Built a planter and bench

[jacksonvasey]

I had a pile of pressure-treated wood lying around that I got freecycle, and a stack of 1x12 pine boards left over from my parents house.  So I built a multi-level planter with a built-in bench.  I used pressure-treated for the bench, and the untreated pine for everything else.  I figure the planter part will rot in a few years, but the bench should still be okay, so I'll probably just rebuild it at that point, especially if I end up getting an alaskan saw mill like I want to.

So far I've planted some potatoes, asparagus crowns, and flower seeds in this one.  I'm going to round it up with some herbs when I get a chance.

Does anyone here have any interesting planter designs?  I have a good bit more wood to use up.

[nereo]

looks good and functional - well done. Seeing that makes me miss having an outdoor space.
What's with the large rocks?

ETA: not sure what kind of other planter you want, but you might want to check out this: http://www.ana-white.com/2012/08/plans/cedar-planters-less-20

[JZinCO]

Looks great.

One note: If I had to re-do my planters I would not have done butt joints as you did. The soil weight adds alot of tension to the joint and every now and then I have to pound the nails back in.

Also, I have enjoyed making rough cut with an alaskan mill so you will really love it. Just remember to use a ripper chain since the cuts are with the grain.

[With This Herring]

They're not pretty, but maybe build a potato box!

How to build a potato box
Tips for growing potatoes in a box

(Note that I have never grown potatoes, but I saw this idea on the internet years ago and thought it looked cool.)

[jacksonvasey]

The rocks are just for aesthetics, but I'm thinking they'll help retain some heat in the soil at night, too.

The butt joints were definitely not a great idea.  I've been putting strips across to brace the joints, since when it rains that seems to make the joints want to separate.  @JZinCO, what kind of joints would you do if you did it again?

I'm going to make a potato box.  I do have some yukon gold seed potatoes; those are supposed to be a variety that will sprout new roots as you bury the stalk, so I'm excited to try that.

[JZinCO]

The butt joints were definitely not a great idea.  I've been putting strips across to brace the joints, since when it rains that seems to make the joints want to separate.  @JZinCO, what kind of joints would you do if you did it again?

I think a dovetail joint would be pretty bombproof and resist the outward pushing of the soil.
Maybe though it was just that I used nails and pounded in from the outside. I bet cutting each board's end to a 45, drilling pocket holes and using screws would be strong enough. Though to do pocket holes, it would be easier to make it like a cabinet (i.e. build a carcass then slap on side boards).



Or use finger joints: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ac/40/35/ac403579af7167a9622c5c06cae03703.jpg :D

[With This Herring]

The butt joints were definitely not a great idea.  I've been putting strips across to brace the joints, since when it rains that seems to make the joints want to separate.  @JZinCO, what kind of joints would you do if you did it again?

I think a dovetail joint would be pretty bombproof and resist the outward pushing of the soil.
Maybe though it was just that I used nails and pounded in from the outside. I bet cutting each board's end to a 45, drilling pocket holes and using screws would be strong enough. Though to do pocket holes, it would be easier to make it like a cabinet (i.e. build a carcass then slap on side boards).



Or use finger joints: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ac/40/35/ac403579af7167a9622c5c06cae03703.jpg :D

Oh my gosh, that picture!  That looks like so much work, but wow!  Hahaha

[J Boogie]

The butt joints were definitely not a great idea.  I've been putting strips across to brace the joints, since when it rains that seems to make the joints want to separate.  @JZinCO, what kind of joints would you do if you did it again?

I think a dovetail joint would be pretty bombproof and resist the outward pushing of the soil.
Maybe though it was just that I used nails and pounded in from the outside. I bet cutting each board's end to a 45, drilling pocket holes and using screws would be strong enough. Though to do pocket holes, it would be easier to make it like a cabinet (i.e. build a carcass then slap on side boards).



Or use finger joints: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ac/40/35/ac403579af7167a9622c5c06cae03703.jpg :D

Dovetails would be sweet, albeit a little difficult if you've never done them before (given the length of the boards, you'd have to do them by hand or have a serious set up in your shop to accommodate the height of that board standing on end.

 I think Finger/Box joints are pretty common for this type of application, but I have seen them come loose over time.

I think the perfect joint here could be the dado-housed rabbet or tongue in dado. It has some of the advantageous mechanical properties of the dovetail.  It's very common for woodworkers to bang out their plywood drawer boxes using this joint, so I think it could work well in a planter box too.  You could glue and reinforce with screws or nails too.

[jacksonvasey]

I had considered dovetails, but with the short side being 2' long, I thought a dovetail wouldn't be strong enough to withstand the soil pushing that way, either, without fasteners.

I also thought about how long it'd take me to cut the dovetails out with my coping saw, and figured I could make 4 of these in the same time just nailing them together.  Especially considering it's untreated pine, so they'll be around for 2 or 3 seasons before I have to think about replacing them.

[JZinCO]

I think last J Welterweight's suggestion is the best option I can think of.

You can try it out in a few seasons! I'll probably end up re-doing mine at some point so I will keep a dado joint in mind.

[jacksonvasey]

I probably will try the dado joint next time, too, maybe with screws to make it strong in both directions.

I will probably modify the boxes like in the graphic, just to keep it from falling apart, until it's time to rebuild.  Not sure if it shows, but it's just a slat across the width of the box on top, with or without a notch to make it flush with the top of the box.

[JZinCO]

OH yeah, that looks like a good brace (and half-seat to sit on when tending the garden).