UPDATE July, 21st, 2014 : I am currently working on laser cutting the balcony attachment. I will be back soon !

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hello everybody,

this is an ongoing project based off of The Plant Shelf and The Plant Arm, please read them to catch up with my work. these two products are the reason why I started posting @instructables.com

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where we left off. my last post was showing us how to create the metal frame for the shelf. and i have also demonstrated using it with different light sources.

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why, balcony attachment? i want shelves to have the feeling of a furniture, not an electronic device. so i needed something that would hide all the cables, the led driver. and it had to be easy to put on and take off. this balcony attachment will also be housing my arduino plant health monitor ( this is in works still, will soon be uploaded.! ).

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short video showing how the balcony attaches on & off ;

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let's design and build..>

Step 1: Designs

i'm just learning how to draw 3D both on paper or on computer and i get frustrated in the middle of a drawing because of something i can.t draw. at my job we throw away 100s of cardboard boxes daily.

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now before each project i also " 3D print " my idea at home for free using cardboard, glue and razor knife. check it out, the first picture is what I made using only trashed cardboard and some tape as well.

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i have also gave it a try on shetchup before building. i was amazed that I got even that far although the size is not accurate

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all the wood is free from houses being fixed in my neighborhood and is cut by handsaw so some misalignments may happen. once i have the exact dimensions and shape figured out, I will be laser cutting the balcony attachments online.

Step 2: Let's Build

one thing i would like to point out here is the flush finish i try to get with each screw. there are a couple of ways to do this. if you don't have this little hole making attachment, you can just use a larger drill bit and enlarge ONLY the top entrance of the hole. this way once you screw the balcony, all the screw will be even with the surface...

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the balcony literally sits on the bottom part of the metal shelf, hanging in air.

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the two top wooden bars are what carries the balcony.

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the side and front wooden walls are there to cover and hide all the wiring.

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the back of the balcony is left open because that's where it contacts the wall and is covered automatically.

Step 3: Conclusion

here you can see my work in great detail. you can also see it with the new lights on my next post; The Plant Shelf - lights upgrade (will be uploaded soon) .

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please ALWAYS use parts from the "trash" FIRST ! i hate that word, nothing is trash. just because we don't need an item anymore doesn't give us the right to throw it away so carelessly. we never think about what other resources were used to create / transport your "trash" to you in the first place. donate to thrift stores and shop at thrift stores - give it away for free on craigslist.org

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music will save us....