Homemade pots & how to make holes
 

This is for bballr and anyone else that's interested. I use a lot of homemade containers for orchid pots because the standard size pots don't always fit the situation. I use a lot of grocery store bought ZipLock containers of various sizes and make them into pots. Bulbophyllums love shallow pots and try finding clear shallow pots ! I use AquafinA 16oz water bottles for a lot of seedlings because they are 3" clear and DEEP pots once holes are made and tops are cut off. I do a lot of keikis and they always seem to have roots too long for standard 2" clear pots. Anyhow, the main trick I use to make holes is in the last pix. It's a pair of 6" Vise Grips and it's locked on a .38 Special brass case ! If you or your hubby don't have one they're less than $10 at Home Depot. Or use a full size one if you have it, it's safer than a pair of pliers because you don't have to worry about dropping a hot case on you or the surroundings ! I use a propane torch but you can use a gas stove if you don't have the torch. Just heat the case and melt the holes one at a time, heating the case between each one. The cases aren't hard to find, you could get them from a friend who shoots pistols if you don't have them or at a target range or a police range. Or buy the empty cases at a gun shop in the reloading department.

That's it !
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I use a hot nail to make holes, or if the plastic is soft I cut out holes with small curves scissors. I can't try your casing method since firearms are strictly regulated here.

The empty cases aren't lethal !

No firearms = no cases either. You simply cannot get those here.

Oh well.

I have used a large phillips screwdriver. Just heat it up and push it through. If you are really wanting to keep it cheap, most general hardware stores have dollar tables that you could find vise grips at or go to a Harbor Freight store.

I just use a regular drill and drill holes in them,it is easy and quick....Jean

I strongly recommend that you NOT use heat to make holes in pots, as the fumes released can be quite toxic. Use a drill instead.

I consider myself something of an expert on this subject, having tried just about every kind of drill bit known to mankind in an effort to produce S/H pots without cracking them, so this I can safely recommend: Use a "step-bit" - one of the more common brands is "Uni-Bit". The tip cuts through plastic better than any other I've seen, and you can make whatever size holes you need (stick to 1/4" with s/h pots).

http://i21.geccdn.net/site/images/n-...RW_BM16102.jpg

Great info in here. Especially great info about the water bottles, I didnt even think about that!

The same here. I saw a program where they mentioned a hero who shot out the window of a car that was in a river, to save the family inside. I thought, what would a Canadian do? No trusty gun in our pockets!

Sorry Ray, that's a bit I use in my business and it would tear up an AquafinA bottle because the plastic is thin. It would tear up any thin plastic container or at best leave a jagged hole. My way leaves a nice clean professional looking hole and the "toxic fumes", if any, are minute at worst.

I don't melt holes over a carpet OR myself. I do it over the metal burner cover plates on my kitchen stove. The unibit works fine on Ray's thick plastic pots but, in actuality, is BRUTAL on ANYTHING thin ! I have plenty of experience with it ! I also don't recommend using a drill in one hand and holding a flimsy plastic container in the other ! That's just begging for an accident ! BTW, you'll get more toxic fumes in one day's exposure to a city where cars are driven (might be a few in MI, LOL !) than the 8 years worth of holes I've melted !

True that we are exposed to many more toxic fumes on a regular basis (not to mention all the stuff emanating from our furniture and homes), but why willingly expose yourself to more of them if it can be avoided??? A little bit here and a little bit there adds up over a lifespan. Your health is far more important that putting holes in a plastic pot. At least consider doing it in a ventilated area, like near an open window or even outside (both of which I do). I don't own a drill, so all I can do is make the melting process as safe as possible.

My point exactly!

Ah, but you had not mentioned that. :) Besides, such precautions are something that may not have occurred to others. Also should the heated item slip out of the wrench's grip (which is possible virtually no matter what precautions one takes) said item can bounce and roll to come in contact with other items.

Who said anything about holding the bottle in the other hand? :shock: That is JUST as dangerous if you are melting holes with the hot rod in one hand and the bottle in the other. No matter whether you are drilling or melting, the bottle/pot should be braced against a solid object with your free hand (or better yet in a vise if you are fortunate enough to have a workshop). You should NEVER drill or melt with the bit or hot rod going in the direction of your hand.

Now WHY didn't I think of that ?? First, you should buy yourself a workshop, then an entire body safe suit complete with oxygen tanks and erect a sterile chamber in the workshop to do all this DANGEROUS work as safely as possible !!!!!!!!!!!! :rofl: I wasn't raised by overprotective parents, thank the forces that be !!!

Chryss - I don't know how safely you do things but I couldn't help but notice the blood under your nail in your pictures, sh-t happens. lol

Yeh, that's the acquired wisdom part of experience ! I'm not a college professor but a skilled professional tradesman !

I wasn't aware that it took skill to smash your finger, see we learn something new everyday. lol

Taking intelligent precautions has nothing to do with "over protectiveness" ... just common sense. (Though admittedly common sense is not so common any more. :biggrin: )

:rofl:

"Intelligent precautions" is a mild term for paranoia or simply, fear. Fear of minor details leads to neurosis. In a bookworm approach to reality there is no room for experience. Nobody is born with common sense, it comes from learned experience which leads to skilled knowledge, which becomes wisdom.

Just curious, what trade are you skilled at Chryss? I actually do have a wood working shop and can drill holes with the pot in a vise. However, some will break when I do this which is why I melt them.

Electrician, and I've had the same thing happen when trying to drill, Jonada.

Chryss,

The brittleness of thin plastic pots - not the ones I carry now - is precisely how I discovered the Uni-Bits. If they are sharp, it's no problem. Many other bits resulted in cracking, but those didn't.

Given my ineptitude with drills - wrong speed,, wrong direction, wrong action, sometimes all three at once - I still prefer the simplicity of a soldering iron. The fumes are easily avoided by doing it outside

Have worked as and electronics teck. When you use a soldering iron to solder with there are fumes from the solder. The resin core gives off fumes that are iritating. If you are a plumber then the problem is even greater because the solder cores are acid even worse. Now whats wrong with a soldering iron?
Its not the iron thats hazardous, its how you use it.
Use it in a ventilated area with air blowing away from you. Thats how its supposed to be used.
Have also worked as and Aircraft sheet metal worker.
Have you ever seen anyone drill their finger - I have.
Be careful with whatever tool you use. The really dumb ones will break an iron ball with a rubber hammer.

Something all of you melters may want to check out. I do stained glass work and for soldering I have a smoke trap. You keep it near where you are working and it draws the fumes into it and through a filter that traps them. Works really well for that and after this thread I am going to dig it out and give it a try.

Only in your little world, Chryss. :roll:

Ah, how sadly lacking/limitied is your own understanding. :nono: Common sense is taught and nurtured not only by actual experiences but also by learning from the experiences of others and being taught to logically consider the consequences -- both good and bad -- of actions.

*sigh* Appears that profitable discourse has run dry ...

I like the melting method myself, I've done both and melting makes cleaner holes in my opinion. If you are really worried about the fumes, get yourself a welding mask. You can get OSHA approved disposable ones for about $10 bucks or so or the replaceable cartridge type isn't all that expensive either. They also work great for painting as well they will trap both organic and inorganic compounds.

what about just using a sharp pair of scissors?

One NEVER willingly hands a man a sharp pair of scissors....never. He will cause himself bodily harm and you'd have to drill the hole in the pot yourself after taking him to the ER. :biggrin:

Luckily I do not have a man to hand a pair of scissors to..now on the other hand me with something hot enough to burn plastic? I'm actually thinking of trying it, maybe...I did find a garden center that has plastic orchid pots...I'll look on saturday, if they are not clear, I'll find something & heat it up with the electric burner...

Thank you, Merlyn, for making this post and attempting to offer helpful advice to novices and DIYers. Though there were a few useful replies to your OP, I find it rather unfortunate that the majority of the replies were restricted to jagoffs wishing to play Mommy and make condescending remarks, as if they're the arbiters of how people should perform simple tasks. I suppose they'd recommend a Kevlar vest in the event you have to tie a shoelace.

Wow!!!!!!!!!! This is what you decide to put for your very first post?!?!?!? Thats really rude and totally uncalled for, insulting other members like that.

Play nice with others and in the future kindly leave comments such as the one above to yourself. Just because you think it, doesn't mean you have to say it!


Judi

This forum is known for its friendly helpful group of members. There's no need for comments like this. More of the same will result in an infraction.

I have deleted the last few comments from this thread - I don't think we should be going down that road.

Please refrain from further comments not on topic in this thread or it will be locked.

Thanks!

At the risk of an infraction...

I always miss the good stuff!

I have some nice clear plastic pots that I put holes in with a hot nail (using the blow torch and grip vise outside). I like the way they look and drain (like "Miss Orchidgirl's" on Youtube) but it took a long time because my nail kept cooling off. It was windy so no fumes but it cooled my nail too fast... after that I bought some clear pots with slits.

Food storage container are great for orchid pots. But when your plant gets big it is hard to find the right size.

Simplest idea I have heard for making orchid pots
 

I made my first orchid pot a month ago. I heated up a large nail with a heat gun. I ended up melting the pot while trying to heat up the nail, which didn't heat up at all.

The old basic....a drill.....that I have and am confident it will work just fine using controlled pressure with the drill.

Thank you!