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HEY... I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE
WHO BUILDS STUFF WITH PVC!
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Mister
This is a misting tunnel we made to take to the
World Maker Faire in New York this year. It makes a hot day cool, and all you have to do is take a 40-foot walk.
(Another example of what can be made by bending PVC
pipe.) Thanks to the
BendIt company.
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Pergola
This pergola was designed and built by Diana Digs
Dirt in Greensboro, NC. Materials included PVC pipe and caps for the vertical detail along the top between the
2x4’s.
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Enjoy the wonderful PVC artwork from Dave Schreuder
in the Netherlands. He says, "I selected my first 'plant' which I made of 2 PVC pipes and coloured "artistical
green." The height is 180 centimeters (6 feet) and the width is about 150 centimeters (5 feet).
And the middle one is a palm tree in several green colours. The height is 150 centimeters (5 feet) and the width
is 120 centimeters (4 feet). It looks great between the real plants in our garden.
The third artwork (on the right) is called Yin and Yang Connected by Love."
You can see more of Dave's art by visiting him
at www.pvcobjecten.nl
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Kayak Frame
thanks to
Alex in Kentucky
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PVC Table
Using plans from my PVC furniture manual, great-grandma
Jan built this nice "friendship table" so she and her neighbor can visit over coffee & snacks in
the evenings.
Thanks for the photo, Jan
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Canoe Hauler
Built by Dennis in
Belleville, IL
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Laundry Bin
Here is a Laundry Bin project that my daughter and I built out of PVC pipe.
My daughter uses five bins, one for each member of her family plus another for towels and things. There is also
a bar at the top to hang clothes on when they come out of the dryer. We also added a shelf to the top for stability
but it was not painted yet so I did not include it.
Barbara & Nicole
Jacksonville, FL
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PVC Awning
This is an awning for house windows. They can really dress up a boring facade of
any house for not too much money - excluding material which is the biggest cost. I found a supplier of Sunbrella
"seconds" at $10.00 per yard and it takes about 1.5 yards for a 4 foot awning. Ripstop nylon was also
used, parachute material would also work. Light weight canvas works, too. The end pieces are separate from main
covering, as this was an experiment to see if it would hold up.
This spans 4 feet and is a bit wobbly in the center. Anything larger and I would need to figure out a support mechanism
or use two smaller ones. And I may reinforce the next awning with 1/8-inch staples.
Materials:
1/2 inch PVC, 6 - 3 way fittings, 4 - 45 degrees connectors, 6 male to female adaptors
Sarah P., RN
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This is an outrigger on our canoe. We take
a lot of family vacations in our Toyota motor home and I am limited as to how much weight I can pull. Most of the
time we bring the canoe and a pair of mopeds on a small trailer. The outrigger really makes the canoe stable enough
to fish out of.
Scott J., Peoria Il.
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Ashanti and Rodney, both students at a Macon, GA high school, built this boat for
their Pre-Engineering class. They used ¾” PVC pipe.
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They lined the frame of the boat with ½” Styrofoam and sealed the edges and
corners, then wrapped it in 4-mil. plastic sheeting.
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It had to be big enough to carry 2 people across the pond retrieve their flag and
then come back to the dock.
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Underwater Camera Housing
Scott in Florida says, "I’ve always wanted to shoot video while
diving but underwater housings are very expensive, so I decided to make my own. These are pictures of a couple
of different video camera housings built from PVC tubing. All have worked extremely well and the one pictured on
the right made it all the way to 190 feet underwater before it finally failed.
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Another Version of Scott's Underwater
Camera Housing
This version is a little more customized. A wooden form is made in the size and shape I want the pipe to be inside
to more closely fit the camera. The PVC is heated to 400 degrees F. for 5 minutes making it very flexible. While
the pipe is still hot, the form is driven into the pipe and when it cools it forms in the square shape.
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Ham Radio Antenna
Jeff, KB7NHD, set up a portable HAM radio station
providing communications as part of a volunteer effort to support a local bike club's ride event in Springfield,
IL.
He built a portable mast using 1" PVC x three
60" sections attached to an old oscillating fan base. This mast supported his 2m / 70cm dual band antenna.
Jeff drilled some holes in the top section just
below the antenna mount to attach nylon cord he used to guy the antenna.
He says this portable solution works out well for
him and is quick to put up and take down and is easily fitted into his car for transportation.
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Another Ham Radio Antenna Set-Up
Jimmy taught classes on how to build this Ham Radio antenna with PVC
pipe. He says his design has been used on barges along the Illinois river and elsewhere. Many people in Emergency
Management for Florida and other states use this and other of his designs because the salt water does not effect
them as much as other antennas, mainly because of the use of PVC in the design.
Jimmy Cary, WX9DX
The link to Jimmy's detailed quad design is...
http://www.hamuniverse.com/WX9DXQuadAntennaClass2007.pdf
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Denise first glued her PVC Playhouse frame in sections so it can be disassembled for
storing.
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Frame assembled, ready for covering. Note how she used 4-way and 3-way fittings at
each corner.
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Then Denise crafted this delightful cover made with outdoor fabric to avoid fading.
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Another fun cover. She says her grandkids really enjoy the Playhouse. You can see why.
Thanks for sharing, Denise!
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BIRD GYM
Angel in Cincinnati created a fun and playful gym for her parrot.
And she came up with a matching...
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...CEILING EXTENDER
to adjust the height.
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DOG BOWL STAND
Angel also made this great project to help elevate dog bowls for
larger dogs. She says it helps to keep her dogs from straining their necks. Thanks, Angel!
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PICKUP TRUCK BIKE RACK
Juvencio and his grandson, Ian, made this nifty bike rack and they
invite you to build one, too. Click here to view their step-by-step plans in PDF format.
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POOL TOWEL RACK
Carlos in Miami made this simple pool towel rack with 1 ½-inch
PVC left over from a Jacuzzi project.
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PORTABLE POOL SHOWER
Carlos also made this handy shower for his swimming pool...
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... and this POOL HANDRAIL that can be easily moved and stored out-of-the-way.
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TRASH BAG HOLDER
Ed says, "I used 1-inch PVC pipe. A smaller size could be used
also. However, for durability, the bigger the better. I used 1/2-inch boards for the cover, jointed to make a 15-inch
x 15-inch cover. The handle is 1/2-inch PVC pipe. When planning, take into consideration the size of the trash
bag. From there, calculate the dimensions of the Trash Bag Holder and the size of the cover."
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Canoe Rack for a Pickup. Great idea. Thanks, Gary!
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Dave sent in this photo for a fun Jungle Gym. His granddaughters
love playing on it.
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Rick designed and built this small-boat trailer made with
1-1/2 and 2-inch PVC pipe.
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Well engineered, it easily folds up for storage!
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Sue just finished her PVC Gazebo made from Jim's plans. She modified the
roof slightly and added a metal finial to the cupola for a nice finishing touch. Great job, Sue!
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Cyd sent this photo of her outdoor foot washer. It gave me an idea for my
own version. You'll find free plans here.
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Maureen sent these photos of her fun PVC doll
furniture projects.
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I spotted this target game the other day. It's made with 1/2-inch PVC
pipe and fittings. The top two tees aren't glued so the legs can fold back for storage. The balls are regular tennis
balls and the target is made with a Velcro material. Looks easy to make and fun to play.
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Take a look at this clever PVC pipe fence.
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Allen Sent this Photo of the Mast & Boom Cradle He
Devised for His Sailboat. Great Idea!
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Nursing Home Potty Chair
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Glenn in Chicago got tired of viewing his neighbor's wall.
So, with the neighbor's permission, he constructed this trellis. During spring and summer, he hangs potted plants
on it. In the winter, it's used for Christmas lights, wreaths and snowflakes.
"Sure cheers up the dining room," Glenn says.
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Yep, that's a four poster bed made entirely with PVC pipe
and MDO plywood for the bedboards. The head and footboard are removable. Doug says it's rock solid. He tells me
that plans for the bed, as well as other projects are now available.
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Shannon in NC sent this photo of her clever swing/gym
she made for her parrot, Casey.
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Free Bunk
Bed Plans are Available from Mark.
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Trailer from Bill in Tennessee. Pivots on Axle for Dumping.
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Covered with Netting, Painted and then Filled with Plastic
Balls, this Play Structure Becomes an Indoor Ball Pit. Door/Ramp Swings Upward with Slip Tees as Hinges. Thanks,
Craig.
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This Contraption is a Reclining Shower Chair Built for
a Nursing Home. Even has a Toilet Seat Attached. Apparently It Works Like a Charm! Courtesy of Molly in California.
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Laundry Bin Made for a Nursing Home in California. (I
Can't Quite Make Out How the Pedals Work to Open the Lids.) Anyway, Thanks Again, Molly.
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Time Capsule from Pat in Centralia, WA. Many Years Ago,
a Company Sold a Bunch of These Things by Mail Order. Business Idea for You?
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Now This Will Get the Fire Department's Attention. Thanks to Ray in Arkansas.
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Tree Cover submitted by Bim in Oklahoma. He uses it to
keep springtime cottonwood blooms off his small trees. Also ideal to keep deer and other animals from destroying
newly planted trees and shrubs. Cover the PVC frame with fiberglass screen door material and fasten it to the pipe
with cable ties.
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On a recent trip, I noticed this towel hamper at the hotel
pool. Could be modified for use as a clothes hamper at home. Or?
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Tammie and her family built this sturdier version of my
Bolo Ball game.
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Susan, a grade school teacher, made the bus and
Sassy the giraffe framed with PVC pipe and fittings.
She's also finishing up this neat cabana. Note the child's
PVC chair.
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Six-Inch PVC Pipe Makes a Different and Interesting Entrance
to a Beach Cabin on the Oregon Coast.
LET'S SEE YOUR PROJECT!
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John in Wisconsin built this handy Canoe Caddy. You can, too. Here's
his instructions:
You can buy these for $75 in the sporting stores, but why not build one
in about an hour? It supports a boat up to 200 lbs.
12 ft. of 1-1/4" PVC pipe
4 elbows
4 caps (through which the axles are inserted)
One metal axle and two wheels
Some kind of strap to spread caddy legs when hauling boat (see the brown one I use)
One leg to steady caddy when boat is placed on top two of the legs should
be shorter to allow them to fold into longer legs add a strap of your choice to wrap around boat/canoe to secure
during
hauling.
Wheels of your choice (replacement lawn mower shells are nice).
Thanks, John!
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