20mm conduit screw-down anchor for garden net/frost cover frame/trellis

thingiverse

WARNING: DO NOT USE THIS FOR ELECTRICAL PURPOSES, THE BOLT HOLES (IF USED) WOULD GO THROUGH THE WIRES, THIS IS FOR GARDEN/OUTDOOR FRAME WORK PURPOSES ONLY. WHY 20MM CONDUIT? I use a lot of 20mm electrical conduit to support my frost covers, netting, and 2D/3D trellises. Some use them for hoop houses and green houses too. I like the 20mm conduit because it's very cheap, available everywhere, lasts for ages, is flexible, and yet, with the right structure... quite rigid. However, the connectors to create fanciful 2D/3D structures aren't available, and the commercial connectors are for indoor and/or electrical purposes only.. nowhere NEAR strong enough to handle the weight/stresses of bent conduit, particularly in windy locations. Also, 20mm conduit, if combined with frost covering, can use 50mm bulldog clips to attach/anchor the fabric, this is great for temporary holding.. or if used longer term, further reinforces the frame too. WHY USE THIS SCREW DOWN ANCHOR? I've created a whole series of garden framework connectors specifically to use 20mm conduit. Seriously, why be boring with rectangular frames and trellises? That said, if you have raised garden beds that you can screw a multitude of hardware onto/into it. The ever-popular saddle clamps, while effective, don't have a nice "end point" to stop the conduit slipping down over time. Also, I've found the electrical saddle clamps if plastic, can break over time in windy/snowy/hail stone conditions. (At least, in my experience, your mileage may vary). WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE OTHER STAKE-STYLE ANCHOR MODEL? I also have a stake-style anchor, so you can bend the frame and stick the ends of your hooped/bent conduit into the ground. This works particularly well as a temporary way to anchor larger conduit-based frames while you bend and attach other parts together... although while I have used it for weeks on end without issue, I recommend additional anchoring for longer term use on larger frames. I also recommend their use on calm (not windy) days when using a frost cover. HERE ARE THE LINKS TO MY ENTIRE 20MM CONDUIT CONNECTOR/ANCHOR RANGE: 1-Way "Stake-style" anchor found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6228095 2-Way "Straight" connector found here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6187349 2-Way "Right-Angle" Connector: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6188056 3-Way "T-connector" found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6163480 3-Way, "Y-connector" found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6181085 4-Way "cross" connector, found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6163584 5-Way: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6181104 6-Way : https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6181111 7-Way Connector: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6187567 8-Way found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6167506 Half 8-Way Connector: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6195584 Quarter 8-Way Connector: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6196723 9-Way Connector: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6190630 10-Way found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6182651 My design basis (for all of these connectors) has three things going for it: It can be easily printed without ANY supports whatsoever. It is FAR stronger than commercial connectors, and takes advantage of "laid flat" orientation to minimise the weaknesses involved in layered FDM printing) and if that isn't enough... I included M4 bolt holes so you can simultaneously: a) Lock the conduit into the connector using the bolt. (Drill a hole through the conduit first, obviously) b) Use the M4 bolt to ensure the layers of the connector are held together, even under significant strain. NOTES: While I don't recommend PLA for this purpose, (It's exposed to UV and water after all) I chose to use PETG and protect the conduit from UV by wrapping it in duct tape. It's working well so far, but we'll see how it's going after a couple of seasons.