D.I.Y. indoor wire vertical garden

D.I.Y. indoor wire vertical garden

LUKE
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D.I.Y. indoor wire vertical garden

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Project Overview

Bring the outdoors indoors with this awesome wire plant stand. It’s a great way to brighten up any space or keep fresh vegies and herbs within easy reach when you’re cooking. Continue to step-by-step instructions
removing bent nail
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How to remove a bent nail

If a nail bends as you hammer it in, don’t try to straighten it, just remove it. The easiest way to do this is to place a thin piece of timber beside the nail to support the hammer and protect the surface. Fit the claw of the hammer under the nail head and pull the handle towards you until the nail comes out. Keep the handle as close to vertical as possible so you don’t make the nail hole wider.

Step by Step Instructions

1 Measure the pot plants
2 Put two mesh sheets aside
3 Measure and mark
4 Cut mesh to make middle sections
5 Cut off the excess metal
6 Preparing to weld
7 Clamp a middle section to the edge of a panel
8 Straighten with welding magnets
9 Warm the welding rod
10 Start welding
11 Weld on other middle sections
12 Lift the second mesh panel into place
13 Weld on the second panel
14 Clean the welds
15 Prime and paint the stand

  • Step 1. Measure the pot plants

    Take the measurements of the pot plants you want to put in your wire plant stand. These are what you’ll use when cutting the mesh to size. The measurements we’ve used to build this pot stand have been based on a 150mm terracotta pot.
    Previous Step Next Step
    Measure pot plants for vertical garden

  • Step 2. Put two mesh sheets aside

    The four reinforced sheets of mesh we used are standard sized, 1800mm x 1000mm, and can be purchased at Bunnings. Set two of the sheets aside as these will be used for the front and back of the stand. The other two pieces will be cut into sections and welded to the first two sheets to form the centre of the stand.

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    Put two mesh sheets aside

  • Step 3. Measure and mark

    Lay your other two pieces of mesh down lengthways. Take the measurements of your pots and transfer to the mesh sheets by marking on the vertical rods, which in our case was 150mm in from the top. 

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    Place two mesh sheets aside

  • Step 4. Cut mesh to make middle sections

    Use bolt cutters to cut where you’ve marked on the mesh until you have one 1800mm long section. This will be the first of six middle sections.

    Previous Step Next Step
    Cutting wire into sections

  • Step 5. Cut off the excess metal

    To make another section, use the bolt cutters to cut the excess metal for a straight edge, making sure you don’t break the pre-existing welds. Then repeat steps 3–5 on the rest of the mesh, so that you end up with six sections. These will be welded to the front and back panels to create the body of the stand.

    Previous Step Next Step
    Cutting excess metal off using bolt cutters

  • Step 6. Preparing to weld

    To start the welding process, place a non-flammable material, for example, cement sheeting, onto the workbench. Then lay down one of the 1800mm x 1000mm mesh panels lengthways on your work surface. Make sure the shorter 137mm rods are facing upwards because these will be your welding points. It also gives you the correct spacing for the middle sections that you’ll be welding on.

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    Preparing to weld

  • Step 7. Clamp a middle section to the edge of a panel

    Working from the outside edge, line up the 1800mm edge of your sections with the 1800mm edge of your mesh panel and clamp into position, making sure the sections point upwards. 

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    Clamp middle section to edge of panel

  • Step 8. Straighten with welding magnets

    Once you’ve clamped the first section into place, use the magnetic welding clamps to make sure the sections sit at 90 degrees while you’re welding.

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    Straighten with welding magnets

  • Step 9. Warm the welding rod

    Remember, safety equipment is vital when welding. Wear a leather apron, welding gloves, a welding mask, long-sleeve top and have a fire extinguisher nearby.

     Before you start welding, warm up the welding rod on a metal offcut. This will make the job flow better while you weld. 

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    Straighten with welding magnets

  • Step 10. Start welding

    Weld the joints of the first rod to the mesh panel at the intersections. 

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    Start Welding

  • Step 11. Weld on other middle sections

    When you’ve finished welding the first middle section, line up and weld the other sections to the mesh following steps 7–10. You should end up with a panel that resembles a bed of nails with the middle sections pointing up.
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    Weld on other middle sections

  • Step 12. Lift the second mesh panel into place

    Place the second mesh panel on top of the first panel, lining the intersections up with the vertical sections. This time make sure the shorter rods are facing down. 

    Previous Step Next Step
    Life the second mesh panel into place

  • Step 13. Weld on the second panel

    Weld the first panel’s sections to the second panel’s intersections to complete the framework.

    Previous Step Next Step
    Weld on second panel

  • Step 14. Clean the welds

    Use a wire brush or a slag hammer to clean and remove any slag from your welds.

    Previous Step Next Step
    Clean the welds

  • Step 15. Prime and paint the stand

    While you can leave the pot plant stand outside to get a rusty look, you could also take it indoors and give it a coat of paint. First paint the stand with primer and let it dry. Then, use black spray paint to cover the stand and complete the look. Once it’s dry move it into position inside, put the pots in place and fill them with your favourite indoor plants and herbs.
    Previous Step Next Step
    Prime and paint the stand

Tools and Materials

Tools

  • Angle grinder
  • ARC welder
  • Bolt cutters
  • Dry powder extinguisher
  • Earmuffs
  • Electrodes
  • Leather welding apron
  • Leather work gloves
  • Long sleeve shirt
  • Magnetic welding clamps
  • Measuring tape
  • Permanent marker
  • Safety glasses with side shields
  • Set square
  • Slag hammer
  • Welding mask
  • Wire brush

Materials

  • 1800mm x 1000mm x 7mm reo mesh sheets x 4
  • 150mm terracotta pots x 20
  • 300mm quick grip clamps x 4
  • Grinder disks (optional)
  • Pot plants
  • Primer spray paint
  • Spray paint

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