Anyone ever build or own one? I'm toying with the idea of building one up here in the spring. I'd probably use wood, but there are some slick PVC pipe builds out there.
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Anyone ever build or own one? I'm toying with the idea of building one up here in the spring. I'd probably use wood, but there are some slick PVC pipe builds out there.
We had one back east, 50 yrs ago, 1x2 wood strips with what ever heaviest gauge vesqueen was available. . With the availability of pvc now the choice is up to you. Wood fairs better during the colder seasons, unlike pvc which could crack in colder weather. The up side it's easier to take down if you decided to relocate.
Grew peanuts, squash, tomato's and carrots.
Slightly OT.
My sister and i were talking about the current movement of farm - table co-op's that have become trendy today. When we were doing it 50 years back.
Back in NY mid 60's we had co-op farms lots within Eisenhower park ( https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/2797/Eisenhower-Park) before it became the sprawling monstrosity the area has become today. There were probably 15-20, 1/4 ac plots one was able to "farm" for free. Got involved through my parents friends who relocated from of all places, Kansas to teach.
I've helped built one out of a metal frame, it was a pre designed thing that a friend had. At its peak it was probably 10-15' tall. It worked out well but was a major pain in the ass to put together. In the end I felt like a hoop house was the better idea.
Great One: Apparently, that sort of thing is kinda taking off in some areas now as well. You old guys may have been smarter that we thought when we were youngsters. [LOL]
Izzy: With the wicked wind up here, especially in winter, it seems like a geo might be the way to go, but I'm open to ideas for sure.
Here's the deal. I'm tired of planting and growing stuff for weeks/months only to have one hail storm wreck it all in 10 minutes. Happens almost every year.
Plus, our growing season up here is so short as it is, even a few extra weeks on either end would be huge. If this build happens, we'll probably do some augmented heat system also. (wood stove, rocket mass heater, solar water deal, etc.).
I don't know anything about dealing with wind in this situation. I just know the dome was a bit of a pain to set up compared to a hoop house. I can see your point that the dome might stand up to the wind better.
The guy in the "you tuber" thread I posted did a vid on making one but no body seemed interested [dig]
I saw the hoop house he built. Those are simple and cheap. As always, chose two.... But I don't think they'd make it through the wind. Might be worth a try though.Quote:
Originally Posted by StagLefty
I built mine out of 1 inch square steel tubing and 8mm double wall polycarbonate, more of a conventional greenhouse rather than a geodesic structure. I has to date survived 20 inches of snow at one shot, a couple of significant hailstorms, and 80 mph wind gusts with no apparent effect.
The drawbacks: requires welding, design and assembly were somewhat trial and error, heavy, and moderately expensive.
I'll try to reupload the photos, as Photobucket appears to have gone apeshit.
https://www.ar-15.co/threads/151720-...pent-my-summer
Well done!
You might consider getting some plans on line for a 10x shed. Then use 2x4's for the frame with poly in place of the plastic sheeting, with a fan on one end for venting and a few hinged sections to regulate the temp.Quote:
Originally Posted by GilpinGuy
That's a good option. The geos look like a serious PITA to assemble. I can do 90 degree cuts pretty good though. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo
If you're concerned about high winds and structure holding up. You can probably save a lot of money by doing the sidewalls with used pallets. People on CL are always giving them away, or very cheap.Quote:
Originally Posted by GilpinGuy
Most if not all the sun in your area will be on the roof, use pallets for the sidewalls and the poly carbonate panels to cover the structure. We've had ploy panels (smoked tint) on the back awning for 12 years, held up to 1 tornado and 2 seriously damaging hail storms, still intact and no cracks
I did all the cuts on mine with an ordinary 14 inch(?) miter saw with a metal cutting blade from Home Depot, cleaned up the burrs with a bench grinder and a utility knife.Quote:
Originally Posted by GilpinGuy
I used 3/4" Schedule 40 to make hoop covers for my 4x8 raised beds. They are tall enough in the center to accommodate some good size tomato plants. 4 hoops per bed is plenty strong for wind and snow. Instead of plastic sheeting, I found a 3 meter wide mesh material that is very strong yet lets rain and light in while preventing hail damage and keeping birds out (garden is fenced off to keep the deer out). It's held up for several seasons so far and I suspect will last several more. The mesh allows air to circulate so it probably doesn't add much warmth but does at least block the wind. AFAIK, it isn't sold in the US but shipping from Australia was painless (http://www.growcover.com.au). To extend the growing season, plastic might be better but then you have to worry about venting on sunny days.
Another option is cattle panels. Place railroad ties approximately 8-10 feet apart, then bend the 16 foot panels into a U shape and nail them to the ties. Build end structures for a door and window to open. Cover with clear plastic and your done. The plastic is very well supported for high winds.
https://www.peakprosperity.com/wsidb...let-greenhouse