PVC is easy to work with and withstands the elements pretty well.
My first completed project is a toad house. I've seen several on
some garden forums and decided that I just had to make one. They
are so cute and fairly easy to make.
For this project I used 6" PVC pipe because that is what we already
had, but 4" is good to use and probably easier to cut. This piece is 8"
long and the hole is about 4" long and 2-1/2" high. This seems like a
good size for a fairly large toad. They like to bury themselves in soft
soil or compost, so no bottom is necessary for a toad house.
The top is an 8" funnel that we got from the auto parts store. I cut off
the tip of the funnel with a dremel cutting wheel. I made the hole in
the PVC with the same tool and used a sanding drum to smooth the
My first completed project is a toad house. I've seen several on
some garden forums and decided that I just had to make one. They
are so cute and fairly easy to make.
For this project I used 6" PVC pipe because that is what we already
had, but 4" is good to use and probably easier to cut. This piece is 8"
long and the hole is about 4" long and 2-1/2" high. This seems like a
good size for a fairly large toad. They like to bury themselves in soft
soil or compost, so no bottom is necessary for a toad house.
The top is an 8" funnel that we got from the auto parts store. I cut off
the tip of the funnel with a dremel cutting wheel. I made the hole in
the PVC with the same tool and used a sanding drum to smooth the
| The hose guides to the right are made from 3/4" conduit painted to look like copper with Fusion brand paint. They must cure two weeks, to be chip resistant and no special primer is needed. It took about 3-4 thin coats to completely cover the conduit. I used steel wool to remove the markings from the pipe and then washed off any residue. Gary drilled holes in a board so that I had something to hold up the conduit for drying. That meant that about a 1/4"-1/2" of pipe would not be finished with paint, which worked |
out perfectly as we heated up the end of the pipe with a heat gun so it
would fit snuggly inside the glass insulator. Great caution should be
taken if you ever decide to heat up plastic as it can catch fire easily.
We heated it very slowly, turning the pipe constantly, just softening it
enough that it molded to the threads in the insulator. Never heat up
plastic indoors as the fumes are horrible and toxic. Where a mask if
you have respiratory problems.
would fit snuggly inside the glass insulator. Great caution should be
taken if you ever decide to heat up plastic as it can catch fire easily.
We heated it very slowly, turning the pipe constantly, just softening it
enough that it molded to the threads in the insulator. Never heat up
plastic indoors as the fumes are horrible and toxic. Where a mask if
you have respiratory problems.
| Fun with PVC |
| Last Updated on March 6, 2010 |
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edges. Make sure you wear face protection when doing this as small pieces of PVC fly
everywhere.
I glued on flat stones that I got from the dollar store with GE Silicone II in a tan color. Then I hot
glued Reindeer Moss to the cracks and crevises. The top is glued on with the silicone as well and
is covered with a coco liner. I painted a wooden sphere and glued it to the top of the funnel. It's
painted green to match the moss. This will go in my new fairy garden.
everywhere.
I glued on flat stones that I got from the dollar store with GE Silicone II in a tan color. Then I hot
glued Reindeer Moss to the cracks and crevises. The top is glued on with the silicone as well and
is covered with a coco liner. I painted a wooden sphere and glued it to the top of the funnel. It's
painted green to match the moss. This will go in my new fairy garden.
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These hose guides are 24" long, but you can do whatever height works for you. A piece of rebar was pounded into the ground
about a foot and then the conduit was slipped on top of that so that the pipe is able to spin when pulling a hose against it.
about a foot and then the conduit was slipped on top of that so that the pipe is able to spin when pulling a hose against it.
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