How to Cast a Garden Fountain
Garden fountains create a delightful effect of a constant stream of water issuing forth from a seemingly infinite source, an illusion that's quite simple to achieve once you look behind the scenes. The basic parts of a cast concrete fountain include a water basin, which can be an attractive freestanding vessel or a plastic utility tub buried so the top is roughly level with the ground. The decorative portion of the fountain can take almost any form, from a vertical slab with a relief design to a pedestal supporting a broad, round or domed top. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 3/4-inch plywood and sheet metal with screws (for cylindrical top)
- Plastic tub or mixing bowl (for domed top)
- Rigid metal duct and duct tape (for cylindrical base)
- Melamine-coated particleboard with drywall screws (for square base)
- 1/.2-inch copper pipe and fittings
- Hacksaw or tubing cutter
- Rope caulk
- Vegetable oil or a commercial release agent
- Bagged concrete mix
- Concrete mixing and finishing tools
- Hammer or mallet
- #3 rebar (metal reinforcing bar)
- Tie wire
- Sand
- Masonry adhesive
- Water pump
- Hardware cloth
- Stones
Instructions
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1
Create a form for the top section. To cast a cylindrical disk, cut a circle from the three-quarter-inch plywood, then screw a band of sheet metal at least 3 inches wide around the circle's edge. For a domed top, use a shallow plastic tub or large mixing bowl. Secure a piece of half-inch copper pipe into the center, using a bead of rope caulk to form the hole for the water tube.
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2
Build a form for the pedestal base, using rigid metal duct for a cylindrical base or melamine-coated particleboard for a square base. Close the seamed duct with several layers of duct tape. Assemble a particleboard form with drywall screws.
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3
Cut and prepare a 1/2-inch piece of copper pipe for running vertically up through the pedestal base. Attach a 90-degree elbow at the bottom of the pipe, plus a short length of horizontal that will run out to the side of the base.
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4
Coat the forms with vegetable oil or a commercial release agent to prevent the concrete from sticking. Mix the concrete and fill the forms, making sure the pipes are centered. If the top piece is broad, lay a few pieces of #3 rebar in the middle of the concrete.
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5
Settle the concrete by tapping the sides of the forms with a hammer or mallet. Finish the top surfaces of the concrete, following the manufacturer's directions. Let the concrete dry as directed, then remove the forms.
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6
Prepare the water basin by wiring a grid of #3 rebar to the top edge of the basin. The grid should form a central hole that matches the outer dimensions of the pedestal base.
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7
Dig a hole for the basin and add a 3-inch-thick layer of sand. Set the basin in the hole and level it across the top.
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8
Insert the pedestal base through the hole in the rebar so it's standing perfectly plumb, then secure the base temporarily with cross bracing. Mix and pour 2 inches of concrete into the bottom of the basin, smoothing it around the base and elsewhere to create a flat layer. Let the concrete dry.
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9
Glue the top to the pedestal base with masonry adhesive. Connect an appropriately rated water pump to the copper piping using hose clamps.
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10
Cover the basin's top with hardware cloth and decorative stones or other permeable material, as desired. Fill the basin with water before running the pump.
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