[TREGRAHOW]

A fellow plotholder had a netting tunnel (about 5m x 2.5m x 2m high) as a present from his wife. I am green with envy but, I don't want to pay for some company to make it for me. Essentially it is a pvc conduit frame covered with scaffolding debris netting. I can do that. The price paid for his tunnel (£150) will buy three rolls of netting and all the conduit needed to make 3 tunnels about 15m long. Here's the problem. I can source the netting and the conduit (22mm or 25mm) but I can't find the crossover joints for the conduit. Anyone any ideas?

[mumofstig]

Like these
on ebay?

[TREGRAHOW]

Nice try but, I found those myself. The thing I'm looking for is basically two conduit straight connectors fixed at right angles to each other and one above the other. Does any of this make sense? I'll go down the site on Monday and take a photo of one. I found the tunnel "Walk in Wonderwall" but I'm loathe to ask the company if they sell the joints separately. Methinks they have them made especially and would not want to part with any to someone making their own tunnel and cutting them out of a nice little earner. Understandable really. I will crack this - it just might take some time.

Thanks anyway.

[Nij48]

I think I know what your meaning, wouldn't a nut and bolt do the job? or thick string with a coating of PVA glue?

[ghost61]

My husband has built three of these on our plots. He put in a wooden frame to screw the MDPE pipe to at the top, and then he zip tied bamboo canes either side to add to the stability. The frame also acts as the door frame, with the scaffolding debris netting being cut in two at the front, one side trenches in and stapled to the frame. The other flap is the door and is velcroed shut. Each tunnel is about 3m long and 2.5m wide and about 1.75m high. The give in the netting makes it possible to stand up in the tunnel. Cost about £20 each.

[TREGRAHOW]

Had a long hard look at friend's netting tunnel and now know exactly what the crossover joints are: open saddle clips that have a single screw hole through them. Put two back to back and at right angles and they can be joined by a small bolt and nut or a short self-tapping screw. A dab of decent adhesive will achieve a belt and braces joint. Simples!! Open saddle clips are dirt cheap as are self-tappers. I reckon I can crack on with this as soon as my netting arrives from Tarpaflex and I get the conduit from a local wholesalers.

[TREGRAHOW]

Thanks for all the suggestions - even the one that looked liked scaffolding clamp.

I have my first roll of debris netting from Tarpaflex and I've found a number of sources for the conduit and the fittings. Some local and some online. All I have to do now is rattle off a workable design and work out the number of each type of fitting that I need. Then I have to level a part of my plot and start the build.

I'll make a photo record of the build and upload it when it's finished - unless I make a complete cock-up of it in which case I'll do a lot of swearing, abandon it and blame someone else.

Thanks again for the help.

[BobE]

I will watch and hopefully learn.

[surbie100]

I'll make a photo record of the build and upload it when it's finished - unless I make a complete cock-up of it in which case I'll do a lot of swearing, abandon it and blame someone else.

My school of building entirely!     

[BobE]

ok

[fatcat1955]

Use conduit boxes for the connector's, they come in 1-4 way and are ideal.

[TREGRAHOW]

Chatting at the electrical wholesalers and he reckons the solid connectors won't give and will quickly become very brittle after exposure to sunlight. Would've been excellent last year though!

[Growster...]

Younger daught has one of those gazebos, so the GCs can tiddle around outside, and out of the sun!

I've been peering at the frame on this as they really are pretty cheap, and could help your ideas!

[TREGRAHOW]

Bought one on Friday. £19-99 for a 3m x 3m with a cheap and nasty cover but, the frame is great. We will set it up on our plot tomorrow and skin it with netting. I think it will work a treat. Doorway will initially be an overlap with a few large clothes pegs holding it shut and I'll build a doorframe later. On the proper tunnel it will have to be a properly built doorframe and netting door. Easy enough. (he says).

[Growster...]

Bought one on Friday. £19-99 for a 3m x 3m with a cheap and nasty cover but, the frame is great. We will set it up on our plot tomorrow and skin it with netting. I think it will work a treat. Doorway will initially be an overlap with a few large clothes pegs holding it shut and I'll build a doorframe later. On the proper tunnel it will have to be a properly built doorframe and netting door. Easy enough. (he says).

Great minds, Tregrahow!

Best of luck with this! We use more clothes pegs than the laundry down on the plot!