The building of Pea Palace(Pic Heavy)

[frenchblackcopper]

Now it's time for a glass of Vino to work thru another problem I forsee with this.If you notice the plates are on top of the posts but my guide wires are mostly at least 1"-2"s UNDER the top of the posts.I can see this problem coming,but everytime I want to roll the tarp up,or pull the tarp over the pens it is going to stop at every row of poles.and I will have to enter each pen,and push up on the rolled up tarp so it clears the tops of the posts and then push them on the other side of the post and then move it 10' until I get to the next row and repeat again..This will be about 5 times or rows of posts I will fight rolling,or unrolling it.I have thought of putting a single heavy wire all across the very top of each row of posts,on top of the plates to prevent this.But what would be easier is if I can find the wide canvas type material used in hold down straps.Problem is,,I need a length of 50' and will.need 5 of them.Anything to make it smooth rolling before and after each post is whats needed,,,,

 

[AugeredIn]

I wonder if you are over worried about the issue? It seems to me that you probably will not be rolling it up as much as you think. It also seems that it will be fairly difficult to roll it up as nice and tidy as you expect without a lot of work anyway. I think I would be tempted to keep it simple and inexpensive. Try it first without spending a bunch more money or time for now?

One of the things I like about what you have done is that you have kept your cost lower and design much simpler than what I have done and what I have seen. I would stick with this theme.

The plates look like they will work great. Liquid nails will hold well, but one thing I would have done is roughed up the surface of the plates for the glue to take better hold. I think you will be alright though.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

AugeredIn,,when the forecast is hot for several days in a row as it is here the tarp will be over the top,,but when we get storms thru here and winds in excess of 60mph,that tarp will ned rolled up and secured on that end.I used to own a tandem grain truck as well as a semi truck years ago,and rolling the tarp over after the truck is loaded is done by pulling a rope that is wound up with the tarp around the main pipe.When you want to get the truck loaded you use the long crank handle with like a socket swivel that has a square shaft that goes inside a square hole at one end of the pipe.I plan to cut a square hole in a PCV cap,then attach it to the last segment of PCV pipe.Althought the tarp dimension is 40' in width,I plan to have about 44' of 1 1/2" pipe for it to be rolled up on,giving me 2' on either side of the tarp.Then I have the larger 2" pipe for an extension over the edge of the outside pen that will be used for the crank to roll the tarp open with.
The tarp won't weigh much and tonight I have decided to try using the nylon rope I bought to go over the top of the plates on every row of posts.It will be much easier to pull tight since it's not going thru a hole drilled thru the post.Anything just to even out the crossing over the top of the posts,,and I hope this will work.

 

[AugeredIn]

I think that is going to work just fine!

 

[frenchblackcopper]

I think my next project for consuming large amounts of cash will be a 30x30 duck aviary with 3 ponds,pumps,drains,plumbing out the yazoo,landscaping,,,more fencing and construction,,,and Merlot.I bet the cost of this small duck aviary could exceed Pea Palace easily!!!

 

[Mmmatt13]

 

[angsaidso]

I am so anxious to have mandarin ducks!!!!

 

[frenchblackcopper]

I mentioned ducks,,,,,,,,,,,,because I'm serious about it,,,,,,I like the small Ornamental vaireties such as Mandarins,teals,Pintails,,but I have a long ways to go yet reading and deciding.Seems about everything that I touch poultry related I do good with,,must be from my ancestors that always had some kind of chickens,,ect,but ducks?? I'd be the first with those.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Well,the UPS truck arrived and dropped off a big,heavy box containing the tarp just a few minutes ago,,,guess this means the REAL work begins now!! I'm putting a fresh bottle of Vino in the fridge now for later this afternoon,,cause this will surely be a headache in the making!!

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Well it's break time and here's what has happened.All my plates are atop each post now.Eye bolts was installed on all posts on the south side near the top and then I tied one end if the 1/4" nylon rope to the eye,then pulled the rope over the row of posts and on top of the plates to the north side and pulled them tight and anchored them.You can see I used a grinder to cut a groove in the post so the rope doesn't wear thru.