Floating Log...Question

[sissy]

Tammy had no leaks in hers but she wired a air stone to the bottom of it and it moves a little so it looks more real .

 

[Dave 54]

buy cork you can buy sheets of cork barkthat act like floating islands they dont tan the water or leach anything harmful into it, plus you can anchor it down so it wont b effected by the wind plus you have that realistic look to boot
Dave

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I have always gone down to the river to find the driftwood and don't use logs found in the woods so that may be why I don't have a problems with tannins bc it is already leached out. Now for the floating question couldn't you use a water noodle cut to length and paint if necessary.

I plan on going checking the Lake Michigan shoreline. I know a spot with a ton of nice driftwood. A pool noodle is a great idea. I could cut 4 skinny circles and place them on each end to balance it out.

 

[j.w]

Don't get me started on the gators I once had that I had to suck the water out of over and over so I could try and patch them w/goop..............they now sit resting in the gardens waiting for unknowing cats to pass by

 

[brokensword]

in addition to sheets of cork, they sell 'slabs' for orchid culture that are up to an inch thick...might see what that would cost as it would look very natural. Might not even need your log at all, but you could ask the frogs for their preference.

 

[adavisus]

If you can tack zip ties to the log you could attach plastic bottles as water wings underneath, ballast the log by loosening the caps to allow some water in the bottles

 

[Mmathis]

If you wanted to be creative, you could use the spray foam to spray out a "log" shape. Then when it dries, you can very easily carve it to refine the look. Not sure what paints would work on that stuff, but a spray acrylic paint should be fish-safe. Instant floating log!

 

[j.w]

Whatever you end up doing can you let us see how it turns out and tell us what you did exactly? Will be fun to see if it really works

 

[Priscilla]

You know why I love this site? JB just got two pages of posts on how to float a log in his pond! Lol! No problem is too small.

I didn't think floating wood would be a good idea due to it decaying. But now that I've found out people are doing it, I might find some sort of log for mine for critters to crawl in and out of the pond with. I found a poor hermit crab at the bottom of my pond, would be great to have a place for the smaller critters to go in and out.

 

[Dave 54]

in addition to sheets of cork, they sell 'slabs' for orchid culture that are up to an inch thick...might see what that would cost as it would look very natural. Might not even need your log at all, but you could ask the frogs for their preference.

Thanks for that info brokensword might come in useful to others including myself in the future

Dave

 

[HARO]

I'm willing to bet that any flotation applied to the bottom of a log would cause the log to float upside-down, thus spoiling the look of it. Try taking the log out of the pond to let it dry out over the winter, and put it back in the spring.
John

 

[brokensword]

You're welcome Dave; I try to help when I can and as I learn the art of ponding!

jB:
Another idea, something I did that is sort of kin to your problem is that I hollowed out the back side of a log and made it my original pond divider (I kept the turtles and fish separate for the first year and a half). I did this with a chain saw and just worked a channel in it. You could do the same and fit your floatation pcs inside the slot/hollow. If the log is already weathered/worn, the wood is easy to take out. Just be careful of your sides that you don't make them too thin.

Michael

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Whatever you end up doing can you let us see how it turns out and tell us what you did exactly? Will be fun to see if it really works

Definitely. If it works out I'll even make a how-to video out of it.

I'm willing to bet that any flotation applied to the bottom of a log would cause the log to float upside-down, thus spoiling the look of it. Try taking the log out of the pond to let it dry out over the winter, and put it back in the spring.
John

The log I have is actually very flat and thin, so it would be hard to flip. If I go with the pool noodle idea, I could cut very small pieces, where I could figure out the right amount to make it stay afloat without it floating too high out of the water and becoming unstable. This past winter I took it out for that reason, its been in water a week now but I can tell its already about how it used to be. Seems like once its been saturated its easier for water to absorb.

 

[taherrmann4]

The logs that I have had in my pond only last a few years before they do get to the point of starting to decay and just need to be discarded in the yard somewhere. Then the hunt for a replacement log begins.

 

[j.w]

The hollowing idea made me think if one had a bigger round log type of wood you could hollow it out and put the floating stuff inside where it would never be seen by naked eyes. Would not matter which way it turned.