AusBonsai

Does anyone have "display/growing bench" turntables for their trees ?

ie - I have @ 50 trees [which I don't have the time to attend to as much as I should] and they sit in the same position most of the time, resulting in some weakness in the back branches [which are south facing].

Because of the design and position of the bench, it's a reasonably major exercise to move them around [as some are quite heavy], so I was thinking of making a weather resistant "turntable" as such for each one, so I can easily adjust their position etc.

Thought I would post here to save "re-inventing the wheel" as it were

Any thoughts ?

Cheers

Pw

PW, i do - I have the flat trun table that a lot of the nursuries are selling now.
The only issue i have with them is that they get a bit tight with heavy trees on top and tend not to turn as well however, for the money they are pretty good.

Hey Espresso,

Cool ! !

Could you provide some details for me ? or a picture / model / brand / rough cost / where to buy etc ?

Cheers

Pete

This is how i have done it. Go to a wreckers and buy yourself some old car axles with the wheel hub still on. Cut a piece of wood to the size of the Bonsai you want to display on it and screw it to the stub axle. drill a hole into a bench with a hole saw the size of the axle and drop it in. cut the axle of to size with an angle grinder and there it is

Bodhi, that's an excellent idea!!
Nice one!!

Car axles hey ? - sounds good ! ! . . . . . [ wonder how much 50 car axels will cost me though ]

Will give this a crack I think . . . .

Cheers

To everyone else, other ideas are more than welcome too : ))

My trees that I should turn are sitting on old computer monitor stands.
Before we all got flat screen monitors the CRT units base would rotate about 100 degrees and tilt about 30 degrees.
Turn old monitors upside down and click off the plastic stand.
BonsaiBruce.

I love the car axel idea too. Also if you visit some chinese restaurant and ask them for their old table-top turnables that got thrown away. These are excellent for the purpose.

I use both the plastic ones that you can get in the Bonsai nursery's for light to medium.

Then for the heavy ones a custom built. Hardware buy the wheels you put under cabinet's the ones that are multi directional 4of the some marine ply a long galvanized bolt.

Make a box out of the ply dependant on the size of your tree. place the wheels in the corners. Put the bolt though the top and bottom panels in the middle.

Plan and pics to follow.

Two pieces of hard wood around 25mm thich cut in a circle a little larger than the size of your pot, bore a hole through the centre of both pieces of wood big enough to take a piece of dowel. Scribe a line around half way from the centre to the edge of the two wooden discs and get someone to route out a vein around the line about 5mm deep. Glue the dowel into the centre hole of ONE of the discs and then drop the dowel through the second disc, after the glue has dried. Place a number (will depend on the size of your disc) of 10/15mm marbles or Stainless Steel Ballbearings, if available, into the previously routed vein and place on the bench. Usually about 6 marbles is enough, but for bigger turntables just add more. Turntable done. Turntable can be painted if desired, also a good idea to bore some small holes in from the outter edge into which you can place a nail or similar to stop the turntable turning when not required.
Sorry, can't do pics or drawings yet.

I have been using with a great deal of success a plastic turntable I have found at Bunnings. It is much the same as those found at a lot of nurseries but seems to be a lot stronger and turns easily with some of my large trees on them. These trees are generally a 2 man lift and will turn well on this turntable The product is Vogels Evolution TVS2025 about $19.95 each. Good luck, Dark1

hi guys...I've started making turntables from boat seat swivels available from BCF and other chandleries,,they come in painted,dipped or even stainless finishes ,according to one's budget,a stainless/teak turntable could be the fruit !! these units must be good for 120kg+ according to some of the crew size I get on my boat occasionally!Just cut an appropriate size top,screw on the base,fit some rubber feet/or screw to bench and you're away!...Dog

Hi Graeme,
What a neat idea....I will try this out.

I have about 20 of the plastic turntables but they tend to fail after a year or so out in the weather. Your idea is much cheaper and simpler.

Regards
Steve