How do you build a bubble wall?

Question

I'd like to build a clear plexiglass or acrylic wall that has water inside and some sort of airiator at the bottom so that bubbles push up through the water. It must be light enough when empty to be moved by 2 people and I'll need to be able to put it up and take it down multiple times without destroying it. It also has to be built with fairly inexpensive and easy to find items. I plan on using it in front of a backdrop for a photo shoot that is supposed to be vaguely "underwater". The size would need to be at least 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide and I don't know how deep. Definately no deeper than 4 or 5 inches.

Mike - sounds pretty good - the only problem with bringing the air in from the top is that air rises so the bubbles won't go down from the top.

Answer 1

thick lexan & silicon & screws & 2x2's

Answer 2

You should talk to a Plexiglass fabricator, but basically you are going to have to cut spacing strips for the sides and posts for the middle to keep it from bulging because anything reasonable will be too heavy if you use thick enough Plex to do without the center spacing. You should be able to use 1/4" Plex but ask dealer whether thick would be better. I would recommend making it about 3" thick so you can get an arm into it to reglue a seam or post and maneuver the ariator posts, stones or tubes. Strongly recommend that you bring the air in from the top and down the side instead of trying to drill and seal at the bottom and make connections in the bottom. Build a strong removable base so you are moving a flat unit not one with odd projections and remember that when it is full of water a 3" thick unit will be a cubic foot of water (62#) for each 4' height a foot wide, so a six foot wide will be about 370# of water plus the weight of the plex.
Buy some smaller pieces of Plex and both liquid and thick cement and practice to see how to make a good joint.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do you build a bubble wall?
I'd like to build a clear plexiglass or acrylic wall that has water inside and some sort of airiator at the bottom so that bubbles push up through the water. It must be light enough when empty to be moved by 2 people and I'll need to be able to put it up and take it down multiple times...

Answer 4

Santos they can't build a solid wall they forgot about dividing universities that belong to the US in half and they forgot about dividing private property and they forgot about dividing an Indian reservation that also doesn't belong to them in half and they forgot about the fact they NEED water and that the wall would cut them off from that water and give it to Mexico, so we are going to give them the University of Texas, we are going to give them Texas rancher's and farmer's land, and we are going to cut off cattle and other domestic animals and wildlife from the water, and give the river to Mexico and we are somehow going to once again violate the sanctity of a treaty we have with an Indian reservation. (sigh some people never get it they think that everything is just simple, but then those arguing for a wall don't live on the border do they? LA, I am a native to this land and was born here so might I say YOU CAN LEAVE if you want a wall and find a different country that believes in a police state