If you simply fill the basin with pebbles, you'll greatly reduce the water holding capacity. How can one check whether tax money is being effectively used by the government for improving a nation? Then insert the access-hole block (B) and wire anchors that creates the access hole. Congratulations on winning the grand prize! If you can handle basic tools like a circular saw and drill, you can build it, even if you've never worked with concrete before. This makes me sort of doubtful that even my small dimensions would hold up over time. I'm Creative D2H, You can see in my posts how to make beautiful things, to create houses of history, fairy houses, recycling ideas, decorations, crafts,and paint. Copper that's in direct contact with concrete eventually corrodes. Adding epoxy resin to a painting or art piece enhances the colors and gives the piece a glossy, clean finish. We recommend our users to update the browser. Covering it to maintain moisture or misting with water does help. An absolutely beautiful project. There is a mix called Rapidset Cementall that can used at a pourable consistency (no aggregate in it and super strong) , the only drawback is you need to work pretty fast (minutes) but in most cases I'm fine with that since I hate waiting days for a cure anyways. To mold concrete, you pour wet concrete mix into a form. The inside box didn't need to be as structurally sound. Will be attempting!! In total, we need three mini barrels to make a waterfall. Then I removed the long pipe. We filled the recess at the top of the column with smooth black river pebbles. You can use a spoon for this operation. If the trough you like stands too high, set it down into the ground a few inches. Apply lots of hot glue over the flange and around it to lock the flange in place and plug all the holes watertight (the tape prevents the glue from dripping through holes). If you are digging the chic look of concrete you can stack cinderblocks around the trough to occlude it from view. wire mesh (called hardware cloth). https://www.amazonasmagazine.com/2020/01/09/build-a-lightweight-waterproof-concrete-basin-for-ponds-and-plants/. If it was good enough for the pyramids, it is good enough for my garden fountain. I use concrete/cement on many simple projects, but never is it like yours in the video. Keep up doing such great things! Also, may I ask where the pot is from? 1 year ago, Thanks! black plastic toilet flange in the recess at the top of the column (see Figure A). In the link above the author of that DIY article states this could be used for a pond or aquarium. If a hot area plan on going deeper I think my aunt had to go 4 deep to keep from cooking her fish it had a small surface area for how many gallons it was and aerator only at night. I used acrylic paint for its ability to resist more humidity. The back used five 50 pound bags of concrete mix and the trough used sixteen bags. What is the difference Between Active Acoustics Monitoring (AAM) and Passive Acoustics Monitoring (PAM)? Foam is lightweight, smooth and easier to cut. Fill the column form by dropping in scoops of concrete on all four sides. At the bottom of each barrel, I glue a waterproof LED spotlight using hot glue. We go directly to the building of the spout of this part of the fountain. I also needed to attach it from the inside so I could disassemble it when the concrete dried. Cut the square and rectangular parts with a table saw or circular saw and support the foam with 2x4s. After a period of between 30-60 minutes depending on the temperature of the room, we cut the excess parts using a new cutter blade while following the operations shown in the attached photos. Visit now my STORE and Get your Favourite Handcrafted Piece of ART , Grand Prize in the Stone, Concrete, Cement Challenge. I may attempt to make one for my home. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. How do I make a fake rock finish for a water feature? The installation of all the barrels is done by spraying water into the installation surface, then putting two to three spoons of lightly diluted concrete on the previously wet area. I look up videos on how to make perfect concrete and still cannot do it. The column and basin weigh about 100 lbs. Cut the 8-in. Raise the basin and place shims under it until water flows evenly down all four sides of the column. But don't worry about slightly wavy cuts; they won't affect the final product. Site design / logo 2022 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. We tamped for about 10 seconds; more tamping will give the concrete a smoother surface, while less tamping will leave more craters and crevices. It is perfect! Slide a 2x4 back and forth as you drag it across the form to screed off the excess concrete. This circular inlet will be used for the assembly and installation of the pumping system. I have to admit at the beginning, when you are removing the sand, I kept thinking about Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Once you buy the water trough you are done. A pump drives water up through the sphere, where it bubbles out, cascades down the column and returns to the basin. Geometry nodes - Why is "mesh to curve" extending the selection of nodes? of joint compound. If you want to add the sight and sound of moving water to your yard without the heavy work and frequent maintenance of a pond or waterfall, consider a fountain. A little spray paint and there you have it! Set the ball in place and position the pump. Inside in the center of the trough I'm going to place a water pump so that a spring will shoot up about ten to twelve inches into the air to create that relaxing sound of splashing water. Mark a 4 x 4-in. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. This will be a modern austere look/style. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. If you missed the whole reveal, make sure to check that post out! Getting one big enough to line with some sort of brick/block material and still have the interior dimension desired would be the way to go. Cover the holes in the flowerpot with duct tape. The fish would not survive! Every time I watch a concrete video, whether it is in India, Mexico or USA or anywhere around the world, the concrete looks like perfect sculpting clay. I used an empty plastic box of yogurt (500g) to exploit it as a circular mold. Extruded polystyrene works best, but expanded polystyrene bead board will also work. Home Outdoors Yard & Garden Structures Fountains. It was one of those projects where it could have been an epic fail. Also, be sure to place the printed side of the foam face out; the ink can stain the concrete. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Your email address will not be published. Slight cracks can be repaired by adding a light layer of cement to the internal walls. The pot is from Home Depot! I do a lot of work with concrete and for simplicity I just like to use the mixes that are available commercially. wide and 12 in. Yup. You make it look so easy!!! In the first layer, I pour the diluted concrete over the sand mold. bag of concrete to pigment the mix.
This created a channel on the back for the pump tubing to press into. I draw on the sand the shape of the basin to build. Unlike a pond or waterfall, a freestanding fountain doesnt require hard labor and theres very little maintenance to do later. Truly amazing! I also puttied where the screws were so you wouldn't see an impression of a screw head in the finished fountain. This step requires a lot of concentration, you have to work very slowly and long. sections, then bend them over a 24 block to form cribs 3 in. The paintwork is really cool, it looks like something out of WarCraft. To begin, cut out the foam parts and assemble them. Cover the end of the pipe with tape to keep out the concrete. The concrete mix of this layer is less diluted. }. So there is no issue in freezing with water expansion; causing stress on the structure. I have this saved in my email too! @Adrien You are missing the third dimension of your proposed basin. Join the thousand of others who get my posts sent to their inbox for FREE! I like this idea because it will be lightweight and I'd be able to move this, if I so choose. Thanks for sharing this with us! It will need a wire & rebar mesh for strength but is much lighter than straight concrete, we never went any thinner than 3 for pools, I think planning to move a pond is not something I would want to do with a cement product. Did you use the pot because the water splashed too much or too loudly, just for aesthetics, or to house the pump? It's OK if the mix is a bit lumpy. Cover the cribs with pebbles. In the desert where you live there will be a store for people who keep animals and you can look at troughs there. https://www.amazonasmagazine.com/2020/01/09/build-a-lightweight-waterproof-concrete-basin-for-ponds-and-plants/. PVC pipe (see Figure A). I have a standard pond liner ( HPDM ?) Then we move on to the second layer of concrete. Thank you so much for showing/sharing your talent! Best of all, you can place a fountain just about anywhere: among plants, inside a sun porch, or on a deck or patio. Cover the column and basin with plastic garbage bags to slow down evaporation. They come in a range of sizes. It is beautiful and what kind of concrete was it and thank you very much. The column and basin are formed and cast upside down. I live in the desert so it'll never freeze. Everything is made only from cement and sand. Slather margarine onto a small rag and coat the inside of the form so the concrete won't stick to it. Put the mini-pump into the pumping area through the 10cm hole. Slip the inner form into the column form and tape it in place. Then I dig the basin (15cm deep) and empty the unnecessary volume of sand. I love it! I always try to maintain the same thickness of concrete throughout the surface. It doesn't budge. You can create this fountain in one weekend. I use polystyrene because its weight is very light and it sticks perfectly to concrete. Then nudge the column to make sure you twisted the wires tightly enough. Whether it is big or small, I think everyone should love their home and I don't think it takes a lot of money to make a space your own. Once we had about 4" of cement mix in the largest form and I had hit the side to level it well, we put the smaller form inside and began adding more cement mix in to form the sides. Troughs like that come in many sizes and materials.
For the best sand cleaning result, one can wash with water and use a paintbrush to scrub the inner walls of the barrel. Pinky promise :). Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange!
LOVE this thank you for sharing the process. In the end, we have a hole in the center of the barrel using the same pumping tube to be installed later. Required fields are marked *. I think Shane and I were both pleasantly surprised when it came out just like I had planned. Is the theory of a partial order bi-interpretable with the theory of a pre-order? I followed a technique called "Faux Bois" which refers to the artistic imitation of wood or wood grains in various media. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I revealed the backyard landscaping project last week and you were all so kind! Then finish filling the form. In this whole project, I follow the same ratios of the mixture: 2.5 cups cement +1 cup sand + water. Home centers typically carry three or four colors (we used buff). The sand seems to be super fine, no visible grains to see (I just noticed that it says sifted! All the fountains I found that were this size were around $1,000 so I was happy to get the same look for less! We are looking to make our own fountain, soon, and yours is one of the better how to guides Ive found. Can I create concrete driveway with forms to get the paver stone look without the need for all the aggregate beneath? Then the pot is removed from the mold gently and slowly in one upward direction. The kids are trying to convince me to take out the pot and add some small fish. Each winter, remove the pump, empty the basin and either move the fountain indoors or cover it with a plastic bag. When you've dropped in about 6 in. A lot of mixes have ingredients to make them stronger since portland cement on it's own is not that strong. Are Banksy's 2018 Paris murals still visible in Paris and if so, where? I am hoping to test this out very soon. Cut the mesh into 9-1/2-in. After at least 24 hours of drying, we move on to the stage of total sand discharge. Why did the Federal reserve balance sheet capital drop by 32% in Dec 2015? To use the fountain outdoors, be sure to better protect the wires and electrical connectors from the rain. I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of articles and decided that the best material to use for the forms was melamine. Sign up for our newsletter! the mixture after 4 hours has destroyed. When it's nearly full, insert the access-hole block (B) and wire anchors. It's OK if the column rocks slightly, but it must be absolutely tip-proof since the fountain will attract curious kids. Hi! Then we move on to the second layer of concrete. Overall height: 42 in. I constantly hit the sides with the mallet to release the air bubbles and help level the cement. each, so you'll need a helper or a mover's dolly to move them. If you have any ideas on how to get that piece out more easily, I'd love to know! Tape the basin form sides (G) to the base (H). The cement and the melamine boards came to $176 and change. We cover the sand with the same thickness (1cm) as the concrete. They are not expensive. I wanted a border so I added a melamine board in the center. Let the concrete wet cure for at least a week before you remove the forms. The supplies for the spout and caulk all together was less than $20. After 24 hours of drying, I turn the barrel upside down and put it in its default position. Because whatever you decide remember how much water you will want in the basin for the fountain to run. I would provide a layer of liner on the interior face to prevent leaks from potential cracks, If landscaping block/brick is available, it works for a small to medium-sized pond too. Don't use a thick-skinned ball like a soccer ball or basketball. In a cold climate, freezing water could crack the basin and destroy the pump. We will show you how to cast a fountain using inexpensive off-the-shelf materials. So all of the photos of the concrete process are all screen grabs from the video. Screw the disc (D) to the inner form, then screw the disc to the end cap (E). We move on to the preparation of the concrete mix.
If it dries too fast then it will not get strong and just end up crumbling. It actually went really fast! You need 2 disposable cups for mixing, a Stirring popsicle, Gloves, Protective eyewear, and a brush. Thanks for the comments. You may have to hold the ring in place for a minute or two to prevent the ball from floating up. I had never done a large scale concrete project before.
Wow! Welcome! because the weight of one cubic foot of water is 7.48052 gallons times 8.3453 pounds, which equals 62. To form the sphere, you'll need a toy ball, a plastic flower pot and a bag of 20-minute setting-type joint compound (which is meant for covering drywall joints). When the cement was dry, I unscrewed the forms and tapped the pieces off. The bottom piece of the smaller (box) form had to be chipped out.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Once it was all filled and was 4-5" thick, I pressed a PVC pipe into the back in between the two pipes. The kids helped me pick it off. Just stunning! The damp sand as a mold also seems intriguing! Sign up for my email list so each project, tip, and trick will go directly to your inbox :), Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. It is a great project, but before I take on a new kind I like to do some small tests to see how it all works. Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. Using the same wet sand, we form the shape with the dimensions shown in the attached photo. I'm Stacy and I blog about fixing up our 1938 cottage. You can use a spoon or directly with your fingers to pack the sand well. Saw deep kerfs in the sphere form and break it open by prying with a stiff putty knife. Expect to spend about six hours assembling forms and pouring concrete, plus another couple of hours removing forms and setting up the fountain. You can build forms from wood, but we found that rigid foam insulation is perfect for a small project like this. Be sure to pack the sand well so that it retains the desired shape after removing the box. Barring legal fees why does one lone junior barrister (for each party) appear, in a minority of some UK Supreme Court cases? Mix the joint compound powder with water until it's the consistency of pancake batter.
Then, I add small identical and equidistant balls to form the tack nails of the belts. 
I ordered it online from Home Depot and had it shipped to my home. After at least 3 hours of drying, we move on to the sand evacuation step. About: Hello ! I ended up using 90 degree angled conduit with a shower flange. Then I pour diluted cement on the sand. which is fine after 20 years. I plan to run some pvc through the back in order to have a small ball valve inside the basin to automatically fill the basin with water as it evaporates over time. Mark out the form parts and cut the tapered parts (A and C) with a circular saw using a standard wood-cutting saw blade. Filed Under: DIY & Tutorials, Favorites, Outdoor Projects & Gardening 15 Comments. from the foam. It is relatively cheap and the concrete won't stick to the slick surface. I started looking around for a fountain spout and all of them were well over $100. I screwed the large box together really well since it would have a lot of concrete poured in it and I wanted it to hold up to the weight. If the water spills down one side of the column but not the others, slip a flat pry bar under that side of the basin. Prices start at about $100 for a small fiberglass model. Tape the seams of the outer column form together and then wrap it with tape. They will hold water a long time. To remove the blocks (F) inside the basin, cut the foam into sections with a drywall saw and break them out. Yes, concrete with rebars placed on the stable ground will be very durable. We set up my phone on the tripod to film but didn't have time to stop and also take photos. If the basin runs dry, the pump will burn out. I do think it might be fun to add a few small water plants. Cut away the plastic pot with a utility knife. Be sure to pack the sand well so that it retains the desired shape after removing the box. I really appreciate you taking time to give me the links too! I built the outside box to those measurements and then since I wanted the sides and bottom to be 4" thick, I built the inside box accordingly (40x16). Best of all, you can assemble sections of foam with the ultimate quick-and-simple fastening system: duct tape! Finally, the barrel is gently placed on the concrete and the concrete released from both sides is wiped out. My overall dimensions will be approximately 3ft wide and long by about 14" in height. The flange supports the sphere and stands about 1/4 in.
Thank you for sharing your phenomenal talents!Bravo! I don't consider this to be in the landscaping/gardening department since I am working with concrete. really love it. Then cut two slits in the foam (1/4 in. Make two coats of resin spaced 24 hours apart for drying. round disc (D) with a drywall saw. I cut small pieces of PVC pipe that I knew would be large enough for the electrical plug and tubing to fit through. I built it to be 2 feet wide by 4 feet tall. I am looking to create a trough-like basin for two water features I want to place in my yard. Getting the center board off required a crowbar and some tugging. Of course my DIY brain kicked in and decided to try and figure out a way to just make one. Cover the screw holes and bolt slots in the flange with duct tape, then set it in place. Tie the anchors together with the same wire you used for the anchors. Tell me in the comments :). You could also get it by curbside pick up. I cannot wait to attempt this and hopefully achieve a beautiful outcome! Assemble the inner form with tape and 3-in. Any sort of farm supply store will have them in every size imaginable. We and the birds would love it. After, I dug an oval-shaped hole (5x11cm) and 10cm deep. bags of concrete mix (or five 60-lb. Might move it with a good size ATV. After an hour, I start by delicately drawing straight, equidistant lines. Then, I glued these polystyrene pieces in order to have a single block 16cm high. Share it with us! I love the look of the fountain and I like hearing it as I relax on the patio or as I'm weeding the garden. All the trim will be purely decorative which frees you up as regards choices. The long piece with the spout is pinned between the garage and the bottom piece filled with water. Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain, How to Build a Deck Over a Concrete Patio, How to Cover a Concrete Patio With Pavers, Renew Your Concrete Patio: How to Stain Concrete, Patio Tiles: How to Build a Patio With Ceramic Tile, How to Choose the Right Retaining Wall Material, Build a Circular Patio and Retaining Wall, We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer). How do you get it to drip like cake batter? This step requires a lot of concentration, you have to work very slowly and long. You could have left it un-painted - and it still looks great. Stretch the tape firmly as you wrap to create tight seams. The hollow column sits in the basin, and a sphere sits on top of the column. An oval shaped part (9 x 22 cm) was taken from the upper part of the barrel. I order a combination of 4x8 sheets and smaller pieces meant for shelving. Or check out this other DIY low-maintenance water feature. Taken from this website: You are very Expert and creative in making beautiful fountain. How to level a concrete fountain base on a concrete surface? I have a lily pond that used to have a 2" concrete base below ground with mesh and rebar and it still cracked under 2 feet of water on top of it. It gets up to 121 degrees here. At the bottom of the mini barrel, we open a rectangular opening of 2x4cm dimension. Center the pipe and hold a level against it to make sure it's standing straight up. Thank you SO much for sharing the details on your beautiful fountain. I chose to make epoxy resin layers inside mini barrels, the spouts, and the basin only, that is to say in all the surfaces in contact with water. 12 months ago Its fun to make and you can use it as an awesome decoration indoors or in your garden. Phenomenal job on not only the fountain, but providing quality photographs, and detailed instructions that will allow anyone else to recreate this projects!You not only used concrete, you mixed it with different consistencies, created forms, cast, and carved it in a truly creative, and incredibly artistic piece of work.My wife and I recently formed and cast two large, and larger elephant ear bird baths. Figure B: Column Form andFigure C: Basin Formshows the dimensions of the column and basin form parts. Did you make this project? We gradually cover everything with concrete. Then finish filling the form. I used a saw to cut the excess pipe off the fountain back so they were flush with the concrete. cardboard ring (left over from duct tape) on the ball as you cover the ball with at least 1 in. Fountains of a similar size and style (usually made from fiberglass or plastic) cost about $500 at garden centers. I wanted everything to be smooth so the rough, unfinished edges of the center melamine board got a layer of caulk.
How do I float 3/4" plywood sheets over above grade concrete without nailing, screwing or gluing to the slab? Sprucing up the Outside of Our House {New Roof! We fill the box with wet sand. Be sure to cover all the 1st concrete layer with the same thickness. Fill the sphere form first, before the mix begins to stiffen. If you want light weight ditch the foam and use a product like vermiculite. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Then pour 3 in. square on the block to represent the opening at the bottom of the column. I wanted my fountain to be roughly the same width as the window so it ended up being 4 feet long and 2 feet wide. Devin Biggs, the author of the online article, responds back by expressing doubt that an 8ft long by 3ft wide version of a foam core concrete basin would hold up to the constant pressure of the weight of the water inside. Then the box is removed from the mold gently and slowly in one upward direction. This fountain is HEAVY! What Is the Optimal Temperature for a Greenhouse? What would the term for pomegranate orchard be in latin or ancient greek? The colours of the LED spotlights that I used can be controlled remotely. I measured and marked where the holes needed to be for the pump tubing. Before you assemble the fountain, mount a 3-in. In this instructable, I show you how to make a waterfall fountain with an original design. How much did the materials cost all together?? Want to Buy It Rather Than Build It? bags), One 4 x 8-ft. sheet of 2-in. After the concrete has completely dried, I start by cleaning the project and removing the dust from the cement using a dry brush. The fountain loses water because of splashing and evaporation, so keep an eye on the water level whenever you run the pump. But then in the Q&A at the bottom he sort of contradicts himself by responding to someone who is asking to make a pond. Shake the form to drive out large air pockets. The spout is important for directing the flow of water. At least to find out if you really want a fountain. In the first layer, I pour the diluted concrete over the sand mold. What or where do you get THAT kind of concrete? Your email address will not be published. Be sure to cover all the fine mesh with the same thickness. When Shane started adding cement mix to the form, I held them in place until the concrete was smoothed and held it on its own. Once it had dried overnight, I unscrewed the form and tapped the form off of the cement. I used L brackets. I am excited to be sharing the tutorial for the DIY concrete fountain. The vinyl tubing made to fit our pump slipped tightly inside the PVC pipe. But, you can do a full epoxy resin coating of the whole fountain. To remove the outer forms of the column and basin, simply slice the tape with a utility knife. Learn how your comment data is processed. Copyright 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme, Hi! Only I vary the quantity of water to arrive at the consistency of the desired mixture. long. Leave the legs of each anchor protruding 3/4 in. What was the large green yellow thing streaking across the sky? Feed the tube into the column and set the sphere in place. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Keep in mind that you'll build the column and base forms and pour them in the upside-down position. On a very hot, windy day, you may need to add water after just a few hours. It only takes a minute to sign up. Your instructable is really, really good! Wrap the disc with duct tape to cover the rough edges left by the drywall saw. Or you can use rocks you find on your land, or salvaged bricks or timbers or stucco it or whatever you like. The longer concrete stays damp, the stronger it gets. on Step 18. Yes; go with plastic or rubber sheet liner . Inspect the sheet before you buy, and handle it carefullydeep scratches or dents will show up as bumps on the surface of your fountain. To put the fountain into operation, it is necessary to start by pouring a quantity of 4 litres of water into the basins. I just had one question. Then insert a 24-in.-long piece of 1/2-in. How can I make an outdoor water feature/fountain out of concrete?
of concrete, tamp it with a 12 to fill in large voids. Can I dedicate my dissertation to my previous advisor? The fountain consists of three separate parts: a sphere, a hollow column and a basin. Hold a 3-in. The sand area can be washed with a water jet to ensure the cleanliness of the pumping chamber. Do Not Sell My Personal Information CA Residents, 20-minute setting-type joint compound (1 bag), Four 10-oz. how can I fix the water flow from large cantera fountain. Follow the steps shown in the attached photos. Do not forget to make small holes in the bottom of the plant pot to take out the excess water in case of watering the plant. Why are the products of Grignard reaction on an alpha-chiral ketone diastereomers rather than a racemate? extruded polystyrene foam insulation. Fountains like the one in made in this project can cost more than $500. We gradually cover everything with concrete. It's difficult to make perfectly straight cuts with a circular saw because the blade can easily wander in the soft foam. from the top of the form. :).
They use very cheap materials and alwa, This is a amazing fountain , Thank you for sharing, Wet Formed Leather Harmonica Case With 3d Printed Logo, PVC Tube: 6mm inlet diameter (for the pump), Enter the pump tube into the 6mm hole in the 1st mini barrel. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company.