Metal Grow Table

[Betterwest]

Hello,

I'm trying to outfit my commercial coco/smartpot grow with grow tables to elevate the plants off the ground and allow for good runoff with every water. Right now I have 2 grows with 500 plants sitting in trays on the ground so running around with a shop vac every ten days to get runoff is getting old. I use smart pots.

I can throw a decent amount of cash at this grow table venture and want to make sure I do it right. Any suggestions on a nice 4x8 grow table on the market?

Otherwise I'm envisioning building them myself.
Requirements:
-has some draining mechanism. Could be a frame for grow trays.
-30" off the ground
-very mobile with nice caster wheels
-4'x8'
-able to support 400-500 pounds
-metal or strong plastic table surface, no wood under sheets of poly so no plywood table tops

I kinda like the idea of a corrugated galvanized metal roofing product maybe put into use similar to
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=116462

also in that thread, this design would be nice for drainage if there was some kind of bigger sheet of shelving that the plants sat on and just dripped all the drainage to a catch that ran to a drain I could set a 5 gal bucket under
https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=698&pictureid=44775


I also like just making a frame for trays like this, just need nice wheels and a more durable frame. I also dont like those grow trays, the smart pots tend to fill in the cracks and the bottom of the pots keep a lot of moisture built up.
http://hydrobuilder.com/tray-stand-...segps_706124&gclid=CM2NsPP718QCFZY0aQodSngAcA

The plants are turning out great with how I'm running them, I just want to come up with a more efficient system. I don't mind sucking all the runoff out with a vac, cause my room is very modular without tables... but my back is beginning to hurt. Rooms tend to evolve over time and I think this is the next step.

I have a lot of ideas but just wanted to see if anyone has come up with something really cool or unique.

Thanks,
Betterwest

 

[Eighths-n-Aces]

if you know how to weld or know someone who does you could make your own tables and use ideas from all three of those threads to make a hybrid that works perfect for you. it would be more work but i bet you would be happier with the end product.

 

[Lester Beans]

I had a greenhouse once that was outfitted with stainless tables. I hated it because they got so hot. Every other aspect was great, just cooked the roots on some delicate darlings.

I use Botanicare 4x8 trays, hard plastic, drains, grooves for air/water flow under the containers. Very durable, still have and use all the ones I ever bought. Plus they are fairly light weight and easy for one person to move.

Hope this helps!
Best!

 

[queequeg152]

you dont really need steel tabled... steel table legs perhaps, but not a steel surface. the cost will make your balls ache.

you have a shit load of choices here beyond steel btw.

2x4 basics.

4x4 + lag bolts...

light gauge steel c channel studs...

saw horses

IKEA legs( pricy)

could go on and on here.

for your top, IMO you should jsut go with 2x6's with like a 3/4" gap between them...

 

[queequeg152]

i would go this rout personally.

probably 60 bucks worth of lumber and structural ties and lag bolts in this picture here... and probably 2-3 hours of labor.

if it needs to be light, ditch the 4x4 legs in favor of some 14 gauge box steel.
and replace the dimensional lumber top with something like painted hamasote.

lumber would last alot longer though, provided it can air dry eaily( hence the gaps)

 

[the gnome]

if your 100%have to have some type of steel table look into used restarant supplies.
they have all types of stainless steel tables, some on casters.
another place is farmtek.com, they have a LOT of great gro items

 

[vostok]

Cheap as pallets ...did I say cheap and pallets,.. 2-3 stacked up to get them 500 pots of the ground

 

[GratefulOne]

A sturdy wood frame with a standard flood tray as a drop in liner is a really nice system.

Prime the wood and use a high gloss oil based porch paint. This gives a really tough and easy to clean surface on the wood. Unless you are going FDA approved level a high end slick paint with a tough surface makes a good and much cheaper option. It takes a few days for the oil based paint to get hard but when it does it lasts and is easy to keep clean.

I have also build these from PVC pipe in rooms asking for no wood. It works but is a pain to do.

Heavy casters for rolling is super nice. Get goods ones that lock. Old medical equipment often has great locking casters. Check craigslist for used or throw away stuff.

 

[billbob]

Westcoastgrowers has real nice metal stands. Double deckers too.

 

[Kizane21]

Hello,

I'm trying to outfit my commercial coco/smartpot grow with grow tables to elevate the plants off the ground and allow for good runoff with every water. Right now I have 2 grows with 500 plants sitting in trays on the ground so running around with a shop vac every ten days to get runoff is getting old. I use smart pots.

I can throw a decent amount of cash at this grow table venture and want to make sure I do it right. Any suggestions on a nice 4x8 grow table on the market?

Otherwise I'm envisioning building them myself.
Requirements:
-has some draining mechanism. Could be a frame for grow trays.
-30" off the ground
-very mobile with nice caster wheels
-4'x8'
-able to support 400-500 pounds
-metal or strong plastic table surface, no wood under sheets of poly so no plywood table tops

I kinda like the idea of a corrugated galvanized metal roofing product maybe put into use similar to
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=116462

also in that thread, this design would be nice for drainage if there was some kind of bigger sheet of shelving that the plants sat on and just dripped all the drainage to a catch that ran to a drain I could set a 5 gal bucket under
https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=698&pictureid=44775


I also like just making a frame for trays like this, just need nice wheels and a more durable frame. I also dont like those grow trays, the smart pots tend to fill in the cracks and the bottom of the pots keep a lot of moisture built up.
http://hydrobuilder.com/tray-stand-...segps_706124&gclid=CM2NsPP718QCFZY0aQodSngAcA

The plants are turning out great with how I'm running them, I just want to come up with a more efficient system. I don't mind sucking all the runoff out with a vac, cause my room is very modular without tables... but my back is beginning to hurt. Rooms tend to evolve over time and I think this is the next step.

I have a lot of ideas but just wanted to see if anyone has come up with something really cool or unique.

Thanks,
Betterwest

i made these very easy if i can be of any assist