Polytunnel pole failure; snapped hoop repair.
My budget polytunnel suffered a catastrophic failure during storm Corrie. A freak gust resulted in 4 snapped uprights and a huge tear down the pve.
I found plenty of videos online of how to repair the plastic, but nothing about snapped poles. Cue research and investigation into that was available at Tool Station, Screwfix, Wickes, B and Q, eBay and Amazon. I knew I wanted to splint the poles, but I didn't know that was available to do that.
Pipe couplers seemed the way forward. After a short delay due to purchasing the wrong diameter couplers, I set out this morning to try out my idea. This video is to provide ideas to those in the same situation.
I haven't yet learned to weld, and my budget polytunnel was the only best I could afford, so fingers crossed this repair holds.
The couplers cost £5 for 4, and the pipe clamps were £2.30 for 4. The silicon was bought for the plastic repair, but I used about £1 worth of the tube. So, £8.30 in all.
The plastic repair will be about double, simple because I had to buy a
small grow tunnel as a pve donor. Bonus to that- rather than buying a £7 pve tarp from eBay, is that I'll have the hoops from the tunnel left over, and intend to make a fleece tunnel with them.
Anyway- wish me luck! Any suggestions gratefully received. I just want my tunnel back before the growing season gets underway next month 😁🧑🌾 and to stop anymore damage from the 🌬️.
Пікірлер: 12
Thank you so very much for sharing your ingenuity. A stream of storms came through my area and tossed my tunnels around. Lots of bent and snapped parts. Thanks to you I'm back on track and headed to the hardware store tomorrow.
Great to see you back Lori, and I am loving your attempts at repairing the tunnel - image the wind force to snap them when your drill wouldn't even touch them! Hoping your fix holds! Hope you are safe & well & soon back on the fields showing us your finds! Take care, Marcus
@thesimplexguru1263
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Marcus, I was determined to fix it. My hubby was pretty negative about its chances, but I don’t give up that easily. And I only had use of it for a summer and a few months, after waiting MY WHOLE LIFE for one! I will fix it, I promise! I’m on rest orders from the physio, thanks to a rotten case of golfer’s elbow (I’ve never golfed a day in my life!). My for,dx are ploughed and not planted. When I can dig holes again, I will be back out and recording. Thank you for your lovely wishes, and the same to you and yours. HH ❤️
The jubilee clips won't do much when tightened unless you split the copper pipe connector along its length to allow it to close up when tightened. An alternative way to repair them may have been by inserting a length of steel pipe inside of the broken pipes. Maybe old tent poles may fit or contact your local blacksmith and give him the inside diameter of the original frame tubes. Ask him to cut you enough pieces for all of the joints and drill them at the same time so all you would need to do is remove the bolt which is already in place, slot in a new repair tube and the slot the two sections together again as originally done. I would go for a repair tube of around 4 inches or so to allow plenty of support. As it is, I'm guessing when you get the cover back on it will hold together fine, as the tension of the cover will give support also. Hope you get it sorted and the wind stays calm for you!! Stay safe....
@thesimplexguru1263
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much. I did have a few lengths of tubing that I was considering using but couldn't find my hack saw, lol. It is pretty substantial tube, so if the copper doesn't work then I'll try them. I guessed as much with the jubilee clips. I haven't gone out to tighten them yet, but I'll bet they snap before they crumple that copper! Oh well, at least they were cheap, and I can maybe use them to hold the pipe lagging in place. I'll look out local blacksmiths, I know we have some as the Kirkmichael Trust that I volunteer with used one to fabricate a gravestone lifting gantry. Plus our rowng club built our own skiff and I know we have metal working capable folks in the club. Sigh. I'm annoyed those pipes went after only 18 months, but it was a very bad storm- and for my village, that's saying something!! Thank you again for your advice, I hope the pve repair goes smoothly but I need to wait for a dry day to do it. Best, Lori
I hope the winds behave now you’ve tried your fix. My polytunnel took a battering just a week after I put it up 4 yrs ago. Managed a sort of repair but now 2 of the curved bars have snapped but up on the curvy bit! Held together with those foam pipe covers for insulation and some tie clips! Hope you like the Legend. I’m sticking with my Simplex until they’ve got the updates sorted! Best of Luck. I hope your cover is now back on your poly!
Adapt and overcome 👍 edit: thought I'd give my five pence lol. Maybe buy some scaffolding clamps, they can be cheap and they should have various sizes, only If it ever fails again in the future. Cheers
@thesimplexguru1263
2 жыл бұрын
That’s a fantastic idea Jasón. Where would be the best place to get those? I wish I had thought of that before the copper! Awesome idea 💡
Maybe used wooden dowels inside the metal frame, I’ve seen this done on trampoline frames to join them together when making polytunnel from trampolines
Will you be getting the legend Lori. Sorry for the off topic comment . Take care
@thesimplexguru1263
2 жыл бұрын
I hope so. I’ve recently been helping my in-laws move house, and my father in law wants to buy me something nice to say thank you. He was thinking a nice piece of jewellery like a ring or bracelet. My hubby, bless him, told his dad that I wasn’t really a jewellery lady and what I’d really like was this new detection! Father in law agreed, and said to him to go and think about it. My daughters agreed with hubby that the Legend would be an excellent thank you, so,we just need to tell FiL and get it ordered. What a weird lady I am, but hey ho. I am what I am. I’ll keep you all informed once it is ordered. Very exciting. I will also keep up with Simplex videos. While moving house of FiL I injured my elbow (rudddy ligament again) and am on enforced rest right now. Bah. And all my fields are ploughed, and not planted. Wahhhhh. 😭
@HistoryRevisiteduk
2 жыл бұрын
@@thesimplexguru1263 brilliant, thanks for the reply , take care , and hopefully see you soon