i need to make a wood waterfall for indoor use. basically a 24″ fall with a tank at the top and a tank at the bottom and pump in between. my question is: is it possible to waterproof the tanks and how. thanks
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Why wood?
Bear
An epoxy finish like West System's is probably your best bet, but still...
why wood?
"This is a process, not an event."--Sphere
And I'm a legitimate certifiable Tool Whore.--Dieselpig
bolanger,
I'll repeat why wood? I mean you can do it, and if you pick the right woods they won''t rot but they will change color and the resulting change is unlikely to be attractoive.. the right finish might delay it for a while, but why wood?
Build it with wood, line it with copper or pond liner.
the waterfall will be about 6 feet wide, 4 feet high, 3 feet deep. in a confined outcove in a house addition. I was originally thinking to lay it in block, but by the time i get the back (8 in) wall, middle wall (8 in) then front wall(8 in) i'm basically stuck with about 12 inches of total water space. Plus i am sort of restricted as the design i can do. if i used treated for the framing then limestone tile over it i could mess with the design and achieve the tropical look i want. so...that's why wood. i should have been more specific about the structure only being wood. Please if you have any ideas shoot them my way.
thanks
Probably same techniques as Japanese Cedar Bathtubs, or water barrels, but you will still have some seepage.Glue joints with West System Epoxy, then finish interior with clear polyesther resin and fibrenesh would be my line of atack
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If I am understanding you correctly, and, as you say, just the structure is wood, I would think you could design it like a shower--use a waterproof membrane under your limestone tile (membrane on a backer board like Hardi-board).
(There are systems that people here know about, but I never can remember them--Ditra and Kerdi, etc. There's a web site just for tile and people here can tell you what that is too (too much St. Patrick's Day beer yesterday I guess--I think it's http://www.johnbridges.com, but am not sure).
Anyway, that's what I'd consider--PT structure covered with tile backer and waterproof membrane then the limestone tile. The catch basin could be lined and built like a shower pan and you could use tile over membrane there too. Sounds like it coult turn out really nicely!
Sounds like standard pond construction techniques would apply - using a heavy rubber liner. There are a number of good books out there, and all the supplies - including pre-cut rubber - are available on-line if you don't have a pond supply house nearby.
Yeah, build with wood, line with copper or rubber membrane. Use tropical hardwood for the surfaces water will touch. See if you can't spots stones or similar material where the waterfall hits.
You can absolutly do it and make it gorgous to boot.
Buy yourself canoe bits for your router and build it the same way I started my kayak years ago...might even finish one day...lol.
Here's a link to one of my fav web sites...I met the guy in Conn at a wooden boat show and bought the plans from him for the 20' single man Guilmont Kayak.
You gotta see some of this stuff. No reason I can see why you can't apply this method to anything at all.
I thought one day I'd make a claw foot tub withthis method of strip building.
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/Building/Building.html
Have fun!!!
Be well
andy
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but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying,
"Damn... that was fun!"
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 3/18/2007 11:26 am ET by andybuildz
here's the 20 footer model I starter...
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A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying,"Damn... that was fun!"
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 3/18/2007 11:32 am ET by andybuildz
What Piffin said in xxx.7.
Fiberglass on the inside, relatively easy to work with, no weepage when done.
The copper lining suggestion would also work well - more $$, more skill and tooling needed, gets away from the "all wood" look you want to achieve.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
One advantage of copper, though, is that it generally fits in well, visually, with wood. So, for instance, one might want to make the spillway from copper even if rubber is used inside.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Agreed, just trying to stay within the design parameters of the OP.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Very interesting.
Recently received simmilar request.
Eager to see how you approach this.
thanks to all. i got alot of good ideas.