The DIY raft

Remember one of my Nov's posts called 'Stuff happening'? I'd mentioned in that of a simple 'do it yourself' raft I'd started upon. Well, for one reason or another the project got delayed. That's okay, but this morning as I picked up on the job from where I'd left, I was yet again introduced to the fact that the small basic things you learn when you work with your own hands, do a great lot for your inner content. My work place therefore today found me barely making it in time, though with an accompanying halo of satisfaction.

What I'm about to recount below is a step by step methodology of doing the deed, especially for those who'd like to try a hand at it themselves.

1. I marked a grid on the previously cut thermocol sheet, such that each intersection was approximately 6 inches(") from its adjacent one. I also ensured that a gap of at least 2" would remain between the edges of the sheet and the holes to be.

2. I measured the size of the holes on the commercial raft's lid and cut a paper to size as shown above. The idea was to use it as template to draw circles at appropriate places on the grid. I then intended to use something called a 'hole saw' tool to cut through the marked circles. Hole saw is nothing but a circular saw. Here's the set I have. It's cheap and readily available at any good hardware store.

3. To my pleasant surprise, the 2.5" and the 2" hole saws could easily be used to cut holes of the desired size. And then came a bit of learning. As I've explained earlier, the seed goes into the coco-peat grow plug...the grow plug goes into the net pot...the net pot goes through the hole in the lid such that, it's own netted portion is exposed down below, while it's neck rests snugly in the lid above...the nutrient water surface below just about skims the base of the net pot...capillary action feeds the roots of the just germinated seed with the nutrient through the net pot--through the coco-peat grow plug...the roots grow downwards and the plant grows upwards...finally, the roots begin to emerge out of the grow plug and find spaces through the net-pots' slots to actually get to the nutrient around. Everyone's happy. But, for it to be so...it is imperative that all the slots of the net pot actually get exposed below the lid. And here was a small challenge.

4. In a commercial raft, the lid is a thin (though sturdy) plastic sheet with holes for conical  net pots to easily go through all the way down, till their necks gets stuck and can't go through the hole. 

In this case however, the lid is 1.25" thick thermocol sheet. So if there's a through and through hole, the conical shape of the net pot would go down partially...it would get stuck much before the neck encounters the sheet...all the slots would not get exposed below the sheet...the roots of the plant thus, would not find as many slots to go through and sip on the nutrient, everyone is unhappy.

5. The solution lied in cutting through a stepped hole. Like the crater of a volcano. 

And that's exactly what I did. I used the 2.5" hole saw to cut through partially. The drill bit helped in marking the centre. I now used the 2" hole saw to cut a gaping hole through, the same centre. A point to note here. The thickness of the thermocol may not allow the hole saw to easily go through and through as it tends to get embedded and kind of stuck. So the moment it gets stuck, retract...turn the thermocol around and go cutting through the other side and Voila!!! All there's left to do now, is peel off the excess thermocol bitten into by the larger tool, to have a step of a larger diameter leading to a through and through hole of a smaller diameter.

6. Another thing. You may need to hit and try a few times to exactly know how much is 'partial' for the bigger hole saw. The moment you are sure, mark a line on the hole saw itself for you to know the limit to which it needs to go through and then stop.

7. It makes sense to practice the first couple of holes on a piece of thermocol which you can discard. Only when you are sure, does it make sense to go drilling through the real thing.

8. It helps if you first finish all the jobs of the larger hole saw in one go.

And then get on to the smaller dia tool to go all the way through.

And it definitely makes sense to carry out the entire process outdoors, as the thermocol balls have a way of frolicking around, that can be hard to handle indoors. Also please use protective eye-wear...I didn't...and a teeny particle of the thermocol frolicked around my right eye ball for the larger portion of the day. 

And after all of this of course, please be the responsible earthling and clean up!!! 

There!!! that's that. 12 grow plugs sit quietly in a dark spot, with spinach seeds impregnated. The coming week should hopefully see them germinated and ready to go into the DIY raft. I shall keep us posted.