Alton Evolution User manual

1
05/13

2
Cold Frame Instructions
Thank you for purchasing your new Alton cold frame. We recommend you familiarise yourself
with the instructions and read all safety information before you commence assembly. This
instruction manual is also available online at www.greenhousepeople.co.uk in the technical
help section should you need to reprint it. Should you require any additional advice you can
always call us on 01782 385409.
Safety Warning
 Glass, aluminium and timber can potentially cause injury. Please ensure you wear protective
goggles, gloves, headgear and suitable footwear when assembling and glazing the building.
 Please remember that glass is fragile and should be handled with extreme care. Always clear
up and dispose of any breakages immediately.
 Do not assemble the cold frame in high winds.
 To minimise the risk of wind damage, try to select as sheltered a site as possible, e.g. beside a
hedgerow or garden fence.
Additional Considerations
 You will find it easier to use a large table or workbench to construct the cold frame so that
everything is at a accessible height. A garage floor or flat lawn area is a good alternative.
 If you have arranged for someone to build your cold frame for you, please check that all
components are included. Most parts are numbered and can be identified by a stamp or
removable label. Alternatively, the components can be identified by lengths detailed on the
packing list in the back of this booklet.
Contents:
Introduction
Front Assembly
Rear Assembly
Frame Assembly
Base Assembly
Glazing
Lid Assembly
Optional Cedar Panels
Packing List
Page
2
3-5
6-9
10-12
13-14
15-18
19-24
25-29
30-31

3
EV0800
EV0821
Dia. 1
Front Assembly
To start building your cold frame you need the two
components below. First use the drill bit provided to
drill a pilot hole through the bottom of the mortise. It
is important to always drill pilot holes before inserting
a screw to prevent the parts from splitting. This
should be as close to the centre of the slot as possible,
diagram 1.
Slot the middle glazing bar (EV0821) in the mortise
hole of the front cill and fix with a 50mm screw.
Diagram 1
Pilot hole
EV0800
Top View
External

4
Front Assembly
Now take the front top rail and drill a
pilot hole through the back of the
mortise slot as you did before with the
cill, diagram 2.
Slot this onto the top of the middle
glazing bar and fix with an 80mm screw,
diagram 3.
Dia. 3
Diagram 3
EV0805
External
Diagram 2
EV0805
Pilot hole
Top View
External
80mm Screw

5
Front Assembly
You now need to fit the front corner bars, before doing this drill pilot hols in the bottom of the bar
shown in diagram 4. This is showing the left hand bar, you will need to measure from the opposite
faces for the right hand bar. Make sure the hole in the narrow face lines up with the mortise.
Once drilled slot the bars onto the assembly. Line the
bottom front face up with the front face of
the front cill and fix,
diagram 5.
EV0815
EV0816
Dia. 4
18mm
16mm
25mm
16mm
Diagram 4
EV0815
EV0815
80mmScrew
Diagram 5
External
External

6
Rear Assembly
As before drill a pilot hole through the mortise
then slot the rear middle bar into the rear cill.
Fix with a 50mm screw.
Diagram 6
Pilot hole
EV0800
Top View
Dia. 6
EV0822
EV0800
External

7
Rear Assembly
Now drill pilot holes in the rear top rail, diagram
7. This time you need to drill 3 holes, one in
each mortise, as shown below.
You can then slot the top rail onto the top of
the middle bar. Make sure you get this the
correct way round, the rebates on the middle
bar should line up with the rebate in the back of
the top rail.
Then fix with an 80mm screw, diagram 8.
Diagram 7
EV0808
Pilot hole
Top View
Dia. 7
Dia. 8
Diagram 8
Internal
External
80mm Screw
Bottom View
EV0808
EV0808
EV0808

8
Rear Assembly
18mm
16mm
25mm
16mm
Diagram 9
EV0817
80mmScrew
Again before you fit the rear corner bars drill pilot holes as shown in diagram 9. Slot these onto the
rear top rail and fix to the rear cill with an 80mm screw, diagram 10.
Diagram 10
Dia. 10
EV0817
EV0819
EV0819

9
Rear Assembly
Now fix the top of the rear corners to the top rail with 80mm screws as shown below.
Internal
80mmScrew
80mm Screw

10
Frame Assembly
Now you have the front and rear frame assembled you can fit the side cills. First of all take the front
frame and one side cill, slot this into the mortise hole and fix with an 80mm screw (diagram 11).
Repeat this at the other end of the front frame.
Now slot the rear frame onto both side cills, again fix with 80mm screws.
Diagram 11
External
External
Dia. 11
EV0803
EV0803
EV0803
80mmScrew

11
Frame Assembly
Next you need to fit the top side rails. You should slot this into place and drill pilot
holes in situ. Diagram 12 and 13 show the position of the hole along the bar, make
sure you drill down vertically so you screw into the correct section of timber below.
The holes should be in the centre of the top side rail.
Dia. 12
Dia. 13
Diagram 12 Diagram 13
15mm
28mm
External
X-Ray X-Ray
EV0811
EV0811
EV0811

12
Dia. 14
Dia. 15
Frame Assembly
Now the pilot holes are drilled you can fix the top side rail with a 50mm screw at the top (diagram 14)
and an 80mm screw at the bottom (diagram 15).
Repeat this on the right hand rail.
50mm Screw
80mm Screw
Diagram 14 Diagram 15
EV0813
EV0811
External
External External

13
Base Assembly
Now the frame is complete you can move that to one side and assemble the base sections. Lay them
out as shown below. Use the 4 corner brackets (EV0311M) with the M6 nuts and bolts supplied to
join the sections together. For now just fit the nuts finger tight.
EV0838M
EV0841M
EV0311M
EV0838M
EV0841M
EV0311M
EV0838M
EV0841M
EV0311M
EV0311M
EV0311M
You will find four small ‘L’ shaped brackets
with the smalls pack, attach these to the base
with the crop head bolts spaced evenly (the
block arrows below show where these could
be installed).
Dia. 16
Diagram 16
External
Internal
Top View

14
Base Assembly
Now lower the frame
onto the base, you
may find you need to
adjust some of the
corner brackets to
allow the frame to slot
onto the base. Once
fitting well tighten the
nuts.
Use 25mm screws to fix the
aluminium base to the
frame. These should go in
all of the pre-drilled holes
including the top holes of
the corner brackets.
External
External
Internal
Dia. 17
Diagram 17

15
Glazing (If you are using the cedar panelling kit please go to page 25)
If you have aluminium capping you do need to glaze the sides in a slightly different order than
shown below, if you are glazing with cedar capping carry on as normal.
Aluminium capping: Insert glazing rubber into all of the capping pieces where there is a channel.
Next insert the side pane and fix in place with the capping sections that only have one channel. Fix
with 25mm screws. You can then fix the side cloaking board (EV0826) as described below.
(Aluminium part numbers shown in brackets)
Insert the side
pane and fix the
side cloaking
board with
40mm screws.
Line this up with
the top edge and
the front face of
the front top rail.
EV0826
EV509x514x378
Description: Alton Evolution Cold Frame 2ft x 4ft Glass List
  
ProductCode Description Quantity
  
610x354 TG610X354 2
610x508 TG610X508 2
EV509x514x378 TG509x514x378Trapezium 2
610x610 TG610x610 2

16
Glazing
Now fit the side capping,
push this tight up against the
side cloaking board and fix
with 25mm screws.
Continue working round the cold frame by glazing the front. Insert the
front pane and fix with the first piece of capping, the capping should be
flush with the top of the glazing bar it is being fixed to. Fix this with
25mm screws.
EV0849(EV0869M)
EV0847 (EV0867M)
EV0844 (EV0864M)
610x354

17
50mm
Glazing
Insert the next pane and fix with the remaining 2
front capping pieces. The middle capping will
need a 40mm screw in the bottom hole.
Next attach the horizontal capping with 25mm screws. This should sit
flush on top of the capping and glazing bars.
EV0844 (EV0864M)
EV0844 (EV0864M)
EV0853

18
50mm
Glazing
If you haven’t already done so glaze the
right hand end section as you did before.
Glaze the rear of the cold frame with the same method as you did with the
front. Remember the bottom hole on the middle capping will need a
40mm screw. Once the vertical capping is fitted you can then install the
horizontal capping as shown below.
EV0851(EV0869M)
EV0848(EV0867M)
EV0853
610x508
EV0845 (EV0865M)
EV0845(EV0865M)
EV0845(EV0865M)

19
Lid Assembly
You can now start fitting
the lid to the cold frame.
Take the top hinge board
(EV0832) and the top
hinge (EV0835M),
position these along the
top edge of the cold
frame and fix with 40mm
screws.
(N.B. the top hinge can
sometimes be supplied
in 2 sections, simply butt
these together)
40mm Screw
EV0835M
EV0832
EV0832
EV0835M
Diagram 18
Dia. 18
NB Can be
supplied in
2 parts

20
50mm
Lid Assembly
You can now fit the lid supports to the frame.
Use a 50mm screw and 2 x M6 washers. Screw
through the pre-drilled hole in the support into
to the inside face of the front top rail. Refer to
diagram 19 below for the position.
Diagram 19
206mm
Internal
EV0856
EV0856
External
Be careful not to over tighten
the screw, it should be tight
enough so the support does
not move by itself but not so
tight its hard to move.
50mmScrew