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Hi Guys! Things look great for you! I know its been a while but I have not had any MP kayak projects lately until now. I built a modular Shallow Water Anchor Stake Out Pole using 3/4 EMT and 1/4 x 20 inserts. I saw Jake's video for your insert tool and I came up with a simple and inexpensive tool that may interest you all. I will include the link for the tool and for the Modular Pole when it is published. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XtgNPgs9_MU
I am thinking about in the wall of my boat blind making a cradle that holds a medium size jet sled with a bag that holds three dozen decoys. What kind of wieght will a frame 30" wide by 60" long hold. Not sure yet if I should use 3/4" or 1" emt for this frame. There will be Tee fittings used in the frame. Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Hi Chris, I'd guess maybe 150 or so pounds would be okay to hang on a frame that size as long as there is some support bars inside the rectangle.
"The first item we built is this sign stand. It holds a sign made of sugar glass. For the Braden’s Hope golf tournament fundraiser, golfers can try to break the sugar glass sign. If successful they get to advance to the green on that hole. We also built the gateway to the event. Your video about securing the structure with paracord was very useful." - Steve (Fastsigns Blue Valley)
"My first build with Maker Pipe went exactly to plan. The result is a shelf in a mobile workshop that is strong, functional, and completely customized to the space. Inexpensive to construct, it all went together precisely and intuitively. I'm amazed." - Shawn
I am building an EMT Bird Feeder Bar. I need it to swing 90-degrees, and I will attach a 45-degree bar to support the weight. I was looking at the barrel hinge, and I think it will work the best. I am concerned about the material of the hinge. What you are selling right now is b-stock. It appears that the plating is peeling off. Will you be getting any Standard stock soon?
I have added an image that roughly shows what me Idea is.
Hi there, our plater messed up a whole batch of them and we are waiting to sell through those before we get another batch coated. I'd guess that will be about 1 and a half months from now. The issue is that it was coated with our usual zinc coating but they sent the whole batch to the wrong customer and then asked them to ship them to us and they didn't do a great job of packing them. All of the parts were banging against each other and that's what caused the coating to chip off.
Recently made a stand for my paper printer and 3D printer for my office. I need three shelves for filament and paper, with an open top shelf for the printers. Overall, quality build but would change some things if I did it over again. Would use 4-way connectors instead of 180-degree for the middle sections in the future. Shrink wrap was a pain. Would rather paint with prime/paint in the future. When painting, I forgot to remove the rubber shims because I would be using shrink wrap. So had to remove shims and repaint. The Rubber feet do not fit well over the shrink wrapped EMT, they split. so you have to remove the shrink wrap and use on bare metal. 1/3 MDF was thin and flimsy, bent easily, I'd upgrade to thicker MDF. But it passed the wife-test of looking good in my office and being functional, so it stays.
Supplies:
10 x 3/4" EMT
16 x 90 degree connectors
8 x 180 degree connectors
6 rubber feet
20 x 1-hole straps for support under shelves
white shrink wrap
1/2" MDF for shelves + faux wood peel and stick paper
Rita and Ken had a conduit and Maker Pipe garden box that was being tampered with by animals. They added some protection by utilizing some T Connectors to make friction based hinging lids for the box. There are two lids that fold in opposite directions which gives them the opportunity to open one side and not the other. It's working great to protect the plants underneath and they can easily rotate it to gain access to the garden!
"I built a Smitty Sled with parts I ordered and all the parts worked great. This was a fun build and I’m really impressed with the quality and easy build. Gen 1 build goal was to build a frame that can accommodate all three sled I have. Goal was met by creating 3 separate cross braces to fit each sled. I ordered more parts today to build a push bar for the sled and a telescopic pole for under sled cross brace so I only need one cross bar when traveling. My question is about using the plastic shims on 1/2” conduit and coupler for 3/4” conduit... I’m happy to have found your company but feel like I’ve opened Pandora’s box as I’ll likely spend way too much time and money buying more parts." - Steve
A few weeks ago I made a video about my first personal garden and talked through some different constraints and ideas that I had for the space I was working in. You can watch that here.
After reading all of the helpful advice and comments that you guys left, here is the first cart that I made along with the mini model that I used to plan it out. This solution allows me to easily move the cart around based on where the sun is or if there is some other constraint like landscapers needing to get where the cart is parked.
You guys also advised that I use grow bags or buckets since we will need to move the whole setup next year most likely. This tiered design supports the buckets and elevates them slightly.
I am excited to be able to build off of these carts and add some trellis netting etc. off of them when the time comes. A lot of you suggested that I add automated irrigation so I'm going to look into building that in as well. I also think that I will need to beef up the cart and add some bracing once the buckets are loaded down with plants and soil and water etc. but it moves really good right now so we will see.
I saw some examples of this kind of thing out of wood (last picture) but they were stationary and kind of bulky so I came up with this out of conduit instead.
All in all I am happy with this first prototype and plan to build a second one this weekend so I can get plants in place. I'd love to hear what you guys think about it so far! Thanks for all the advice and feedback that you shared after that last video!
Update on 6/5/26: I am posting a video tomorrow that showcases the two finished carts. I've got plants in them now, but there's a small problem. The carts don't roll lol I didn't think through the rear handle design very well. With all of the weight of plants and soil and such the rear handle is under a lot of stress. I was going to address it in this video, but decided that this topic deserved a whole video of its own. I also upgraded the bucket braces by using T Connectors to attach the arm instead of the adjustable angles. It is way stronger and stiffer nowhttps://files-us-east-1.t-cdn.net/files/aH6oGjxzxVEg0VFN5CXXT .
Check out the awesome trellises and decorations that Jameson built for his garden. I love the letters and the bends that he incorporated into the designs!
"Thank you so much for your email. I really do appreciate Maker Pipe as I use it frequently for the middle school musical sets and props that I design and build every year. Maker Pipe has found its way into many of our my set designs." - Mark
"I had a lot of fun building these tomato trellises (90s) and an unusual corner trellis (Ts and 180s), which will be growing winter squashes (pumpkins, gourds, butternuts!).
I have a ton of scrap EMT and a few extra T-connectors...I'm sure it won't be long til I find another trellis or cage to build!
I also introduced an employee at Home Depot to MakerPipe. He was helping me with the EMT (great advice to just use a sawzall to cut...so much easier) and thought I was going to do something crazy like drill holes and zip-tie the rods together. He seemed really interested, so I hope he gives you a try or shares the idea with other customers!" - Laurel
Reese shared this awesome trellis build over in the Maker Pipe Facebook Group!
I moved into an apartment with a balcony last year and wanted to enclose it so my cat could be outside safely with me. I couldn't find a pre-made catio that was small enough for my space, but big enough so that I could still enjoy the balcony. I am on the fourth floor, so getting on a ladder to install anchors on the bottom of the balcony above was not a good idea. I spend a long time searching for options within my budget and landed on Maker Pipe to make a frame I could put netting around.
I used 3/4" EMT, 4 90˚ connectors, 2 T-connectors, 4 45˚ connectors, and 4 adjustable angle connectors to build a frame and add bracing. I spray painted everything before assembling, but ended up scratching a lot of the paint during assembly.
The frame is wrapped in 3/4" stainless steel reinforced cat netting from CatNets, which is anchored with a combination of zip ties and paracord (folding the netting around the EMT conduit, then weaving paracord in the mesh to secure the free end to the main panel, making a pocket for the conduit).
I miscalculated the amount of conduit I needed, so I had leftovers to make an elevated bed for my cat to use to look over the balcony railings. I was inspired by the elevated dog bed kit, but didn't use it. I got a replacement cover for that style of bed off Chewy, 4 more 90˚ connectors, and used 2 leftover adjustable angle connectors to make something like the bed kit, but with extra long legs, two of which I threw a brace between. It's plenty sturdy for a 12 pound cat.
All together, I can now let Ranger out on the balcony without worrying about him jumping the railing and still fit a hammock stand out there.
Would have liked to see more detailed pics of connections and such...but still such a great idea and execution! God Bless Ranger and ALL MEEZERS too!
Would you be willing to share price range for this project? I am going to be doing something very similar for my flame point Siamese, Skippy.
THANKS FOR SHARING!
I want to make a structure with a sloped roof (with dimensions of 8 feet x 6 feet) to collect rainwater and then route it into rain barrels (under the roof) for use in a garden I have in a vacant lot.
I have an idea to build a structure sort of like a rectangular table, but the top will be sloped where one long edge (the 8 foot edge) is lower than the other. I want a gutter on the low edge to collect rainwater and feed it into some rain barrels sitting under the roof.
I'll anchor it with shed anchors, and use corrugated metal for the roof.
There will be four EMT conduit posts (2 will be 7 feet tall, 2 will be 6 feet tall), with a beam (again, EMT) across the back high long edge and a beam across the lower long edge. I'll use t-connectors to run "rafters" (EMT conduit) from the high edge down to the low edge. I'll attach wood 1x6 to the rafters with hanger straps and then nail the corrugated metal to the wood.
I'll put a horizontal brace between the high and low posts on each side. I saw some trellis designs that did this.
Questions:
it seems like i can build all these just with t-connectors. does this sound right?
how should I attach the gutter? Should I mount another 1x6 with hanger straps to the long beam?
How many rafters do I need?
is there a design in the archives that already does this?
are shed anchors the easiest and cheapest solution to anchor this so it doesn't blow away in the wind, or is there something better?
Any feedback welcome. Especially anything that saves money or simplifies the build I've never worked with EMT conduit or maker pipe.
Looking for advice. My first project, a square tool stand with 4 shelves is in progress but can't seem to get the frame and shelves square so it sits flat on the floor (level concrete) with shelves level? First just measured from floor up to each shelf bracket assembly and it was very crooked. Loosened up all the joints and tried using bubble levels to square everything up. Each adjustment seems to undo the previous adjustment. Double checked all the pipe dimensions and they are good. Looking for any possible tips for getting all the joints better aligned?
This is my first time building with EMT and my second year in this garden. The beds were built by a previous tenant. Living in the high desert we've got some gardening issues, namely sun+++, heat+++, dry+++ and wind+++. I wanted to create a trellis which would also have shade cloth on it.
Plan as I might, I'm not that great on paper or with models, I have to see it in the space. So I created this basic frame. I haven't secured it yet but it seems to be steady enough for now. At first I thought the shade clothe would be secured to the building and wall which would make the orientation north south. I now see that it is better to move this tall structure to the center bed and create a slightly shorter structure for the two outer beds so the shade will also orient east west and the slope of the shade cloth will protect from afternoon sun more than the am sun.
I'm still learning but I'm hooked. I've also painted the emt so they do not overheat. I'm thinking of this as a modular learning project. Glad I found Maker Pipe.
That's awesome Mirit! Can't wait to follow along and see how you modify it and change it over time!
"Trellis itself is a cattle fence panel from Tractor Supply. Maker Pipe and 3/4 inch conduit support it's formidable "spring", anchored to my Vego Garden containers.
After working with Maker Pipe products, I'm already thinking of other improvements I can make with pipe. There may have been better ways than U-bolts to attach the cattle panel to the brace of 3/4 in conduit. Being new to your company, I wasn't yet aware of what you might offer. I have to admit that using the U-bolts was an afterthought when I discovered that the tension of that heavy gauge panel was greater than Zip-ties could handle." - Boyd
"Growing tomatoes in las cruces NM is a challenge because of disease pressure. This year I conditioned my soil and decided to go to extraordinary means to grow some tomatoes. To do this I have to protect them from the leaf hoppers, so I built these enclosures to cover them with insect netting. So far so good. I wanted to construct something that can be disassembled and reused next year so I chose to use emt and maker pipe fittings." - Thomas
Shade Cloth for the garden using 10 foot 3/4 inch conduit cut into 2 lengths of 75" and 45" (no waste) and then connecting 2 of the 45" polls together, with a connector, thus providing for approximately 8 foot wide span.
The 75 inch post (provides plenty of height) are spaced 10 feet apart (using 2 foot rebar driven into the ground) and are connected using T connectors creating the canopy for shade cloth.
The T connectors are great since they allow for complete flexibility to adjust for both 4 and 6 foot beds. All pipe parts are cut exactly the same. The 4 way connectors tie the cross beans together and with some 45 degree supports at each corner of the structure makes a solid frame. Eight foot wide by 100 foot Shade cloth (50%) is available online and connect using the plastic 3/4" clamps. This makes for easy installation and maintenance.
Plants are very happy and should help improve crop production since this will keep plants from getting stress out during the hot summer months. That means healthier plants and less bug and disease.
This makes gardening lots more fun when your working under the shade cloth during the hot part of the season. Once again, this a gardeners dream to have the ability to easily create these structures with minimal effort to improved your gardening experience. Thanks Team.
Great job with the build Michael! Would you mind sharing a link to the shade cloth that you bought?
"The attached photos show my garden trellis project from model to project completion! The model went through a few iterations and was a fun and easy way to complete the design. The model facilitated the material list for both connectors and EMT conduit. Construction of the trellis was executed successfully in a few hours (mostly spent painting the conduit). What a fun project this was!
Thank you Maker Pipe!" - Ron
"Nice and easy to assemble, creating a nice strong union. I grow my vining tomatoes up strings, and they easily reach 10 feet in height each year. I have used PVC pipe in the past but it was less than ideal - often popping loose (have to leave the joints unglued so I can disassemble in autumn) - but now it should be just fine. I drape 40% shade cloth over the top in the summer to keep the leaves from scorching in the Texas heat. I'm ready to start the next build..." - Jay
"These pipe joints were incredible to use in making my campervan lighter weight, roomier, and easier to change around than using wood alone. Cutting and bending the pipes is quick to learn and requires very few, all handheld non electric tools. Love this stuff! See how I incorporated the makerpipe joints in my campervan build on Facebook." - Sonia
"Just wanted to show you the project I used your product for. I needed a shelving unit for my outdoor shed... I designed what I needed, ordered the connectors and bought the conduit from my local hardware store. Took about 5 hours to get it all cut and put together, spent a lot of time double checking my measurements while assembling it. In the end it came out great and I'm really impressed with the strength of the connectors, great product!" - Dave
Check out KD's creative combo of Conduit, Maker Pipe, and T-Posts!
"I purchased these two years in a row for my tomato trellis system. They arrived quickly and worked so well!"
Hello MP and viewers, I have once again embarked on a cool project using 3/4" EMT conduit and MP connectors.
After building a few go karts using same materials a few years ago, and restoring a couple Yerf Dog go karts, I decided to give it a go at building a cycle kart from scratch, using a creative engineering approach.
Cycle karts, for the most part, are typically built using 1"x3" square steel tubing by welding a frame. While I am familiar with welding and have done some in my go karts for things like spindle brackets and axle supports for repurposed hover motors, the idea of welding a complete frame has not been something I have been prepared to do, just yet, especially after how easy it is constructing go karts from EMT conduit and tube connectors, a la erector set building.
So I have decided once again to share my project as inspiration and reference for others wanting to do similar, without the need for welding.
One of the things I learned from my previous go kart builds was the benefits as well as limits of 3/4" conduit strength and how to distribute weight so to arrive at a frame that has inherent flex without extreme bending beyond natural and repeatable flex back, so I am employing same weight distribution and support techniques in the present cycle kart build, in order to keep the frame structure simple and more importantly, lightweight. Most cycle kart builds have a target weight of around 250lb according to some cycle kart design guidelines, but my build will be lighter than this weight figure, hopefully, since I am not employing leaf springs or regular coil shock absorbers for suspension, hence relying on the structure geometry as mentioned above.
One of the critical and hardest to obtain, at least inexpensively, components in a cycle kart, is the wheel x4. Typically the cycle kart design guidelines calls for Honda MT90 type motorcycle wheels with tires typically between 3-4 inches wide . After looking at the cost for each such wheel, just the rims alone where around $100 a piece, I decided to look for more cost effective options.
I spend many months searching and trying to find cheaper options, and after much persistence I came across set of Mongoose 4" wide mountain bikes, near my area, that seemed to be the perfect fit, for a very attractive price which I could not pass the purchase, considering also how expensive these types of wheels are and it is rare to find inexpensive 4 tires of the same make size and color. I was looking for spoked fat tire wheels around 20", but the wheels that came with the bikes I purchased ended up being 27" front and 29" rear. While these will have to go through hub modification to take higher lateral torque forces so the spikes don't collapse under heavy side loads, they do add a lot of aesthetical character to the kart which has a frame base dimension of 8ft x 2ft, wheel to wheel at 66" appart at centerline.
As I typically like to have options, I ended purchasing also some 20" x2" wide Wheel Barrow wheels because these cone with sealed bearings (depends on seller) for direct install to 5/8" and 3/4" shafts or axles, so they can easily be adapted to front spindles and live rear axles with slight hub modification. While not as attractive as the much more robust and good looking Mongoose fat tire wheels, they are a nice option for a light cycle kart build, especially something that is built for personal fun drives around the block, park or back yard and not for racing, which is my desire.
I have already started a slew of videos uploaded to my You Tube channel, shorts as well as long, to document the project, steps, thought process, challenges and solutions but more so for personal reference and as a diary.
This project is meant to induce a creative engineering and thinking as this build is not your typical cycle kart build.
Hopefully this is of interest to others. I have uploaded the following random images of both the CAD model, 1:4 Scale study model and actual frame and wheel options.
I am almost done with the frame, the wheel hub mods will be next, I am not sure what I will run into when I disassemble the Mongoose wheel hub mechanics, but I have brain stormed some ideas in the accompanying videos at my you tube channel.
MIA
"Maker Pipe fittings are very versatile, strong, and well built. Loved the way your fittings are so easy to assemble. A lot of thought obviously went into the development of the product. I built this hockey puck shooting cage for my grandson in his backyard, in southern California. Originally was built out of 1" sch 40 PVC. It got destroyed in no time. Found Maker Pipe on the internet. They looked like a viable solution. Very happy with the results. Thank you Maker Pipe for creating such a great product." - Gary
Gardening project:
16' x 16' shade cloth (50%) gazebo over 2 raised planters. The Structure contains misters around the entire structure. Planter will host a flower and herb garden.
Materials used:
23 sticks of 3/4" x 10 ' EMC pipe
qty 12 - flange connectors
qty 4 - 90 degree connectors
qty 10 - 4 way connectors
qty 4 - 5 way connectors
qty 24 - 45 degree connectors
qty 2 - Adjustable 180 degree connectors
This is a project (Shade Cloth Gazebo) that I have been thinking about for over a year and was going to build out of lumber until I discovered this product (Maker Pipe). This was a great discovery since I was able to build the structure in about 6 hours. Now that I have some experience with the materials I plan on building many more garden projects going forward.
My wife and I wanted a simple line-trellis system that could be altered as needed, used for other types of vegetables, and could support shade material during peak summer months.
Each vertical is held with two single-hole straps, secured with bolts and nuts. (...not self-tapping screws as I originally considered.) I bought the 3d printed spacers, but they weren't needed.
I drove all four 3-4 inches into the ground, ensuring the top was level on all sides. The bed is on a slight slope, but I also leveled it. I'll probably add a central crossbar. If needed, I will also add 45-degree bracing, but so far it seems sturdy enough as is.
The nylon masonry line is tied on with double constrictor knots, and the lines are secured to the tomatoes with plastic trellis clips.
I bought a front mount snowblower for my Mahindra tractor and it came with a soft enclosure but it didn’t have a frame so I made one with (mostly)makerpipe. Used the same frame for a removable roof made from an old golf cart roof. 4 pipe clamps and comes right off. I’m happy with the results!
Great job! I really like the frame and the use of a golf cart roof. I have been wanting to do something similar on my tractor mainly for shade. Thanks for posting!!
Thought I would try this product and build myself a 3D Printer Rack. Ordered the parts and picked up the pipe, and within a couple of hours had the rack built! I was truly impressed with the ease of the build, as long as you build it out on paper to see what parts you need , then it all flows.
Very cool David! I just got a new 3D printer and have been thinking through a stand for it. You've given me some inspo! Thanks for sharing
"MegaChickenYard is a success!
Worked great! Wife and chickens are very happy!
GREAT PRODUCT!!!" - Mason
Thought I would try this product and build myself a 3D Printer Rack. Ordered the parts and picked up the pipe, and within a couple of hours had the rack built! I was truly impressed with the ease of the build, as long as you build it out on paper to see what parts you need , then it all flows.
We decided to go for it and use EMT conduit and MakerPipe connectors instead of our usual 2x4s to build the set. Very pleased with how it went!
I'm currently working on a removable kayak rack for my utility trailer (pics of that soon) and stumbled on this amazing option for deburring EMT after it's cut to length.
Just use a step drill! The 7/8" step just barely fits inside 3/4" EMT and does an amazing and quick job of removing any burr left inside the tube after it's been cut.
"We had to remove an 80+ year old shade tree and wanted to have shade on our deck again. I found Maker Pipe via YouTube, and after watching so many amazing builds I ordered the Maker Pipe minis. My husband and I my used them to come up with the design and count of the connectors we needed (the minis are a great tool) for our deck shade build. Putting everything together was easy and quick because we had all the parts from the pre planning and mock up with the minis. I am hoping our local Ace Hardware will start stocking your products!" - John & Becca
This is such a great inspiration. We will have to adjust for dimension differences and that we will not connect it to the house but this solves a problem. We have an eave that interrupts a portion of the area that needs shade so your double shade is a perfect solution.
I’m really excited for this growing season and all the vertical growing possibilities I can build with Maker Pipe parts and conduit pipes! This is my most recent finished project, a vertical trellis for any climbing fruit. The arches were also made with MakerPipe parts and 3/4” emt conduit pipes.
hi love those arches! Can you tell me just exactly how you made them? Did you have to get a conduit bender or are they available off the shelf nicely curved like that? Many thanks, Will
I've heard of people finding an aluminum version of 3/4" EMT instead of steel. Is that what you ran into?
What you may have run into is IMC, Intermediate Metallic Conduit. It and EMT appear very similar however IMC has thicker walls, is slightly larger diameter and weighs more.
I am building a garden enclosure with a low profile roof peak.
If I use the 135 degree connecter for the roof peak, what connecters do I use to connect the roof to the top of the rectangular frame?
Hi Richard, thanks for the question. It all depends on how you are connecting those roof pieces. We've seen people use T's on the sides as in this build. Is that what you are thinking?
If connecting from the top of a vertical pipe, use 135 degree connectors. But this creates a pretty steep roof. The things that have really helped me design my project are the model kit, 1/4 inch graph paper, a ruler, and a protractor for angles.
I am looking to build a garden enclosure with a roof peak. If I use the 135 degree connecter on the roof peak, what connecters do I use to connect the roof to the top corners of the square enclosure?
Hi
I am looking for a solution for a quick set up/tear down canopy system for work. It needs to be fully enclosed (walls and roof). Max I need is about 10X10 feet but sometimes I only have about 6x4 feet. Often jobs take me longer to set up the shelter then complete so tool free set up would be ideal. Any suggestions?
Hi Sean, thanks for the question. Have you seen the Quick Clamps? They work pretty well for quickly connecting and disconnecting clamps in projects. We've also seen people play around with tent pole clips to create quick joints as well. Let me know what you think.
Can anyone in here give me the connection types and basic components for a 10 x 35 batting cage set up?? thanks in advance
Randy Z - Texas
Hi Randy, we recently did a build breakdown of a batting cage from the community. This should help you know what connectors are needed. Let me know if you have any questions!
The build is starting to look like Frankensteins monster…
We have loads of laundry 😆 but we didn’t want a permanent shelving system.
This is working well now but I love the ability to adjust as our needs change.
Very nice! I just got married and now have double the laundry so I understand the struggle a little bit haha Great idea!
Wanted to share a recent build that I did. I volunteer at a local animal shelter and there was a need for a dog wheelchair for physical therapy. My goals were to make something adjustable w min tools needed, configureable for front/back/both legs assisted, and economical to make. Makerpipe was a perfect fit.
It all started because I needed a small temporary stand for one of my video projectors. Eventually, I found I could drill and tap a 5lb weight plate easily which allowed me to screw a floor flange onto it (see photo).
While the stand is perfect for that application, I wasn't too happy about the industrial look so down the rabbit hole we went.
I'll keep this short(ish):
Version 2 involved whacking the plug cut by a 1-1/8" hole saw (or was it 1-1/4"?) into the center 1" hole in another weight plate. A 1/4-20 threaded insert screwed into the wood plug and now I had a weighted base compatible with any suitably threaded (M or F) add-on (again, the photos make this clear). The wood plug is not going anywhere but a fender washer on the underside of the plate ensures it's not going to pull out.
Version 3 is (I think) the winner. Not sure if anyone has tried this before but it turns out it's possible to force a star nut into the base of a 3/4" compression connector. I squeeeezed the nut into the connector using my vise. With the star nut in the connector it can be VERY firmly attached to yet another 5lb weight plate by running a 1/4-20 screw up from the underside, again, through a 1-1/4" fender washer. It was necessary to wrap a few turns of electrical tape around the connector's threads just to keep it centered in the weight plate's slightly larger hole.
I've been using the plates primarily to hold photo lighting equipment and background paper.rolls.
I'll let the photos fill in the blanks. The coupler seen in one of the photos also has a wood plug (hole saws are your friend) and threaded inserted surgically implanted which is what allows it to be screwed onto the weight plate.
Wow, that's pretty cool! We did a video a while back on using weights in builds but we didn't think about drilling and tapping a weight. That's a great idea. Thanks for sharing with us!
Here's a fantastic build from Jake for his garden!
I want to build a small rack on top of a rear hitch receiver cargo carrier, to hold an empty sewer tote. The cargo carrier has a mesh grate deck. See pictures
The angle flanges look like a good foot for my rack, as I would like to be able to fold the rack to fold the cargo carrier.
https://makerpipe.com/collections/modular-pipe-fittings/products/adjustable-angle-flange
What could I use on the underside of the metal grate to bolt the angle flanges to?
Hey Mike! I wonder if you could cut some wood or metal pieces that match the shape of the flange base plate and use that to provide more surface area for bolting the rack down. Maybe that'll add too much weight.
The conduit connectors made for a simpler layout for the trailer. The cross connectors can be either conduit connectors or steering stems from old bikes, whatever you have. the base part is two front wheels and four similar sized forks. Width can be anything you need. Picture below is to drop a 14" wide storage tub between the longitudinal pipes. Since some of the pipes are under tension, you need to add a set screw through the connectors to lock them in. A star nut for the trailer tongue makes connecting to the bicycle easy.
I have not done any tests. I don't have a lot of durability data because I usually donate these to a local bike coop and they give them to homeless people. I have seen one on the streets that was piled pretty high with stuff. My biggest concern on strength was keeping the forks from folding inward under weight, which is why I put the cross pipe on that is u-bolted to the fork arms. If I was to make a wider version that is the part I would make stronger. I got this design from Youtube where a guy made one to carry his kayak, slung below the trailer. You can adjust the height by changing the angle between the forks.
Super excited with how this project came out and looking forward to creating another arch and a few other trellises using MakerPipe connectors and EMT conduit pipes. Vertical gardening is what’s happening this year!
I was able to bend the arch perfectly using a greenhouse hoop bender to the top and the cattle panel was attached to the frame using stainless steel cable (like zip ties) to create a clean look.
This project was very beginner friendly! Thanks for the inspiration!
This looks great. What kind of greenhouse hoop bender did you use? Was it for a 4 foot wide arch? I would love to build this.
Looking to build an 8' high, 20x20 enclosure for netting over blueberry bushes, comprable to this: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2707/6934/files/diy-emt-conduit-ukulele-cart-maker-pipe-connectors-page-086.jpg?v=1770753413.
A couple of questions:
Each side will have 3 posts, one on each end and one in the middle, extending from the top plate to the ground. They'll each be 10' apart from each other, and the bottoms will be strapped to a PT lumber frame at the bottom. Looking at photos it seems like some people put a horizontal purlin between posts about halfway up, and some don't. Since it will be netting there won't be a lot of shear stress, but it does seem like a tall post to not need some additional support.
Similarly, it looks like some people use 45 degree braces and some don't. Thoughts from those who have/haven't?
One of the videos mentions that fabric clips good for holding the netting onto the conduit are available in the store, but MP doesn't seem to sell them anymore. Any tips on a good source for these?
I see one gate hinge option in the store - has anyone come up with others?
This page promises a downloadable book, but no link to download it! Anyone have another source? https://makerpipe.com/pages/gardeners-book
Thanks, all!
I do not remember when I first came across MakerPipe, but I knew I wanted to use it to support the engineering program and our robotics team at my school. I was fortunate to teach the engineering class this year, the first time in our new space, so I was able to start the students off with physical prototyping using 3D-printed mini makerpipe parts and a bunch of coffee straws. I was then able to grab the CAD files from the community and have them CAD their solutions. Then they started building. We have completed 2 storage racks, with a third on the way, and a 10x10x10 ft cube that we are using as the framework for our FIRST robotics teams' pit displays. Our pit was the star of our recent state championship event. My facilities and maintenance teams are very intrigued by the product, and I have a few more projects in mind for the future. I will definitely be using MakerPipe in my program going forward.