plans for pvc grow light stand

[tjg911]

i don't normally read this forum so i hope i am not repeating something that has been done here before. this seemed like the best forum to post this.

i offered to send a photocopy of my grow light stand plans if you emailed me, however, i found the web site yesterday so you can get them directly.

this is very easy to make. all you need is a hack saw to cut the pvc pipe and a tape measure. i drilled holes to screw in an eye bolt with wood screw threads into the pvc pipe to attach jack chain that holds the lights. if you do that you'll need a drill and a small drill bit. a vice is handy to open the closed eye bolt. this is so easy to make i can't imagine anyone would have any problems and the pay back is well worth the cost. once you have the supplies it should take an hour to make this.

i built this stand in march 2004 and use it for all sorts of garden plants. the only thing i advise is if you are going to grow tall plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, change the height of the shelves from 14" to 23". when you look at the color picture of the plans this is the blue pvc. also i used 3/4" not 1" schedule 40 pvc pipe.

here's the link -

http://www.carlnet.org/~ttsdaly/plantstand.html

[Sherry_AK]

Thanks for the link. I think even I could build one!

Sherry

[giardiniere]

That's pretty nifty lookin' Tom. Thanks for sharing.

[Dunkel]

I made a light stand this year much cheaper than the one shown. I used 8- 8"X8"X16" concrete blocks cost was $11.87. I layed them on the side 2 high on each side. Which makes 16"H X 16" W X 8" L on each side. I had some 12" wide shelving boards already, but if I didn't they can be bought rough sawn at a sawmill for very little money. I cut the 12" wide shelving board to 64" length and attached 2 screw eyes. I hung a 4' shop light with full spectrum bulbs from it. I repeated the process on top of the other. I ended up with a 2 tier lighting stand That measured 64" long X 16" W X 35" T for under $50.00 total. Closest thing I could find in a catalog was $149.99! I'm not knocking the PVC stand just offering another suggestion.

[gardenmama]

Here's one I built a few seasons back.

It fits 12 11"x 20" flats.


During the "off-season" it becomes a storage rack for seed starting supplies.

[tjg911]

dunkel, how much do you think the materials cost?

exclude the shop lights, tubes, power strip, timer (all things you have to buy anyway no matter what type of stand you have) the cost is about $12-15.

the expensive part of any stand is the fixtures ($8 each), 3 prong timer ($13), the power strip ($6 to $8) and 8 tubes ($8). the cost of the pvc stand material is minimumal and it allows infinate adjustment of lights up to 22".

i ahve no idea where these smiley emots came from!

tom