Would It Be Practical To Make A Wooden Water Tank For Ducks To Swim In?

[RATTER15]

I really don't want to have old baths in the run for the ducks, they look so tacky and messy. on watching the video it got me thinking that I could make a wooden duck pond with shiplap joints and then paint the inside with an (animal safe) bitumen type sealer/tanking.

I think if all the shiplap joints are sealed as it is being built it would make a nice smart water tank, possibly about the size of the one in the video or maybe a bit bigger, it would probably need some kind of bracing to stop the weight of water distorting it to much.

What do you reckon?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzhVlUWVOQc

[anneasquith]

what about an old bath ?

[boxtops]

why don't you want the old bath, ratter? If you don't like the look of it, put the bath in a wooden housing such as you describe.

[gness]

I like those ideas, Ratter. Old baths surrounded by sleepers...no support to avoid distortion needed and could you fill corner gaps with soil for plants? x

[Tilly2]

Don't forget to put the plug in.

[anneasquith]

oops, didn't read the op,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[vulcan42]

A friend of mine buried his old bath and then made a frame to hide the rim.

[pixie373]

Try it out, ratter. I don't see why not

[RATTER15]

I dont want an old bath, I want bigger and nicer. a hot tub would be good if I could find an old one.

[Graham-W]

If you can make a boat to keep the water out, I see no reason why you could,'t build a box to keep the water in.
Isn't that exactly what wooden barrels do?

[jomifl]

If it doesn't need to be deep just use sleepers for the sides and use pond liner to keep the water in.

[Mosaic]

Another way to achieve this would be to make whatever container you want then line it with pond liner. It would gather up in the corners a bit but that shouldn't be an issue. However, don't underestimate the need to reinforce the structure according to its size - the pressure of the water might cause a Moehner dam incident in your back garden.
So, maybe to add the necessary support you could put a bit of dwarf wall, dry-stone walling or whetever around the base.
needless to say, these ponds are a toddler magnet, sorry to be a party pooper but I have a bit of a thing following a couple of tragedies round these parts.

[Mosaic]

Should have read jomifl before posting!

[RATTER15]

I hate pond liners! I know im a fussy bugger, especially when it comes to our animals lol.

I just like the look of the one in the video but made from wood, railway sleepers arent cheap either but maybe to use around the outside of the timber tank for support for the sides.

[gness]

Ratter...if you decide on sleepers look at UK Sleepers. I did a lot of research because I needed quite a few and these people were really good.
Hmmm...am I advertising? Oh dear. x

[RATTER15]

Thanks Gness, will do.

[The Builder]

WARNING: this post may contain the word "gusset"

Just an idea.............

Make up 2 boxes with 1" (25mm) timber, anyway you like. Make them so that one fits inside the other.

Line the bigger one inside with heavy duty builders' polythene. (That's the polythene that's heavy-duty..... not the builder).

Put the slightly smaller box inside, and cap the top edge with 3x1 to keep it together.

You'll need steel gusset ties to hold each box solidly.

[gness]

Ratter...does this help at all? My garden slopes bar one area 10ftx10ft. It's in a corner beneath the patio so I built two breeze block walls on the unseen sides and two walls of sleepers about 4ft high and 9ft long on the sides I want to look nice. I stepped the sleepers in by an inch each to make it look attractive then put in two preformed ponds side by side. One is large and circular and one sort of bone shaped. Filled the space between the ponds and the edges of the stucture with new soil and am now filling up with plants, rocks and pebbles.
Looking at it I'm sure ducks would be happy. x

[RATTER15]

The builder, that sounds good!! I will look into that further.

Gness, do you have a photo, I don't quite picture what you are describing.

[boxtops]

Ratter, find an old rowing boat - that would be cool, and you know it'll be watertight!

[gness]

When I have a visiting child I will get him/her to help me do a photo....rushing off to pretty it up now.....;-) x