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| by:
Rick Campbell
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
ROLLING PLANT STAND |
| This
mobile platform allows to you move heavy plants with ease |
Rearranging
heavy and cumbersome potted plants is a chore I can do without;
it’s a back injury waiting to happen. For my indoor plants
I bought an inexpensive rolling stand from a garden centre,
and that gave me the idea for this heavy-duty outdoor version.
It’s just a box on lawn mower wheels, with slats on the
top to support the pot.
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| Rising
8" above the surface of the deck, this rolling
plant stand made from cedar is great for creating
tiered arrangements |
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Choose materials that stand up to wet weather. Cedar is a good,
rot-resistant choice that’s available everywhere. To hold
it together use stainless steel or brass screws and an exterior-grade
glue like a Type II PVA or polyurethane adhesive. Predrill for
all screws and countersink the heads flush, or set them 1/4"
deep and cover the heads with wooden plugs, as I did.
Build a Box
Begin by preparing the side and end members. Drill a 1/2"-dia.
hole in each side to hold the axle rod. The best way to ensure
that the axle holes line up perfectly is to stack the sides
together and drill through both at the same time.
Next, cut out a hand slot in one of the end pieces. Start by
drilling 1"-dia. holes with centres 4" apart, then
remove the remaining material with a scroll saw or jigsaw. For
a comfortable grip, round the lip of the handle openings on
both sides with a table-mounted router using a 1/4"-dia.
round-over bit.
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| Lawn
mower wheels concealed in the base of this stand
make moving heavy containers easy |
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Prepare the two front legs next with a 3/4" radius curve
cut on the bottom corners; this detail is both decorative and
functional. If left square, the corners will catch on rough
ground and splinter. Rounding corners avoids this problem, and
it looks better, too. Finish off the legs by applying a 1/4"
round-over profile to all exposed edges with a router.
Attach the legs to the side pieces
before the box is assembled. Position the legs 1" back
from the front edge of the side members to allow room for the
end pieces you’ll add later. Use glue and 1 3/4"-long
screws to secure the legs to the sides. Drive the screws from
the inside surfaces so the heads are hidden.
Now you can assemble the box with glue and three screws at each
joint. A couple of clamps will hold everything together while
you work. With the sides and ends assembled into a frame, cut
out the slats and bevel their top edges with a 45° chamfer
bit at the router table.
Glue and screw the slats to the top of the box. It’s best
to attach the two end slats first, then evenly space the rest
in between. Don’t bother measuring; you’ll get best
results with spacers cut from scrap wood placed between each
slat.
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| CLICK
ABOVE |
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Use
a hacksaw to trim the axle rod length, then file the burrs off
the ends. A pair of setscrew collars will keep the wheels from
moving in on the axle. The plans show how the axle, washers,
collars and axle caps go together. Follow the drawing, tighten
the setscrews, then tap the axle caps in place with a hammer.
Give the stand a final sanding,
then coat with Circa 1850 Tung ’n Teak Oil, an exterior
finish that’s worked well for me on other projects. |
| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Material |
Size |
Qty |
| Side |
cedar |
1"
x 5 1/2" x 19 3/4" |
2 |
| Ends |
cedar |
1"
x 5 1/2" x 12" |
2 |
| Slats |
cedar |
1"
x 1 3/4" x 14" |
10 |
| Legs |
cedar |
1"
x 3" x 6 1/2" |
2 |
| Hardware |
| Screws |
stainless
or brass |
#8
x 1 3/4" |
36 |
| Axle |
steel
rod |
1/2"
x 14 1/2" |
1 |
| Wheels |
lawn
mower |
6"
dia. |
2 |
| Washers |
flat,
galvanized |
1/2"
dia. |
4 |
| Axle
Cap |
push-on |
1/2"
dia. |
2 |
| Axle
Collars* |
locking-type |
1/2"
dia. |
2 |
| *available
at machinery supply stores |
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