Table of Contents
Introduction and about the lumber and sizes
Introduction
Wishing well project.
This wooden wishing well is relatively easy to construct using common size lumber and will be the feature in any garden or yard.
The wishing well is almost 900mm (3ft)in diameter and stands almost 2400mm (8ft) high. Most of the well is constructed out of surfaced (dressed) 100×50 (2×4) lumber. The exceptions are the roof boards which are from 150×25 (1×6) stock, and the spindle/handle and washers/handle arm which are from 25×25 (1×1) and 100×25 (1×4) stock respectively.
The diameter and height of the well can easily be changed if so required.
The diameter (well width) can made bigger or smaller by simply adding or subtracting the number of palings (vertical wall members) around the cylindrical base.
The height can be altered by making the two extended palings (roof supports) either longer or shorter.
Dimensions for this project are both metric and imperial. All measurements are given in millimeters first, followed by feet and/or inches in brackets ( ). The metric sizes are not an exact match to the equivalent imperial sizes. A wishing well built using the metric measurements will be approximately 1.6% smaller than a wishing well built using the imperial (ft and in) measurements. The imperial measurements are more suited to North America. The metric measurements are more suited to Australasia.
About the lumber and sizes
Use treated lumber or other stock that is suitable for exterior use.
The lumber used for the well base and the roof frame is all surfaced (dressed) 100×50 (2×4) lumber.
When lumber is dressed, the size (width and thickness) becomes less.
Dressed 100×50 (2×4) lumber finishes approximately 90×45 (1 1/2″x 3 1/2″).
100×50 (2×4) is the nominal size, whereas 90×45 (1 1/2″x 3 1/2″) is the actual size.
The rest of the lumber used in this project is sawn or rough-sawn. This means that the wood is not dressed (surfaced) and therefore the actual size is the same as the nominal size.
Sizes do vary from place to place but that will not have any impact on this project.
Olivia Redding in Sophia N.C
Hi, I build the wishing well following your plan to hide the real artesian well head. Thanks for the free plans, it turned out nice and was easy. Use the photos as you wish.
Jean Labelle, Quebec, Canada
My son and i have just built two wishing well’s.
Look’s great, very easy to make, instruction’s very easy to follow.
What a wonderful wesite, thank’s Buildeazy looking forward to more job’s from this website. GREAT!!!!!!!!.
Clare and Ray
Thanks so the plans, with the help of them we created this beautiful wishing well. It cover our septic tank cover and is easy to move if need be.
Margaret
Nelson BC
I wanted to cover the pipes from our well so I used your plans as a guide.
I sawed our aerator tank in half and placed that over the pipes so I could use it as a backing for my left over fence boards.
All I needed to buy were screws and strapping. Everything else was left from the fence.
I used a 5-gal paint bucket for the backing of my wooden bucket and PVC pipe for the crank.
I really like my wishing well. Thanks for great instructions, even though I improvised. Here are my pictures.
Beverly from Naples, FL
Thanks for the wishing well plans !!! It was a fun and easy project !! I changed the roof design a little by using cedar shingles.
Phill
New Hampshire
We had never built anything before, but we found the plans for the wishing well and gave it a try.
We were so happy with the outcome that we scaled down the plans and made two small wells for our mothers for Mother’s Day.
Clark, USA
I recently built your Wishing Well and Bucket, here is a picture of it in my front yard. I would have a couple of suggestions….#1 – I would cut the inside paling so it reaches from the ground to the point inside the roof #2 – for those who have trouble getting the circle to go inside the bottom, lifting it with a hydraulic jack with a short 2 x 4 inside helps.
I’m also curious as to how the lady on the video, just picked it up off the ground and wrapped it around all by herself…..I could lift it about 4 inches off the ground…..she had to be super sonic!!!
Any way I enjoyed the project.
Thanks, Shirley Adams
Dear Buildeazy
Here is a picture of the wishing well planter that I built from your free project plans.
I have made a few changes to fit my taste, but it is your plan that I built it by.
Thanks for the plan, You may use any of the following photos (if you wish) to show my finished product.
Rick Hopes Eureka,Utah
dear buildeazy
have enclosed photo of wishing well i built for our patio in burntwood uk
using your plans
it was quite easy to follow plans and instructions