Bonsai Display Benches
By Bonsai Artist Thomas J.
Most of my articles
recently have been geared toward the beginner. This
month I would like to try something a little bit more
advanced, and that's not to say that a beginner couldn't
use this either. In fact there will probably be some
beginners in bonsai that will have just the "right
stuff" for this article.
For many years while doing bonsai,
my trees had no real place to call home except on the
cement floor of my patio, and what couldn't fit there
was placed in various places in the yard under shade
trees.
After moving to a new residence in
a new subdivision, I finally was able to think about
making something that we would both be happy with (me
and the trees).
Since being a custom woodworker by
trade many years ago, this wasn't too big a deal for
me. I just wanted to make sure it would meet my needs
as far as displaying my trees and keeping them with
the right protection from the hot Texas heat. That
of course meant planning for shade cloth as part of
the design.
Two months after building my stands,
I was faced with another problem I didn't anticipate;
hail. So with this came another upgrade to my display
stands.
To keep things simple in this article,
I will only give the basic design in detail so that
the building of these units won't be harder than they
already might be. If you've never done any kind of
simple carpentry, and are not sure how to use the proper
tools, then this article might not be for you, unless
you hire someone with the skills needed.
In this article you will find a full
size drawing (8-1/2 x 11) that you will be able to
download and print, and real life pictures explaining
as much as possible some of the detail. There will
also be a parts list for you to print out with everything
you will need to make one unit.
Download Project Packet Here
Ok lets get started. The first
thing you will need to do is to study the drawing. Try
and get a mental picture relating the drawing to the
actual picture of the basic unit.
Either study
it on your computer, or print it out. I'm calling the
unit built exactly like the drawing without anything
else added as the "basic unit". Note: Pic
#1 shows the basic unit without the shelf added, which
is also part of the basic unit.
It will be up to your specific needs
as to how much more to add to the basic unit. Things
such as lattice so as to give minimal protection from
the sun.
Additional
shade cloth maybe necessary depending upon your locale.
If you live in an area which is prone to frequent hail
storms as I do, you may want to add lift up doors with
steel mesh added to both the doors and the tops of
the units.
A picture of a lift up door with steel
screen added. The screen is also galvanized to prevent
rust. It can be purchased at Home Depot.
The detail
photos listed as Top
Front, Top Back, and Bottom Back in
the project packet, will
have lettered parts corresponding to the assembly
drawing to hopefully let you see more clearly how
the construction should be. Notice that these photos
will have the additional screen and lattice already
applied. Hopefully this won't cause any confusion
if you look beyond this and just pay attention to
the basic wood assembly. The shelf detail photos showing both
top and bottom sides are pics # 5and # 6.
Pic #7 shows the leg unit of two units
side by side, sitting on a square piece of patio
block. Something like this can be purchased at a builders
supply such as Home Depot.
And finally, the parts list is
also included in the project packet. You will probably
want to print this out and take it with you when
buying the necessary parts.
In next months article I will show
you what I added in the way of a simple automatic watering
system, something that you also might be able to use,
or at least conjure up some ideas as to your special
needs, if you think an automatic watering or misting
system is for you.
Note: Make sure you understand
the proper use of all hand and power
tools before attempting this project, and don't forget
about eye safety.
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