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Second Life

An old fence turned into a bird-proof berry cage.

Aluminium tube cut from an old fence panel, joined with custom 3D printed brackets, now holds the netting over our raspberry and blueberry beds.

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The problem

Last summer the birds got to the berries before we did. There were barely any raspberries or blueberries left to pick.

This year the beds needed a frame to carry mesh netting. I also had a pile of 18.5 x 18.5 mm aluminium tube, cut from an old fence panel that would otherwise have gone to the tip. Nothing off the shelf joins tube that size, so we designed and printed the connectors instead.

Project scope

Six connector types designed in CAD, printed in one batch, and fitted on the timber garden beds: base mounts, top corners, mid-post tees, elbows and straight joiners.

One of our favourite uses for 3D printing: giving material a second life instead of throwing it away.

Designed in CAD

Every connector has square sockets that slide snugly over the tube. Each socket also has screw holes for extra hold where a joint takes load.

CAD model of the base mount with a square socket, two gussets and three countersunk screw holes.
Base mount Screws onto the top of the bed timber with three countersunk screws. The middle screw sits hidden under the post.
CAD model of the three-way corner connector joining two rails and a post.
Three-way corner Joins the two top rails and the corner post at 90 degrees.
CAD model of the tee connector for a mid post.
Mid-post tee Carries the top rail over a middle post on longer beds.
CAD model of the two-way 90 degree elbow connector.
Elbow A simple 90 degree corner wherever only two tubes meet.
CAD model of the straight joiner sleeve with screw holes.
Straight joiner Joins short offcuts end to end, so even the leftover lengths of fence get used.

Printed in one batch

The full bracket set fitted on a single build plate.

Print timelapse of the bracket batch.

From CAD to the garden

The proof is the parts working in the garden, not just the renders. Drag each slider to compare the model with the installed bracket.

CAD model of the base mount. CAD
Printed base mount screwed to the corner of a timber garden bed, holding a black aluminium post. In the garden
Base mount: the CAD model and the printed part screwed to the bed corner.
CAD model of the three-way corner connector. CAD
Printed three-way corner connectors holding the top rails and posts of the frame over a blueberry bush. In the garden
Three-way corner: the CAD model and the top corner of the finished frame.
CAD model of the straight joiner sleeve. CAD
Top rails of the frame joined with printed sleeves and corner connectors along a fence. In the garden
Straight joiners: short fence offcuts joined into full-length top rails.

The finished frame

The frame is up and ready for netting, so this year the berries are ours.

Aluminium frame with printed corner and base brackets standing over a raspberry bed.
Over the raspberries Posts, top rail and corner connectors framing the raspberry bed.
Close-up of a printed base mount screwed to a garden bed with a black aluminium post.
Fixed to the bed Base mounts screw straight into the bed timber, so the frame stays put in the wind.
Printed corner connectors on the finished frame over a blueberry bush.
Over the blueberries The same connector set is reused on the blueberry bed.

Where this helps

Reuse what you already have

Offcuts, old fencing and salvaged tube can become something useful with the right connectors.

Odd sizes are fine

When no shop sells a fitting for your tube or profile, we measure it and design one that fits.

Slide-on plus screws

Snug sockets for quick assembly, with screw holes where a joint needs to be permanent.