Make a Bamboo Water Fountain
A Weekend
14-18
What Will You Learn?
Learn how to make a Bamboo Water Fountain that is used in many Zen Gardens.
Select your Bamboo
Step 1
Each node is a barrier inside the bamboo. You’ll want one upright piece to have few or no nodes, as you’ll need to run tubing through it. For the rocking piece, you want a node in the middle, which will form the bottom of the scoop that fills with water.
NOTE: Working with bamboo is not like working with dimensional lumber. Bamboo surfaces are irregular, and size and shape change along the length. Be prepared to adjust instructions accordingly.
Determine Dimensions
Step 2
I built a small fountain to fit in a planter just 8″ across, and used 6 or 8 linear feet of bamboo. Marty Marfin in the Make: Labs built one 3′ tall (second photo) and used about 20′ total.
Whatever size you design, youʼll need a large-diameter piece for the top beam, 2 upright pieces that’ll fit into this beam, and a smaller-diameter piece for the spout, which also fits into the beam.
Choose another fairly large-diameter piece for the water scoop.
Cut and Drill Bamboo
Step 3
Cut your beam and uprights to length. Measure the tops of the uprights carefully and drill holes in the beam to accept them.
Step 4
Drill a third hole centered in the front of the beam, sized to accept the spout. But leave the spout piece extra long, as you’ll figure out the final length after some testing.
Step 5
Test-fit the uprights, then drill a ¾” hole near the bottom of one of them, for routing the ½” tubing. I used Forstner bits; they leave beautifully clean holes.
Step 6
Cut the water scoop piece so it’s got about the same length on either side of a node.
Cut Steel Rods
Step 7
Use a hacksaw to cut a length of 3⁄16″ rod to span your uprights, plus a few inches on either side. This will be the axis of the water scoop.
Step 8
Cut a shorter rod to fit between your uprights without touching; you’ll use this to test the pouring action.
Make the Water Scoop
Step 9
Drill a 7/32″ hole just behind the central node and straight through the center of the bamboo.
Insert the shorter, test axis through the hole, and clamp it in a bench vise so the axis is straight up.
Step 10
Now trim one end of the bamboo at a shallow angle of about 30°, keeping the saw perpendicular to the ground. Just cut off a little; you may have to trim more later.
Thread the Tubing
Step 11
Feed the ½” tubing up through the upright you drilled, into the top beam, and out the spout. You can use a piece of rod or another tool to help guide the tubing.
TIP: Drill with an extra-long bit — or just hammer a piece of rebar — to punch through any nodes blocking your path.
Test the Pouring Action
Step 12
Determining exactly where to mount the water scoop on the uprights is key. Dry-fit the bamboo frame together and use a temporary crosspiece of wood or bamboo to help support it.
Step 13
Trim the tubing if needed, and connect it to the pump. My pump came with a valve that can partially restrict the water flow. You want it to pump as slowly as possible.
Step 14
Run the pump and adjust the height of the water scoop between the 2 uprights to see how it works. You may need to adjust the length of the spout and/or the scoop so that water can pour from one to the other.
CAUTION: I recommend testing the pump outside — it’ll get splashy.
Mark and Drill Uprights
Step 15
Once you’ve found the right placement for your water scoop, mark the uprights where the test axis is aligned.
Step 16
Disassemble the frame and tubing, and drill 3⁄16″ holes at your marks. Reassemble.
Install the Water Scoop
Step 17
Push the axis rod through the first upright, tapping gently with a hammer if needed. Cut 2 short pieces of small-diameter bamboo. You’ll use them as spacers to keep the scoop from moving too far from side to side.
Step 18
Place one spacer on the rod, then the scoop, then the second spacer. Now push the rod all the way through the far side of the second upright.
If you wish, cover the exposed ends of the rod with 2 more short pieces of bamboo to match the spacers.
Make the Knocker
Step 19
In some traditional fountains, the water scoop tips down and strikes a rock or a basin to create the deer-scaring noise.
This one uses a lower crosspiece lashed to the frame to provide the desired knocking sound when the scoop tips back up. Test for desired location, then use thin rope to lash it on.
Troubleshoot and Adjust
Step 20
Check the flow of water and the rocking action. Adjust the spout angle if needed. I found I needed to straighten the vinyl tubing inside the spout by inserting a short collar of ½” PVC pipe to better direct the flow. Your mileage may vary.
If the water scoop doesn’t tip and dump after it fills, the back of the scoop weighs too much. You may have to saw some off to adjust the balance.
If it spills but then doesn’t flop back into position, the front end is too heavy. Trim the front or add some weight inside the back end.
Step 21
Now put your rocking fountain in your garden to make a space that’s peaceful for you — and for your plants.
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Materials:
- Bamboo, about 8'–20' total length, diameters from 1"–3"
- Submersible pump, low volume
- 80 gallons per hour (GPH) or less
- Basin, pond, or sealed planter
- Clear vinyl tubing, ½" diameter, 3'–10' length
- Steel rod, zinc plated, 3/16" diameter, 2'–3' length
- Rope, ¼", about 6' length
- PVC pipe, ½", about 1' length
Tools:
- Handsaw
- Drill and drill bits
- I recommend using a drill press, but a hand drill works too if you're careful.
- Forstner bits or hole saws
- Bench vise
- Hacksaw
- Hammer
- Pliers
- File
- Ruler
- Level
- Pencil or fine-tip marker
Maker Camp Project Standards
Based on NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. These standards provide goals for Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art. The Anchor Standards include:- Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
- Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
- Refine and complete artistic work.
- Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
- Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
- Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
- Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
- Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
- Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
- Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
CCSS (Common Core State Standards)
The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).Measurement & Data
- Grades K-2
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.1 Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1 Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.2 Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.1 Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.2 Measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.3 Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.4 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
- Grades 3-5
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.1 Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.C.5 Recognize angles as geometric shapes that are formed wherever two rays share a common endpoint, and understand concepts of angle measurement.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1 Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.3 Recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and understand concepts of volume measurement.
Ratios & Proportional Relationships
- Middle School
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions, including ratios of lengths, areas and other quantities measured in like or different units.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.
CCSS (Common Core State Standards)
The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).Geometry
- Grades K-2
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.1 Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.3 Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, "flat") or three-dimensional ("solid").
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.6 Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1 Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.2 Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
- Grades 3-5
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.G.A.3 Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry.
- Middle School
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A.4 Represent three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.2 Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.3 Describe the two-dimensional figures that result from slicing three-dimensional figures, as in plane sections of right rectangular prisms and right rectangular pyramids.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.1 Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.3 Describe the effect of dilations, translations, rotations, and reflections on two-dimensional figures using coordinates.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.4 Understand that a two-dimensional figure is similar to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, translations, and dilations; given two similar two-dimensional figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the similarity between them.
NGSS HS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
- HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
- HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- HS-ETS1-4. Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
