Concrete Mesh ~ - Page 5

Tomstrees · March 8, 2006

Pete ~

The advice is priceless ~
I have alot of the "gear"
you derscribe above ~
Like you said "hmmmmm beeeer!!!" ~
lol ~
Tom

JimM_SC · March 8, 2006

6ft (12 squares) will give a 22.9 in. dia. cage. 66 in.(11 squares) gives 21 in. Remember you lose a square where you cut. Some people bend the cut ends back to hold the cage together. I cut them off and use plastic cable ties to avoid the scrapes and cuts. I cut 10 ft metal electrical conduit in half for stakes, drive 18 in. into the ground and secure with more cable ties. Never had one tip over in the wind.
Jim

Tomstrees · March 9, 2006

Jim -

My only concern may be the anchoring of the cage ~
My garden is above a large stump from a tree that was cut down before I moved into my house ~
Maybe I can try to drive the stakes into it ? ~

Tom

Tomstrees · March 9, 2006

John ;

I could really pound them into the
ground - I def. agree ~

Tom

Tomstrees · March 29, 2006

I got into alittle bit
of a project this past weekend:

I took all of my "old $0.70 cages -
sliced them down the side - connected 2 of them with
nylon ties, then did it again with another two and
stacked them on top upside down ~

So now instead of:
12 inch diameter - I have 16 inch
and instead of 2 feet tall,
I have 4 with 6 legs for
anchoring ~

I'll post a pic when I get a chance ~
I couldnt just waste them - I had to
make them into "something" - lol ~

I'll prob. use them for some of the
more "compact" varieties ~

Hope everyones "up and growing"

~ Tom

Tomstrees · April 17, 2006

Hope everyones doing well ~
Either starting their season, or wrapping up
a bountifull one etc. ~

Sat. was a great day to get started
with my "concrete mesh" project ~

I started with the outside of the roll (obviously, lol)
and worked my way in ~
Got them to be around 17 - 18 inches in diameter
(didnt have room for much bigger) ...
Chopped the last 2 bottom squares to make
legs ~ bent the wire over to hold in place ...

With a few scrapes (wow the middle of that roll
was tough to "hold down"), and 9 Stella Artois' later lol,
I made all of my cages !
Now if I can only resist filling my new cages
with maters!
I don't want to rush getting plants into them;
weathers been "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE AS OF LATE" !!!

Thanks everyone for all of your advice !

~ Tom

ps. pics to follow ~

Tomstrees · June 1, 2006

I have a picture of my garden,
with my new concrete mesh homemade cages!
Thanks for everyones help ~

Tom

JerryL · June 1, 2006

Looking good Tom. You'll be eating 'maters before you know it.

Tomstrees · June 1, 2006

Thanks Jerry ~

These forums have been
a wealth of knowledge
I'm telling ya ! And to think,
all these years I've been
using $0.70 cheapo tom cages
and hybrids ???!!!
Who would have thought !!!

~ Tom

vegomatic · June 2, 2006

Hi,

This is only my sixth post here! I'm an old-timer at GW, but have mostly lurked here so far.

I worked a lot of concrete and construction in my younger days and I have a tip for handling the large rolls of concrete mesh. Plus, I'm left-handed, and we lefties do a lot of things "backwards" from regular folks. Sometimes, the unconventional approach works!

Instead of unrolling it so the leading edge faces up, flip it over, so the edge digs down into dirt. Get a half turn of it out and dug into earth, then stand on that. Now, flip the roll out "backwards" while you walk up the roll. Pick it up give it an outwards flip, then take another step to put your weight on it and keep it flat to the ground. Keep unrolling this way, unflexing it and making it lay flat as you go. It can't roll back up, as it resists it by your weight and the leverage of having it unroll backwards from the top.

Do this in a big space, so you can unroll a good chunk of it and flex it back up to take off the tension.

Like this /O... instead of this \O... Unroll it in the direction of the periods.

It's almost harmless if ya do it that way! When you go to cut it, it won't spring back up and it's easier to reconform to a new circumference.

Another thing I noticed in this thread is everyone feels they need to enclose the cage. That is, make a complete circle or loop. Why not make an open sided cage? It would look like a "C" from the top, rather than an enclosed "O."

You could run string or short, individual pieces of baling wire to enclose the C if you felt the need. A piece of rebar at each end of the opening would make a very good anchor. This way, a smallish 18" circumference of wire could be easily expanded to be 24" or larger, with a nice, wide 6" opening all the way up one side of the cage.

Myself, I grow most of my toms in a greenhouse. I just drive a drywall screw in a rafter and tie off individual branches with strategic strings. Eventually, I have to prune to keep things in check.

Hope this "left-handed builder guy" approach to thinking might help some of you out!

-Ed

Suze · June 2, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegomatic

Another thing I noticed in this thread is everyone feels they need to enclose the cage. That is, make a complete circle or loop. Why not make an open sided cage? It would look like a "C" from the top, rather than an enclosed "O."

Bully has some pics of his C cages in this thread -- I think it's a pretty good idea myself.

http://tomatoville.com/viewtopic.php...ighlight=cages

Tom_Ato · June 4, 2006

Great thread. I came here just to figure out how to cut the CRW, but learned so much more.

Ed, I like the "C" cage idea. And there may be one more advantage you didn't mention; namely that you could store the C cages by simply laying one inside the other. Anyone who has ever made cages knows that you either have to leave them in the garden all year, or find another spot to store them, because they don't fit inside other ones well. If you make the cages slightly different sizes, you could store the smaller ones inside the bigger ones.

The C cage idea may also work well with the 8' tall cage idea mentioned earlier. Since CRW is 5' wide (I've never seen 6' and please post if you know where to buy it) that's 60" and 60/pi. = 19". It would be easy to open that C cage to a 24" diameter (as you've said) or larger without losing much strength. A couple rebar stakes should hold most cages down.

If you don't like the C cages, it'd be pretty easy to make them into regular cages.

CRW does rust, and some don't like that look. Has anyone ever painted them with a sprayer or any other way?

Ken

Tomstrees · June 5, 2006

Ken -

I used "some" rustoleum on the cages ~
I will "cover more" next season ...
I used the silver, but could have used more ...
was pricey for that spray paint !

Also, Bully has great advice for those C cages.

Tom

Tom_Ato · June 5, 2006

Tom, I'd like to read Bully's advice, but Suze's link doesn't take me there. Please post if you know it. Thanks.

Ken

Tomstrees · June 5, 2006

Ken -
I'll take a look tonight ~
Maybe its over @ the "other-place" ~
lol ~

Tom

March 8, 2006	#61
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Pete ~ The advice is priceless ~ I have alot of the "gear" you derscribe above ~ Like you said "hmmmmm beeeer!!!" ~ lol ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 9, 2006	#63
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Jim - My only concern may be the anchoring of the cage ~ My garden is above a large stump from a tree that was cut down before I moved into my house ~ Maybe I can try to drive the stakes into it ? ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 9, 2006	#64
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	John ; I could really pound them into the ground - I def. agree ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 29, 2006	#65
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I got into alittle bit of a project this past weekend: I took all of my "old $0.70 cages - sliced them down the side - connected 2 of them with nylon ties, then did it again with another two and stacked them on top upside down ~ So now instead of: 12 inch diameter - I have 16 inch and instead of 2 feet tall, I have 4 with 6 legs for anchoring ~ I'll post a pic when I get a chance ~ I couldnt just waste them - I had to make them into "something" - lol ~ I'll prob. use them for some of the more "compact" varieties ~ Hope everyones "up and growing" ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 17, 2006	#66
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Hope everyones doing well ~ Either starting their season, or wrapping up a bountifull one etc. ~ Sat. was a great day to get started with my "concrete mesh" project ~ I started with the outside of the roll (obviously, lol) and worked my way in ~ Got them to be around 17 - 18 inches in diameter (didnt have room for much bigger) ... Chopped the last 2 bottom squares to make legs ~ bent the wire over to hold in place ... With a few scrapes (wow the middle of that roll was tough to "hold down"), and 9 Stella Artois' later lol, I made all of my cages ! Now if I can only resist filling my new cages with maters! I don't want to rush getting plants into them; weathers been "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE AS OF LATE" !!! Thanks everyone for all of your advice ! ~ Tom ps. pics to follow ~ __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 8, 2006	#62
JimM_SC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Burnet, TX Posts: 138	6ft (12 squares) will give a 22.9 in. dia. cage. 66 in.(11 squares) gives 21 in. Remember you lose a square where you cut. Some people bend the cut ends back to hold the cage together. I cut them off and use plastic cable ties to avoid the scrapes and cuts. I cut 10 ft metal electrical conduit in half for stakes, drive 18 in. into the ground and secure with more cable ties. Never had one tip over in the wind. Jim

June 1, 2006	#67
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I have a picture of my garden, with my new concrete mesh homemade cages! Thanks for everyones help ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

June 1, 2006	#68
JerryL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: S.W. Ohio z6a Posts: 736	Looking good Tom. You'll be eating 'maters before you know it. __________________ Jerry

June 2, 2006	#70
vegomatic Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Black Hills SD Z4 Posts: 89	Hi, This is only my sixth post here! I'm an old-timer at GW, but have mostly lurked here so far. I worked a lot of concrete and construction in my younger days and I have a tip for handling the large rolls of concrete mesh. Plus, I'm left-handed, and we lefties do a lot of things "backwards" from regular folks. Sometimes, the unconventional approach works! Instead of unrolling it so the leading edge faces up, flip it over, so the edge digs down into dirt. Get a half turn of it out and dug into earth, then stand on that. Now, flip the roll out "backwards" while you walk up the roll. Pick it up give it an outwards flip, then take another step to put your weight on it and keep it flat to the ground. Keep unrolling this way, unflexing it and making it lay flat as you go. It can't roll back up, as it resists it by your weight and the leverage of having it unroll backwards from the top. Do this in a big space, so you can unroll a good chunk of it and flex it back up to take off the tension. Like this /O... instead of this \O... Unroll it in the direction of the periods. It's almost harmless if ya do it that way! When you go to cut it, it won't spring back up and it's easier to reconform to a new circumference. Another thing I noticed in this thread is everyone feels they need to enclose the cage. That is, make a complete circle or loop. Why not make an open sided cage? It would look like a "C" from the top, rather than an enclosed "O." You could run string or short, individual pieces of baling wire to enclose the C if you felt the need. A piece of rebar at each end of the opening would make a very good anchor. This way, a smallish 18" circumference of wire could be easily expanded to be 24" or larger, with a nice, wide 6" opening all the way up one side of the cage. Myself, I grow most of my toms in a greenhouse. I just drive a drywall screw in a rafter and tie off individual branches with strategic strings. Eventually, I have to prune to keep things in check. Hope this "left-handed builder guy" approach to thinking might help some of you out! -Ed

June 4, 2006	#72
Tom_Ato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 57	Great thread. I came here just to figure out how to cut the CRW, but learned so much more. Ed, I like the "C" cage idea. And there may be one more advantage you didn't mention; namely that you could store the C cages by simply laying one inside the other. Anyone who has ever made cages knows that you either have to leave them in the garden all year, or find another spot to store them, because they don't fit inside other ones well. If you make the cages slightly different sizes, you could store the smaller ones inside the bigger ones. The C cage idea may also work well with the 8' tall cage idea mentioned earlier. Since CRW is 5' wide (I've never seen 6' and please post if you know where to buy it) that's 60" and 60/pi. = 19". It would be easy to open that C cage to a 24" diameter (as you've said) or larger without losing much strength. A couple rebar stakes should hold most cages down. If you don't like the C cages, it'd be pretty easy to make them into regular cages. CRW does rust, and some don't like that look. Has anyone ever painted them with a sprayer or any other way? Ken

June 5, 2006	#73
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Ken - I used "some" rustoleum on the cages ~ I will "cover more" next season ... I used the silver, but could have used more ... was pricey for that spray paint ! Also, Bully has great advice for those C cages. Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale