patio / garden planter with telescopic legs

[Pierre Vallee]

Looking for idea on extendible / telescopic wooden legs for a planter box. Square tube type with insert perhaps to permit raising or lowering the planter box. Would like to make them out of wood with locking pins at various levels.  Have looked at tubular or square aluminum legs but would prefer wood since the planter would be wood.

 

Any ideas or suggestions anyone

[Mike Alt]

Just curious, whats the purpose?

[Pierre Vallee]

for the planter or the legs? just kidding... to raise or lower, as needed for vaious purposes / plants

[Ken Darga]

Pierre,

Look into this design approach:

1.  Adjustable foot, (label this as item  ‘’A’’), make from 1’’ wood dowel---this item will be the adjustable foot. 
2. Make the leg, (label this as item “B”)---a hollow section, of a size to fit over the 1’’ dowel. 

Make the 4 pieces, from ¾’’ stock---the width of each piece, (3/4’’ + 1’’ plus 1/16, for clearance, to allow the dowel “A” to slide into this upper leg “B”).  

1. The ID of leg will be 1-1/8’’ x 1-1/8’’, and
2. the OD will be ¾ + ¾ + 1/16= 1-5/8’’ .

Foot “A” inserts into leg “B”.

Make leg “B” of a length to suit, to facilitate your project.

Make foot “A”, 2’’ longer than leg “B”.  (When foot “A” in fully inserter into leg “B”, 2’’ to extend below the bottom of leg “B”.

Make a hole thru leg “B”, 2’’ up from the bottom, to facilitate a peg or pin, for the foot adjustment.

Holes in foot “A”, 4’’ from the bottom end, and 1 or 2’’ apart, to facilitate vertical adjustment.

Make holes in the leg, so as to provide 4’’ of foot “A” be inserted into leg “B”, when the foot is fully extended outward.

Holes in the leg “B” and foot “A” to accommodate a pin or peg of 3/8’’ diameter, made of 3/8’’ hardwood dowel.

A square leg “A” can be made into from 4 pieces, bonded together with brads and glue, biscuits, spline, dowels, or equivalent means, so as to use your available tools.

 NOTE:

For a heavier design appearance and larger size project, use 1-1/2’’ stock for foot “A”---

make leg “B”, 1-5/8’’ ID, with an OD of 3-1/8’’, using ¾’’ stock.

[Ken Darga]

Alternate foot:

Can be made from square stock, vs round stock.

  Most lumber yards stock square wood stock, or 

one can make it, by joining pieces together, to form a square shape.

[Pierre Vallee]

thanks, a tad complicated to follow but I get the gist of it, I guess. I was thinking more in terms of square legs with a square casing; say 2x2 and the sliding casing made of 1x4 stock. Then drill holes to suit for the various heights. That way it would be easier and simpler to make the planter and caps on the top and bottom of each corner posts and, it would look nice. I was sort of looking for some new ideas. Another option is a platform with the posts and a planter box that would fit in; this would make it easy and simple for yearly maintenance.

 

Anybody got any other ideas out there?

[Ken Darga]

Pierre,

''a tad complicated''?

hmmmm...

I tried to give you, and other readers, some detailed info, 

on how to make a simple leg assembly, based on your request.

Sorry, I don't have plan drawings.

Read and reread, then follow the step-by-step instructions---

You'll figure it out.

[Pierre Vallee]

thanks, I did get it the first time. I'm thinking more square rather than tubular in order to accomodate the design for a rectangulat planter box, and corners. As well, I think that square legs might me more stable and no wobble.

[Ken Darga]

Pierre, 

See my previous post, re ''square stock''.

  I didn't think of the square stock, in the first post.

It came to mind, when I was in my shop later, that I had some square stock.

  Square stock, is a useful for many project pieces.

It can be easily ripped and shaped.

This material is only available in a ''select'' grade---it contains no knots--- 

 it is my top choice for selective projects.

Ken Darga said:

Alternate foot:

Can be made from square stock, vs round stock.

  Most lumber yards stock square wood stock, or 

one can make it, by joining pieces together, to form a square shape.

[Ken Darga]

Pierre, 

The tubular shape, I made reference to in my previous post, was to the leg, which is the upper portion of the assembly.

The tubular shaped object needs to accept the ''foot'',

so as to make the adjustable leg feature, you desire.

A tubular shape, is not limited to being ''square''---

it can be round, hex, or rectangular, just to make a few.

  If the planter box, is of a large size project, the foot could be made from 2x4 stock, and 

the leg made by joining 1x stock, into a tubular shape, so the foot slides into the leg.

OR, if it's really big planter box---then use 4x4 stock for the foot.

Pierre Vallee said:

thanks, I did get it the first time. I'm thinking more square rather than tubular in order to accomodate the design for a rectangulat planter box, and corners. As well, I think that square legs might me more stable and no wobble.

[Ken Darga]

''Mitered'' corners of the ''leg'', will look more appealing.

[Pierre Vallee]

Ok, sketch please

Ken Darga said:

''Mitered'' corners of the ''leg'', will look more appealing.

[Ken Darga]

 A miter joint is a joint made by beveling each of two parts to be joined, usually at a 45° angle, to form a corner.

 

For the leg, as described above, make 4 pieces, ''X" inches wide---

each edge cut at a 45 degree angle, and 

each corner fastened.