Garden · GA-048
Row-cover ballast-bag filling collar
Hold a compatible empty ballast bag open while clean dry fill is scooped into it for later row-cover edge restraint.
Editorial construction draft. Original digital diagrams; no physical build or load certification. Read dimensions, fit and use limits before making changes. US customary dimensions control; metric values are references.
Before marking and cutting
- Measure the stated stock sections before cutting. Use the cut-list geometry, not scale measurements from the drawing.
- US inch dimensions control; millimeter values are rounded conversions. Ordinary cut target ±1/16 in (1.6 mm); fit commercial accessories before boring attachment holes.
Use limits
- Original bounded garden component, not an occupied structure.
- No human standing, sitting, climbing, lifting or fall protection use. No stated safe working load.
- Geometry and fastener quantities are editorially checked; no prototype build, wind test or crop trial is claimed.
Materials and cuts
| Part | Qty | Size to cut | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| P01 Long collar walls | 2 | 10 × 3 1/2 × 3/4 in 254 × 88.9 × 19.05 mm | 1 × 4 in board sound untreated cedar or other durable untreated wood |
| P02 End collar walls | 2 | 6 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 3/4 in 165.1 × 88.9 × 19.05 mm | 1 × 4 in board sound untreated cedar or other durable untreated wood |
| P03 Support feet | 2 | 14 × 1 1/2 × 3/4 in 355.6 × 38.1 × 19.05 mm | 1 × 2 in board sound untreated cedar or other durable untreated wood; no unknown salvage |
Hardware and consumables
- 8 #8 × 1-1/2 in screws for collar corners
- 8 #8 × 1-1/4 in screws for feet
- 4 removable spring clamps with padded jaws
- Purpose-made ballast bags compatible with the actual collar opening; scoop and appropriate fill
Tools
- Tape measure and steel rule
- Pencil, square and clamps
- Saw suited to the stated stock; eye and hearing protection
- Drill/driver, countersink and bits matched to fasteners
- Sandpaper and edge file; gloves when handling cut mesh
Assembly
- Plan the row-cover ballast-bag filling collar for this result: Hold a compatible empty ballast bag open while clean dry fill is scooped into it for later row-cover edge restraint. Confirm the design reference before cutting: Clear opening 8-1/2 × 6-1/2 in (215.9 × 165.1 mm). In the drawings x runs left to right, y runs front to rear and z runs upward.
- Verify the required stock before laying out these parts: 1 × 2 in board: actual 0.75 × 1.5 in (19.05 × 38.1 mm); 1 × 4 in board: actual 0.75 × 3.5 in (19.05 × 88.9 mm). Reject split or twisted wood and unknown salvage; thinner stock requires recalculating the joints, not simply using the listed lengths.
- Cut and label the finished parts: 2 Long collar walls 10 × 3.5 × 0.75 in (254 × 88.9 × 19.05 mm), mark P01; 2 End collar walls 6.5 × 3.5 × 0.75 in (165.1 × 88.9 × 19.05 mm), mark P02; 2 Support feet 14 × 1.5 × 0.75 in (355.6 × 38.1 × 19.05 mm), mark P03. Keep saw kerf outside each finished line. Rip only where the finished width is narrower than the actual stock; use a suitable guide and target ±1/16 in (1.6 mm) for ordinary cuts. Dowel triples mean length × diameter × diameter, not square dowel stock.
- Assemble an open-bottom 10 × 8 in rectangle with 6-1/2 in end walls between the long walls. Clear opening is 8-1/2 × 6-1/2 in.
- Clamp square and fasten two 1-1/2 in screws at each corner, at z = 7/8 and 2-5/8 in.
- Center the two 14 in feet under the front and rear walls so they extend 2 in beyond each side. Their 1-1/2 in-wide faces lie flat.
- Fasten each foot upward with four 1-1/4 in screws into the collar wall edge, keeping points buried.
- Round the collar upper edges to a smooth 1/8 in radius and sand the opening so it cannot abrade a bag.
- Stand the fixture on a clean stable work surface with the bag bottom supported below it. Pull the empty bag mouth up through the opening and fold it over the four walls.
- Apply four padded spring clamps, one per side, and scoop a small trial amount of fill. The bag bottom remains supported; the collar does not suspend a filled bag.
- Remove clamps, slide the bag out and close it according to its design. Place completed bags as the row-cover system requires; do not invent a universal ballast quantity or leave lifting loads on the collar.
- Complete the acceptance checks below before putting the assembly into service. Record any changed stock thickness, fastener or equipment fit on the project sheet. The published geometry has not been physically built or load-tested.
Checks
- Clear opening 8-1/2 × 6-1/2 in (215.9 × 165.1 mm).
- Bag mouth fits without stretching; bag bottom carries the fill weight throughout.
Operation
- Filling aid only; no wind-resistance rating for bags, row covers or anchors.
Cleaning and maintenance
- Brush off fill, dry the collar and replace abrasive clamp pads.
Primary context
These sources inform the context and do not endorse the original construction design.