Bonsai shelf with besser blocks.. Thinking still.....

[ace2weather]

I've got a chance to get some cheap ish besser blocks 390*190.
I was thinking stacking 2 high with a 2m board for shelf one.
Shelf 2 behind stacked 4 high with a 2m board.

Top view of besser blocks layout(image crappy looking as made on mobile phone)
This will be 2 blocks high and the second shelf has the same layout but 4 blocks high.
Any thoughts/ideas????

[kachmica]

Yep works for me.
Have had 3 and 4 block high shelves for about 7 years.
And still couldn't find a photo to show,

[ace2weather]

Yep works for me.
Have had 3 and 4 block high shelves for about 7 years.
And still couldn't find a photo to show,

Cool, did you cement or fill the blocks at all, a little worried about stability.....
The blocks will be going down onto a sand base...
Be good if you had a photo....

[fossil finder]

On benches. The other day I saw bonsai benches made from hebel blocks and slabs. The slabs were 600mm x 3000mm and 75mm thick and on blocks. The slabs are often available as builders surplus on gumtree and the like for very affordable prices like $40-60 each. Just looked and the ones I was looking at the other day are sold. They age like old cement but are lighter and can be sawn/drilled/cut with basic tools. The overall look as a backdrop for bonsai is a mix of understated stone-like naturalistic/chunky meets Flintstones. Seeing them set up I find it a logical material to suggest for anyone setting up.

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk

[shibui]

Are any of these anything like you had in mind?

P1140192.JPG

P1140193.JPG

This photo taken from behind shows the bottom blocks bedded into the sand base to improve stability. I think I also drove a steel post down inside the blocks so they cannot fall over. Otherwise just dry stacked. The lower bench at the front was added as an afterthought because I ran out of space. Lower benches are not ideal because of shading but can work if you rotate all the trees regularly.
Tops are 2x treated pine slabs 200x50mm. These slabs have a strong tendency to twist as they dry so I've screwed a couple of solid bearers across the underside to try to stop any twisting.

P1140194.JPG

[kcpoole]

I have numerous Blocks stacked up as bench supports, or just plain poles to sit a pot on.
No mortar, just make sure the bottom one is well seatwed and flat.

Ken

[ace2weather]

I think I'll go 4 high with the first and 5 high for the second use 3 pillars.
I thought about driving star droppers into the centres....
For the tops. Treated pine 2400mm by 200mm by 75mm.
Using 3 pillars, so hopefully it won't twist

[kachmica]

Bench.jpg

Yes mine are the same as shibui's.
Went out and here is how mine look.
They are on a concrete slab similar to one you would put down for a garden shed.
The beauty of the slab (in theory) is it is to keep clean and relatively pest free.

[cre8ivbonsai]

Tried and true method used by many bonsai nurseries ... Aim to have more horizontal bench space over trying to maximize a smaller footprint vertically - give your bonsai the best view of the sky (sun and rain) and room to breathe (air circulation) ... The sleepers will twist, no matter what, but if place your heaviest trees at each end (or even a couple of blocks with your fav cascade on top) will minimize twistage. If you have the space you can utilize 3 block stacks for 2 benches, or 4 for 3 etc

Just don't be in a hurry to reposition your benches, check sun and wind aspect BEFORE setting up

Good luck and have fun, easy method to achieve a fulfilling result

[ace2weather]

I'm wondering if having a shelf 200mm wide is too small??

[cre8ivbonsai]

Most people go with two sleepers parallel with no gap

[ace2weather]

Most people go with two sleepers parallel with no gap

I was thinking 200mm was a little small....

Once this is done, I'll be building the irrigation system(this I'm good at).
I'll be hooking it up to the existing irrigation running off mains and later adding one running off a rainwater tank with automatic fertilising using the same line with a injector.

[kcpoole]

I'm wondering if having a shelf 200mm wide is too small??

I use a Sheet of Stramit roofing and that is about 280mm wide.
I can fit 2 pots on that width nicely

Ken

[Andrew Legg]

Here is my setup. I used concrete blocks stacked on a small foundation about 10cms wider than the blocks and about 10 cms deep in the ground. No cement to join them, just stacked, but this way then that way then this way etc etc. I used concrete lintels across the tops and short cut lintels across these to support fibercrete roofing filled with stone chip. My big regret? Not enough lateral space between the top and bottom shelf. Coulda done with an extra 15cms.

image.jpeg

[Ryceman3]

Here is my setup. I used concrete blocks stacked on a small foundation about 10cms wider than the blocks and about 10 cms deep in the ground. No cement to join them, just stacked, but this way then that way then this way etc etc. I used concrete lintels across the tops and short cut lintels across these to support fibercrete roofing filled with stone chip. My big regret? Not enough lateral space between the top and bottom shelf. Coulda done with an extra 15cms.

image.jpeg

Great setup and some nice trees ... Do I see one potted in a 'croc' on the top shelf???