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| Concrete Wine Barrels |
| These popular garden ornaments are indistinguishable from the real thing. |
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Concrete wine barrel pots look great in the garden. Unlike those made of wood, they will not rot, leak or crack, or require ongoing protective maintenance.
They are formed from 50mm concrete in a mould process. One clever feature is the use of marked bung holes, which can be knocked out to create drainage holes when using as a planter. Mesh is then added over the holes (to retain the soil) and your favourite plants or flowers added.
The barrels can also be used as a fish pond (they come with a helpful guide) and using several at once, a water feature can be built. In this way, for example, a small barrel could pour into the next size up and so on, ending with the fountain creating a pond in the largest barrel.
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The mould making process uses up to 30-40 layers of latex rubber to build up the thickness, formed on top of a real wood wine barrel especially chosen for its characteristics. This process takes around 10 days and approximately 18 litres of rubber to complete.
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Next, the concrete and certain curing additives are poured into the fibreglass shell mould, which is 'vibrated' to mix and remove any trapped air. Any air bubbles left over only adds to the authenticity of the finished product. They actually resemble insect wood borer holes. Three pieces of plastic pipe are positioned during the making of the base (the barrel is upside down) and these help form the removable drainage plugs.
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After around five to six hours the mould casing is removed and the rubber carefully pulled away from the concrete barrel. The process is quite labour intensive and about two barrels a day are completed.
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The barrels are then left to dry naturally for two to four days and coloured using a series of oxide 'washes'. The 'metal bands' are then painted silver and put through an ageing process, which remains a trade secret.
This company also makes rope look-alike stepping stones, fake corrugated iron pots and planters called Indonesian water wheels.
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Cost
Large barrel (750mm dia x 485mm): $150
Medium barrel (660mm dia x 430mm): $95
Small barrel (460mm dia x 300mm): $55
(Additional costs for fish pond complete with lilies, rocks, fish, etc.).
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More Info
Concrete wine barrels are available from:
Qld: Alternate House & Garden Products, Ph: (07) 3287 6711.
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Disclaimer
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