...
Rentman,
Thanks for the feedback! I have been so apprehensive about waterproofing the pegboard, cause the LAST thing I need is all my fall crops failing because the "cookie" collapses and the soil bed ends up in the water reservoir!
After some online research, I feel like I have two viable options to try. One is to put at least TWO coats of the KILZ on the pegboard "cookies," making sure they are completely dry between the coatings to ensure a good seal.
The second option is to dip the "cookies" into some paraffin wax first and then dip them into the KILZ. I saw a recipe online for "melting" 1 lb of paraffin in 1 gallon of white gasoline and applying. (This recipe was for waterproofing tents). The gasoline acts as a solvent that allows the paraffin to soak into the pegboard. Then the gasoline evaporates, leaving the pegboard saturated with the paraffin.
Since my time is running out to complete this and get my eBuckets ready for plantout of my rooted tomatoes, I'm gonna do 1/2 of the cookies one way, and 1/2 the other way.
If you hear a scream all the way to Kentucky, you'll know what happened!
The wax and white gas sounds good, (white gas doesn't have the additives reg has).
Be sure the wax doesn't fill the small holes...Yes the more ideas the more questions.
If you already bought the paint, I think that would be fine.
The Best of Luck and do let us know how it works.
OH , Question , what are you using to hold the 'cookies' up ? Or did I miss that.
Will lash the "cookie" to the PVC pipe with Zipties so it doesn't shift. But, not likely, cause the diameter of the cookie is already pretty tight against the bucket walls.
The fishhook at the bottom of the pic comes in handy for removing the cookie from the bucket when you're testing the diameter cut. Mine had a couple spaces that I could slip the fishhook through, turn the point under and pull the cookie out.
P.S. I have NO CLUE as to why my closeup blew up so big! The 10-1/2" cookie and PVC pipe look like a patio table!
It's going to be a super job, Linda, can I get the patten on the System ?
Must run got home from MI at 10PM check all my email and DavesGarden so until tomorrow, Good Night from Northern Kentucky.
It looks like your trying to build an Earth Box, Go to Google & type in "earth box" & look for HSN earth box system, I have used these for years with great success, I did make my own using a 5 gal. bucket, but it didn't hold up very well.
JV,
The cookie in the photo hasn't been waterproofed yet. I'm gonna paint it with several coats of DRYLOCK to waterproof it. Been getting recommendations on how to do it, and am ready to go, soon as the heat outside let's up. And every time we've had a semi- overcast day, it actually rained, so no painting then...
