Rolling Boxes

CapeCoddess 1/5/2016, 10:25 am

How cute are these!
http://rollingplanter.com/

I know that boffer rolls something or other in and out but I can't remember what it was. Anyone have ideas on how to do this ourselves? Shorter?

CC

**trolleydriver** 1/5/2016, 11:14 am

CC ... In the back of my mind I have been thinking of an SFG planter on wheels that would be used for herbs and lettuce and kept close to the back door patio. I think I would want big wheel(s) that will make it easy to move across uneven terrain such as my lumpy lawn and interlock.

One idea I had was for a wheel barrow but that would limit the size of the garden.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/wooden-wheelbarrow

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Planter-Box-Wheelbarrow

Another possibility is a haywagon design with four wheels.

http://www.thewinfieldcollection.com/product/Hay_Wagon_Planter/planter_woodworking_plans

**trolleydriver** 1/5/2016, 12:49 pm

Now this one is getting close to what I would like to build (wishful thinking):

http://www.mypotsandplanters.com/browse-by-material/wood-planters/elevated-rolling-u-garden/

**sanderson** 1/5/2016, 4:33 pm

Here is my "Gwennifer" Table Top before adding the wheels. Rolling Boxes Table_15

A rolling box for son and grandsons: Rolling Boxes Rob_s_10

A "Gwennifer" box for my son: Rolling Boxes Rwl_ne10

I ended up with different wheels for each box. If you want to move over grass, use large diameter for easier rolling. Your links showed different larger wheels.

**trolleydriver** 1/5/2016, 4:40 pm

sanderson ... I really like your "Gwennifer" table top. what are the dimensions of the bin?

**sanderson** 1/5/2016, 5:03 pm

My son's is a 2' x 3' cement pan. Mine is the smaller 2' x 1.5' cement pan.

**trolleydriver** 1/5/2016, 5:17 pm

Thanks sanderson. From the photos they look bigger than that.

I'm wondering if I can use a plastic tote or fish safe rubber pond liner. If I did go this route I would also like to try making it self-watering as in the article that follows:

http://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/planters/build-your-own-self-watering-planter/view-all

martha 1/5/2016, 9:42 pm

Sanderson, what did you use for the bottom of your rolling box? How old is it? (i.e., how long is the bottom likely to last?)

I want to adapt this to be on wheels, and also not to have 2' of dirt.

Rolling Boxes Raised10

martha 1/5/2016, 9:44 pm

I need it to be on wheels because it's the only way I can have a garden at my house. (I rent.) I'm really excited, because I haven't had a garden since DH and I sold our restaurant in 2014. But the only place where there is enough sun at home is someplace that they might conceivably need to get through with heavy equipment if the septic had a problem. So wheels it is!

**jimmy cee** 1/5/2016, 10:36 pm

Lowes has these small platforms with 4 wheels on a set, their used for heavy planters I think.. I wouldn't hesitate to use them if needed...Although I don't think I would use them on anything but a smooth surface

Rolling Boxes Plante10

**sanderson** 1/6/2016, 12:44 am

TD, the rolling wood box is 4' x 1.5'. Due to the weight when filled and watered, and the lateral stress from pulling/pushing, I think there is a limit as to the size of a rolling box. Probably 2' x 4' max.

Martha, The bottom of the wood box is 1/2" plywood. Different folks have commented on how long they last, maybe 4-5 years as they are elevated??

IMHO, to make the key-hole arrangement, I would build 3 boxes each 2' x 4', or what ever dimensions work. Just don't make them too big. I have a Key-hole arrangement with 3 TTs and I really enjoy it.

**trolleydriver** 1/6/2016, 10:45 am

sanderson ... Agreed on the maximum 2' x 4' size. I like your setup and size. It would be perfect for my back door patio herb garden. We will see if it ever comes to fruition! I don't want many (if any) herbs growing in my other SFG boxes since they are too far away from the house. Last year the herbs took up a lot of space in the boxes and hardly ever got used. I would rather devote the space to more vegetables. When cooking you need quick easy access to herbs and having them near the door is better.

**Scorpio Rising** 1/6/2016, 6:56 pm

EPIPHANY! I have a teak, very heavy table out on my patio. Used to put an umbrella in it, but last year just didn't. Put my bee and butterfly water dish on there, and that is about it. I could make a TT for my kitchen herbs on there! Small but mighty! Thank you for the inspiration!

wombocombo626 3/21/2017, 2:39 am

I am actually in the process of constructing my own 2x4 rolling box. I am using 2"x8" wood with a 3/4in plywood bottom. I bought 4 of these casters. Home depot says it has a 125lb load rating and with 4 it would give me a total load rating of 500lb. I was wondering what kind of casters sanderson used and how many casters were used.

**AtlantaMarie** 3/21/2017, 8:06 am

Wombocombo626, I don't think we've met. I'm AtlantaMarie. Glad to "meet" you!

Personally I'd probably add a couple of more, just to be safe... But my DH has taught me over the years to over-engineer safety stuff, lol!

Picture?

**sanderson** 3/21/2017, 2:50 pm

I'm babysitting these two beds for the summer. The wheels look the same as the ones in your link. I can move them around on the bumpy brick patio, so you should be fine with 4 swivel wheels on a 2x4 box. Don't look at the exact construction of the far box. The owner made the frame first with 2' x 4' INTERIOR dimensions. When he tried to screw the plywood to the bottom, he realized his mistake and "patched" it. The last photo is of the box my husband made as a gift to the owner with scrap plywood. The two pieces of plywood are "patched" together with a piece of wood underneath. FYI, the materials on top of the boxes are non-fat powdered milk, kelp meal and crab meal. Rolling Boxes Rob_s_11

ralitaco 3/25/2017, 10:06 pm

I am wondering if the wheels have to be in the corners.
I'm wondering if you could do a 2x8 with the wheels 2' in on each end. That would give you a 2' overhang compared to the 2x4.
Just thinking out loud.

yolos 3/26/2017, 1:05 am

sanderson wrote:FYI, the materials on top of the boxes are non-fat powdered milk, kelp meal and crab meal.

I forgot, what is the purpose of the non-fat powdered milk.

**sanderson** 3/26/2017, 4:36 am

RT, The 2x4 boxes are heavy, really heavy, real really really heavy. Shocked

My husband and one son picked these up and put them in the back of the pickup. Hubby said if there was one more piece of vermiculite in them, they couldn't have done it. The second part of the story is that they put these boxes in the wrong pickup and had to move them again to our pickup. The point is, cantilevering a 2'x8' box on 2 sets of wheels 2' from the ends would put a lot of stress on the wet wood. I would use 3 sets of wheel on both ends and in the middle.

Yolos, uh, calcium? I don't know if it works but I did it. Embarassed

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