Bootstrap Farmer DIY Hoop House Quick Start Guide

welcome to bootstrap farmer's hoop house a QuickStart guide let's begin by squaring your area set your first corner post measure the width set your second quarter post measure the length and then the width again for your third and fourth post you can now begin by measuring the diagonal from your first post to your third post and then from your second post to your fourth post the goal is to never remove the first post and adjust to post two three and four until they exactly measure the same from corner to corner if you chose the week barrier option this is now the time to install that next you will run a string line from your corner post lengthwise down the length of the building level the string line and using the included post driver lower your ground post every four foot along the string next you'll install your baseboards use the four and a half inch by quarter inch carriage bolt from inside to outside through holes you will drill on your ground post and the baseboard at the same time it's now time to bend your pipes to make hoops start 9 inches from the tapered in insert into the collar of the hoop bender and pull down be careful not to pull down all the way and move your pipe approximately 18 inches and repeat take note not to twist your pipe Ezra bending use the included extension bar to give yourself a little extra leverage and again be careful not to over band use the three quarter inch self-tapping screws to join the pipes to form your hoops and be careful to do that from the side it's very common for hoops to be a little wider before you start sending them into the ground post set one in into the ground post and then have your partner push in or pull out to go into the other ground post you'll connect your hoops to your ground post with a quarter inch by two inch hex bolt nut and washer throughout this process you'll notice that the hoops at this point will not exactly line up and those adjustments will come during your headboard and ridgepole installation next put your cross connectors on your hoops but don't tighten down until your Ridge pole is assembled and slid into the loose cross connectors you'll now install your hip boards upon the hoop mark all the way across level and with a partner and a clamp begin setting your hip boards drill a quarter inch hole through the board and through the pipe and then secure with a quarter inch by four inch carriage bolt with the nut and washer it's now time to install your lock channel for your spring wire you can install your channel to wood by using the one in the quarter wood screws every 18 inches or so when installing the lock channel on the ends of your high tunnel you can clamp the end and use the three-quarter inch self tapping screws and the channel will Bend along the curve of the hoop there's many ways to build an in-wall the most common components are a baseboard and then studs to form supports your doorframe and header just secure your door with lock channel to secure plastic with wiggle wire any studs and your door frame can be secured by notching out a space for the hoop and when accounting for the width of your door be attached with one of the included carriage bolts washer and nut make sure any studs or door frames don't extend past your hoop if you don't use a premade door or screen door you can build your own with lumber but it's a good idea to support any corners with plywood as wood doors can become quite heavy and are used very often when sizing your door and considering your in wall construction think about the equipment your crop any maintenance foot traffic and daily use period there's gonna be a lot of people and a lot of things come in and out of that door sometimes many times a day make sure it's not a burden for you in the future now we get to the part that makes people the most nervous but I promise is really not that bad unfold your plastic and with a minimum of two people bring your plastic over the frame either from the side or lengthwise and then begin securing the plastics starting at one end on the hoop by installing spring into the lock channel make sure you drape over enough to cover your in walls and then start on the other side stretch and do the same for your sides you'll either go all the way down if you don't have a hand crank but if you are installing a hand crank just remember to keep things pulled tight as you go a quick note on the sides if you do not have the hand crank option you can secure the very bottom of your tunnel at this point but if you do have a hand crank you'll roll out 3/4 inch conduit with the couplers that are included in your roll up kit roll up the excess plastic to we're about an inch is off the ground and install the included snap clamps roughly every two feet using the weight of the conduit to put tension on the plastic you can now secure your plastic in the channel along the headboard simply place the spring wire into one end of the block channel and push in as you go up and down and now you're ready to install your hand crank by drilling a hole in using the included bolt to connect to the EMT once your hand crank is attached you can drive up a piece of half-inch scrap EMT into the ground and then install the three-quarter inch of EMT that you can bend in your hoop bender to match the curve over your hoops which becomes the guide rod for your hand crank take note that the first time you use the hand crank you'll have to hand roll and make adjustments up and down the length of the building until it's even congratulations you've now built a high tunnel on your own there are the last two mini seasons for more information visit bootstrap farmer comm

Channel: Bootstrap Farmer

Views: 37,630

Keywords: Farming, diy, hoop house, greenhouse, cat tunnel, catapillar tunnel, high tunnel, NRCS, market garden, farmer

Id: nLJv4B5xvH8

Length: 5min 17sec (317 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 27 2019