Allotment builds

Hi all having an allotment is all about growing you own veg but there may come a time when you might need to build things to aid you with your allotment adventures.

As all of us know keeping the costs down is second nature to most of us so I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread that we can all post a link or even pictures of our own allotment builds that might inspire others to follow suit you know the sort of things that will come handy down on the plot; sheds, compost bins or just sin bins!:D

Bob has done the first 'dirty work' for me so to speak and has found this great site (click on link below) on how to build items out of pallet wood. I will add Bob's own work as we go along so come on people join in! Hel.xxx.


http://summerville-novascotia.com/PalletWoodShed/

 

Great idea hel. As you know our first compost bins were made with pallets, and the pallet "Decking" in front of the greenhouse is still going strong, but looking through the site i remembered our first shed was faced with pallets, if its treated it lasts years, Also its cheap (you cant get cheaper than FREE) so ideal for allotments...Dee...
ps, Have you neglected your gardens? you haven,t posted pics for a while..

 

Lol Dee I wouldn't dare post any pictures of our home gardens at the moment as they resemble something like Steptoe and Son's back yard what with Bob 'collecting' things for the allotment just imagine pallets, loads of weed membrane, baths, guttering and you get the picture ...... it just makes me shudder even thinking about it never mind looking at it to take pictures!:eek:

Although I must own up to the 'rockery' on the front garden as I given a ton of large pebbles from next door most of which needs a good scrub to get the green off them I'm half way down the pile but it really is slow work.:oHel.xxx.

 

Hel, That's what jetwashers are for....

 

Hi Helen. Just wanted to ask, what are the baths for ? Cheers...freddy.

 

it might not look prity . but if it works go for it

nice idea Hellen

for those that cannot remeber blue peter . it's all about the sticky back plastick
:thumb:
when i was a small boy watching this programe . the nelly pooh was just so wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Cj2TtFd_E

now im older and have an allotment . dumbo poo is what i need

sorry for the phrase but it is so true **** happens

 

Here's Bob's latest project I know before you start I should have done a step by step photo progress but hopefully from the pictures you can get an idea how Bob built this compost bin out of pallets and weed membrane.



sorry picture a little blurry!

Bob stripped off one side of the pallets using one of the same size for the ends and a much longer one for the back. I treated them with some safe wood colour just to smarten them up a bit and then Bob secured the membrane onto each inner panel, cut another slice of the membrane, secured a wooden slat to the back of the bin and the top 'cover' with yet another two wooden slats to weigh it down. Two thin wooden slats was tacked onto the sides near the front and 2 large slip boards was than slotted just in front of the small ones these large slip boards can be removed for ease of turning and removing the compost when needed.

The bin was made at home and taken as a kind of flat-pack over to the allotment and within minutes it was up no instructions was needed!:D



As you can see from the above picture we have already started to fill this one now all we need is Bob to build plenty more bins.

Freddy the baths are just a really cheap (free) way to contain water as although we have our own tap just over the track at the top of our lots it's really frowned upon to pop your hose on and use it to water the plots.....also if it carries on being so blooming hot here Bob can always have a quick dip but then again maybe not!:D Hel.xxx.

 

Hi Helen. The reason I asked was because I saw one (on tv) being used to grow carrots and thought maybe this was the idea. Watering, always a problem at this time of year so anything that makes it easier HAS to be a good idea. Well done Helen (and Bob - of course !), keep up the good work. Cheers...freddy.

 

Lol Freddy on the subject of growing things (athough not in the bath) we are going to have a go at growing some veg in tyres it's an inspiration from Bob Flowerdew who used the idea many moons ago on Gardeners World.Hel.xxx.

 

Well doesn't time fly when you're having fun?:D
That's just what Bob and I have been doing having fun and finally our lastest 'finished' project is Bob's shed ok it was 'done' some time ago but it was given the last bit of twinking only just the other day a bit of stainless steel around the edges....things tend to take a little longer than normal if you're waiting for 'items' to appear free of charge!:wink:

Here's the bones of it.
At this stage one guy from the committee came over and told us that if we ever gave up our plots and the 'new' person (who took over from us) didn't want our shed we would have to remove it I think he was upset how it looked at this stage.



Just your basic run of the mill old broken pallets that get thrown away each day all around the country you can also find them in skips too but please ask the owners first!



The shed is just high enough for me to stand up in (I'm 5.7ft tall) so our shed is one and a half pallets high although I can't wear high heels in it so bang goes my idea for wearing high heels down on the plot!

The black weed membrane hides all the cushion floor we used for the roof and strips of plywood on the back. To stop our stainless steel flashing going missing (what with the price of scr*p these days) I painted it and bashed it in a bit so I hope this does the trick.

We did get lucky one skip housed small cut off boardings which we used for the outside edges of the shed and another a lovely new fence panel which we stripped down and used for the front.



Loads of the guys have told Bob what a grand job he has done and a few of them have started to collect pallets now.

As for the guy off the committee he did turn a shade of green when I told him how much it cost us and now I just can't pass him by he just wants to talk for ages or is he just wanting to look down my top? :cnfs:

So dear friends the total cost of the shed was just £6.99 for the door lock cheap as chips don't you think? Hel.xxx.

 

:cl-p::cl-p::cl-p::cl-p::cl-p: ITS BRILL HEL. I Can't believe they didn't think of it themselve's Down at the Lotty..Let bob know, i think he's done a fantastic job :thumb: Love Dee..

 

Thats excelent Helen, pallets are really versatile.

One bloke I know who works in a distribution warehouse has actualy made furniture using hardwood paking crates and pallets..... mind you he has acess to a bench saw and planer!!

 

Lovely finished article Helen:thmb:You ought to set Bob up in buisness making sheds like that he would make a fortune.

Nice to see it with the cladding on the outside as well.Looking at it from the outside you wouldn't believe what it was made of and as you say it was cheap at the price.Much better than the sheds that the GC and the likes of B&Q sell

 

Thanx guys.

Dee your praised has been passed on, at this rate Bob with not be able to step through the door because his head will swell too much!:euw:

Bob's started to get commissions now from the guys down on the plots but there will have to be a waiting list soon!

Paul I think that's what has done most of the guys down on the allotment they didn't think you could make something out of nothing and make it look reasonable needless to say I'm sure collecting pallets will get a little harder from now on!

Lol Kandy I know what you mean about shop brought shed they don't last many years at all I mean if you brought one of those very cheap ones at £99 you will be lucky if it lasts a year and because we left some square coggs on the inside I have been able to nail a couple of planks of wood inside to make shelfs. Hel.xxx.

 

just think of all the money you have saved Helen:thumb: