| There are countless Zen fountains ready to buy on the internet or in shops, my idea is to create something more personal and more intimate with a not excessive expense and thus leaving room for personal taste and creativity. I will describe how I proceeded with the construction, and what materials I used, obviously, this is just an example that can be customized, and therefore any dimensions mentioned in the description must also be adapted and customized. Necessary material– glass bowl or plate diameter 55/65cm (ethnic gift shops and similar) – plexiglass sheet size 50x50cm thickness 4mm or more (brick centre) – black pvc sheet or colour of your choice size 50x50cm – rubber tubes diameter 12mm and various fittings (aquarium shops) – aquarium pump at least 400 litres/hour (aquarium shops) – mangrove roots or volcanic rock (already drilled because it is a job that cannot be done at home) – nebulizer illuminated (find it here) – various tools for processing (drill, 60 or 80mm cutter, cutter, etc.) ConstructionThis is an overview of the accessories used: This is the bowl that I have chosen, very natural, for me it is beautiful, a real piece of furniture, although after a test I verified that the wood had already been treated and therefore waterproof, I still preferred to give the inside 3 coats of finishing wax for wood with an opaque effect, dark walnut colour, transparent is also fine, if the wood is not already treated, sandpaper with very fine abrasive paper, give two coats of wood impregnator, and then possibly the wax. This is the plexiglass sheet that serves as a support base for the Zen landscape (stones and possible wood) which has been cut with a diameter of 40cm so that by inserting it into the bowl there is about 3cm left between the base itself and the edge of the bowl. Why use this base? The idea is to form a base for the landscape and leave space underneath for all the technical equipment. The largest hole is used to let out the vapour from the nebulizer, the two smaller ones for the passage of the water pipes, and the four even smaller ones for fixing the mangrove roots. The smaller ones were made with a drill, and the bigger ones with a cutter (you must always be delicate with plexiglass, never push cutters and bits because they crack and can break). I then added along the way a couple of lengths of PVC pipe attached with silicone which acts as a support for the base, because the two roots weigh and the Plexiglas base risks falling from one side of the bowl. Then I told myself that the transparent plexiglass wasn’t the most natural, even if it would have been covered by stones, but to avoid inconveniences I bought a sheet of black PVC which will give the definitive colour to the support base of the landscape. This is easier to cut, just a cutter and scissors. These are the two mangrove roots that I have chosen, I found them in an aquarium shop, with the luck that they were already drilled underneath, and therefore for the passage of the water pipes I just had to drill them in the upper part. This is one of the holes that I created, with iron spikes, it will be one of the water exit points. This was the already existing hole, highlighted is the hole I made for future fixing of the roots with screws, self-threading screws for wood could also be avoided and screwed directly onto the wood, but it is better to do them as It is easy for the roots themselves, even if very hard, to crack. This is the pump, an adjustable 400 litres/hour. For two outlets with 12mm diameter tubes, about 20/25cm long, I’d say it’s fine. These are the fittings used to split the pump outlet, they are found in aquarium shops or even in shops that have irrigation equipment or in brick centres. At this point, I place the PVC sheet on the plexiglass base and prepare the screws for fixing the roots. I insert the pipes for the water. I insert a couple of washers to prevent the plexiglass from cracking, and then I fix the two roots after inserting the water pipes. I insert the fitting. I insert the pump. This is the final result of the lower part of the fountain, the one you can’t see. This is an overview that gives a better idea. The part of the woods you see with the pipes is back and therefore nothing will be seen. This is a test to verify that the water flows well from the roots and that the pump is well-adjusted. Final results. |
