PORTABLE SOLAR MEDITATION POOL - An Inexpensive DIY Project Art Hunkins abhunkin@uncg.edu www.arthunkins.com 11/1/2018 INTRODUCTION This project was inspired by Celeste Boursier-Mougenot's grand installation, "clinamen v.3", which I experienced late last year at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art[1]. Part of the museum's Soundtracks exhibition, clinamen is a large, circular pool of blue water with a substantial number of various-sized porcelain bowls circulated slowly by an invisible pump, and producing sound by knocking against one another. A single elevated ledge surrounds the pool where spectators can sit to experience the environment. The current project is in some ways a miniature version of clinamen. It differs, however, in several notable ways: 1) it is personal, and intended for quiet reflection (with thin stemless wine glasses and small glass bowls for a delicate sonority); 2) it is portable and stands on its own (requiring only full sunlight and a convenient source of pure water); 3) it is designed primarily for an outdoor, natural environment. Interestingly enough, Boursier-Mougenot's "clinamen v.3" is the only his most recent incarnation of an ongoing series of works that originated in the late '90s[2]. These early "Untitled" installations were notably small, portable pools with visible pumps, that included wine glasses in addition to ceramic bowls. His initial pools were apparently inflatable 3-ring wading pools[3]. For my part, the meditation pool is itself part of a series: small portable outdoor "installations" for which the initiating energy is produced by natural forces (sunlight, water, wind). Previous projects, documented on my website[4], include a portable windchime rack, tubular windchimes with variable pitch, and a "banshee" windflute, as well as an enhanced, live-performance variant of this windflute. My affinity for the sounds and actions of nature is also heard in extensive tracks and samples from my electro-acoustic compositions[5]. The basic project cost should total 100$US or so. THE POOL The recommended pool is the Jasonwell 32" Foldable Dog Pool. In operation, it is 32" in diameter by 8" in height, while folding to an 8" cube. Cost: < 30$US on eBay or Amazon. I recommend the blue color (similar models have sides in gray or red, with blue bottom - both less aesthetically appropriate for meditative purposes). No inflation is involved; the sides are stiff, in 8" segments. Unfold the pool on a smooth, flat, level surface (it is important that the water be equally deep throughout). Elevating the pool on a card table (it fits nicely) or a round patio table is desireable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to minimize the amount of debris that gets in the pool. If the table surface is not sufficiently stiff and flat, it is a good idea to level the entire surface with plywood or other stiff board. Fill with 4" to 4 3/4" of clean, untreated water while extending the sides as far as possible to smooth out creases on the bottom. The precise water level is determined once the pump disks and vessels are placed in the pool. The side drain makes adjustment of water level easy; be sure initially to place the drain where appropriate. THE SOLAR PUMP DISKS The project requires three solar pumps to effectively circulate water in the pool. Search for "solar fountain pump battery backup" on eBay or Amazon. You are looking for those that are the "Upgraded" 1.5W, self-contained disk type - with 600mAh battery. They should cost < 15$US each. If you want them to run continuously for any number of hours, you may want to purchase an additional three as backups. Each will run, even when fully charged, for different lengths of time (anywhere from .5 to 3 hours), so I recommend that fully charged replacements always be available. It is important to note that once charged in full sunlight, these pumps will run in the dark as well as in various degrees of sunlight. Keeping them fully charged (= a minimum of 3 hours in full sunlight) is the key to maximumizing run time. I suggest keeping them in full sun ready for (re-)use. Note that these pumps vary widely, and individually, in quality. Reviews on all makes run the gamut: some pumps work barely at all; some work for a short time and die; others are quite dependable, running for hours at a time. Again, you should always keep multiple spares charged and ready to go. I wish I could say they were more dependable. (A further note: watch out for the two "water detection" prongs that protrude from the side of the battery unit; they can easily corrode and detach, disabling the pump if one breaks off completely.) After removing the protective covering from the disks, remove the actual pumps underneath. Take superglue to seal the joint between the disk and the cylinder passing through the disk, from the top side. (The cylinder tends to come loose when frequently removing the pump - which is necessary for cleaning, and to remove/replace the filter.) Then replace the pumps, filter (and input) facing the battery unit (where it is better protected from debris). I recommend removing the filter; the pump runs significantly faster without it. Some debris gets through the filter in any case. The pump, which will need cleaning every few days of use, is more easily cleaned without the filter. (If used, the filter needs cleaning too.) It is important, of course, for the water to be as free of debris as possible; elevating the pool, as well as covering it with a solar blanket when not in use (see further below), will help keep the pumps in top operating condition. With your fingers, peel away the foam from the underside of the disk, so that the disk will sink rather than float. In order to make use of the suction cups on the bottom of the pump, you will need 3 small glass plates less than the 7" diameter of the disks (other circular, transparent, flat surfaces can be substituted). Center the disks securely on the plates (which should then be barely visible). This should keep the disks stationary and level. 2W SOLAR PUMPS NOT RECOMMENDED 2W solar pumps (with battery) would seem to have a lot going for them. In spite of costing 10$US more than the 1.5W type, these units: 1) solve the "water detection" prong problem by using a completely different sensor configuration; 2) they pump a substantially greater amount of water (*most* process 210L/H, vs. 150-160L/H for the 1.4W and 1.5W pumps; check to make sure). This greater power could enhance vessel circulation, and inhibit vessels from clumping together (minimizing deadened rings). Currently, however, there is a big problem: they often act as if they have no battery! I have purchased two different brands of 2W pumps, and both work as expected *only* - and sporadically - in full sunlight. In fact, they act just like the 1.4W units without battery (described below under Enhancements). Many reviews describe this same issue. (At times it seems that no amount of charging has any effect.) Perhaps it is just a more extreme version of the lack of quality control exhibited by the 1.5W pumps. *At best*, 2W solar pumps are only good in the full sun. (Even this is problemmatic: since the disks are submerged, they are often in partial shade from the pool walls.) Be aware also, that *some* 2W units have the smaller diameter of the 1.4W disks and *lack battery backup*. Most significantly, they have *the least* water throughput of all (120L/H). Beware of these pumps especially. SPOUT PREPARATION There are two ways of preparing the outlet spouts on the disks. (Prepare each disk the same way.) 1) None of the attachments are used. Purchase 3 Sharkbite Elbows from Lowe's or Home Depot. Each elbow is under 4$US at Lowe's (and over a dollar more at Home Depot). Description: Sharkbite 3/8" x 1/4" MIP elbow (Model: 25434). These simply snap onto the protruding cylinder of your disk. This is the recommended method if you can afford it. Among the advantages of this method: you can easily identify the outlet direction, and change it by simply turning the elbow. 2) Use two of the attachments: the long shank and the small cap. Drill a 1/4" hole half way along the large diameter portion of the shank. (Don't drill through the other side!) It's best to start with a small bit and work up to the 1/4". Make the cut as clean as possible. Now fill the small cap with part of a cotton ball. Place the ball inside the end of your new shank, wet it, and tamp it down. The cotton ball essentially seals the cap. When attaching your spout onto the protruding cylinder, carefully orient the hole to the broken metallic circle on the disk. This is a crucial aid to identifying the outlet direction (which you'll fine-tune by turning the entire disk and plate). PLACEMENT OF THE DISKS Disk #1: Place it in the crux between any two panels, touching the side of the pool. Align the spout outlet with the middle of pool. Note the panel directly opposite disk #1; it is the "reference" panel. Disks #2 and #3: Locate these disks in the middle of the two panels on either side of the reference panel, again touching the side of the pool. The disks should be 2-3 inches apart. Point the spouts anywhere between these three positions: a) a straight line between the two spouts (or, assuming the outlets are aligned with the break in the circle, the outlets and the "breaks" as well); b) parallel to the panels they are touching; c) parallel to the next panal further away from the panel they are touching. In any case, disks #2 and #3 mirror each other. THE VESSELS I use only stemless wine glasses and small glass bowls as vessels. These give a delicate, clear ring that create a meditative experience. Depending on the degree of activity desired, 6 to 10 vessels are appropriate; I usually include 8. The purest tone issues from thin, stemless wine glasses. Small glass bowls work if they are thin-walled. All my vessels are very basic; there are no design cuts or coloration. Simplicity, similarity of style, and uniform color are the rule. (Pay attention to how style and color blend with the simple blue pool - and contribute to a relaxing mood.) The wine glasses should probably not exceed 13.5 oz. capacity; larger sizes will likely tilt. (In general, vessels that are taller than they are wide will not remain upright.) Bowls should be shallow, and not larger than 5.5" in diameter. I find that pairs of the same vessel work well; each will have a slightly different pitch. Generally try to find vessels that have the same tone quality, and whose ring time is comparable. Pitch range will be limited to less than an octave. You'll not have much control over pitch; focus rather on overall timbral blend and balance[6]. I've had the best success finding appropriate vessels at various thrift shops. They frequently have shelves of glassware with individual items priced at .25$US and .50$US (bowls perhaps 1$US). I've experimented with a wide variety of them without "breaking the bank." Just tapping on them, preferably with a similar vessel, can give you a good idea of its ring. Beware of two other pitfalls when choosing vessels. 1) Avoid bowls with lips on top, especially those that protrude beyond the rest of the vessel. Such lips will make a clean strike problemmatic. 2) Avoid vessels with straight, near-vertical sides; best are sides that curve notably outward in the middle. Straight sides allow vessels to cling to one another and cluster, deadening the ring and slowing vessel circulation. Vessels should not be filled with anything, including water; any added substance will deaden the ring, and in the case of water, cause the pitch to waver. (Note minor exceptions to this rule under Enhancements below.) With respect to ring time: Warm water modestly enhances ring time and overall volume. Obviously, when the weather is warmer and the pool is in the sun, ring time and volume will increase. (A ready source of hot or warm water can also be helpful.) See below, under Enhancements, regarding the preservation of warmth by means of a solar blanket. CIRCULATION OF THE VESSELS With disks and plates in place, adjust the water level so that the vessels clear all disk spouts with a bit of room to spare. If the pool is level (as it should be), this clearance should be the same regardless of where the disks are placed. Be sure to test with the vessel that sinks lowest in the water. Disk #1 can vary the amount of activity (and number of vessels) on either side of the pool, by pointing slightly toward the side where more activity is desired. (The number on each side should be close to the same.) Disks #2 and #3, in tandem, influence the circulation pattern of the vessels - in particular whether the vessels make their way back to disk #1, or rather stack up along either side, potentially becoming inactive. The disks should keep moving, not get "stuck" for an extended period. A slight change of direction of disk #1 may also prove helpful. ENHANCEMENTS Here are four suggestions that may enhance your installation (or make it easier to maintain): 1) Place a flower blossom in each vessel. (This will probably be most effective with a single kind of blossom.) A natural, outdoor - perhaps garden - setting would seem most appropriate. 2) Place a lit tealight candle in each vessel. (Most effective: indoors, at dusk, or in the dark.) 3) Float an "older style" 1.4W solar pool pump/disk (< 10$US on ebay or Amazon) along with 6-8 vessels. This pump/disk is a bit smaller than the others, has no battery, and only pumps water continuously in full sunlight. (You can easily identify this model from a photo: its metallic ring is unbroken.) Under other conditions, it emits a brief 1" spurt every 2 seconds or so - which can also be attractive. (In the dark it does nothing.) Use this disk without any spout attachments, so it will not spray unwanted water in the vessels; it only lifts water directly upward. This feature could animate your display, adding visual interest. (Appropriate to less specifically meditative settings.) 4) Consider the purchase of a solar blanket (you'll only need a piece 3' square, though you'll have to buy 4' x 8' (the smallest available). Search on eBay or Amazon for "4'x8' swimming pool solar blanket"; it should cost < 20$US for the recommended 16 mil thickness on eBay (28$US on Amazon). 12 mil is also available and a bit less expensive, but the extra thickness makes for a sturdier blanket and keeps the pool warmer. The blanket not only preserves the warmth of the water; it also captures the daytime sunlight, storing the energy in its bubbles and transferring it into the pool. (It indeed acts as a heater.) The blanket keeps debris out of the pool as well, minimizing the frequent necessity of cleaning the pumps, and the required water exchange. So, any time the pool is not in active use, it is a good idea to keep it covered with a blanket. The blanket can easily be cut to a 3' diameter circle with ordinary scissors. A final caution: Be sure to place the bubbles *face down* in the pool. A video demo of the completed project is available on my website. (It accompanies this article.) Here the pool sits on an ordinary card table. I no longer use the larger bowls; I replace them with a variety of wine glasses. These bowls tend to gather along the pool periphery and clump together, reducing vessel circulation and producing more dull thuds than clear rings. The basic tone of these bowls, however, is quite appropriate (if not so resonant); their lower pitches could add welcome harmonic variety. It's likely that if the 2W battery-backed pumps worked as they should, the bowls could make a fine addition to the vessel collection, as can perhaps be appreciated from the video. [1] https://www.sfmoma.org/publication/soundtracks/celeste-boursier-mougenot/ [2] https://design-milk.com/celeste-boursier-mougenot/ [3] http://www.artnet.com/artists/c%C3%A9leste-boursier-mougenot/ Click on pool photo for further information. [4] http://www.arthunkins.com/articlesother.htm All these are essentially inexpensive, DIY projects. [5] http://www.arthunkins.com [6] Boursier-Mougenot achieves these objectives in clinamen by using 5-6 different sizes of the same porcelain bowl (by Guy Degrenne).