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www.johnnyseeds.com 

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7617.999  

Rev 06/21/2021 | AL, JG, ms

955 Benton Ave., Winslow, ME 04901 

 Phone: 1-877-564-6697 

 Fax: 1-800-738-6314 

Email: [email protected] 

 Web Site: Johnnyseeds.com 

Overview: 

This bender allows you to make 

spacious 24’ wide tunnels at any desired length using 3 pieces of 1 3/8” 

diameter chain-link fence top rail bent into long-radius hoops 

and connected to form 24’ wide bows, then 

placed atop high ground posts created with 1 5/8” diameter 8' chain link line posts. These structures are 
designed 

for use only in areas with little or no snow load

, or alternately as three-season structures in any 

location by removing the main sheet of greenhouse film before snowfall occurs.  

Contents

This bender set includes two separate 
jigs. One for the long radius across the 
top of the hoops (A), and one for where 
the hoops meet the ground posts (B). 
This second jig is actually our 3' wide 
Quick Hoops Low Tunnel Bender, which 
can be used to make 3’ wide by 4.5’ tall 
low tunnel hoops out of ½” EMT like the 
ones shown to the right.  

The set also includes required mounting 
hardware for both jigs and a lever bar for 
the long radius bender.  

September 2016 - Elliptical Tunnel trial 
at Johnny's Research Farm, Albion, ME 

Instruction Manual for 7617 

Quick Hoops™ Elliptical High Tunnel Bender 

Copyright © 20

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Johnny’s Selected Seeds. All rights reserved. 

Содержание Quick Hoops 7617

Страница 1: ...ernately as three season structures in any location by removing the main sheet of greenhouse film before snowfall occurs Contents This bender set includes two separate jigs One for the long radius across the top of the hoops A and one for where the hoops meet the ground posts B This second jig is actually our 3 wide Quick Hoops Low Tunnel Bender which can be used to make 3 wide by 4 5 tall low tun...

Страница 2: ...our website Simply input the values in the different option boxes on the upper left and the spreadsheet will automatically tell you the following How many of each component you will need Suggest where you can purchase them Give you a square footage calculation Estimated total cost calculation Cost per square foot It will allow you to quickly see cost estimates for different tunnel options and allo...

Страница 3: ...wherever mounted must have enough room to accommodate the infeed and outfeed of pipe as well as some type of support at the outfeed end about above the mounting surface This will prevent corkscrewing and ensure that the hoops and ultimately the bows are created are in a single plane and not warped looking This can best be accomplished with 3 4 plywood shown here secured with screws or nails to the...

Страница 4: ...e bender itself Twist the pipe with your hands so that the portion protruding past the holding strap is flat to the plywood before bending further This will prevent corkscrewing of the pipe It is best but not necessary if another person stands on that portion of pipe intermittently while bending 6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 until about 3 of unbent pipe remains beyond the closest end of the bender or if ...

Страница 5: ...steps 4 through 8 for the entire length of the pipe 15 This is Hoop 2 Hoop 3 16 Make two marks one at 7 and one at 12 from the non swaged female end of the next pipe 17 Insert the non swaged end of the pipe into the holding strap at the end of the long radius bender Insert so that the 12 mark is just to the left of the holding strap 18 Perform steps 4 through 8 for the remaining length of the pipe...

Страница 6: ...he swaged end of Hoop 3 into the non swaged end of Hoop 2 4 Drive a self drilling tek screw through both of the connections created in steps 1 through 3 5 Flip the hoop over and repeat for the opposite side 6 Lay out three pieces of pipe at the base of the now connected hoops and connect them similarly This will serve as a straight edge 1 2 3 4 5 6 4 4 2 3 7617 999 Rev 06 21 2021 AL JG ms ...

Страница 7: ...ing the Hoops and steps 1 through 5 above for the remainder of the hoops If not proceed as follows 8 With one person standing on the peak of the assembled bow and one standing with one foot firmly on each side of one of the short radius bends use the lever bar to bend the bottom of the bow until it is at a right angle to the straight edge pipes Generally both sides will be either toed in or toed o...

Страница 8: ... moving the screw or nail has corrected the problem 13 Adjust the screw or nail and repeat steps 11 and 12 as necessary 14 Once corrected repeat steps 1 through 22 of Bending the Hoops and steps 1 through 5 above to create the rest of the bows Creating ground posts from chain link fence posts Ground posts are made from 1 5 8 chain link fence line post material which is commonly available in 8 ft l...

Страница 9: ...ff the top rail and then cutting it in half 2 Flatten the ends with a large bench vise or hammer ensure that the flats face the same direction 3 Dog ear cut both corners off each end 4 Pre drill each end with a 5 16 drill bit 5 De burr any cut ends of the pipe and pre drilled holes using a hand file die grinder or bench grinder It may be necessary to ream out the holes after deburring by re drilli...

Страница 10: ...h the opposite end of the tunnel 1 Set the first corner post C1 2 Using a tape measure set the second corner post C2 7 Take measurements A and B above 8 While maintaining the 24 ft width adjust the two marks to the right or left until A and B are equal 9 Set corner posts C3 and C4 C1 C2 C4 C3 C1 C2 C1 C2 Start here 5 Measure out from C1 the desired tunnel length 6 Make a mark at that distance that...

Страница 11: ...long the edges of the tunnel This is traditionally an area where weed control is difficult and some fabric that suppresses weeds can be very effective here If you choose this option proceed to step 4 3 If you choose to forgo weed barrier proceed as follows a Using a ground post driver and sledge hammer set the four corner ground posts first per the diagram below It is best to do this from a stable...

Страница 12: ...r on a makeshift spool such as this This makes handling and cutting to length very easy A piece of top rail is used as the spindle Position at one end of the tunnel location and offset so that it faces down the side of what will eventually be the tunnel Pull a few inches of the weed barrier off the roll and with a utility knife cut it down the center so that you have started two 2 wide strips c Ha...

Страница 13: ...of the fabric pull it straight and somewhat taught and make a similar cut that is even with the corner ground post at that end Slip it over the ground post and smooth out the weed barrier along the length of the tunnel g Secure the edges of the weed barrier to the ground with fabric staples along its edges A hammer is sometimes helpful in difficult soils h Repeat steps 4 b through g for the opposi...

Страница 14: ...waged female end of the pipe to the endwall bow with a cross connector Cross connector bolts should be positioned on the inside of the tunnel and the end of the pipe should be flush with the outside of the endwall bow Cover the end of the pipe with duct tape Note If this end of the tunnel will have scissor doors leave about 6 of pipe protruding past the end wall to attach the scissor doors to late...

Страница 15: ...hex head self drilling tek screw e Using the tape measure as a guide continue adding top rail and securing with cross connectors as above for the remaining length of the tunnel When you reach the opposite endwall the top rail will likely be protruding past it If this end will have scissor doors leave 6 protruding and cut off the rest Otherwise cut the pipe flush to the outside of the end wall and ...

Страница 16: ...econd brace band on the second bow so that it is resting on the previously attached brace band and pointing toward the closest end of the tunnel Clamp with the Vise Grips and loosely secure with a 5 16 18 x 1 25 carriage bolt and 5 16 nut Remove the Vise Grips e Raise the opposite end of the angle tie up and rest it against the end wall bow Slide the 1 3 8 brace band up the end wall bow until the ...

Страница 17: ...ipboards We are using 5 4 x 6 x 16 decking for our hipboards and baseboards You can choose to use any material you like First determine what height you would like your hipboards to be Ours were about shoulder height right at the top of the ground posts and offered very good ventilation a Measure and cut a 10 length of board to be used as the first section of hipboard this measurement is based on 4...

Страница 18: ...ps 4 a through 4 h for the opposite side of the tunnel 6 Baseboards These are installed the same way as the hipboards except for the fasteners used to secure them and the need to align them since they lay flat against the ground a Measure and cut a 10 length of board to be used as the first section of baseboard Clamp it to the ground posts on one side of the tunnel Similar to the first hipboard th...

Страница 19: ...main covering in place and secure it along the length and above the roll up sides Hereafter we will simply refer to them as wire and wire channel a Using 10 x 3 4 phillips self drilling tek screws about every 12 secure lengths of channel end for end down the middle or lower side of the outside of the hipboard for the full length of the tunnel Cut off any excess on the opposite end so it is flush t...

Страница 20: ...y using clamps and forming it around the bow Start at the hipboard and work all the way over the ridge pole b Secure with 10 x 3 4 phillips self drilling tek screws about every 12 Adding an extra one at each end of the channel is a good idea to prevent failure since the channel has preloaded stress and will want to spring back quite a bit if allowed c Continue all the way over and cut to length ju...

Страница 21: ... These posts will add stability to the endwall baseboard and door frame 3 Door Frame and End Wall Framing a Make a mark on the baseboard 32 to the right and 32 to the left of where the baseboards abbut in the center These marks will be the door frame s bottom inside boundaries see diagram on next page b Cut a 1 x 5 5 notch in one end of a 2 x 4 x 12 board Position it vertically with the notch rest...

Страница 22: ...h Rest a 2 x 4 x 12 board vertically on top of the baseboard outside one of the door frame boards installed above with the wide edge facing outward from the end of the tunnel Make a mark just below the bow and cut to length see diagram on previous page Clamp this new outside door frame board to the inside door frame board and secure with several 3 bugle head wood screws Toe nail one of the screws ...

Страница 23: ... at each end with a couple 3 bugle head wood screws then secure the second board to the first with four more 3 bugle head wood screws k Run a piece of string tightly from the top of the end of one hipboard to the other Pre drill a 5 16 hole in the center of a 2 x 4 deck framing bracket and secure inside the groundpost aligned so that the top of the 2 x 4 it will support will be aligned with the to...

Страница 24: ...These should be about 82 long but may be slightly different for your tunnel Place board 1 snug to the left side of the door frame and clamp in place b Place board 2 about 1 8 to the left of the center of the door frame on top of the spacer Check for square with respect to the baseboard using a large framing square and clamp in place c Hold a 2 x 4 board horizontally so it butts up to the first boa...

Страница 25: ...clamps and adjust the turnbuckle until the right side of the door is centered vertically in the opening There should be a 1 8 1 4 gap above and below the door i Swing the door open Further secure the corners of the door with two 5 16 x 6 heavy duty wood screws at each corner Pre drill before driving the screws Swing the door shut re adjust the turnbuckle if necessary See diagram lower right j Repe...

Страница 26: ...kinning the Endwall a The plastic used to cover this tunnel should be a 6 mil greenhouse film that is 32 wide Start by cutting a piece off the roll that is 12 5 long b Lay the cut panel of plastic over the endwall so that one of the long edges preferably a factory cut end is along the ground and all edges of the endwall are overlapped with extra plastic There may be manufacturer s writing on the p...

Страница 27: ...s caused by the roll up sides Repeat this step for the opposite side of the endwall e Wire the plastic into the channel on the endwall baseboard f Wire the plastic into the channel around the top and sides of the door frame g Wire the plastic into the channel around each of the doors At this point much of the slack plastic has been taken up by the channel and may be very taught You may need to cut...

Страница 28: ...yseeds com 28 h Trim off excess plastic along the outside edges of all the channel leaving about an inch or so extra i When you are done the endwall should look like this 5 i 5 i 7617 999 Rev 06 21 2021 AL JG ms ...

Страница 29: ...erated both from the inside and the outside of the tunnel The latch was designed with a bent 3 8 threaded rods two small tool handles locknuts washers a wooden shim and flat bracket over the shim to prevent wear and serve as a latch plate The shimmed latch plate serves to keep the door tightly shut We added a couple self drilling screws to serve as speed bumps to help keep the latch in place If yo...

Страница 30: ...ing nuts to hold the baseboard onto the groundposts 2 Scissor Rails a Place a piece of scrap 1 3 8 top rail at a right angle over the non swaged end of a full length piece of top rail b Position a rail end T clamp over the intersection of these two pipes The scrap is used simply for positioning the T clamp Secure the T clamp to the full length pipe with a 10 x 3 4 phillips self drilling tek screw ...

Страница 31: ... from both sides with 10 x 3 4 phillips self drilling tek screws The scissor rails should hang freely and be able to rotate out to the sides of the tunnel easily They should also should not touch the ground but come close to it If they are too long and hit the ground shorten as necessary i Holding the rails together align them with the center of the baseboard and clamp them securely in place j Wit...

Страница 32: ...ail end T clamps to the unflattened end of each support arm the same way as the scissor rails except install on the inside end of each of the purlins before adding the second T clamp Install them so that the flat section is parallel with the plane of the endwall At this point the support arms should be hanging straight down from the purlins e Swing a support arm over to one of the scissor rails an...

Страница 33: ...spring back quite a bit if allowed c Cut to length just shy of the top of the opposite hipboard and finish off d Cut to length and install a section below the hipboard on that side that finishes just above the footboard Repeat for the opposite side of the bow 6 Skinning the Endwall a Pull out 12 5 of 40 wide greenhouse plastic cut it off and cut it down the middle That should give you two 12 5 x 2...

Страница 34: ...r pipe i Remove the wingnut holding the first scissor door rail and slide both rails onto the bolt and secure together with the wingnut Wire the other side of the plastic sheet into the channel on that side of the end bow j Adjust Snap Clamps as necessary to remove any wrinkles in the door plastic k Install self drilling screws through the Snap Clamps l Fold the excess side plastic around the endw...

Страница 35: ...www johnnyseeds com 35 n When you are done the endwalls should look like this 6 n 7617 999 Rev 06 21 2021 AL JG ms ...

Страница 36: ...ot longer than the tunnel on each end c Repeat steps 1 a and b for the opposite side of the tunnel 2 Plastic preparation a Position the plastic at one end of the tunnel so that it is offset and faces down the side of the tunnel b Use a pair of D handle garden forks or spades or four if you have a very large roll of plastic like we did and a piece of top rail for chain link fence as the spindle to ...

Страница 37: ... on that end c At the opposite end pull the plastic taut lengthwise down the top of the tunnel and install a small section of wire at the peak on that end d Continue to wire the plastic into the channel on both endwall hoops by working together at opposite ends of the tunnel wiring downward from the peak to the hipboard on one side of the tunnel pulling the plastic taught lengthwise and evenly as ...

Страница 38: ...and into the top rail Phillips heads are used to prevent damage to the plastic when rolling up the sides c Trim the plastic as necessary Trim it carefully at the ends because it can cause bunching uneven rolling and uneven venting Note When finished it should still go past the endwall hoop for best seal d Hand Cranks The 7033 Sidewall Hand Crank no longer comes with an adaptor to accommodate the t...

Страница 39: ...l automatically hold the plastic at any height where you release it Check for evenness along the length of the tunnel Roll back down and adjust snap clamps as necessary Repeat When satisfied roll all the way up These take some adjusting but once set up correctly they work very well g Repeat steps 4 b through 4 f for the opposite side of the tunnel 5 Poly Latch wire channel a Roll the sides up so t...

Страница 40: ...h all of the screw eyes When you reach the end pull the cord down and tie off on the J bolt at the bottom of the endwall bow e Working back towards the spool pull the parachute cord down and over the J bolt at each bow f Leaving some excess cut the cord and tie off temporarily to the J bolt near the spool g From the opposite end start taking up the slack and tensioning the lacing When you reach th...

Страница 41: ...www johnnyseeds com 41 Your 24 Elliptical High Tunnel is now complete 7617 999 Rev 06 21 2021 AL JG ms ...

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