Veggie support cage connectors

thingiverse

These connectors serve to hold together 0.5 inch PVC tubing in hexagonal towers resembling giant honeycombs. They feature a 0.5 inch space between the vertex of each connector and the surface on which the PVC tubing rests. To achieve a hexagon with a distance of 12 inches between vertices, cut 11 inch lengths of piping (11 + 0.5 + 0.5 = 12). My garden bed was too shallow to support two complete hexagons front to back, so I designed connectors for cells with flat backs. Additionally, I wanted corner supports in the front, leading me to create connectors for poles that connect only sideways to one vertex. "Top" versions of each connector type offer a neat finished look at the top. You can mix and match connectors to fit your desired configuration. This build requires extensive cutting of PVC to uniform lengths; my structure comprises 82 pieces of 11 inch piping. We constructed this cage last year, and when assembling it again this year, we applied superglue to select connections to prevent pipes from being pulled out by the plants' outward pressure as they grew. While it worked well without superglue last year, some pipes came loose when the tomato plants exceeded the structure's height, but the overall framework remained intact. Note: PVC tubing sold in the US with a 0.5 inch diameter label actually measures 0.8 inches in diameter. Use this information to ensure accuracy; if unsure of the size, measure your tubing's diameter first.