In my garage, I've got this wooden rack - made out of 2x4's. Basically two
goalposts connected and on wheels with a couple extra crossbars.

Needs tb a few inches wider to accommodate a new toy.

I'm thinking something like 2 or 3-inch PVC pipe would be easier to look at.

I *think* I could make it work with regular plumbing fittings and some wire
rope/cable tensioners in an X pattern on the sides to stabilize it.

Anybody been here? Caveats? Maybe special fittings for rack construction?
Pipe size?
--
PeteCresswell

"(PeteCresswell)" wrote in
:

In my garage, I've got this wooden rack - made out of 2x4's. Basically
two goalposts connected and on wheels with a couple extra crossbars.

Needs tb a few inches wider to accommodate a new toy.

I'm thinking something like 2 or 3-inch PVC pipe would be easier to
look at.

I *think* I could make it work with regular plumbing fittings and some
wire rope/cable tensioners in an X pattern on the sides to stabilize
it.

Anybody been here? Caveats? Maybe special fittings for rack
construction? Pipe size?

If you try building one the wire tensioners will be important. A friend of
mine built a large rack to hold his PDFs for his rental business. The rack
was meant be picked up an moved outside at the beginning of the day. After
a couple of weeks ago the joint where two pipes were fitted together broke
and the glue failed on another join a week later. The PVC and fittings are
just not strong enough to handle moving the rack around. 2x4's are probably
cheaper than PVC pipe and fittings too.

Per John Fereira:
The PVC and fittings are
just not strong enough to handle moving the rack around. 2x4's are probably
cheaper than PVC pipe and fittings too.

Issue: *resolved*....

Thanks.
--
PeteCresswell

John Fereira wrote:
: "(PeteCresswell)" wrote in
: :

: In my garage, I've got this wooden rack - made out of 2x4's. Basically
: two goalposts connected and on wheels with a couple extra crossbars.
:
: Needs tb a few inches wider to accommodate a new toy.
:
: I'm thinking something like 2 or 3-inch PVC pipe would be easier to
: look at.
:
: I *think* I could make it work with regular plumbing fittings and some
: wire rope/cable tensioners in an X pattern on the sides to stabilize
: it.
:
: Anybody been here? Caveats? Maybe special fittings for rack
: construction? Pipe size?

: If you try building one the wire tensioners will be important. A friend of
: mine built a large rack to hold his PDFs for his rental business. The rack
: was meant be picked up an moved outside at the beginning of the day. After
: a couple of weeks ago the joint where two pipes were fitted together broke
: and the glue failed on another join a week later. The PVC and fittings are
: just not strong enough to handle moving the rack around. 2x4's are probably
: cheaper than PVC pipe and fittings too.

If you are going to build it to be moved around you can't just glue it
together as if it's going into a wall to never be touched...

http://www.chicagopaddling.org/klsled.jpg is a klondike sled we built that
gets a lot of stress (kids running pulling the rope or pushing it from
behind). There is the outer layer of PVC, however there is also a inner layer
of pvc inside it that is connected to the outer layer via sheet metal screws.
All the other sleds were made of wood and if you look at the picture, you'll
see just how far behind the other people were... they changed the rules the
following year and our plastic sled was banned... :-(

Also, http://www.chicagopaddling.org/wind2.jpg is a windmill mounted on top
of PVC pipe... in that case we used multiple pipes with bolts going thru them
to make it easier to disassemble (I'm a scout leader, and rather than burning
propane lamps at night, we used a windmill to recharge a small battery and
had 4 automotive dome lights inside the dining fly for lighting at night).

PVC can handle the load, but you can't just glue it with fittings to do that
if you are going to handle it roughly...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

"Chicago Paddling-Fishing" wrote in message
...

http://www.chicagopaddling.org/klsled.jpg is a klondike sled we built that
gets a lot of stress (kids running pulling the rope or pushing it from
behind). There is the outer layer of PVC, however there is also a inner
layer
of pvc inside it that is connected to the outer layer via sheet metal
screws.
All the other sleds were made of wood and if you look at the picture,
you'll
see just how far behind the other people were... they changed the rules
the
following year and our plastic sled was banned... :-(

Also, http://www.chicagopaddling.org/wind2.jpg is a windmill mounted on
top
of PVC pipe... in that case we used multiple pipes with bolts going thru
them
to make it easier to disassemble (I'm a scout leader, and rather than
burning
propane lamps at night, we used a windmill to recharge a small battery and
had 4 automotive dome lights inside the dining fly for lighting at night).



Ahh, the modern Boy Scouts. Gone are the days of 'wrap and fap' and making a
fire with one match. Now its klondike sleds made of PVC, and rechargable
batteries. :-)

How times have changed....do you still carve little boats out of bars of
Ivory soap?

--riverman

riverman wrote:

: "Chicago Paddling-Fishing" wrote in message
: ...

: http://www.chicagopaddling.org/klsled.jpg is a klondike sled we built that
: gets a lot of stress (kids running pulling the rope or pushing it from
: behind). There is the outer layer of PVC, however there is also a inner
: layer
: of pvc inside it that is connected to the outer layer via sheet metal
: screws.
: All the other sleds were made of wood and if you look at the picture,
: you'll
: see just how far behind the other people were... they changed the rules
: the
: following year and our plastic sled was banned... :-(
:
: Also, http://www.chicagopaddling.org/wind2.jpg is a windmill mounted on
: top
: of PVC pipe... in that case we used multiple pipes with bolts going thru
: them
: to make it easier to disassemble (I'm a scout leader, and rather than
: burning
: propane lamps at night, we used a windmill to recharge a small battery and
: had 4 automotive dome lights inside the dining fly for lighting at night).
:


: Ahh, the modern Boy Scouts. Gone are the days of 'wrap and fap' and making a
: fire with one match. Now its klondike sleds made of PVC, and rechargable
: batteries. :-)

: How times have changed....do you still carve little boats out of bars of
: Ivory soap?

Soap? No, kevlar or fiberglass perhaps ;-)

My argument on the sleds was that had the lighter weight materials been
available then, they would have been used... just like a heavier dugout
canoe vs a birch bark canoe... in the end though we were still banned from
using it... did you look at the picture and see how far back the next group
was?

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
In my garage, I've got this wooden rack - made out of 2x4's. Basically two
goalposts connected and on wheels with a couple extra crossbars.

Needs tb a few inches wider to accommodate a new toy.

I'm thinking something like 2 or 3-inch PVC pipe would be easier to look at.

I *think* I could make it work with regular plumbing fittings and some wire
rope/cable tensioners in an X pattern on the sides to stabilize it.

Anybody been here? Caveats? Maybe special fittings for rack construction?
Pipe size?
--
PeteCresswell

Pete:

I used PVC piping to fashion a /\ shaped boat cover for a pontoon
boat.
The PVC pipe I used (small diameter) deforms quite easily when loaded.
All of my support menbers ended up bowed.

Blakely

If the PVC glue connection fails, it is probably because of poor technique
or using the wrong glue for the make of pipe you have. Read the directions
on the can and follow them and the joints will be as strong or stronger than
the pipe itself. I just took apart a 10 year old rolling clothes hamper made
of reinforced 3/4" PVC, and all but one joint (of about 36) could not be
broken before failure of the pipe itself.



If you are working in cold temperatures or there is moisture condensing on
the pipe while gluing, you may have difficulty getting a solid joint, so
practice and test some pieces that have hardened overnight.



To keep sagging down, inject a little expanding insulating foam into each
end of the tube before gluing; use the ridged gap filling type, not the
flexible type used for insulating around doors. You can also insert a dowel
in long spans to add rigidity. A 3/4" square beam of wood with a little foam
on it arranged on the diagonal and running from joint-to-joint can be quite
strong for its weight.



Use acetone to wipe the pipe down and remove the factory printing. Paint it
with lacquer or other solvent based paints or stains to make it look cool.



And finally, please, don't risk your life or someone else's by overloading
anything on top of a moving vehicle; the roadway is littered with such
results.



Good luck!


"(PeteCresswell)" wrote in message
...
In my garage, I've got this wooden rack - made out of 2x4's. Basically
two
goalposts connected and on wheels with a couple extra crossbars.

Needs tb a few inches wider to accommodate a new toy.

I'm thinking something like 2 or 3-inch PVC pipe would be easier to look
at.

I *think* I could make it work with regular plumbing fittings and some
wire
rope/cable tensioners in an X pattern on the sides to stabilize it.

Anybody been here? Caveats? Maybe special fittings for rack
construction?
Pipe size?
--
PeteCresswell