7 Ft. trays (Troughs)... how to.

I have been getting requests from customers about this tray. I have a picture of it somewhere else in my site, now, everyone wants to have it. First of all, these trays are made...by you and they are manufactured out of a plastic sheet called Coroplast. It is the same product the bins and tubs the post office uses are made out of. Coroplast comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses. Coroplast is hollow. They call this fluted plastic. It is very light and strong, however it is not too hard to work with it once you learn a few tricks.The standard thickness is 4 mm (1/8") and the standard color is white. To find out who sells this material locally, contact the Coroplast people in Canada on their web site, Coroplast.com. I have found at least 4 dealers in my area and prices vary from $8 per sheet to $15 per sheet. Sheets are the standard 4X8 ft. To build these trays, the first thing you want to do is to ask your dealer to cut it for you in 2 ft. widths. I consider that cut to be the most difficult one to make because you have to deal with such a huge piece of plastic and a lot of measuring has to be done to get it right. You need to have a piece of plastic 2X8 ft. to make one tray. Tracing Once you get your plastic home put a 2x8 sheet on a flat surface. At no time you should put any weight (foot, elbow, hand) on the plastic or you will run into trouble when you try to fold it. I use my garage cement floor as the flat surface. Place the template on one end, line it up carefully and trace edges with a fine marker. Now turn the template so you will be using the flip side of it on the other end of the 2x8 sheet. Again, trace it with your marker. Next, you remove the parts that will not be part of the tray by following the template lines. Put a piece of plywood under the coroplast and cut with a utility knife. If it is sharp, one cut will do the trick. It is easier to cut with the grain (flutes) than across. Bending and folding So far, it has been easy. The most difficult part, I think, is making the bends. A little practice will make you a pro as long as you have not damaged the flutes. All bends are done on only one flute and there are 4 of these bends required. First you want to score one end of a flute for about 6 inches. I do that by rolling a thin wheel used to repair window screens. Use something to mark but make sure it will not cut the plastic. You just want to push it down a bit to make a mark. Practice with the scrap pieces of plastic you cut off. I am adding plenty of pictures so you get the idea. The outside bends go one way while the inside bends go the other way. Do the outside ones first. It is easier. After you score the plastic about 6 inches, bend the part of the sheet that is supposed to bend up slightly. Go very slowly. The plastic will bend at the scored flute and will continue to collapse that flute along the entire piece. Continue adding more bend to the side, and slide your right hand closer to the bend. Eventually the entire sheet will give. Now turn the sheet around and do the other side. When this is done, flip the piece over, and do the inside bends, don't forget to score the flutes first. If you mess up and the sheet starts collapsing flutes left and right, stop and start at the other end. If your bends are not straight, the tray will not be level, instead it will be all twisted and out of shape. Securing the sides. Finish folding one of the sides, and secure it so it does not unfold. I do this by the use of tie wraps, or cable ties (ebay). I drill holes at the ends and 3 places in between, and add tie wraps to keep the sides from opening. Do both sides. I have read that you can also use crazy glue, I have to try it next time I make trays. When you are done with the ties, your tray will look like this at this time. Trim the tie wrap ends. Bend the ends: With a straight edge over the end of the tray, and 1/4" away from the end of the short outside flaps, (there is a mark on the template for this fold) fold the end of the center flap completely around the straight edge as shown. Now flip it around and bend all 3 flaps to agree with the mark on the templete. I forgot, you will need other small parts, the support brackets. I make them out of 1/8" aluminum welding rod. I get this from a welding shop at about $8 per pound. They are about 2 ft. long, and the aluminum is very easy to cut and to form with a pair of pliers. I use 4 supports to keep the tray from losing shape due to the weight of the trees. Bend both sides of the tray up and place a support on the middle of it. Put another one another 2 ft. towards the end you will be working on. This will make it easier to do the next step without needing another person to help you keep the tray from going out of shape on you. Finishing the ends Bend the center flap and bend both sides making sure they are very snug against the center flap and fold the top of the center flap towards the outside and over the other two flaps. Drill two holes at that point, add a tie wrap and trim the end. This is what the ends will look like. Your tray is now finished! In order to keep about 1.2" of water in the tray after you water, place a few drops of sealant plastic in all four corners on the inside of the tray. Final inside dimensions of this tray are 80.5" long by 6.25" wide by 4.5" high. When you place in the garden be sure it is level . What about the templete? I make copies of my templete and ship them to you for $10 shipping included. Front page