Wind-up awning for $20
Submitted: Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 07:01
ThreadID:
26857
Views:
3117
Replies:
6
FollowUps:
7
This Thread has been Archived
Russel & Mary
I didn't have an hour spare for lunch the other day, so I had an hour and a half. In that time I knocked up a 2.4x3.0 awning to bolt onto the side of the roof rack.
I got a length of 100mm PVC and sliced a 15 mm slot all the way using a 9" grinder with a cutting disc. Then a length of 25mm square steel tube a little longer than the PVC by about 100mm. I tek screwed the el-cheapo blue hardware tarp stuff thru the eyelets onto the square tube and slid it into the PVC slot. I tek screwed end caps on with a hole big enough for the square. I then made a short crank out of some rod and welded it to one end so it can be wound up easily.
Thhheeen, I had two lenghts of 18mm dowel and 1800mm long and put a nail in the end of each so that half of it was poking out the top to sit the corner eyelets over, a couple of bits of that blue/yellow telecom rope (everyone has this stuff) for guy ropes and voila.
A bit cheaper than $800 eh? Rus.
Reply By: gramps - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 08:07
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 08:07
Well done Russ. Now where are the pics hmmmmmm
AnswerID:
132286
Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 08:11
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 08:11
I concur..... Pics Please
AnswerID:
132288
Reply By: OLDMAGPIE - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 08:59
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 08:59
thats got to be the best & simplest idea yet good on you, now all you need to do is patent it, get the chinese to make it, do some marketing, put it in some 4x4 stores get an export licence, put a bit of profit on top & sell it for $800, retire & live off the income
cheers
AnswerID:
132299
Follow Up By: gramps - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 09:03
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 09:03
Shhhh, now you've done it! Why do you think Bonz and I were so eager to get the photos, dammit!
FollowupID:
386556
Reply By: vuduguru - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 09:04
Reply By: Russel & Mary - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 13:07
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 13:07
Thanks for your thanks. To post pics I think I have to be a member(which I'm not).
This arvo Mary and I are going over to the neighbours and set up
camp on their front lawn complete with dekkies,esky and a nifty little bbq that I made last year.
Ok ...... I'll tell you about it. I got a tractor toolbox. You know the ones, about 6"x6"x15". I sat an old cast iron single burner in the bottom, made a removeable hot plate from 5/16 steel plate. Drilled a heap of 1/2" holes around the base. The gas hose with regulator and mixing tap all fold up an store in the box when not in use (and when the hot plate isn't hot!) Also room for gas fittings, spanners,spares etc. So once again .....voila. Aaaaannnndd also I made a single legged stand that pushes into the dirt and sits on so I can
cook at deck chair level. Neat eh?. Rus.
AnswerID:
132331
Follow Up By: gramps - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 13:40
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 13:40
You'll be on the Inventors show on the ABC soon at that rate.
A friend of
mine made one out of an old beer keg but did'nt pay too much attention to a slight gas leak. Needless to say he emptied the old shearers quarters in double quick time when he tried it out on a hunting trip.
Still has WMD in big red letters on the new improved (non-leaking) version LOL
FollowupID:
386597
Follow Up By: OLDMAGPIE - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 15:47
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 15:47
russell & mary , ill bet you thought up the side awning while you were on the front lawn of the neighbours, at this rate youll change the balance of trade in our favour & gramps the only thing you should do with an empty keg is refill IT.then empty it , then refillllllll itttttt then emppppttttyy ittitttt. cheeeeeers
FollowupID:
386611
Follow Up By: gramps - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 22:57
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 22:57
That's how you get to be an Oldmagpie, being sensible :) I thought there had to be a better use for an empty keg LOL
FollowupID:
386727
Reply By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 16:45
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 16:45
So Russ, as I understand it, you have a piece of square steel stickinig out through a cap on each end of the pipe. If I'm right, I take it you have the proverbial square peg in a round hole (LOL). The square steel, simply turns in the round hole (in the cap) to wing the awning in and out. Have I got that right, or have I missed something.
AnswerID:
132359
Follow Up By: Russel & Mary - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 17:24
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 17:24
Norm, you got it. If I had some round tube,say 1/2", that would have been better but sometimes you have to do with what you've got. Rus.
FollowupID:
386630
Follow Up By: Russel & Mary - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 17:28
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 17:28
We're heading next door now. They are 4 kms away. See you all in a couple of hours. Rus.
FollowupID:
386631
Follow Up By: Russel & Mary - Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 23:21
Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 at 23:21
well well well, look at the time. The awning worked fine, even though it wasn't sunny or raining. Another neighbour turned up and the bbq went on for a while longer. They brought along an old enamel spinner/washer bowl thingo from a washing machine filled with stumps to light up for a fire and that worked
well for those who weren't drinking scotch cans. Does that make sense? Goodnight Rus.
FollowupID:
386735