From 
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Combine basic materials and clever techniques to create a fountain in one weekend.
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The fountain consists of three separate parts: a sphere, a hollow column and a basin. A pump drives water up through the sphere, where it bubbles out, cascades down the column and returns to the basin.
Overall height: 42 in.
Basin footprint: 20 x 20 in.
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Note: The column and basin are formed and cast upside down.
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1. Mark out the form parts and cut them with a circular saw. Support the foam with 2x4s. Assemble the column form parts with duct tape.
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2. Screw the disc (D) to the inner form, then screw the disc to the end cap (E). Slip the inner form into the column form and tape it in place.
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3. Tape the basin form together and screw in the two inner blocks (F). Mark a 4-in. square in the center and insert wire anchors 1/4 in. inside the square.
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Form the sphere with a plastic ball:
To form the sphere, you'll need a toy ball, a plastic flowerpot and a bag of 20-minute setting-type joint compound (which is meant for covering drywall joints). Buy a cheap ball (ours cost $3) made from smooth, thin plastic and make sure it's fully inflated. Don't use a thick-skinned ball like a soccer ball or basketball.
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Cover the holes in the flowerpot with duct tape. Mix the joint compound powder with water until it's the consistency of pancake batter. It's OK if the mix is a bit lumpy. Then pour 3 in. of compound into the pot and set the ball into it with the air plug facing straight up. Hold a 3-in. cardboard ring (left over from duct tape) on the ball as you cover the ball with at least 1 in. of joint compound (Photo 4). Work fast - the joint compound will start to stiffen after about 10 minutes. You may have to hold the ring in place for a minute or two to prevent the ball from floating up.
Let the compound harden overnight. Then puncture the ball with a utility knife and pull it out through the ring. Slather margarine onto a small rag and coat the inside of the form so the concrete won't stick to it. If your hand won't fit through the ring, recruit a helper with smaller hands.
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4. Create a sphere form by covering a ball with joint compound while holding a tape ring on top. When the compound hardens, puncture the ball and pull it out. Let the compound cure overnight before you fill it with concrete.
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Fill the forms with concrete
Since the concrete isn't reinforced with wire mesh or rebar, concrete mix that contains tiny threads of fiberglass is best for this project (Quikrete Crack-Resistant concrete is one brand). We used one 10-oz. bottle of Quikrete Cement Color per 80-lb. bag of concrete to pigment the mix.Home centers typically carry three or four colors (we used "buff"). For mixing tips, go to familyhandyman.com and type "mixing concrete" into the keyword box.
Fill the sphere form first, before the mix begins to stiffen. Shake the form to drive out large air pockets. Then insert a 24-in.-long piece of 1/2-in. PVC pipe (see Figure A and Photo 7). Cover the end of the pipe with tape to keep out the concrete. Center the pipe and hold a level against it to make sure it's standing straight up.
Fill the column form by dropping in scoops of concrete on all four sides. If you fill only from one side, you'll bend the inner form. When you've dropped in about 6 in. of concrete, tamp it with a 1x2 to fill in large voids. We tamped for about 10 seconds; more tamping will give the concrete a smoother surface, while less tamping will leave more craters and crevices. Whatever surface texture you want, be consistent with your tamping all the way up for a uniform appearance. Continue to fill and tamp in 6-in. increments until the concrete is 4 in. from the top of the form. Then add the block that creates the access hole and the wire anchors (Photo 5).
When you fill the basin form (Photo 6), tamp the concrete the same way and be careful not to dislodge the wire anchors you installed earlier. Slide a 2x4 back and forth as you drag it across the form to screed off the excess concrete.
Since the concrete isn't reinforced with wire mesh or rebar, concrete mix that contains tiny threads of fiberglass is best for this project (Quikrete Crack-Resistant concrete is one brand). We used one 10-oz. bottle of Quikrete Cement Color per 80-lb. bag of concrete to pigment the mix.Home centers typically carry three or four colors (we used "buff"). For mixing tips, go to familyhandyman.com and type "mixing concrete" into the keyword box.
Fill the sphere form first, before the mix begins to stiffen. Shake the form to drive out large air pockets. Then insert a 24-in.-long piece of 1/2-in. PVC pipe (see Figure A and Photo 7). Cover the end of the pipe with tape to keep out the concrete. Center the pipe and hold a level against it to make sure it's standing straight up.
Fill the column form by dropping in scoops of concrete on all four sides. If you fill only from one side, you'll bend the inner form. When you've dropped in about 6 in. of concrete, tamp it with a 1x2 to fill in large voids. We tamped for about 10 seconds; more tamping will give the concrete a smoother surface, while less tamping will leave more craters and crevices. Whatever surface texture you want, be consistent with your tamping all the way up for a uniform appearance. Continue to fill and tamp in 6-in. increments until the concrete is 4 in. from the top of the form. Then add the block that creates the access hole and the wire anchors (Photo 5).
When you fill the basin form (Photo 6), tamp the concrete the same way and be careful not to dislodge the wire anchors you installed earlier. Slide a 2x4 back and forth as you drag it across the form to screed off the excess concrete.
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5. Fill the column form with concrete. When it's nearly full, insert the access-hole block (B) and wire anchors. Then finish filling the form.
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6. Fill the basin form and "screed" off the excess concrete with a 2x4. Let the concrete cure for a week before you remove any of the forms.
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7. Cut away the plastic pot with a utility knife. Saw deep kerfs in the sphere form and break it open by prying with a stiff putty knife.
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8. Tie the column to the base by joining the anchors with wire. Feed the tube into the column and set the sphere in place. Pull the tube through the access hole and connect the pump. Cover the reservoir with hardware cloth and pebbles.
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Want to BUY IT rather than build it?
Most garden centers and some home centers carry fountains in several sizes and styles. Prices start at about $100 for a small fiberglass model. For a huge selection, go to simplyfountains.coom or just type "fountain" into any online search engine. Don't say we didn't warn you about the prices, though. Fountains like the one in this article can cost more than $500.
Most garden centers and some home centers carry fountains in several sizes and styles. Prices start at about $100 for a small fiberglass model. For a huge selection, go to simplyfountains.coom or just type "fountain" into any online search engine. Don't say we didn't warn you about the prices, though. Fountains like the one in this article can cost more than $500.
Print them!
This fountain is a great project and while I would love to build one I don't have a computer in my workshop to refer back to for each step. Your web page is not set up so that one could printout or download the complete article with pictures and dimentions. That's a real shame as it could be so much better with all it's wonderful contents, I am a subcriber to the family Handyman. Jon