DIY Thread - Let's see your "Inventions".

[Italia]

That is so clever!! I love it!! How well will the palm fronds keep out rain?

Just went to check on it after it rained a little I while ago. I would say good enough for chicken summer camp.

 

[Italia]

Wow I LOVE all those tropicals! Your thatch job looks way better than mine. Thanks for posting these pics. I might have to zoom in on your work to see how you do the layering. We had some steady strong wing come through last night and I was very happy to see that everything held tight. It was the first time I have tried layering leaves like that.

All my coops have palm frond roofs.

These are nipa palm.

We also use coconut palm. Splitting coconut pals works best.

 

[ozexpat]

Here is a bit of a story of how to make a palm frond roof

The best palm to use is called Nipa. It grows in very wet, swampy areas in tropical climates.

The fronds are stripped from the branch and folded over a split peice of bamboo and then pinned in place

The 4 ft sections are tied to a bamboo frame with the nylon from a nylon belted radial tire - its cheap and flexible.

A roof is good for 5 years.

When using coconut we split them and lie them on layers alternating sides.

 

[Italia]

Here is a bit of a story of how to make a palm frond roof

The best palm to use is called Nipa. It grows in very wet, swampy areas in tropical climates.

The fronds are stripped from the branch and folded over a split peice of bamboo and then pinned in place

The 4 ft sections are tied to a bamboo frame with the nylon from a nylon belted radial tire - its cheap and flexible.

A roof is good for 5 years.

When using coconut we split them and lie them on layers alternating sides.

Aww mann. I live in a desert. lol I could not do that but thanks for the lesson. Yours is way better than my slap together job! By the way I love all the crinums and how tall they are in the previous pics. I have to cover mine for the winter or they freeze to the ground. Are your crinum blooms white?

 

[Triple Willow]

Cool thread.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Cool thread.

X2. Nice people and so creative.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: There has to be something that Mexican fan palms can be used for some way to fabricate with them for shelter..... Now I HAVE TO DIG..... LOL.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

OK fan palm IS used for thatched roofs.....

http://en.howtopedia.org/wiki/Biomass_Roofing_Materials-_Principles

Look down for a picture that shows the inside of two thatched roofs one is fan palm one is coconut palm thatch. VERY interesting.

With fan palms the leaves are kept whole and dried and the fan compressed in width then they are hung by their stems or a bit of stem from one cross board and tied to a second to keep its shape..... Very not as pretty from the inside but it gets the job done.

deb

 

[Italia]

Here is the final product of my thatch love hut and it is made from Mexican fan palm leaves. Still need to make a box for when a lady comes to visit this boy though.

 

[Italia]

I looked over that link and that sure is a lot of work, but beautiful kinda like an art. Thanks for the link

OK fan palm IS used for thatched roofs.....

http://en.howtopedia.org/wiki/Biomass_Roofing_Materials-_Principles

Look down for a picture that shows the inside of two thatched roofs one is fan palm one is coconut palm thatch. VERY interesting.

With fan palms the leaves are kept whole and dried and the fan compressed in width then they are hung by their stems or a bit of stem from one cross board and tied to a second to keep its shape..... Very not as pretty from the inside but it gets the job done.

deb