Thursday, May 15, 2008

Dripping trunk

I want a bird bath like this. Hollowed out sassafras tree trunk with a brass dripper. "Only" $139!! (hutlöst). I wonder what it would cost to make yourself?

14 comments:

EH said...

Nice bird bath. Can´t you hollow out a piece of your already fallen tree and line it with something waterproof?

LS said...

I was thinking about that. FIlling the hollow trunk with something and then use pond lining, but how do you make sure it lasts and look good for a long time? I don't like plastic...

EH said...

Concrete rhubarb leaf is nice a long time, maybe you can line it with some kind of concrete and put a bowl on top to get a hollow shape?

LS said...

I think a tree trunk that is slowly rottening filled with concrete will be quite leaky after a while... Hmm, I am sure this can be solved in some way.

LS said...

My other idea is to make a concrete birdbath lined with oyster shells on the inside. I have the oyster shells, just need strong arms and concrete.

EH said...

You need a sandpit, a bucket, water and concrete, something to stir with.

Put plastic on a formed sandheap, place out the oystershells and put a layer of concrete on top in a shape you like and let it burn. Sprinkle some water on it from time to time. What I heard it´s enough with 3-4 days of burning, after that it can be turned. This is the method used for rhubarb bird baths, I haven´t tried it myself yet but I will.

LS said...

I bet skunk cabbage leaves would work well here, they are large. There must be a way where you don't make the bird bath upside down but can see the top and push in the shells from the top? I am afraid otherwise the shells will fill with concrete by accident.

EH said...

The problem must be that concrete floats down to the middle but if you make a concrete "dough" maybe it works. The fine thing is that concrete is cheap, and you can get more shells at the beach, you just have to try.

LS said...

So, EH, when are you coming over the pond to help me make these bird baths? September 1?

LS said...

leaf bird bath instructions here

AnS said...

Take a piece of your stock of your fallen big tree, Make a hole "Urholka" in it. A little pump in it with water in the hole. It will be great. Tank pa alla tratunner som haller i evighet. Jag har sett underbara vattenhal gjorda pa det sattet.

LS said...

Oh wow, we can make a bird bath out of our 4 meter long, one meter thick fallen tree trunk! It is too big to move anyway. That is great! Only problem is the water for the dripping thing - we will have to have it solar powered. The pump assembly can be hidden behind the tree trunk. I read that birds love dripping water. PP, what do you think? Can we borrow some tool to carve this out or use our Swedish axe?

LS said...

Guess what I got for my birthday!!? Instructions, ingredients, and strong arms to mix cement - and PP had planned it before we talked about it here on the blog. Oyster shells, here we come!

We had 4 goldfinches at our feeder this morning, so it is true what they say: "If you put up a feeder, they will come".

EH said...

Fun gift LS, and good thinking PP! I wonder if JH is reading this...me too please!