No. 3 in the Izindaba Zokudla Make Your Own Series of DIY Technology Guides: How to Make Your Own Tunnel

Abstract

A step-by-step DIY guide developed by Izindaba Zokudla (Conversations About Food) for small-scale urban farmers to make their own low-cost tunnel in South Africa.

Full text

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How to Make Your Own Tunnel
No. 3 in the Izindaba Zokudla
Make Your Own
Series of DIY Technology Guides.
Angus D. Campbell & Marie L. Aoun, 2015
University of Johannesburg
http://www.designsocietydevelopment.org/project/izindaba-zokudla
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.

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To make this tunnel you will need only a handful of components and materials.
Everything you need can be obtained from a hardware store. You will need someone
to assist you while you put the tunnel together.
You do not need to use exactly the same materials and components as shown here.
Anything that gets the job done will work. To make this tunnel, you will need the
following:
Image
Description
Cost
2x 3m 38x38mm PINE
BRANDERING. Cut to
2740mm long
2 x R20,70 =
R41,40 (Monarch
Building Supplies
- MS)
2x 1,8m 38x38mm PINE
BRANDERING. Cut to
1680mm long
2 x R35 = R70
(Builders
Warehouse -
BW)
4x CHAIR ANGLES
60x18mm Y/GALV
4 x R7 = R28
(BW)
4x FLAT ANGLE
BRACKETS 100x15mm
4 x R7 = R28
(BW)

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52x 6mm (diameter) x
30mm CHIPBOARD
SCREWS
For 100 =
R17.60 (BW)
5x 4m 20mm PVC
CONDUIT. Cut four to
2820mm and one to
2740mm
5 x R12.80 =
R64 (BW)
8x GALVANISED
SADDLES 16mm
8 x R1.80 =
R14,40 (BW)
8x CABLE TIES 4.7
x198mm
pack of 100 =
R50 (BW)
5x 1m x 3m (standard
width) 40%
SHADECLOTH GREEN or
BLACK.
5 x R60 per
meter = R300
(BW)

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10mm x 10mm STAPLES
for staple gun
For box of 1000
= R26 (BW)
TOTAL COST (without
tools):
R639,40
EVERYTHING YOU NEED:

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TOOLS
You do not need a lot of tools to build your own tunnel, but a few will help. You need
a screwdriver for the screws, a pair of pliers, a pair of scissors or sharp knife for
cutting the shade cloth and cable ties, a saw for the cutting the wood. A tape
measure and pencil for marking lengths as well as a right angle will be useful to get
the tunnel even. It is much faster if you have a staple gun for attaching the
shadecloth, otherwise you can use large headed nails and a hammer.
BUILDING YOUR DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN 20 STEPS
1. Cut the 2x 3m 38x38mm PINE BRANDERING to 2740mm long and cut the 2x
1,8m 38x38mm PINE BRANDERING to 1680mm long.
2. Cut the 5x 4m 20mm PVC CONDUIT: Cut four lengths of 2820mm and one length
of 2740mm
3. Mark the middle of the 4 2820mm PVC CONDUIT.

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4. Lay the pine BRANDERING into a rectangle with the 1.8m lengths fitting inside the
3m lengths.
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5. Make sure that the BRANDERING is at 90 degrees and screw the FLAT ANGLE
BRACKET into place, followed by the CHAIR ANGLE on the inside corner. Do this
on all 4 corners.

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6. Measure the placement of the pipes on the 3m length of BRANDERING. Make a
mark at 910mm from either corner.
7. Partially screw one side of the SADDLE in (not too close to the edge), place the
2820mm PVC CONDUIT into the SADDLE and partially screw the other side in.
Continue evenly screwing the SADDLE in place. Make sure the end of the PVC
CONDUIT is flush with the bottom of the BRANDERING.

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8. Pull the PVC CONDUIT over to the opposite side and screw the SADDLE in place
(as per step 5) over it. You may need assistance holding the PVC CONDUIT in place
while you screw it in.

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9. Repeat the same operation along the 3m lengths at each 910mm marking and on
the other corner with the 3 remaining 2820mm PVC CONDUIT.
10. Once the 4 2820mm PVC CONDUITS are bent and held in place with the
SADDLES, take the remaining 2740mm PVC CONDUIT and mark it at 920mm from
either end.

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11. Place the 2740mm PVC CONDUIT underneath the bent conduit where the
middle markings are (step 1). Use two CABLE TIES crossed over each other to hold
it in place. Make sure that the 2740mm PVC CONDUIT does not slip out by leaving
approximately 10mm sticking out.
12. Continue placing the CABLE TIES at all 4 intersections with the PVC
CONDUITS. Match the 920mm marking on the 2740mm PVC CONDUIT (step 8)
with the middle markings of the 2820mm PVC CONDUITS (step 1). Cut the ends of
all the CABLE TIES when completed.

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13. Drape the SHADECLOTH over the frame, making sure it is even on all sides.
14. Climb inside the tunnel, lift up one of the 3m edges and pull the SHADECLOTH
under the BRANDERING to STAPLE it in place. Start from the middle of the 3m
edge. You will need assistance. Note that if you do not have access to a staple gun
you could nail the material to the brandering, but this would be very time consuming

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15. Repeat step 12 on the other 3m side, making sure the cloth is pulled taught.
16. On the 1,8m side, first pull the SHADECLOTH taught and staple it in the middle
of the length.

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17. Next, pull the SHADECLOTH taught from each corner towards the middle.
18. Fold the remaining SHADECLOTH over once either side and STAPLE in place.
There is no neat way to do this, just make sure it is pulled taught.

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19. Cut away excess SHADECLOTH on the inside of the tunnel.
20. Find an existing piece of wood and saw a “V” into one end (or two ends if placing
the tunnel on top of a box). This will hold your tunnel up while you are working
beneath it.
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