Suggestions please

[Robert Hayward]

Having trouble seeing a way to glue up teak baskets for orchid plants.

The one on the left in the picture is a commercial made octagon basket that shows a completed one. I am making square ones, several of them out of teak. Different sizes determined by the teak cutoffs I have. Yes I could buy wooden baskets at the box store garden section but they are no longer made of teak and do not last long. Online some are listed as teak but do not look like teak when viewed in person. I have access to a decent supply of high grade teak cutoffs.

I plan on gluing the baskets then drilling the corners and twisting the wires tight after the glue has dried. Would like to have a way to glue and lay up a basket so it is square and straight quickly. Gluing one layer at a time keeping it square is a very tedious job I want to avoid.

[Michael Burnside]

I'd build a square jig they fit in, then glue 2-3 layers at a time and a lid that pushes down with a 5 lb weight. For glue, 5 minute epoxy. In less than 10 minutes they'd be ready to pull out and do the next.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Is having a rod in the corners an option. It could serve double duty as a clamp and alignment aid.

[Rob Sack]

Is having a rod in the corners an option. It could serve double duty as a clamp and alignment aid.

Why not set up a drilling jig and drill 1/4 inch holes at the ends of each piece. Drill countersinks on the top and bottom pieces to accomodate a nut and washer. Use threaded rod to assemble the basket and plug the top and bottom holes to cover the nuts and washers. Using stainless steel hardware would add to the longevity of the basket. The bottom slats could be screwed to the cross pieces prior to assmbly. No glue required.

[Bill Dufour]

Predrill the corners. Make a jig of plywood with four threaded rods sticking up at the corners. Rods are a good bit smaller then the holes for quick assembley. Put glue on the ends of the sticks and stack up on top of each other over the rods. Last, washers and wing nuts for the clamp.
For hole drilling, dado a groove the width of the stick in a block of wood. Glue in a endblock and set it up under the drill press. Clamp the block down, the work should stay in with finger pressure if the groove is deep enough. Use a hand drilled stick as an alignment tool to get the stick/block assembly exactly under the center of the drill before clamping
Bill D

[Robert Hayward]

Thank you for all the suggestions. Here is what I ended up doing.

Did not want to spend a lot of time building a jig for each size of basket my pile of cutoffs would allow. I found 18 gauge stainless steel brads at HD. I built the base first using Titebond lll and the stainless brads. Was easy to keep it flat and square. Once the glue had a good grip I built the sides on top of the base with glue and brads. Paying attention to the location of the brads so there was no interference with the hole yet to be drilled for the wire. Then drilled the hole and installed the wire. Rounded the corners and touched up the minor alignment issues with the sides with the edge sander.

As can be expected driving a nail close to the end grain of a piece of hardwood I cracked a couple of the pieces of teak.

I will add that the guy in Jakarta, or where ever, working for 25 cents an hour turning out 200 a day does not have to worry about me taking his job.

[Edward Weber]

I know I'm late to this but I would lap joint the ends.
This would aid in self squaring during assembly and IMO, the final product will be much stronger.

[Robert Hayward]

I know I'm late to this but I would lap joint the ends.
This would aid in self squaring during assembly and IMO, the final product will be much stronger.

The commercial made imported ones are held together with only the wire. It is hooked over the edge of one of the bottom slats then twisted at the top until tight. They hold up for years or until the wood decays.

Mine are held together with Titebond lll and stainless brads. My wire adds a safety layer to an already strong enough basket. The wire is also were the four wire hangers are attached to the baskets when suspending them. I am making teak ones mostly because I have a supply of small teak cutoffs that I have not found a good use for, until the light came on for making baskets for my orchids.

Pictured is a commercial one that is past its useable lifespan. The plant will have to be cut off the basket and restarted in a new basket, might set the plant back one or two years. That is why teak is so desirable as it will last longer.