Bamboo Deer Scare

[Diana]

I am going to make one.
I want to know how long they last, and what can be done to make them last longer.
Does it help to seal the inside? With what?
If it does not land so sharply on the rock, but has a gentler touch down will that help? (I do not need the loud 'CLUNK!' sound, a gentle 'Tap' is plenty)
How secure does it have to be in the ground? Concrete? Or is compacted dirt enough?
If it is all built in one piece, secured to a plate that is buried, will that be more secure?

I am thinking of the H shaped one, with the water supply supported by the same legs as the rocking piece.

Any other tips?

[xenxes]

http://www.squidoo.com/bamboo-fountain

[mistergreen]

you can make it out of pvc tubes and paint it for durability.

[Diana]

Thanks xenxes, I have seen the squidoo item. Seems the construction is easy enough.

Thanks, mistergreen, but I already have the bamboo. Sure is a good idea about the PVC, though. No worries about it leaking! A little creative painting and it would look like bamboo, too.

[xenxes]

One thing about PVC though, I don't know if plastic on plastic will give that same "thud" as bamboo. Give it a try and see tho!

Are you actually doing this to scare deer lol? Or just for aesthetics.

[mistergreen]

Originally Posted by Diana

Thanks xenxes, I have seen the squidoo item. Seems the construction is easy enough.

Thanks, mistergreen, but I already have the bamboo. Sure is a good idea about the PVC, though. No worries about it leaking! A little creative painting and it would look like bamboo, too.

There are plenty of clear water sealer options out there. Make a trip to the local hardware store.
It should be ok if it leaks a little as long as the leaked water return to the same source.

[Diana]

I am not actually trying to scare the deer.
In fact, I do not really want a loud thunk at all. The active tipping and the sound of water are more important.
This will be near a pond, and I could arrange it so it is all above the pond, so any spills or leaks flow back to the pond. The pond has fish, so any clear sealer would have to be fish-safe.

[mistergreen]

Anything epoxy based should be fish friendly. Once it cures, it's inert.

[xenxes]

In that case, regardless of the material you're using, you can pad the ground portion with some foam to avoid the loud thunk.

[Diana]

OK, I will look for an epoxy type of sealer. Thanks!
Yes, something softer for the tube to land on. Maybe just the soil.