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garden ferris wheel

24 comments


had a bright idea and thought about a ferris wheel sort of garden ornament
so basically a 6 piece fram of light weight bamboo or similar would rotate small trays of growing plants. at a suitable place water will be dripped onto a plant till it ether grows faster - being up high- or gets more water so it weighs themore and passes th watering system to the next plant.
so invention in progres to make some thing attractive as well as practical

the future baskets near the top will get water similar to a water wheel in slow motion

put a pair of baskets on and placed two strawberry plants in them.
1—problem was to secure the box while attending to the plants.
2 weeding means have to balance the pair of boxes.
3 attending to the plants at waist height was fantastic and easy.
4 looks ornamental.
5 have to devise a strong base as tends to twist
6 still have to work out how to get water to the next from top basket when all baskets are there.
7 found some kitchen draining baskets were ok cost $3.00 each.-need fabric in side the sides
8 found some metal and plastic coated garden stakes would be useable and cheap but any damage to plastic coating would introduce water and rust.
9 have yet to find more problems to solve.

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Comments

 

hello Piersdad...will be great when completed..

9 Jul, 2012

 

I love the idea, hope you can make it all work.

9 Jul, 2012

 

Great idea, No 5 - the filled baskets will be very heavy when wet?

9 Jul, 2012

 

Hi Piersdad, haven't seen you for a while looks as if you're keeping up with the lovely garden inventions......

9 Jul, 2012

 

been away for some time had a world record earthquake here with our house surviving a 2.2 times gravity shake (world record was 2.9) we came second.
huge infractucture damaged etc.
however with a cold winter here in NEW Zealand i am maximising my 50 sq meter garden for the comming summer.
my strawberries did well in sun side but not well in lea of a fence. so decided to elevate them.
the invention is in progress and drastically altered even now.
was stuck for some 2X2 wood for stronger wheel and did a favour for a friend who said she had a huge amount of wood left by previous house owner and i could have the lot of 2x2 cedar WOW.
i hope that a dribble of water on the lightest planter box will slowly weigh it down and give the next plant a water. i will be making a small wooden animal with a hose in its paw to supply the water.
so imagine a squirrel or tiny elephant watering the plants as the rotate slowly once a day
any way an invention in progress.
a search of ferris wheel in garden showed only one similer and it did not rotate apparently

9 Jul, 2012

 

Glad your house survived, it must have been a dreadful experience.

9 Jul, 2012

 

I cant really even imagine how devastating and really frightening that must be. But as Drc said, its good to hear you and your house survived.

all the best with the inventing ~ it sounds fascinating ~ and cedar wood?? how beautiful!!!

9 Jul, 2012

 

yes the quake was an experience when i was running one stride felt like the ground was gone and the next the ground was pushing you up.
so now the local directions to the central business area is --- go past the 3rd paddock and turn left and its before the next two empty sections --
about 600 multi storied buildings gone.
and the central business area is still cordoned off with huge cranes going all day and dinosaur like machines that actually have huge jaws that just crunch reinforced concrete slabs as if they were a nice we biscuit to them.

how ever my house got off undamaged, not so for about 10,000 houses that the ground had sunk or they were too damaged to repair.
and inventing
a young lady asked me to help her with the design and construction of and electric cello and we are 1/2 way through the project she is learning huge basic skills such as lathe work chisels and all sorts of other skills and she said it was for a school project --- she is 12 years old

10 Jul, 2012

 

What a frightening thing for you. And on going still with all the work having to be done, so tnankful that your house is safe. Your young friend sounds very talented and so focused for her age....may we see it sometime please

10 Jul, 2012

 

ohhh my..Pd...the quake must have left you all in a mess....we done u guys for getting on with it...
looking forward to your finished ferris wheel...the cello project sounds wonderful...

10 Jul, 2012

 

10,000 houses gone? that is real devastation, somehow it doesnt come over so clearly or with the same impact when you hear it on the news. its the personal telling that makes you realise properly.

making a cello is incredible! thats a fantastic project, what an amazing range of skills that little girl is learning, i wish there was more time for those things in school.

10 Jul, 2012

 

today i put a coin in my lathe and she drilled a hole in it
then i set up some stainless steel in the lathe and she was able to make the sharp spike on the end then she soldered the coin onto the end so now we have a spike for the end of the cello

10 Jul, 2012

 

that is so brilliant!!! lucky girl to have such a chance!

my oldest son [when he was about 4] used to go to our next door neighbour who was really good with woodwork skills; my son is now 32 and is still using those skills plus more he has learned, i dont think you can put a price on things like this. its not only the individual drilling, soldering etc ~ its the patience, the problem solving, the logical ordering ~ so much is being taught and learned!

priceless

10 Jul, 2012

 

its priceless
i had a mentor my self a gent next door who i loved to talk and watch his creations.
60 years later i had sold a beautifully double bass, a masterpiece i was so proud of, and when i asked the customers name
he was the grand son of my neighbor who had inspired me in the first place
i feel honored to be able to inspire another person.
cant wait till she presents the cello to her class as a project she had to do

and the quakes are still around
11:32pm 12.41 4.94 V 391 tonnes
this was 12.41 km deep and right under me
one quake similar i was just about to stir my coffee and i just grabbed the bench and held the spoon still while the quake stirred the coffee for me.
it takes about 20 years for this aftershocks stop to about one a year

10 Jul, 2012

 

what an incredible story ~ thats better than a book!!! wasnt it hard to sell after all that work?

those earth quakes must be so frightening ~ do you ever get used to the aftershocks ~ do you ever stop worrying?

10 Jul, 2012

 

you get used to the after shocks and it takes a 5.5 to actually get worried as they last a bit longer and feel like a bigger one coming on.
however under any road bridge waiting for traffic to clear or walking next to brick and mortar walls you are always ready to run.
most of the deaths not associated with the 2 major buildings that collapsed completely it was the brick walls and huge heritage facades that were the killers.

11 Jul, 2012

 

Pd, the story of the double bass and your mentor is delightful, somehow satisfying with all the problems you are having with the earthquakes.
My O H had similar with a neighbour wood working ,electronics etc.(as a boy he would mend the neighbours tv and radios) when the old fella passed away the was given all his tools which he still has and uses

11 Jul, 2012

 

i think you should all be given some sort of bravery award, coping with those horrendous things!

11 Jul, 2012

 

the young lady and her electric cello was presented at her school and the sound it made was astounding she held the audience of parents spell bound and the applause was long and loud.
she got 100% for her project and 100% for presentation and between us have actually a break through in electric cello design.
with out her enthusiasm i would not have thought of it

28 Nov, 2012

 

That is absolutely brilliant! Many congratulations to both of you.

28 Nov, 2012

 

well done both of you...:-)

28 Nov, 2012

 

Just discovered your blog, PD! It was great that she should have done so well getting 100% for her project and 100% for presentation! You should patent your breakthrough in electric cellos!

Very well done to both of you! :-))

9 Dec, 2012

 

iv copied the cello and am working on research to make it even better

9 Dec, 2012

 

Good luck to you! :-))

11 Dec, 2012

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