Your Ideal Bonsai Bench!

[Phoenix238]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for inspiration in regards to building a Bonsai bench, therefore I'm asking you guys what your ideal bonsai bench would be? what would it be made out of? how much shade would you have?

Pictures of your own benches are most definitely welcome, there are already some fantastic examples in other threads

[Luke308]

Hey Andrew,

I have bought pallet racking from bunnings which is sturdy and easy to assemble, but it is expensive. It now also comes in galv which will last longer than the powder coated stuff I have. I use 50% shade from mid spring-mid autumn depending on the whether. White shade cloth allows more light than the green, black, or beige shade cloth though.
Steven did a great tutorial on this a while back. I did a quick search and I found these threads. I know there is more already out there, but I can't find them. Hope this helps.



viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1830&hilit=+bench
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=11226&hilit=+bench
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=9479&hilit=+bench

[Phoenix238]

Thanks for the info Luke, good to know where I can get the stuff. Ironically, when I was searching last night, I seem to have found every post except that top one, which seems to be the most informative one!

[kcpoole]

I have 2
One is an old BBQ on a Timber trolley i picked up fropm the side of the road during the usual clean up weeks ( the bbq still works), and the other is old plastic table also picked up during clean up week

Ken

[toohey]

I had an idea as I'm not very practical.
I built a shade / frost structure out of aluminium square tubing with plactic connectors(from bunnings) and covered it with nursery shade in white (only very light shade). I concreted each support pole into the ground - one bage of quick set concrete per pole.. I then used 6 plastic folding tables from bunnings for the benches all with white tops (bunnings). I got very large plastic clamps which hold my water tubing to the edge of the tables and then each plant has 1 or 2 drippers onnected to a small computer operated watering system (from Dural Irrigation).
For a non practical guy this was a great alternative.

Good luck with your benches.

[mattgatenby]

Here is a few growing tables that I put together about 4 months ago. My main objective was to setup elevated tables to save my back while tending to my trees also made it easy to setup a watering system underneath and having risers coming up through the mesh. All of these were made out of recycled timber that I had left over after renovating my back deck which meant the only material I paid for was the gal mesh ! Even that I managed to source cheaply from gumtree.com.au. It's a bit hard to tell but i have excellent tree coverage which provides dappled light to the 2 main benches while the single bench setting by itself is in full sun.

Sorry for the ordinary photos but they were taken as I was walking out the door on my way to work....in fading light...on my phone

I'm looking to build a display stand in the not to distant future based around Jerry Norbury's design viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1830 but as I'm sure you all can understand this is on the rather long to-do project list....

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[Samegyed]

Some photos of my benches.

2012-06-29 16.52.11 (Small).jpg

2012-06-29 16.51.58 (Small).jpg

2012-06-29 16.52.35 (Small).jpg

2012-06-29 16.52.52 (Small).jpg

If you deside to use timber as your building material i would make shore you give it many outdoor or even marine protective coats. As you can see from the last photo they really cop it from constant watering and full sun. I hav'nt re coated mine for two years now and the conditions are taking there tole.
The reason i used all timber is I scored all my timber for free. It was removed from the center structure of the Brisbane city mall. I didn't have much cash at the time so i used what i had. When i make my next bench I ll probably use a timber frame with heavy gauge gal wire mesh. I'd also like a water catchment tray underneath so i can recycle the water for later use.

[kcpoole]

I thoght you meant workbenches when i first posted

Many posts in the Benches forum for you to browse thru, but here is a link to my growing benches when I move into my new house
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=378

and then another look a few months later with some closeups and some watering system ideas too
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1404

and here is another post for my Sprinkler system, I have not touched this since installation several years ago, except to change the times the system turns on. Ultra reliable!

Ken

[alpineart]

Hi Guys , old extension ladders make excellent elevated benches

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, mesh fence panels

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,

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old Bar-b-que trolleys are tops for heavy material

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and various timber constructions

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.Various roof decking panels

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used as wet beds and sand trays

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The ladders have a side load rating of 120-160kgms I simply screwed 2 x 150x25mm treated pine planks to the treads

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or simply lay 50mm gal mess on top

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.Multi fold ladder not safe for the work place

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. All the materials here are 100% recycled , except for the hardware used . Make sure all benches and platforms are braced and supported to carry the wet load of your pride and joys or they will end up in a broken mess on the deck one day . I haven't had this happen "YET" but over kill is better than under done .

Cheers Alpineart

[Andrew F]

mattgatenby, I see you have a deciduous Juniper, i have one of those too

Alpine, that land scape on the bbq stand is awesome.

[mattgatenby]

Yep Velvet that patictular juniper is one of a kind !! After an attempted (but failed) graft with a rouge verandah joist while renovating the back of the house it seems that the apex has come off second best.....dammit....on the brighter side I was in 2 minds as weather to go with semi-cascade or cascade......the decision was made in a split second for me cascade it is !!

[Phoenix238]

Wow, there are some very innovative designs here, love all the recycled parts Alpine! Got some ideas running around my head now, just a matter of attempting to piece them all together. If it doesn't all fall in a heap I'll put some pics up in a few weeks

[Lynette]

Would you mind giving some details on the setting. is it polystyrene carved and what is the tray made of. I once made a large tray of polystyrene, but decided it wasn't strong enough, it looked alot like this tray.
Thanks,
Lynette

[alpineart]

Hi Lynette , i assume your referring to my landscape . If so search ;Aussie Landscape/ Penjing the full detail is in the topic .

Cheers Alpineart