Dave Adams wrote in message ...
Fellow Gardeners,

After my own disappointments with the flimsy wire cages available for
holding up tomatoes,I decided to make my own. Here is what I've come
up with. They are made of 1/4" round rod and welded on the ends. I've
taken cable clamps and welded the U-shaped threaded ends to the hoops, so
that they can be disassembled for shipping and storage. They assemble
easily in about a minute with with a 7/16" wrench, socket, or even pliers.
They are four ft. tall, but I will also be making them 5 ft. with the
option of 4 hoops.

They are finished with penetrol for rust-resistance.

What is that? A paint? A metal finish? A plastic?

What do you think?(Any response is more than
appreciated)

Well, ok, you asked for it..... :-) I think they are pretty good, they
look large and sturdy, plus u-bolts are a good idea too.

The picture you have posted is very large (bytes wise) and will probably
**** more people off than will look at it. Some people download all posts
and others may not be able to see the size of the post depending on the
browser. Both of these conditions lead to unexpected waiting time. If the
newsgroup does not have "binaries" or "pictures" in the name then usually
posting pictures is unwanted. Normally you would post the pic some where
else (like a yahoo club/profile or your ISP site) and provide the link to
it.

OK, more about the picture......the legs look crooked and the rings could be
welded differently. Also it looks like it could use a lower ring. When
welding the rings I would not lap them over each other, instead I would tuck
them inside or better yet weld them end to end at the same point your
welding on one of the u-bolts.

Did you have to bend the rings into circles or do they come rounded? I just
made some cucumber cages from 1/2" re-bar and I bent it with a conduit
bender.

I know the plants don't care about the above but people must look and like
your product before they will buy it. I like what you did, I'm just trying
to be helpful.

I bought some large and heavy duty tapered cages at Earls Mays last year,
maybe paid $3-5 each!! So there is a market for them.

Cheers,
Jim