Trying To Build A Bud Train In My Greenhouse.

[MamaBear]

I grow in 5-gal pots. Easy to move around but it’s a lot of moving to get to all my plants. Right now I have to make my way through a jungle to get to each plant. I like to inspect everyone up-close and personal daily if I can.

So I was thinking of building a train in the greenhouse. A track that platforms would ride on with 1 plant per platform. Platforms need to be linked just like train cars. This way, I could just move them around the track and each one stops at an “inspection station”. Just keep moving them around the track till the plant I want to mess with is right in front of me. Also, the plants are turned as it goes around the track so all sides get some full sun.

Ideally, I need an oval-ish track. Space for this 1 track will be approx. 12’ x 6’ and will have at least 10 platform/cars or as many as I can fit allowing for space for each plant to fill out and not touch the next plant. Excuse my drawing skills but pic shows what I’m after.

I’ve been looking at larger scale model train track but can’t seem to find a size that will work well. Also, pots with large plants in them can get heavy. I thought about using wood with grooves in it so each platform would ride along in a groove instead of a rail. Not sure if that would work. Looks don’t matter to me, just need it sturdy and functional. Anyone got some good ideas?

 

[Grow4me]

That's genius.

 

[gardnguyahoy]

Ill. What are you planning on for materials? You might want to look into diy camera tracking slider rigs if you dont already have an idea. Most are made to hold a human and a camera, so it could def carry the weight of a 5gal plant. I dunno, just an idea. Ive built a couple in my lifetime and they were fun as fuck. Good project

 

[DemonTrich]

treated wood to prevent rot

2x4 for the base of the tracks
1x2 on edges to create a channel in the center
rollers or guide pins to ride the center of the track made above
?? how to secure rollers or guide pins to bottom of planters. I guess you could just screw or (nut/washer/bolt) them in with SS hardware (again to prevent rust)
pieces of metal to secure tracks together.
making bends would be another challenge, or use 1' sections on the bends to make it easier.

just brain storming here.



I grow in 5 gal pots and grow some decent plants indoors with little room. I just finagle my skinny but inbetween or move/slide them slightly to gain access to my pots in the back of my room. I do have a long reach (6'1" 42 long suit coat) so that helps me out a lot.

another idea is using tomato cages, or other cages like the outdoor guys use and wrap around the plants.

 

[3N1GM4]

Put a lazy susan on each train car so you could rotate them 360°

 

[3N1GM4]

Or you could engineer some sliding drawer tracks and then each plant could be easily slid a few feet on the drawer tracks. To move them so you could get around?

 

[MamaBear]

Thanks guys!

What are you planning on for materials?

Not sure yet. Depends on how it works. Will keep those in mind!

just brain storming here.

I thought about this - would ride in a groove on wheels attached to bottom of the platforms. Might be the best way to go without spending a ton of cash. Curves is where the problem comes in. Maybe cut those pieces from plywood?
Wish I had a skinny butt to get in there and usually I can but right now they are all weighed down with heavy sticky buds. Gets all over me. Finding the leaves give me a bit of a rash too. Best to have more space to work with them. Also, almost impossible to keep spider mites out of a greenhouse so I need to be able to spray them down occasionally. Climbing around in dripping plants sucks. Neem works great but gives me even worse rash. Geez, the things we do for our buds!!

Put a lazy susan on each train car so you could rotate them 360°

Very cool! Could spin those babies round-n-round!! Maybe automate the whole thing and put on some music and watch the plants dance? What a trip!

 

[DemonTrich]

you can make a slight curve by using quite a few 6" straight pieces around the bends. it wont be a smooth bend, but enough to go the way you want.

or if you have a shop or access to one (welder, oxy torch, metal), you can fab a rail system from angle iron and have nice smooth curved rail system.

 

[MamaBear]

Wish I had a welder! Curves will have to be pretty smooth going. Tried with some boards in the garage and if the wheels hang up it just won't go. And I found the groove/channel needs to be fairly wide. Going around the curves, the platforms tend to tip if it's narrow. Also found the wheels need to be spinning casters too. If they don't flex/rotate a little bit they get jammed up. Maybe a guide-pin in a narrow groove but wheels that ride on a flat surface might work.

 

[3N1GM4]

Put a lazy susan on each train car so you could rotate them 360°

I imagine classical music as they spin around the room....

 

[Icristal]

maybe pick up something from a railroad or train salvage yard. lot of places listed googled,,,not sure if cost effective though. good idea you have as well.

 

[MamaBear]

Thanks lcristal. Might be a little too big for my space but don't know till I look around.

3N1GM4 - most definatly! Can see them spinning to Beethoven now.

 

[Seamaiden]

My back says this is a genius idea, too. I can't handle 5gal pots easily at all, not when they're all filled with media and have big plants growing in them.

 

[labud]

Plants hate to be moved when flowering

 

[The Terps]

For a 12x6 lol sounds like a lot more work than just moving two plants to get to the center. I would just build one straight track to move a couple plants out to get in the middle like sliding open a drawer

 

[DrFever]

lol sounds expensive here is a idea and you can get in shape at the same time is is get a bike purchase lots of sprockets and chains you get on bike peddle and it moves the train now to figure out how to make a track on sprockets to do this

 

[DemonTrich]

I went and looking in my spares closet of grow "junk". I found I have 16" plant saucers that are on castors. iirc bought at wally world for 10.00 or so. I remember using these when I needed to rotate some plants around and didn't want to scuff up the panda liner flooring I had. could be worth checking out. you can use this as the rollers, then still need to build a rail system. 1/4" plywood (painted to protect from water), then using 1/2x1/2 wood stock as rails. just to prevent the rollers from going over, but enough to guide them around the track. you would either need to cut them again in 6" pieces to create a "curve", or steam them for hrs, or possible let soak in a very hot water (bath tub should work) and bend/tack into place.

we used to build skate/bmx ramps this way (but not with hot water, we would leave outside in the rain). this softens the wood in order to get a curve.

 

[MamaBear]

Well, damn dude! I think you just figured 1/2 of it out! I have 1 of those wheeled plant things on the back porch and never even thought about them!! Another case of the answer being right under my nose!
THANK YOU!!!

 

[3N1GM4]

lol sounds expensive here is a idea and you can get in shape at the same time is is get a bike purchase lots of sprockets and chains you get on bike peddle and it moves the train now to figure out how to make a track on sprockets to do this

Haha a human powered train with a stationary bike, you could just pay me in dabs and I will peddle the whole light cycle...

 

[Bull Trout]

You could try to find the tracks that a garage door rolls up in. You could lay them flat and put your casters in the rail. They have curves with various radius available to make your corners. They are not cheap but they will do what you are trying to make.