Vertical support structures and supplies

[TCLynx]

I thought perhaps this question should get it's own discussion.
Where to get black pipe?
What sort of fittings or methods are best for connecting the black pipe into support structures for holding towers?

[Nate Storey]

Black pipe is cheapest from plumbing supply stores or general contracting stores. Usually local hardware stores are little more expensive. . . Usually they'll cut and thread lengths of pipe for you which is really nice. Other than the pipe itself, conduit pipe clamps (or channel pipe fittings, or any combination of those words. . .) and unistrut or steel channel is all you need to build just about any structure anywhere. and the best thing is that it's really really cheap. unistrut pipe clamps should run you about $1.25 apiece, unistrut is usually about $1 to $1.5 per foot, and black pipe (3/4") should run $0.75 a foot or so. . . Once you have the channel, clamps and pipe, you can put together a structure you can drive a tank up on. Or you can use cast-iron fittings to put together stands, but fittings are a bit more expensive.

[Ron Thompson]

If I understand what your looking for...

My main support structure is made of three top rails from a chain link fence. Two are used as uprights and one as a cross beam. The individual vertical towers are held in place with fence ties. Michael Cosmo helped me put it together and it was easy, quick, strong and cheap (~$35).

My vertical setup is using vertigro. It isn't overly large but is still a work in progress.

[TCLynx]

I was thinking of using key clamps/fittings so I wouldn't need to worry about threading and I would still be able to take apart and re-build as needed.

I guess my background in entertainment has me wanting to over engineer this, I'm used to using big pipe for spanning longer distance and supporting lots of lights or scenery.

What size pipe do you all recommend for say a 10 foot span supporting as many of Nates towers as would fit in the span?

[Nate Storey]

Aleece, I believe in over engineering- you might actually know more about structure setup from your profession than we do from our efforts. . . : )

[TCLynx]

What size pipe with what spans have worked well for your systems?

I just got a 300 gallon rubbermade stock tank so I guess over those 6 foot spans are probably pretty normal.

I am in the process of replacing my sump tank and the new arrangement will require a little under a ten foot span to put a row of towers over that tank.

I think the cook is set and ready to go get me some pipe to build the frames for tower supports.

[Nate Storey]

I use all 3/4 inch pipe- it'll hold an incredible amount of weight- cut to 5 foot spans with each span holding as much as 200 lbs when the towers are mature, although the pipe could easily hold twice that much. With a 10 foot span I might consider 1" pipe, which would give you some peace of mind and let you scale up if you ever wanted to. . .

Nate

TCLynx said:

What size pipe with what spans have worked well for your systems?

I just got a 300 gallon rubbermade stock tank so I guess over those 6 foot spans are probably pretty normal.

I am in the process of replacing my sump tank and the new arrangement will require a little under a ten foot span to put a row of towers over that tank.

I think the cook is set and ready to go get me some pipe to build the frames for tower supports.