You can check out their website here
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com.au/They also have an online shop, so Tim, your above question is answered there
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Building Stands
I am writing this as a bit of a DIY, because I dont think some people realise just how much time goes in to building a metal stand.
A 20 second weld may take 20 minutes of preparation.
Tools:
Welder (I use a Mig welder cos I can, but a $130 arc welder from Bunnings does the job fine, actually they are generally neater and stronger... but are less forgiving towards skill level)
5" Grinder with cutting discs and a flap disc (I dont use grinding discs, I prefer flap discs as I find them to be just as fast but have a neater, smoother finish)
2ft square
Tri square with 45 degree Angle
2 cheap F clamps (If you buy expensive ones I can guarantee you will accidentally weld them to the steel at some point!)
Engineering chalk
Hammer
Before starting, calculate all your lengths that need to be cut and work out the most effective way to cut everything with the steel you have. THere is nothing more annoying than having 2 900mm bits of steel felt over and needing a 1000mm long piece.
I dont used a drop saw because the blade moves everytime and your cuts are never right.
Mark out your length.
When cutting, dont cut on the line, cut next to the line, using 1mm cutting discs doesnt make that big a difference, but a little preparation stops alot of filling in with the welder.
![](http://members.iinet.net.au/~andrewmillar/ap/step%204.jpg)
I prefer to cut all lengths first instead of cutting as you need them.
This photo is for Bowdy
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All corners mitred using a tri square and grinder, layed down before I start.
This way if you stuff up a cut and one length is 100mm short it will stand out before going any further.
![](http://members.iinet.net.au/~andrewmillar/ap/step%201.jpg)
Use your 2ft square to ensure the pieces are perfectly square, then tac them together in 3 places.
Double check they are still square, the weld an offcut piece of steel around it as a brace
![](http://members.iinet.net.au/~andrewmillar/ap/step%202.jpg)
I tack the top left corner together, then the bottom right corner together, now that the two separate pieces are perfectly square, join them together, double check square, then tack the 2 halves together
Make sure it fits before welding, tacks are much easier to cut than full welds
![](http://members.iinet.net.au/~andrewmillar/ap/step%203.jpg)
Finished product.
To weld the legs on, I sit the leg on the steel and let it sit where it wants. Then get the 2ft square and see what corner is the highest and tack that corner in place.
Then get more steel offcuts, tack one end to the stand, then clamp the other end of the brace to the leg, and knock with the hammer till it is square.
Tack the brace to the leg. Remove the clamp and double check square again.
Then do the same on the other side of the leg.
Once the leg is braced, you can weld it up.
![](http://members.iinet.net.au/~andrewmillar/ap/finished.jpg)
Centre braces, I measure one side, clamp it in place, check it is square, clamp the other side, then weld.
If you dont like using the square you can just measure to make sure it is straight, but I find you make less mistakes using a square than a tape measure.
Once everything is fully welded you can remove the braces and clean with the grinder and flap disc.
Then I quickly go over every weld with a wire brush to ensure there is no powdery smoke residue left on the steel. If you dont, the paint doesnt stick to the steel.
Everything loaded for the trip home.
3 growbed stands, 30 bags of Hydroton, 3 short lengths of left over steel and a 3 tier 3ft rack that magically ended up getting built this weekend too.
I'll be painting the steel at home over the week, hopefully ready to put everything in place on the weekend.
![](http://members.iinet.net.au/~andrewmillar/ap/triphome.jpg)
Tips:
1) ALWAYS Tack, brace, weld. As welds cool they shrink and pull the steel.
It is quite surprising just how much a metal stand will move once you weld it if you dont brace it.
2) Notice I said TACK not BLOB. There is a difference, tacks need to be easy to cut, but strong enough to do the job.
You can guarantee you will do a perfect tack every single time you stuff up and need to cut it!
3) Remember the seven P's: Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance
And Measure twice, cut once.
I tend to measure, mark where I am cutting, measure again, cut, measure the cut piece.
If I am cutting more than one length the same size I stack them on top of each other to make sure they are all the same length.
4) It may take 20 seconds to do a weld, but there may be 20 minutes of preparation before you get to do it. Dont rush the prep, it is alot faster than cutting all your work and starting again.
5) If you are buying precision measuring tools from Bunnings (squares and levels etc) make sure they are square or level especially the el cheapo Chinese ones.
It is not uncommon for a square or level to be slightly off from brand new and it only take a few seconds to check them.
To check a level, place it on a surface and see where the bubble sits, then spin the level 180 degrees and check to see if the bubble is resting in the same spot.
To check a square, lay it against a flat surface and make a line, or find a square join on a desk or something, then turn the square and try from the other way.
6) When welding you are stitching two pieces of steel together. Dont just run the rod/wire along the join. Move the end in a c pattern from one piece to the other, you need to direct the spark to where you need it to burn.
Dont expect to buy a welder and do a neat weld right from go, it takes time to learn what you are doing and what to look at. Practice on offcuts first if you need to so you can set the current and speed.
Dont be surprised it at first you only manage to weld the stick to the steel and get loud buzzing noises from the welder!
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7) Be patient, if you rush, you will stuff it up.
8) If you think buying metal racks are expensive considering there is only about $50 worth of steel in them, think about the time involved to build it. Ask yourself what your time is worth. It might be alot easier just to pay someone else to do it.