The shishi odoshi, a traditional Japanese fountain, was originally used to scare away deer who would otherwise feed on tender shoots in rice paddies. I can't vouch for its efficiency at keeping herds of marauding deer from your daisies, but I will say the motion of this fountain is pleasantly mesmerizing.
Bamboo search
The most challenging aspect of this project is finding the raw bamboo. I found mine at The House of Bamboo in Thornhill, Ont. (905-889-5652), and paid $30 for enough bamboo to make a few fountains. Start your search in the Yellow Pages under rattan, bamboo and wicker products.
The dozuki saw
In keeping with the spirit of the project, I used a small Japanese pull-saw, or dozuki, to cut the pieces to length. When cutting, pay attention to the location of the nodes, the darker raised rings that circle the shoots at regular intervals. The centre tube requires a node just in front of the pivot rod and the bottom of each leg should be free of any nodes that would impede the insertion of the base dowels. Once the pieces are cut to length, drill the 3/8" pivot rod holes in the centre tube and the legs. The holes in the crosspiece are drilled using a spade bit slightly smaller than the diameter of the legs and water spout that join with them. I then tapered each end of these parts slightly using a stationary disc sander. The final drilling procedure is to drill out the nodes inside one leg and the water spout to allow the plastic tubing through. I accomplished this by chucking a 1/2" spade bit on an 8" extension and guiding it through each tube.
Download the illustrated shishi odoshi project plans here!
Materials you will need:
| Part | Size | Qty. |
|---|---|---|
| Legs | 1 1/2" x 30" | 2 |
| Crosspiece | 2 3/4" x 11 1/2" | 1 |
| Water spout | 1" x 9" | 1 |
| Centre tube | 2" x 27" | 4 |
| Pivot rod sleeves | 1" dia. x 1 3/4" | 2 |
| Back leg | 1 1/2" x 10 1/2" | 1 |
| Base dowels | 1" dia. x 3" | 1 |
| Base (polyethylene board) | 3/8" x 9 1/2" x 11" | 1 |
3 Comments
Great Post. Thanks! This post inspired me to take on an indepth project of constructing a <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/bamboo-fountain">shishi odoshi</a>. I learned a great deal in doing so - I've documented my experience of creating a shishi odoshi here: http://www.squidoo.com/bamboo-fountain
Great Post. Thanks! This post inspired me to take on an indepth project of constructing a shishi-odoshi in my backyard - I've documented all that I did - Check it out: http://www.squidoo.com/bamboo-fountain
Great Post. Thanks! This post inspired me to take on an indepth project of constructing a shishi-odoshi in my backyard - I've documented all that I did - Check it out: http://www.squidoo.com/bamboo-fountain