Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Step 1 - Research and planning.

I learnt a lot with the dual IBC system, but we were planning a reno on the house and the system couldn't stay where it was, so I was going to have to pull it apart and move it - big job. Around the same time a mate gave me a couple of additional IBC's so rather than just move the system I figured it was time to scale up a bit and build my first CHIFT-PIST system. I've also always wanted a greenhouse so this is a good opportunity to do that too.

After lots of reading and sketching options I settled on a metal hoop house of 4m x 3.6m.


I was initially quite excited to read about the American hand pipe bender which is a quite reasonably priced tool. The inventor/supplier in the States quoted (by email) shipping costs which still allowed it to be an inexpensive option. I read a couple of blogs of people who had used the tool successfully, but they were in the States, so I tried to find someone who had used the tool here in Aust. A couple of Aussies here on BYAP had looked into it in the past but no one seemed to have gone ahead and imported one. My main concern was that the tool was designed for use with light gauge pre-swaged top rails for chain link fencing (sometimes called cyclone fencing in Aust). After looking for a supplier of such rails in Aust I concluded we use much heavier gauge steel for fencing here. I emailed the supplier of the tool again and asked how it would go with 32nb 33.7mm OD (1.33") 2mm thickness (US 14 guage) galv steel pipe, and he replied that "First the 14 gage Wall thickness will in a short time damage the bender. Second there is no way of knowing what diameter hoop the 14 gage will end up being. If alloy is soft it may come out right. But my guess it will not." It was good of him to be so frank.

Next I looked into getting the galv steel pipes rolled and swaged by a steel rolling company. The super helpful guy at BendPro said they were geared to volume orders but gave me a bunch of smaller fabrication places to try. I spoke to a couple on the phone and after sending them my hand drawn diagram of the hoops I wanted made up, received a quote for supply of the pipe (8 sections to make up 4 hoops), bending and swaging. Brace yourself...$1047 including GST (tax). So i declined and felt sorry for myself for a week or so, before the solution came to me.

To be continued...

Perhaps you can change your design ideas to a peaked roof instead of an arch? You can still cover with plastic or panels or whatever you desire but it would alleviate all of these issues of pipe bending.

Ah yes Squatch, but that wouldn't satisfy my bloody-mindedness :-)

Step 2 - Pipe Bending.

So after sulking for a week it occurred to me that a hand pipe bender is just a jig. Surely I can build a jig. Maybe not as nice as a bought one, but...

I tend to believe that most backyard problems can be fixed with a combination of star pickets, fencing wire, sleepers, and a willingness to accept a half-ass solution.
Examining that toolkit, sleepers seemed like the best bet, so I had a crack at making a jig out of sleepers. The first thing was to lay out the sleepers and mark an arc on them at the required radius. Next, cut along the marked line, and finally screw together with large baton screws.

A Brisbane small-lot steel supplier called Bit's of Steel Supplies had the gal pipes I wanted for $31.60 per 7.2m length, and were happy to cut them in half for free. So I bought the pipes from them. Then spent a few hours swinging off the end of the pipes to bend them on the jig.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the result: a set of pipes with a curve to give a hoop house width of 3.6m. Sweet.

Now the real work could begin - sitework.
To be continued...

Cool idea with the jig

Way to adapt! Good job! You're on your way! :-)

Step 3 - Assemble frame and start digging.

It's been a slow process due to having a big house renovation running at the same time, but here's an update on recent progress.

First the sleeper base was laid, the hoops put up, and the ends framed in.

Then, the sump hole was marked out with string, and the dig started. The first 30cm was frustrating as it was full of roots of the nearby palms and golden cane. Below that was 70cm of clay, then about 30cm
of compressed sand. This was a big job and definitely the biggest whole I have dug with a shovel.


Now I have started assembling the sleeper base to go in the bottom of the sump hole.
Slowly but surely :-)

made me laugh.

looks like you found a few rocks down there. I was beginning to wonder if all the rock was in New Mexico

Nope, those aren't rocks mate (thank god!). Those are chunks of clay that I broke out with the crowbar.
Didn't hit any rocks. I did dig out a couple of cinder blocks, a brick, a block of concrete, and a very rusted steel frame which (based on the layer of ash and slag surrounding it) I think was the base of an old incinerator.

Step 4 - Sump Casing.

Made a start on the sump casing which provides a base for the sump IBC and solid walls to keep the soil off the IBC so it can be removed if necessary for repair/replacement. Many people have strong feelings about the use of treated pine, but I went with it after feeling the difference in weight between a pine sleeper and a hardwood one. The base seen in the photo is made of 4 full sleepers and it stretched my strength and balance moving it from the flat surface where I assembled it to the sump hole. I have temporarily installed a huge, ugly, blue tarp over the hoops to keep the weather out while I do the assembly of sump, FT's and GB's.
Finally making progress but it's been raining here in Brisbane for the last couple of days and our forecast is for rain all weekend so things might slow down again.

sounds archaeological

That bending jig is brilliant

Great stuff!

Pretty dam impressive,fantastic costruction on all of it so far.....