Saturday, November 19, 2011

Homemade Hoop Clips

PVC hoops are very useful in a vegetable garden.  I leave mine in place year round, so they're available to use when I need to cover my plants with row cover fabric or shade cloth.


Securing the row cover fabric to the hoops can be challenging especially in a high wind.  Hoop clips are an easy way to make sure the fabric stays put.  I started out using battery clamps for my hoop clips.  These work pretty well, but they can be expensive and difficult to find in large sizes.  When I found instructions on the web for making homemade PVC clips, I was sold.    


The PVC clips are inexpensive and easy to make with just a few tools.  You'll need a measuring tape, a marker, a hacksaw, a Dremel drill with a cutting wheel and a grinding attachment and the PVC.  When using PVC hoops made from ½ inch thick walled pipe, select ½ inch thin walled PVC pipe for the clips.

Start by measuring and marking the PVC into 2 inch sections.  Use the hacksaw to cut the PVC at each marked point.

Use the Dremel cutting wheel to cut a half inch section from the PVC.  This will create the opening needed to use the PVC as a clip.

The Dremel grinding attachment should fit nicely in the clip opening.

Use the grinding wheel to smooth the rough edges of the PVC where the cuts where made.

Round the corners using the grinder.  Smooth out any rough places on the PVC that could snag the row cover fabric.

The finished clips will pile up before you know it. 

The clips will snap on easily over your fabric for a secure fit.

16 comments:

  1. Great idea and i am glad to see you wearing a sensible pair of gloves

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  2. Those sensible gloves (and hairy forearms) are being modeled by my wonderful husband. What a guy!

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  3. I like, but where do I find thin wall PVC pipe that will fit over thin wall metal conduit?? That's what I made my hoops out of.

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    1. Here's a thought... Take a piece of your conduit to your favorite hardware store and look for something large enough to fit snuggly, but allow enough play for your fabric. There's lots of different kinds of tubing that could have the potential to meet your needs. Please write back and let me know if you find a solution. Someone else may have this issue as well. Thanks.

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    2. A store like Lowe's sells thin wall PVC pipe. Regular PVC is known as schedule 40 and that is what is used for typical water lines. There's schedule 80 which is gray and much thicker, meant for cold weather. Then there's schedule 20 which is much lighter. The 40 and 80 will connect to each other but the 20 is a slightly different size. Then there's cpvc which is meant for hot water and it is smaller in size than PVC and can't be connected without a conversion piece, which they also sell.

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  4. you could also take a pvc pipe cut it like these snap clamps, then heat it with a hair dryer, gas stove flame or electric heat gun and bend it enough so it holds - even if it is a little loose it should still work.

    And...

    you could also take a larger pvc pipe and glue in smaller pieces to alter the size back down to fitting over the thin walled EMT metal tube.

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  5. What is the white fabric you are using?

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    1. The white fabric I'm using is called frost cloth. It's a special gardening fabric that provides up to 7 degrees of protection during freezing temperatures. The fabric comes in different weights, which provide varying degrees of protection.

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  6. Thanks for this.

    Found elsewhere on the net that PVC and Polyethylene (greenhouse plastic) don't play well together, so you may want to have some cloth or felt between, in this case.

    By the way, is the frost cloth reusable for next season, or single use? I've looked at it, but thought it might get expensive replacing it.

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    1. When people give half a reason for their answers it's almost like saying, I dare you to try it and see for yourself. Don't you agree?

      Why don't they get along?

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    2. The pvc gives off a gas which will degrade the polythene cover, you need to put tape over pvc so polythene cover is not in contact with pvc pipes.
      I use gorilla tape or you can purchase special tape from poly tunnel suppliers hope this helps

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    3. Canned white spray if you're worried about the plastic. 3-4 mil plastic is usually only good for one session.. Row cover or shade cloth wont react with pvc, and can be used for many sessions..

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  7. Great info, I recommend the pipe clamps used in industrial projects by FastFix.

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  8. You are using a hand saw not a hacksaw. Either one is ok to use but just wanted to clarify the difference

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  9. Thanks for sharing. I have been looking for instructions on how to make these clips as I can't find any at the local stores great job

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  10. I made a quilting frame out of PVC then after I got it finished i had trouble getting the clamps made and. Lowes would not cut them for me I winded up buying the hand clamps I don't like them because they are hard on my hands to open them.so when I saw your idea I was inspired.because of your idea I'm going to try and make them thank you very much

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