# Radiator raised bed



## ColeyS1 (22 Jun 2016)

On ebay I recently spotted a nice big cast iron trough i thought I could use as a planter. To cut a long story short I didn't get it.
My local tip had a bay window radiator so this seemed like a use a possible use for it.









I used an old aluminium road sign to form the back. The easiest way to form the 90 degree corner was to push 3 foot of it into the lorry inspection pit and kick it :lol: 








The plan is to rivet the back onto the curved radiator when it's all painted up.




After alot of smashing I decided to call it a night.




Hopefully get around to painting it later on tonight. I've got a cast iron effect spray to use on the rad- I'm hoping it might look acceptable.

Coley


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## AndyT (22 Jun 2016)

That's ingenious!

Have you thought about plumbing it in and growing your own pineapples? :lol:


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## DTR (22 Jun 2016)

Brilliant! =D>


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## dickm (22 Jun 2016)

ColeyS1":26c9x58a said:


> I used an old aluminium road sign to form the back.


So that's why I got lost.............................

But a really good idea if you are lucky enough to stumble on a find like those rads.


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## ColeyS1 (22 Jun 2016)

Thanks guys . Sometimes ideas seem a good idea in theory, but I'm never quite sure so the feedback was a comfort  



dickm":dv3lncx9 said:


> So that's why I got lost.............................


I only take a couple every year and try to visit different county's so it's not too obvious :lol: -My dad use to work for the highways before he retired so has loads of weird and wonderful stuff kicking about. It's only now I realise why he's been keeping it all these years- its really useful having my own supply of materials he's saved hoping to use up one day! 

I gave the rads a quick rub down with 100 grit then thought I'd just blow the dust off with the air line




Turns out the airline blew my newly keyed up paint straight off !!! The quick job I'd hoped for took 3 hours before I'd finally finished giving it a lick of primer.




Note all the paint flecks everywhere ! I really should have swept up first :lol: 
Grey undercoat tomorrow and a coat of primer on the top edge of the aluminium tomorrow night.

Coley


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## ColeyS1 (22 Jun 2016)

AndyT":339qnrh2 said:


> Have you thought about plumbing it in and growing your own pineapples? :lol:


Now that definitely would be a challenge :lol: 

Coley


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## AES (5 Jul 2016)

Brilliant idea Coley. Wish I'd thought of it. A pic of the finished item in situ, full of plants, would be nice.

AES


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## ColeyS1 (5 Jul 2016)

Cheers AES [WINKING FACE] I put the marigolds and pansies in late this year so there isn't much colour to show yet.




The spray paint really didn't seem to go very far. Ideally I could have done with a couple more cans, but I needed it out the shop. Hopefully it'll take a hammering in the winter and look a bit more weathered. 
My mate popped round at the weekend and I asked him what he thought of the radiator in the corner. It made my day when he asked 'wtf are you on about ?' I guess it's not too obvious it's a rad then :lol: 
Cheers
Coley 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Edit- I kinda like how the curve funnel you through the narrow gateway


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## AES (5 Jul 2016)

Thanks for the pix Coley - it does look really great, and I'm not at all surprised that your mate didn't think it was (originally) a radiator.

AES


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## n0legs (5 Jul 2016)

Do you have any idea the hassle I had rolling some radiators to suit my mothers bay windows? And you use them for planters :!: :lol: :wink: 
Cracking job, excellent repurposing =D>


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## ColeyS1 (6 Jul 2016)

Thanks for the feedback guys,hopefully next year it'll look a bit more colourful.

n0legs, I had no idea such a thing existed till I saw it at the dump. A quick google found company's can charge £150 to bend a rad. How did you go about getting your mum's bent ? 
A few months ago I was offered an old clothes mangle. I'm sure if I added another roller and jiggled them about a bit, it could be made into a metal bender/roller.

Coley


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## Eric The Viking (6 Jul 2016)

Cor that was good to read! 

Gotta spend all day scraping old paint off our pebbledash and patching bad bits. Coley, you've given me a much needed smile this morning. 

Brilliant idea and nicely done.

E.


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## n0legs (6 Jul 2016)

ColeyS1":pc5qv3uj said:


> n0legs, I had no idea such a thing existed till I saw it at the dump. A quick google found company's can charge £150 to bend a rad. How did you go about getting your mum's bent ?
> A few months ago I was offered an old clothes mangle. I'm sure if I added another roller and jiggled them about a bit, it could be made into a metal bender/roller.
> 
> Coley




To be honest it would be something I would never do again, but as it was for mum so I wasn't left a lot of choice :wink: 
A very good friend owns a fabrication shop, and between us we hatched a plan. 
The parents original radiators were bent doubles, but we felt doing a double was beyond us. We bought a new one, removed the rear mount inlet and outlets and pulled off the corrugated deflector. 
Peter had the idea of tacking on either side of the, top and bottom some 25 x 6 (IIRC) flat bar, so the pyramid roller's rollers were not acting directly on the rad. 
He had this great big powered roller machine, 6" rollers x 3 and about 8' capacity/length. He would curve/roll 4" x 2" box the hard way.
The idea worked very well. Getting the radius just right and even was a little challenging, but it went okay. The inlets and outlets, hanging brackets etc, were welded back on then it was off to get it painted. Brownie points galore :lol: 
When their bedroom rad needed replacing speed was more of the essence, so that one just got cut and welded to suit the bay. What was interesting, they used to have the British Gas Blue Star ???? maintenance plan. BG would not cover the original rads or the ones we modified, I guess they knew the hassle if replacement was needed.
There you are, that's the whole sordid story :lol: 
My old girl was a darling, her attitude was if it could be done once then it could be done again. She got me in more dung than I can ever remember :roll: :lol:


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## ColeyS1 (6 Jul 2016)

Eric The Viking":16ktuxu7 said:


> Cor that was good to read!
> 
> Gotta spend all day scraping old paint off our pebbledash and patching bad bits. Coley, you've given me a much needed smile this morning.
> 
> ...


Cheers Eric. Sounds like you've got a fantastic day to look forward to. Enjoy the scraping, or try your best to [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH]

Coley


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## ColeyS1 (6 Jul 2016)

n0legs I'm imagining the two of you egging each other on, perhaps knocking your elbows together saying "go on go", followed by complete silence as soon as the machine started, followed by applause when it turned out alright !
Gotta take my hat off to you giving that a try. Think I'd only have been able relax once it was clear you hadn't created a water feature in the lounge  

Coley


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## dickm (6 Jul 2016)

We needed ( well, would have liked) a 3 section bent rad in the living room of one house. Lo, one that sounded right was advertised in the village shop. Rushed to look at it, but 2" too wide in the central section. Fired with enthusiasm to get one, so asked prices. End of story! Lived with slightly cool room and ordinary double.


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## n0legs (6 Jul 2016)

ColeyS1":1u2j63a7 said:


> n0legs I'm imagining the two of you egging each other on, perhaps knocking your elbows together saying "go on go", followed by complete silence as soon as the machine started, followed by applause when it turned out alright !
> Gotta take my hat off to you giving that a try. Think I'd only have been able relax once it was clear you hadn't created a water feature in the lounge
> 
> Coley




Grandfather told me "the worst you can do is fail". I've kind of lived by that line.
It was a giggle though. I go down after he's closed for all my little play days, and we usually break out a few drinks :wink:
Luckily he's as daft as I am, so it's a good match. Clever bloke though Pete is, learned his trade with BNFl, so if he welds something it usually stays together :lol: 
But being honest, for every success I've had there's often been a few (or 3) failures :lol: pineapple it! I say, give it a go.


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## ColeyS1 (9 Jul 2016)

I got round to digging out the old scalpings today to replace with stoneycombe chippings. I hadn't realised just how deep the scalpings were so decided to leave most, then recover with weed control fabric to prevent the two getting mixed. 




This pillock decided he wanted to help and made it really difficult trying to lay out the fabric








Onto the projects through the gate next ! - some benches to relax on and a few other bits !

Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


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## n0legs (9 Jul 2016)

ColeyS1":2os3lnd8 said:


> This pillock decided he wanted to help and made it really difficult trying to lay out the fabric
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Thank god for that, I thought you'd dug up a dog :lol: 
Stephen King anyone :lol: 

Looking good mate =D>


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## Claymore (19 Sep 2016)

Very clever stuff and looks great!

Brian


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## ColeyS1 (20 Sep 2016)

Thanks Brian. Think I'm gonna have to rethink what I plant in it next year





First time I've grown nasturtiums, my word they grow fast !!!
I looked out one day and noticed a few caterpillar type things. A few days later and they'd completely munched alot of the top plants.




If I see em again there all gonna die !! Completely turned the top plants yellow. 
As much as I'm really not sure about this gardening malarkey, I'm really enjoying trying :lol: 

Coley 

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