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| by:
Paul Lewis
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
JUST ADD WATER |
| Slate
and cedar are paired to create this tabletop fountain |
Judging
from the vast array of tacky water fountains I’ve seen,
it would seem that adding a $20 pump to a plastic rock and throwing
rumours of therapeutic value into the mix somehow increases
their value ten-fold. So with an eye to designing a tasteful
and inexpensive water fountain I was off to the workshop to
come up with this version.
Wood and Water Don’t Mix
 |
| Burbling
water spills from a slate box. Common materials
combine to create a striking water fountain |
|
The foundation
of this project, on which all dimensions are based, is a plastic
tray that contains the water. Making wood hold water is difficult.
It’s easier to use a plastic container, and conceal it
using stone—much like a pond liner.
The plastic container listed
was purchased at a local garden centre, but if you can’t
find this particular item, substitute another container of similar
proportions and adjust the other part sizes to suit.
Work From the Bottom Up
Cedar fence boards are the raw material for the bottom box and
top frame members. Rip these to width now, then crosscut to
length. Assemble the bottom box with biscuit-reinforced butt
joints and polyurethane glue. The mitred top frame is assembled
with just glue initially. Once the glue has cured, plunge a
couple of slots across the joints and insert glue-coated biscuits
into the back of each mitred corner. Once they’re dry,
cut and sand the protruding biscuits flush. Brush on a few coats
of Circa 1850’s Tung ’n Teak Oil to protect the wood
from moisture.
Slate of Hand
 |
| Pump
it up: An adjustable-flow water pump is hidden in
a slate box |
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The box
that conceals the water pump is made from 3/16"-thick slate
tile. I cut the tiles to size with a carbide-wheeled, hand-held
tile cutter (similar to a glass cutter), using the score-and-snap
method. However, in my case it turned out to be the score-and-snap-and-break-and-curse
method. I got through all the cuts eventually, but in hindsight
I would recommend getting the tile guys to make the required
cuts using a wet saw, or at the very least, using a slide-mounted
tile cutter. Drill the 1/2" dia. hole in the top piece
using a carbide-tipped masonry bit. Once all the pieces are
cut, assemble the box using clear silicone as the adhesive.
Complete the box by setting the clear vinyl hose into the hole,
and fixing it in place with a dab of silicone.
Putting it All Together
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE |
|
Drop the
plastic reservoir into the bottom box and set the pump in the
centre. Position the slate box over the pump and fit the tail-end
of the vinyl hose to the pump. Fill the area around the slate
box with river rock. The power cord runs through a V-shaped
notch cut into the top edge of the bottom box. Finally, place
the top frame onto the bottom box using some dowels as registration
pins. Fill up the reservoir with water and turn on the pump.
Adjust the water flow to acheive a pleasant burbling on the
top of the slate box. Make sure to top up the water periodically
to compensate for evaporation, and add a few drops of bleach
in the water to discourage unwanted algae growth. |
| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Size |
Qty. |
| Bottom
sides |
5/8"
x 3 1/2" x 16" |
2 |
| Bottom
ends |
5/8"
x 3 1/2" x 17 1/4" |
2 |
| Top
frame members |
5/8"
x 4" x 20" |
4 |
| Fluted
dowels |
1/4"
dia. x 1 1/2" |
4 |
| Slate
Box |
| Top |
3/16"
x 6" x 6" |
1 |
| Long
sides |
3/16"
x 6" x 6" |
2 |
| Short
sides |
3/16"
x 3 3/4" x 5 5/8" |
2 |
| Plastic
reservoir |
3
1/4" x 15 5/8" x 15 5/8" Grosfillex part
#1557 |
| Pump |
60
gph Beckett part #7061010 |
| Vinyl
hose |
1/2"
outside diameter x 6" (cut to fit) |
| River
stones |
more
than a handful |
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