Large container to hold water for short-term exhibition

[John K Jordan]

Can it be flush or nearly flush with the ground? Cheap method: I'd level the area, perhaps spread a layer of sand, lay down a frame of 4x4 or 6x6 timbers around the top, line it with a pond liner and fold it over, then attach a timber cap on top for looks. A cheaper pond liner can be the rubber roofing material used on flat roofs.

If you want the bottom flater and prettier put in a layer of trex or deck boards on top the bottom liner.

Could fold the corners to minimized wrinkles. It will be completely waterproof. When removed, the liner could make a nice koi pond.

If you want it to look pretty inside you could cut and fasten some non-waterproof boards to the timber cap to cover any wrinkles in the rubber liner, maybe leave the bottom flat.

That said, I hired a metal fabricator to make one about that size (but much deeper) from stainless steel. Required welding the seams. Wasn't cheap.

JKJ

I'm an artist who would like to make container to hold water approximately 4x8' x 3" deep. It needs to last for only two weeks, so I'm not looking for a permanent water resistant surface, but I also don't want to risk having it leak during the exhibition.

Ideally i'd use something like a stainless steel photography darkroom sink, but I'm not sure I can find one easily. I'm open to all materials (MDF, plywood, plastic, paint, metal, etc.) but I'd like to be able to find them in town without special ordering. I'd also like to to look clean and not sloppy. And, I only want to spend a few hundred dollars at most.

Ideas that come to mind are:

• Painting MDF or plywood with oil-based paint or marine finish. I know MDF would fall apart quickly if it got wet. But would a good marine finish or oil-based paint prevent this for at least a few weeks?
• Painting a woven tarp with marine finish. I know tarps aren't waterproof on their own, but with a coating of marine finish, maybe it would make for a nice thin substrate with good tensile strength? Visually, I like the possibility of this option, though the sides would almost certainly need bracing which raises aesthetic questions.
• Lining with thin plastic could work, but I'm not sure it would look very good (wrinkly, etc). But it might work. It would also be prone to leaking if someone poked it.
• Rubber could work, but I'm not sure where I'd find such a large sheet. And it might difficult to make the corners look clean without cutting and gluing them back together (which might defeat the purpose). But maybe a strong glue would work adhere the cut corners?

Thanks!

[Scott Winners]

Right 64.2 pounds per cubic foot. There is some or other pressure measurement having to do with scuba where the 30-35 range comes in, doesn't matter. 8 cubic feet, x 64.2 pounds per cf, I am at 513 pounds water load.

Sorry.

Does this shallow pool lay on the floor or does it need to be up off the floor?