The OTT cold frame(s)

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RogerS

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There is a light-hearted thread on these here. This thread shows the finished items. No WIP...sorry.... I forgot.

Design brief from my customer....aka LOML. Dismantle-able. Two sizes to fit existing space. Oak..unfinished so it goes that nice silvery colour. Higher at the back to cater for plants of differing heights. As well as a glazed top, glazed side and front to maximise light.

So I dug into my pile of air-dried oak bought at Pugh's auction a couple of years ago. Cost £25. Drew up a plan using Sketchup...mainly to get the angles. And came up with these bits.
P1090036.jpg


They fit together like so
P1090031.jpg


The verticals (rails?) slot into each other and screwed with brass screws in pre-drilled holes with a bit of silicon. The front and rear frames were joined with domino's as I wanted to play with the new toy. In hindsight all rather pointless as if I'd run a rebate on the verticals and a corresponding groove on the ends of the rails then that would have been (a) just as good (b) stronger and (c) I wouldn't have had to faff around sticking on bits of wood to support the vertical edges of the glazing unit. Mind you I would have needed thicker stock to accomodate the extra needed for the rebate. Swings...roundabouts.

The stiles (for want of a better word) had their rebates for the glass and wood side panels ripped on the table saw. The waste put aside to become glazing bars. The glazed panels are double-glazed. Silicon seal on the outer pane with an oak bead - mainly for aesthetics. Couple of packs of silica gel between. The inside glass pane sandwiched onto a rubber seal and then glazing bar pinned in place using small brads. Might have been nicer to use small brass screws but not that much real-estate as I opted for a deep cavity in the dgu.
P1090029.jpg


Thought I'd be smart and fit gas struts to help LOML lift the lid which weighs in at around 25kg! Knowing nothing about gas struts I opted for the strongest ones I could find 'off-the-shelf' on eBay (150nM). I need not have bothered. They look the part but do bu**er all in terms of an assisted lift. I know..I measured the 'pull' needed to lift the lid - with and without them and they do diddly-squat.
P1090030.jpg


The top has the two bottom glazing beads tapered so water doesn't collect behind them and a small groove lets the water run away. The bottom of the groove had silicon smeared on it. My only acknowledgement towards some form of weather-proofing. The handle came from a reclamation yard.
P1090027.jpg


The panels came from offcuts of oak floorboards..and justified me hanging onto those annoying 18" long offcuts that kept getting in the way.

So here they are in situ...
P1090041.jpg

P1090042.jpg

P1090043.jpg


and the neighbours seem happy !
P1090038.jpg
 
Should keep 'er indoors happy Rog. Though you seem to have overlooked some of the specifications set out in the other thread. :)

Re the Gas struts.. just a thought... are they the right way round and pointing in the right direction? :duno:
The ones I've replaced in the past fly open with considerable force and are a bugga, nigh on impossible, to close by hand.
 
studders":8wszzv3k said:
.....
Re the Gas struts.. just a thought... are they the right way round and pointing in the right direction? :duno:
The ones I've replaced in the past fly open with considerable force and are a bugga, nigh on impossible, to close by hand.

Well spotted. My deliberate mistake. In the top photo's they were in the wrong way round. As far as pressure is concerned, it's the same whichever way round but apparently you're supposed to have the rods down so that the seals are 'something or other'. The lack of assist is because they are way too short and they are trying to do the impossible...levers and all that. I did find a gas strut company that seemed reasonably priced and provide a 'design' service which looks pretty good, to be honest. But LOML said that she doesn't need to go into the cold frame that much and she always has call on RMP (Roger's Muscle Power) to hold it open. So further strutting is on-hold.
 
RogerS":269jj2q5 said:
My deliberate mistake.

Exactly as I thought, you were just testing to make sure we were paying attention.

What about tailgate struts from the breakers? Though getting them mounted onto the frame might need some R+D.
 
Those struts look like they are at too acute an angle to be effective.

IMO you are asking a lot to lift the lid from the very back of the top.

Try opening the lid yourself from that position and you will see what I mean.

Do they work OK if you use hand pressure?

Frames look great.

Mick
 

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