Movable Planter

Edited by Frank Gardner

From Australian Handyman Magazine

Build a mobile flower box that sits on a deck rail.
The design of this planter means it can be built to any length. The base sits on the floor without tipping, or rests on a 90 x 45mm or 140 x 45mm railing. Use Western red cedar, which won’t deteriorate. Line with plastic, fill with soil and potted plants then pack with pine bark. Move the box occasionally so the railing underneath can dry out.

Download PDF

STEP 1

Mark out and cut ends
Transfer the planter end pattern (see Diagram 2) to 25mm grid paper. Tape the pattern to the board and clamp to a bench. Cut out the ends using a jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade.

STEP 2

Attach the base
Drill pilot holes then apply glue and attach the base to the ends using 50 x 2mm stainless-steel decking nails.
TIP: Pilot holes prevent the nails from splitting the timber.

STEP 3

Add the railings
Use a tablesaw to cut the railing sides to width, with a 35o bevel along one edge. Attach the railing sides to the base. Glue and secure with decking nails as before.
TIP: The bevelled edges fit the sides snugly against the curved ends.

STEP 4

Fix the slats
Cut the side slats to width using a tablesaw. Drill pilot holes then nail the slats to the ends, working from top to bottom (see Diagram 1).

STEP 5

Add the spacers
Add spacers to the inside of each railing side for extra strength and to fit the box snugly on the railing. To finish, drill four drainage holes in the base and paint the box with stain or sealer.

Sponsored Links

Send for your subscription to Australian Handyman Magazine and receive free postage & handling!

See More Jokes

One week after moving out of home and into his first apartment, Edward called his mother to complain about his neighbours: “One woman cries all day, another lies in bed moaning, and then there’s the guy who keeps banging his head against the wall.”

“Better keep away from them,” she said.

“I do. I stay inside all day playing my tuba.”

Alan Owens