PVC Rolling Trellis Table

[Choco8]

I finally did something about a long-running issue with not being able to access the "wall side" of my setup, which had two separate stationary tables holding 2' trays on either side of a 3 foot aisle. I'm building 2 rolling tables out of PVC which each hold 2 of the 2' trays, using a box frame shape which rests upon two 2" diameter PVC tubes. Uprights are attached to the corners with two levels of trellis. I'm not sure if the heights and spacing I went with are ideal but will find out soon enough and can change things pretty quickly and cheaply with different lengths of PVC. I use short sheet metal screws on the joints (rather than glue) so things will stay together, but can still be taken apart and reconfigured. I could have used casters, but it would have been quite a bit more money.

It works really well - I get almost 18" of rolling, and could get a little more if I put some small casters on the edges to keep it from tipping. I also had to lengthen the supply and drain lines to accommodate the roll. The perimeter frame is too flimsy to push and pull the table -I used a bigger 1" PVC tube in the center that makes a more solid handle. The bottom frame is 1" PVC, the center is 3/4". and the trellis spans are 1/2". I deliberately cut the horizontal trellis braces long to give a little spread at the top, which gains about 4" in both directions.

So nice to be able to access everything at last!



I used threaded eyelets on the lower level trellis, but then went with 1/4" beveled through-holes on the top level when I ran out of eyelets.



The PVC rollers stay in position pretty well. The static is kind of annoying. The 3 way PVC corners are available at Home Depot but the 4 way ones I have only found online.

 

[Choco8]

A Progress Report of Sorts

I made a second table, this one with 3 bays to hold 3 of the 2' x 2' drain tubs. Because I was noticing some sag along the frame tubes that contact the rollers, I made some "rails" of sorts by ripping a piece of plastic deck planking in half, and then screwing through the top of the PVC into it. These make for a much smoother and easier roll.

The two tables ended up with slightly different trellis heights as I installed them while the plants were growing and just kind of worked with it, so the two levels are further apart than ideal but pretty close - I can change the height of the trellis and the space between them simply by swapping the vertical frame members with some different length PVC sections. I also used the ripped decking for two pieces that run the length of the rack on top of the bottom horizontal tubes, which makes a platform for smaller 10 gallon tubs which sit below the main tubs that hold the plants.



The triple rack on it's side to show the rails. These help extend the rolling travel of the table as well.



I added some crude stops made from scraps of the ripped decking, screwed to the ends of the decking rails, to prevent the rack from rolling off the PVC rollers.



Triple Rack full of Grape Jelly at 5 weeks of flowering.



Same rack closer. Not all the buds made it all the way to the second trellis, but pretty good for the most part.



All for now!

 

[Choco8]

Harvest update. Taking both tables down starting today, which is exactly 8 weeks of flowering. Here are some photos of the final result - the layers of nettings weren't quite close enough for the shorter branches of the Purple Cookies, but worked pretty well. This strain is so flimsy it might be worth trying three layers. The Grape Jelly side seem to be better supported, but the strain also has longer internodes and stiffer branches. Going to use netting down the sides next time too to keep branches from "escaping" and then flopping over.




Purple Cookies side after I started hacking through the jungle. There are a lot of buds flopped over on each other which didn't make it to the upper net. Amazing strain BTW - super productive, very easy to manicure, great tasting weed.






Grape Jelly side - this turned a shiny purple over the final 5 days of its life.



I'd say more but I have my work cut out for me...back to the scissors!

 

[Fiddler's Green]

Looks like you're going to have plenty of medicine for your carpal tunnel. Beautiful run amigo

 

[Choco8]

Looks like you're going to have plenty of medicine for your carpal tunnel. Beautiful run amigo

LOL. Hey thanks! Yes this is a bumper crop to be sure.