How to make a hot tub :)

[makeitfit]

Around about this time last year I'd sold the Black Pearl , and was immediately reminded by her indoors of many many things I'd "promised" to do around the house
One of those things was ofcourse to get a hot tub . I think she thought the cash from the truck was to "BUY" one :lol:lol:lol
So I set about making a wood fired hot tub for our enjoyment.
I managed to source an ex water board water bowser in a galvanised frame:lol off ebay, as you do.
I didn't think to get a proper before pic but this is the thing not long after I'd cut the top off it.

Here's the deck area prep going on. I used 8 x 2 treated joists on some DPM I had.

Decking is made from a load of extra long railway sleepers split in half. I had fun cutting the ends to match the slate

Curvy edges :doh

Eventually it looked like this

Next I decided to build a barn :augie

 

[makeitfit]

Behind the tub area is the remains of the quarry my house was made out of .All slate round here so not too aweful to cut into.
I fancied a curved roof in wrinkly tin, so it would look like a dutch barn. I live in the stix so it kind of made sense

I got lucky in the builders merchants and managed to get galvanised met posts cheaper than the usual painted tosh.
Maximising space meant cutting into the slate to get a good flat base.

Then more cutting into the rock face and into a concrete hole

I got lucky again on local faceache selling site and got hold of a load of curved barn roof sheets for 80 quid :naughty

Bit by bit I juggled these bloody great sheets up to the gods until I got the bones of the roof in place. Then in the frame work I used up old sash windows and piles of bricks with holes in. They're there as insect hotels too .
Carved into the rock face again. I'm not a bricky so it took me ages

More old sash windows and some skip find glass bricks fill up the gap on the other side.
There's also a wood store there made out of more wrinkly tin

Something like what I was after and just starting to get into hot tub plumbing time .

That's water jacket log burner thingy to heat up the water. Simple convection does it's magic.
I got the burner, chimney bits, filter and pumps for 90 quid on ebay :clap
We'd done a test firing by now and it took about 5 hours to get 1800 litres to go from tap temp to 38 degrees :augie

 

[Blocky10]

Nice one Pete. You just made me late for work :lol

 

[macabethiel]

Nice one made me think of the Beverly Hill Billies! lol

Nice one in a sort of Scrap Yard Challenge way - looks rustic in a sort of "Steam Punk" style.

In reality for how often they are used after the novelty has worn off it makes economic sense to build your own.

Just put our Hot Tub into Vacation Mode as wife is struggling with her new hip at the moment. We have had it 4 years - one year unused due to the house fire. This year twice!

Might even drain it down for the winter - not sure yet.

 

[panelbeater]

great

 

[solarman216]

Great build Pete, not going to show the Mrs, as I aint got time or the inclination, Rick

 

[jims-terrano]

Brilliant Pete and green credentials too, not just a beach bum are ya. I’m beginning to think the Welsh life maybe attractive, do they allow foreigners like me over the border or do I have to apply for a visa? :lol:lol

 

[macabethiel]

Brilliant Pete and green credentials too, not just a beach bum are ya. I’m beginning to think the Welsh life maybe attractive, do they allow foreigners like me over the border or do I have to apply for a visa? :lol:lol

It's a Visa requirement post Brexit - the form has to be completed in Welsh.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/STEAMPUNK-...ocphy=1006674&hvtargid=pla-697930473739&psc=1

This link might be useful to get into character.

 

[macabethiel]

Outside Lamp for Winter Hot Tub Use

https://www.beautifulhalo.com/rust-...3wW_Koqd1fAwNxW98ptoJ788QTcz8TThoCEE4QAvD_BwE


One of these is a must - make your own of course.

 

[makeitfit]

It didn't stop there by the way :lol
Once I was happy the wood source worked I fancied a bit more fun from it. Soo I got an old whirlpool bath, with motor from a local tip. Scavaged the pump and jets etc off it and set about plumbing them onto my bowser.
Hole cutter action and sealant and 30m of garden hose (one of the few new parts) looks like this

In the original deal I got a sand filter and a pump. Plus then the bath pump , I put them all together at the end of the tub.

That lot worked well , then I found a whole load of brand new old stock whirlpool bath spares. Seemed a deal at 20 quid, so I plumbed them in too. Ended up with two pumps running one lot of 6 and another set of 8 jets. Both sets with air intakes for bubbles

Again all tested and once happy I used up all my old fibreglass insulation . Bunged it in plastic bags and stuffed it in around the pipes. At the same time started framing out.

Cladding is all from old pallets. Free :thumb2

Lost count how many pallets but I love a freebe

The top edge I made out of old scaffold planks. Glued and biscuit joined, then blind fixed.

Much sanding to make sure the dearest deriere remained splinter free :lol
Many many coats of varnish later and some decking LEDs ( purchased )

Made some parafin lamps out of old beer bottles, loads of tea light candles and what not , a bit of steam and we're ready to go :naughty

I've now got it down to 4 hours heat up time just with pallet wood. About 4 is enough. Next day heat up is about 1.5 hours.
The chimenerea thingy we use to burn up the big corner lumps off the pallets so it's cosy when we get out. All free, did I mention :lol
I've got a new best mate by the way. Dog pound dog loves to keep an eye on the fires

The wife used up loads of our bamboo to make a wind break , that took loads of weaving

Bloody loves it we do . No running costs between dips, virtually none when we're in it lol
We find it makes a cracking night out in the garden and quality time together.
Next I'm adding some solar thermal pipework over the tin roof.

Shteaming
and the final proof of the pudding

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

That is flippin awesome mate, sooo cool! I like the seal round top with lagging, great idea!

 

[Blocky10]

Excellent Pete.
Definitely not a wasted weekend there :augie

 

[Banshee]

Myself and all of my team at work think it's ACE!!!!

Fair play Petey boy!!!! :clap

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

This is just awesome... :clap:clap


The trouble is, now Suz wants me to make one when we move to Wales... I have enough jobs to do here, without her starting a list for when we move house!!!:doh

 

[makeitfit]

Pop round anytime. Just bring wine and a pallet

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Cheers. It's a way off yet, but we are looking. Just need to finish getting this place up to scratch, then just as we finally have it as we want it, it will be time to move... we are thinking of it as a practice run. Lol

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