This is how folks build monster fish tanks out of plywood. Build a plywood box, often with 2x4 frames for support, then fiberglass seal the inside to make it waterproof. Done right they are very durable and will last a long time.
Yes to your idea, but you can put the fiberglass in between the wood so you have a wood on the inside and you have one on the outside but in between that would you have fiberglass. That way you have a complete wood looking hot tub.
I’ve been there done that with leaks. Use pond shield. Flex seal is a horrible. You can also use the clear pond shield and use play sand as an aggregate. Meaning before it dries spread the sand lightly on the bottom to prevent a slick surface. That flex seal will peal on you over time. Pond shield is an epoxy barrier.
@@DIYSCOTT liners are good too but one puncture and it’s over. But definitely a good option too pond liners can be cheap and will definitely hold the water.
wait first rule of thermodynamics, hot liquids raise cold liquids fall. take the hot side of the gas tank heater and feed it into the bottom or middle of the hottub either with or without a motor. that will ensure the hottub is thoroughly heated and not just heated from middle to top.
I'm thinking the most efficient way is to make a tub big enough to put the barrel in the actual tub..put a divider in and then burn that wood..The heat transfer with all that surface area would heat the tub up quick I think. Might need a 2 inch metal pipe with a blower on other end to push in air to get max heat out into water..
You should have fiberglassed the inside. There are lots of easy to use fiberglass kits and I would imagine you only need a few layers with the wood backing to make a tub that will last basically forever. As for heat an actual fireplace with tubing would be more efficient than an open barrel or pit.
@@DIYSCOTT This one looks like a really easy one to start with, just the inside of a box. Maybe if you get around to a revisit of this concept you could give it a try. I am planning on building something like this one day, and I no matter what I make the tub out of I am planing on lining it with a simple fiberglass kit, just for simplicity and reliability. My only concern would be resin embrittlement, which is a known issue with cheaper kits. I figure as long as I keep it covered while not in use that issue should be minimal. Either that or I pony up for a UV resistant kit. I would also keep an eye out for old used fireplaces/stoves. If you can find one that is past its useful life for indoor application it might be a cheap solution to your space issue with heat generation. You could probably heat a tub to the same temp with half the fuel if you stuff a coil in both the fire box and the flue.
DIY Scott, I watched your videos and liked them. Your creativity was great though your outcome wasn't the best. I think you probably learned a lot. Wish the best for you and hopefully you'll make more videos. next time ask, where could this plan fail and watch how the whole thing evolves. 2 or 3 iterations of that and the final plan is usually pretty good. best of luck to you.
Circular design could help if done correctly. I know there is a lot of videos out there on it. I'd use cedar (can be very expensive depending on location though). If you want to stick with square then 5 solid pieces to make the box is a must to minimize joints. I would try to find/come up with a heating system that has maximum surface area with minimal depth - like the barrel inside a barrel idea. You still could do the gas tank or copper coil idea in conjunction. If you use cedar allow it swelling to be why its water tight and try to minimize using any Flex seal or caulking as it seems like it will eventually fail. It all takes a little experimentation and perseverance. Good luck!
Gosh🤦🤦🤦🤦I thought I was messed up🤦🤦🤦thanks this guy made feel like....it's OK your not the only confused guy around....thanks for being all too human👌👌👌👌😎😎😎😎🙋🙋🙋🙋
If you can get your hands on an old cast iron radiator that would probably make a reasonable water tank. Watertight, wide surface area, no welding required
Hello thanks for the tips. I'm about to make a hot top on my channel. Can I use some small clips from this and the video where you build the hot top for the storyline?😀
Cinder blocks around that fire will stop that from happening next time mate. Like i was saying in the other post heat mass haha. I was actually more worried about the plastic in the sharkbite fitting going into the top of the tank melting with the fire going up higher when ya took off the lid hahahahahahahaha
Thank you for tearing this down. I commented on your first build video. Its a health hazard. You would have cancer in 10yrs. Use tile cement and a radiator instead on your next build. Check my comments on your old video.
I like that using tile never even crossed my mind. I did look into the wood burning hot water heaters and tried to steal some ideas from them without the price tag attached
@@DIYSCOTT If you are doing no fiberglass, go epoxy only. If you are doing fiberglass, go ahead and do polyester instead of epoxy. What I learned is that you MUST apply a gel coat on the top layer, since polyester resin is going to diffuse water through ti and will cause the resin to eventually bubble and flake off. The reason for polyester+gelcoat vs just epoxy fiberglass is cost. In addition, you could do plywood on the inside, since you will hide it with a layer of gelcoat which will save money and look good.
Patio was too small for the set up. The hot tub was charring from the heat and the house was gonna be next. Everything comes to an end that's what makes it fun while it lasts. Also it became a treehouse so...
What I used:
55 Gallon Drum
Nato 5 Gallon Gas Tank
Wort Chiller: www.amazon.com/dp/B01893T104?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
I'd personally have fiberglass-lined the inside of the tub, and sanded it smooth. Waterproof, smooth inside, with nice looking wooden outside.
Yeah I like that idea. I didn't consider fiberglass because I don't have much experience with it. Flex seal was definitely not the move though lol.
This is how folks build monster fish tanks out of plywood. Build a plywood box, often with 2x4 frames for support, then fiberglass seal the inside to make it waterproof. Done right they are very durable and will last a long time.
Yes to your idea, but you can put the fiberglass in between the wood so you have a wood on the inside and you have one on the outside but in between that would you have fiberglass. That way you have a complete wood looking hot tub.
you’ve come so far from flooding your parents backyard to your own! proud of you scotty
Thank you! All grown up now
Thanks for sharing your build! It was fun watching the struggle and challenges you faced and how you worked them out!
I’ve been there done that with leaks. Use pond shield. Flex seal is a horrible. You can also use the clear pond shield and use play sand as an aggregate. Meaning before it dries spread the sand lightly on the bottom to prevent a slick surface. That flex seal will peal on you over time. Pond shield is an epoxy barrier.
@@Mark-eb2vt if I do it again I definitely want to just some sort of liner
@@DIYSCOTT liners are good too but one puncture and it’s over. But definitely a good option too pond liners can be cheap and will definitely hold the water.
wait first rule of thermodynamics, hot liquids raise cold liquids fall. take the hot side of the gas tank heater and feed it into the bottom or middle of the hottub either with or without a motor. that will ensure the hottub is thoroughly heated and not just heated from middle to top.
Yeah I just didn't want to make another hole in the tub at the time but that is a smart idea!
I'm thinking the most efficient way is to make a tub big enough to put the barrel in the actual tub..put a divider in and then burn that wood..The heat transfer with all that surface area would heat the tub up quick I think. Might need a 2 inch metal pipe with a blower on other end to push in air to get max heat out into water..
Yup I’m liking that idea
You should have fiberglassed the inside. There are lots of easy to use fiberglass kits and I would imagine you only need a few layers with the wood backing to make a tub that will last basically forever. As for heat an actual fireplace with tubing would be more efficient than an open barrel or pit.
I know - I've just never worked with fiberglass before and have always been hesitant
@@DIYSCOTT This one looks like a really easy one to start with, just the inside of a box. Maybe if you get around to a revisit of this concept you could give it a try. I am planning on building something like this one day, and I no matter what I make the tub out of I am planing on lining it with a simple fiberglass kit, just for simplicity and reliability. My only concern would be resin embrittlement, which is a known issue with cheaper kits. I figure as long as I keep it covered while not in use that issue should be minimal. Either that or I pony up for a UV resistant kit.
I would also keep an eye out for old used fireplaces/stoves. If you can find one that is past its useful life for indoor application it might be a cheap solution to your space issue with heat generation. You could probably heat a tub to the same temp with half the fuel if you stuff a coil in both the fire box and the flue.
DIY Scott, I watched your videos and liked them. Your creativity was great though your outcome wasn't the best. I think you probably learned a lot. Wish the best for you and hopefully you'll make more videos. next time ask, where could this plan fail and watch how the whole thing evolves. 2 or 3 iterations of that and the final plan is usually pretty good. best of luck to you.
Thank you! Yeah I definitely learn a lot and treat most of my projects like experiments. But I agree some more preplanning could make a big difference
So what would you do differently next time? Better wood ,circular design ,better heating system?
Circular design could help if done correctly. I know there is a lot of videos out there on it. I'd use cedar (can be very expensive depending on location though). If you want to stick with square then 5 solid pieces to make the box is a must to minimize joints. I would try to find/come up with a heating system that has maximum surface area with minimal depth - like the barrel inside a barrel idea. You still could do the gas tank or copper coil idea in conjunction. If you use cedar allow it swelling to be why its water tight and try to minimize using any Flex seal or caulking as it seems like it will eventually fail. It all takes a little experimentation and perseverance. Good luck!
Gosh🤦🤦🤦🤦I thought I was messed up🤦🤦🤦thanks this guy made feel like....it's OK your not the only confused guy around....thanks for being all too human👌👌👌👌😎😎😎😎🙋🙋🙋🙋
If you can get your hands on an old cast iron radiator that would probably make a reasonable water tank. Watertight, wide surface area, no welding required
One day he’s going to look back and realize he wasn’t free. He was actually trapped in childhood
Hell yeah you stuck with it. haha great vid dude
Also this makes me never want to be a landlord in a college town hahaha
Thanks!
@@topher8642 shhhhh!!!
a 2 part epoxy with an additive to help hold onto vertical surfaces would have been one n done for waterproofing.
Hello thanks for the tips. I'm about to make a hot top on my channel. Can I use some small clips from this and the video where you build the hot top for the storyline?😀
Glad it helped. Yes you can use whatever you want. Thanks!
@@DIYSCOTT Nice thank you
Amazing video thank you
With all the money you spent, do you wish you had used Cedarwood which would have self sealed?
Yes.
Well if you could hurry up and make a new one so the rest of us can learn by your mistakes 😂😂😂
what if you coated the inside with cement instead? it would be a lot more durable and the waterproofing would be more permanent i would think
Yeah cement would still have to be coated though because it is porous
Could you Heat it with a On Demand Water Heater? It's Sad that you destroyed it.
It reincarnated as a treehouse and is quite happy. Yes a propane heater would’ve helped a lot probably
Cinder blocks around that fire will stop that from happening next time mate. Like i was saying in the other post heat mass haha. I was actually more worried about the plastic in the sharkbite fitting going into the top of the tank melting with the fire going up higher when ya took off the lid hahahahahahahaha
INTENSE!
Yeah thats heaps better mate, ignore me last comment on the other video hahaha
greats ideas, besides the lighter fluid streams
...and putting a lit torch RIGHT BY your buddy's head as he was unaware.
Thank you for tearing this down. I commented on your first build video. Its a health hazard. You would have cancer in 10yrs. Use tile cement and a radiator instead on your next build. Check my comments on your old video.
I only went in it a couple of times. Once the flex seal cures it is less toxic
the better idea is too have the walls from plaster board with tiles and a wood burning hot water heater to warm the water
I like that using tile never even crossed my mind. I did look into the wood burning hot water heaters and tried to steal some ideas from them without the price tag attached
I feel like his inlaws won't let him live this one down 🤦🤦🤦🤦
I hope he don't burn down the house
why not fibreglass it ?
I wish I did. I don't have any experience with fiberglass so I didn't know where to begin with it
maybe pour epoxy instead of silicon o fill the gaps
Yeah epoxy or maybe fiberglass? I don't have much experience with either so that's why I didn't go that way with it but probably could work better
@@DIYSCOTT If you are doing no fiberglass, go epoxy only. If you are doing fiberglass, go ahead and do polyester instead of epoxy. What I learned is that you MUST apply a gel coat on the top layer, since polyester resin is going to diffuse water through ti and will cause the resin to eventually bubble and flake off. The reason for polyester+gelcoat vs just epoxy fiberglass is cost.
In addition, you could do plywood on the inside, since you will hide it with a layer of gelcoat which will save money and look good.
You need to do a rocket stove so you won’t burn up your hot tub next time. Rocket stoves are more efficient.
I would of used pond liner inside the hot tube
Yeah someone else recommended pool foil?
If you from the usa, you lite a fire with a torch 😂
buy like 2 blow up hot tubes and rig their heaters to your wood one
Fiberglass would do!
I know... next time
All that time & effort 😩
I hope you made enough money from video views to cover what you spent 😂
I did :)
Just line with fiberglass rather than play the endless find leak game
Yeah I’ve just never worked with fiberglass before but that definitely would’ve been best
The answer was NO it dont work wast of money and time!!!
Pipes to small
cant you just by like a 300$ spa heater?
Probably haha
What a waste of time and money, should have kept it and put jets on it.
Patio was too small for the set up. The hot tub was charring from the heat and the house was gonna be next. Everything comes to an end that's what makes it fun while it lasts. Also it became a treehouse so...