A Fabulous
Fun Fountain
By Super
Handyman Al Carrell
There
is nothing more tranquil than the sound of a babbling brook. That's why
fountains are so popular. You can easily make your own fountain from an
assortment of clay pots and saucers. I recently made one on the TV show
YOUR NEW HOUSE. Feel free to copy ours or design your own.
You'll need:
One 3" high pot
One 4" high pot
One 5" high pot
One 6" high pot
One 4" wide saucer
One 11" wide saucer
One 14" wide saucer
One 18" wide saucer with a 3 or 4" lip as the base
Buy several small saucers that you may not need
A small type submersible pump from an aquarium store
A foot or so of flexible tubing to fit on the pump
Clear aerosol spray sealer
Waterproof adhesive
ASSEMBLY: First, look at our drawing (below). In order for the tubing to
carry water from the base up to the 4" pot, you must enlarge the hole
in the bottom of it and in the 6" pot that houses the pump. I used
a drill bit on a slow speed to ream these holes. A hole the same size must
be drilled in the 14" saucer. I started with a smaller bit with the
saucer backed up with a solid wood scrap to avoid breakage. I then reamed
it out.
Notch the saucers
and the top pot as shown in the drawing using a file. Also notch the 6"
pot at several places around the lip so water can easily reach the pump.
Next, seal
the surfaces. It is very important to seal the 18" base saucer, both
top and bottom. Use several coats, allowing drying time between. Sealing
the base is a must if the fountain goes inside the house.
Now follow
the drawing or go creative. Don't glue the pieces in place until you're
sure everything is just the way you want it. If you need to raise any of
the parts for a better effect, that's where those spare saucers come in.
Pour water
into the big saucer to within a ¼" of the top. Be sure this
saucer is level. Now turn on the pump. You may have to regulate the flow
so it is gentle and so all the water stays in the fountain and doesn't splatter
the ceiling. When you'd satisfied that everything is where it should be,
trim off the plastic tube.
Now you can
glue things together if you wish. Add some nice rocks, marbles, shells or
even a small statue.
ENJOY!
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