Creativity Tested
Making and Fitting Troughs
Making and fitting troughs is an art that involves immense creativity. Troughs for garden or window-boxes can be made in concrete, in a number of shapes and sizes. As compared to other shapes, it is easier to make rectangular troughs. In order to reinforce the concrete and to maintain the thickness of the walls to the minimum, old wire netting or wire of about 1/8-inch diameter can be used. The thickness of the walls, except for the small troughs, should be at least an inch. A mould is prepared, in which the concrete in its molten state is condensed and allowed to set. Moulds can be made up of any material that can hold the concrete firmly. By far, the best material to make moulds is old board. A mould consists of three parts: the base, outer wall and the inner wall. In order to make a mould, nail a number of boards to battens to create a level base. Then four boards are nailed together to construct the outside walls and another four boards are cut to size to build the inside walls. It is essential to assemble the boards in such a manner that they can be easily dismantled once the concrete has set.
In order to prepare the concrete, you need to mix sand and cement in the ratio of 2:1. Add a little water until the mixture turns into a thick paste. The base, inside and the outer walls should be covered to a depth of about half inch. Add about another half an inch to the thickness of the concrete and leave it to set. Mix some more concrete and block the gap between the two walls. Insert the wire reinforcements and tap down the concrete firmly. Round off the top edge and leave it until the concrete sets firmly. Finally, remove all the boards.
It is important to ensure a good drainage system. Similar to a sink, troughs can operate efficiently with a large drain hole, with the floor of the sink sloping towards the hole. The best way is to construct the bottom in the center and have a gentle slope towards two drainage holes set in little gullies. For every hole, a tapered wooden bung or cork is made to the required size and placed in position before adding the concrete. It is important to allow the concrete to become seasoned or cured. Soak the completed trough in a solution of permanganate of potash for two or three days. The crystals should be diluted till the solution turns dark pink. Repeat this by washing the trough in clean water and leaving it in the open for a couple of days.
Old sinks can be very used to create beautiful outdoor mini-gardens. Though the traditional stone sinks are rare, they are considered to be the best. They are quite heavy and therefore require to be placed in a permanent position.