Portable Banding Machine

[Tanus]

I DAGS and found nothing that would work for me.

I"m copying a design for a flower pot that is 10-sided and flared top to bottom. You can see a dwg here:

lines around the outside indicate a dado for steel banding. I'm not hung on steel - polypro would be fine too.

I've built a couple of prototypes and am having a problem with the banding. I've used galvanized strapping, but I can't get it tight enough, even with screwing the strapping in each segment. The strapping is too thick, and just doesn't work properly, although it does hold the piece together.

I'm only going to build a few of these, so I don't want an industrial grade piece of machinery to do the banding. Something that is portable and relatively inexpensive will likely serve my needs. Does anyone know of anything that can do this job?

Thx.

Tanus

[charlie]

does it have to be banded? what about splines and glue? a band won't lay flat anyway.

try a packing store, like a ups shipping place. they might have heavy duty banding machines for tying up packages, or some place that ships out pallets of stuff.

[RicodJour]

I can't help you with equipment, but I can propose an alternative.

perforated stainless would add a decorative touch and look better for a lot longer than the galvanized banding.

R

[Robatoy]

Have you thought about many sisal rope (say about 1/8") windings? After going round and round to fill the dado'd grooves, soak them in WEST epoxy? (Thin enough to soak in nice) You should be able to get them good'n-tight, I think. Just a thought. Kinda decorative. Maybe stain the sisal first?

[Lew Hodgett]

Unless you have access to a banding machine (Hand Tool) and a roll of strapping material (Usually black plastic reinforced with fiber) and clips, I'd just buy commercial pots and find another project.

Without the above equipment, your project is like pissing up a rope.

Lew

[SonomaProducts.com]

[HeyBub]

You might try like they do whiskey barrels: Make the band first - perhaps steel strapping of the correct length and the ends welded together. Then you pound the loop into position. In your case, maybe add a tack or two to hold it in place.

Alternative: Assuming you have a groove for the band, just add the staves to the band, then whack the last stave into position. It would help if the wood were really dry, that way any added moisture will expand the wood to help lock it in place.

[Tanus]

Thanks to all that responded.

charlie asked if it had to be banded and if splines would do. I'm building a bunch of these and I'd rather make it as simple as possible. I also question whether or not splines with glue on the edges would hold up to the constant humidity.

I looked long 'n hard at the clamp kit, RicodJour, but the price scared me off. Too bad, cause I like the way that would look. Similar with Sonoma's suggestion of a packaging suppler. Uline had what I wanted, but SWMBO nixed it before I could say " But HONEY, I NEED that tool!" (sigh)

I like Rob's idea of the twine/sisal rope. I guess coating with WEST would prevent the rope from rotting? I can do that, but I think it's gonna cost an arm and a leg. I can find one supplier for expoxy in town and that's Lee Valley. I love epoxy but it's expensive there. I have some sitting around and I'll try it to see how it works, tho. I'll combine that idea with HeyBub's suggestion of banding first with the rope and then putting the last piece in to tighten it up completely.

Thanks again.

Tanus

[Robatoy]

Perhaps WEST is overkill. Some kind of waterproofing/preservation would be desirable. Sign guys use all kinds of cheap ways to weather-proof their work. One suggestion is a product by Rustoleum which is used the UV-proof and protect some sort of 'Stone-Effect' product of theirs. It is called Step3. It dries clear, water-based but after it sets up, it is supposed to be some tough stuff. Thin like water, should soak into the twine just nicely. I think it is available in small quantities.

[Lew Hodgett]

Since you have some quantity, consider subcontracting the banding out to an outfit that has a shipping dept and banding equipment.

Who knows what kind of a deal you can cut.

Maybe they would take some pots or need some unusual wood working done.

Lew

[Lew Hodgett]

Sisal is already at the bottom of the bucket, it is going to need all the help it can get, but epoxy, in addition to being an expensive solution, has no UV resistance.

Lew

[Robatoy]

There you go, I didn't know that about WEST and UV. Yup, sisal is crap, but what else is cheap? please NO polyprop...*S*

[Lew Hodgett]

Yup, sisal is crap, but what else is cheap? please NO polyprop...*S*

My first shot would be the plastic banding used for shipping.

Strong, doesn't rust, you don't need skilled labor.

The initial investment is about the only negative, but if amortized over a production run, that goes away.

Lew

[RicodJour]

In your original post you said you were only going to build a few, and just above you said you were going to build a bunch. A few is three or four and that kit has 50' of banding and ten clamps - should be enough for a few or five. The price breaks down to a bit over 10 bucks per planter if you make five, and added benefits are the planter is now knock-down (shipping them as gifts?) and also easily repairable. That was also the first link that I found that had what I wanted to show you - I'm sure you could find a kit for cheaper.

The plastic banding, epoxy and twine and all that would work, but it would look a bit too Jed Clampett for my tastes.

R

[Robatoy]

My feeling for it was more of an artsy 'green' kinda thing. With all that stainless, plastic banding, etc, it is starting to look like a prosthetic device. . . . I keed!

[Lee Michaels]

"Tanus" wrote

When I was a kid, my nephews start running when I say this, I used to make simple cedar flowerpots for all the wimmim folks in the valley. I make a couple models. One just stacked cedar, carved "timbers" on each other and were nailed together. The other used wider cedar boards and were held together with twisted wire.

I put together the sides of the flowerpot with grooves in them and just wired them together with wire. Nothing fancy. The ladies on the various farms loved them and bought up all I could make at the princely sum of $1.00 each, But a dollar went much further then.

Don't know if that helps, but I thought I would give it a shot.

[Tanus]

That's the problem. Although I said in an earlier post that I had a few to do, it's no production run. 6-12 depending on SWMBO's wants, needs and desires.

Plastic was one thing I'd thought of, but I really don't think it would look right on cedar. The cedar would age.....the plastic would look like plastic. The original that I copied had black steel banding, and after a year or so, you were hardly aware that it was there.

The rope, if done properly, should look sort of ......I don't know....naval?

Twisted wire is also an option I'd thought of, and I have a length of stainless wire that I'm not using. It might be worth trying too.

Tanus

[Angela Sekeris]

Aarrrrrrrrrrgh, matey.

[Robatoy]

I have to pay more attention to who is logged on on the macbook. Angela sounds NOTHING like a pirate.

[Tanus]

Better take another listen, Rob. That sounded very piratey to me.

Tanus