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Garden State Pumpkins

I'm looking for these to build a tripod....everybody at Home Depot, Lowes, Jaeger lumber are looking at me like I got 2 heads....All yeah they make em..but I'd be darned if anybody stocks em... Is there a specialty yard that would stock these in NJ..Thanks for any help! Chuck

9/7/2008 1:26:42 PM

milford, CT,

I got mine at Lowes...If there isn't a Lowes try a real lumber yard. Mark

9/7/2008 2:11:27 PM

Winston Salem NC

I havent seen a Lowe's or Home Depot that didnt stock 16 footers. I have seen alot of employees that didnt know what they had though. 6, 8, 12, and 16's are common sizes even 14 in some stores. If you cant find 4x4's you can laminate 2x4s' to make the legs, done right they will be just as strong or stronger.
Rick

9/7/2008 3:03:28 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Got mine at a local lumber yard, made mine today.

9/7/2008 5:24:08 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Chuck, here's a potential alternative to 4x4's. I made my tripod out of 2" or 3" electrical conduit pipe (currently on loan so i can't check dia.) I only needed 12 footers to get pumpkin onto lg garden cart for transfer out of patch to main lifting device. I'm not sure if longer lengths are avail, but they're a lot lighter than 4x4's...LOL! It handled a 1259 lb'er no sweat (No not in my patch :-()
Duff

9/7/2008 6:16:40 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

I needed to laminate a section to turn 12 footers into 15 footers. If I to do it again I'd have made them 16. But it can be done, and it's very strong. If anyone needs a picture, just email me.

9/7/2008 9:02:21 PM

milford, CT,

The reason most people use 16 footers is so that the legs are spread enough for the top of the bed of the pick-up to fit through once it's lifted. You could probably get away with 14 footers but with the 16 footers you can easily get full size pickup in no problem. Mark

9/7/2008 9:42:24 PM

Colorado Springs.Co

The time and money we put into maybe winning a ribbon and a tenth of what we put into it,lol. I'm with Rick lam 2x4s if you can't find 4x4s.

9/8/2008 2:07:50 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Geeze I quess northern NJ never gets orders for 16'. Got atip today that a mill a town over will make em for me so I'll go over to see what he wants for em. I can't get a truck in the patch anyway. so I have to get them out of there first then re-erect it to load on the truck. Thanks guys for all your help...don't worry Duff that one will come outta your patch soon!!! These aren't big enough for a ribbon but definitely a PB.

9/8/2008 6:18:30 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

chuck i picked them up at lowes yesterday home depot did not have them lowes did 16 footers

9/8/2008 8:14:48 AM

Westford, MA

I checked Home Depot on Daniel Webster Nashua no 16's
Which Lowes borer I'll be checking the 1 on the DW today.
Didn't see J.Post at hillsboro NH friday.
How's he growin??
kevin

9/8/2008 9:39:12 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

I am not so sure that I would use 2x4's.

9/8/2008 10:00:07 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

klancy i went to the lowes off of 93 in woburn, i checked the home depot in tewksbury off of 495 they had none, was going to check out the nashua stores but did not want to drive rt-3 with 16 footers sticking out the back of the truck, i talked to Joe a week ago, he's doing good growing-wise.
Glenn

9/8/2008 12:05:50 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Tom, You are right.... the point is not to laminate 2x4s! It is to take two pieces of 4x4 that add up to 16 feet. Then, use 2x4 lumber on all four sides to "laminate" them together.

Use a piece of 2x4 on each of all four sides. Use big nails... and I also glued them all together with construction adhesive. The key is doing this on all four sides and use big nails.

For me I did a 12 foot piece and a 3 foot piece (should have just used a 4 foot piece) and so the laminated section is near the top, and as such it doesn't get in your way around the bed of the truck.

Laminating 2x4s together would probably work, but you'd need a lot of nails, carefully placed, and would also need to worry about warping over time.

9/8/2008 12:51:14 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Duff,

Using pipe instead of lumber... I wanted to do that as well but didn't find a great way to connect the pipes at the top. How did you do it? I suppose if you can drill holes in the pipe then one could bolt them together...

9/8/2008 12:58:22 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

I got em guys...found em at a local small guy...asked all the construction guys nobody had an answer...sitting down at the local establishment where I recruit my pumpkin pickers the Keeper of the inn said she had a friend who worked there..she called..they asked "fir or pressure treated"...yikes I'm in..also want to thank Ryan Mulkeen with Kuiken Brothers Lumber who emailed me with his company as a stocking supplier..Thanks to all...what a great bunch of people here!
Chuck

9/8/2008 6:12:05 PM

San Jose [email protected]

Duff, I have been an electrician for about 25 years, never heard of 12' piece of conduit without a coupling

9/8/2008 9:32:07 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

I was unloading pumpkins from the fair today, so I took some pictures of the tripod and posted them to my blog:

http://cliffsgiantpumpkin.blogspot.com

9/9/2008 12:39:06 AM

Topsfield, Ma.

I stand corrected, Garysand was right! My tripod is made of 10' electrical conduit thinwalled steel. My research today reveals it's not avail. in longer lengths, sorry for the misinformation. That's not to say someone could'nt find an appropriate diameter tube to sleeve a section together to achieve a 16' length?
...And Cliff, I drilled holes in the top of the pipe/conduit and joined them all with a bolt and washers loosely. The bolt took the appropriate bend as the legs were spread...voila...low lift, lightweight, tripod!
Hope that helps!
Duff

9/9/2008 8:34:14 PM

Fairport,NY

Duff,
can you post a picture of that tripod? Close-up shots of the connection at the top would be great.
Thanks
Bumkin

9/10/2008 9:52:27 AM

ipswich, ma usa

Duff

Get that baby ready we will be at your place in a few weeks!!

John (5150)

9/10/2008 10:00:10 AM

Utah

I was at Lowes today- they didn't have 4x4 x 16 but they did have 2x4 x 16. All you'd have to do it screw two 2x4's together to make a 4x4.

9/10/2008 5:24:19 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Bumpkin, tripod's currently on loan, but as soon as I see it I'll try to get a pic off to you. Drop me your email @
[email protected]. Basically, pipes or conduit were
center drilled thru close to tops and a long bolt used to tie 'em all together. It's a sloppy fit mechanically so the legs can spread easily, and the bolt will take a natural bend on its own the first time you spread the 3 legs. A pic will be worth a thousand words...LOL!
...and unless 5150 already hired a crane, we could be getting the UL listing certification for 1500 lbs+ with my tripod :-)
Duff

9/10/2008 8:01:21 PM

Wilmington.Ma.

Duff,is that a picture of it on the front page of the N.e.g.p.g.a. news letter??

9/12/2008 10:39:47 AM

Topsfield, Ma.

No George, that's a knock down frame we transport from patch to patch to get the punkins into the trucks. It's 3 pieces and four connections and has served our purpose well...but it gets heavier every year...LOL!
Duff

9/12/2008 7:15:53 PM