Make a decorative fountain out of a whiskey barrel.
Whiskey barrel fountains add rustic character to your outdoor space. You can build a whiskey barrel fountain from full or half barrels to stand as a focal point in your yard or as an addition to a flower bed. One of the simplest whiskey barrel designs you can make is a bubbling fountain without any decorative elements. Get creative and add eclectic elements to enhance the fountain design, such as bamboo stalks, copper-tubing art or an old fountain pump.
Instructions
1. Cut a sheet of plastic pond liner to cover the inside of the whiskey barrel. Place the plastic liner inside the barrel and attach it to the top inside rim with a staple gun. The plastic liner makes the whiskey barrel watertight.
2. Place the whiskey barrel in the desired location of your water fountain. Moving the whiskey barrel after adding the decorative elements is not practical.
3. Cut two stalks of bamboo 3 feet longer than the height of the whiskey barrel, using the hacksaw. The bamboo stalks should be at least 1-inch in diameter.
4. Run a bead of waterproof construction adhesive straight down one side of the interior of the whiskey barrel on top of the plastic liner. Press one of the bamboo stalks to the adhesive. Attach the stalk to the top inside rim of the whiskey barrel with a metal U-bracket, using the screwdriver and screws.
5. Drill a 1/2-inch hole through one side of the remaining bamboo stalk, 6 inches from one end. Do not drill the hole through both sides of the stalk. Drill a 1/2-inch hole 4 inches from the opposite end of the same pole, on the same side of the pole as the first hole. Do not drill through both sides of the stalk. These are the access holes for the plastic tubing that channels the water for the fountain.
6. Cut a length of flexible plastic tubing 1 foot longer than the bamboo stalk, using the scissors. Feed the tube through the drilled hole that is 4 inches from the end of the stalk down to and through the drilled hole at the opposite end. Pull the tubing through the second hole so that 8 inches extend from the hole. Seal the holes around both ends of the tubing with silicone sealant. Allow the sealant to dry.
7. Repeat Step 4 to attach the bamboo stalk with the plastic tubing to the inside of the whiskey barrel opposite the first stalk. The drilled hole that is 6 inches from the end should be inside the barrel.
8. Cut a length of bamboo stalk 6 inches longer than the width between the two stalks attached to the whiskey barrel. Drill 1/4-inch holes along one side of the new stalk, no more than 1/2-inch apart; begin drilling the holes 4 1/2 inches from each end of the new bamboo stalk. The holes will allow the water to cascade back into the whiskey barrel, similar to a rain curtain.
9. Drill a 1/2-inch hole through one side of the new bamboo stalk, 4 inches from one end. The hole should line up with the 1/4-inch holes. Seal each end of the bamboo stalk with a rubber stopper or with silicone sealant.
10. Position the new bamboo stalk horizontally between the two vertical stalks. The 1/4-inch holes should be facing down into the whiskey barrel. The 1/2-inch hole should be adjacent to the vertical stalk with the plastic tubing. Attach the new bamboo stalk perpendicular to the two upright stalks by wrapping twine around the stalks in a figure eight, 3 inches from each end.
11. Feed the plastic tubing through the 1/2-inch hole in the horizontal stalk. Seal around the tube with silicone sealant. Allow the silicone to dry.
12. Place the submersible fountain pump inside the whiskey barrel. Attach the end of the plastic tubing nearest to the bottom of the barrel to the fountain spout. Run the electrical cord over the side of the barrel and to an electrical outlet. Bury the cord in a shallow trench from the barrel to the outlet. Fill the whiskey barrel with water. Start the pump.
Tags: build, whiskey, barrel, fountain, whiskey barrel, bamboo stalk, inches from, plastic tubing, 2-inch hole, inside whiskey, inside whiskey barrel, 4-inch holes
