saltwater fire hydrant

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

You never know when a fire hydrant will come in handy. The dogs at the beach thought this was one of the more interesting sandcastles, along with our doghouse, of course. Our three-person team spent two hours creating this water source.

Pick a spot near the high tidemark. If the tide is coming in, locate where it will be in about two hours. The sand should be fairly level for this one. If it is not, use the flat rake to smooth it out. Place the 20-gallon trash bucket upside down on the sand. Using the mold-and-form method, fill the bucket with sand and water. Don't forget to compact the sand as you go. Once the form is filled, hold the bucket by the handles and loosen it by twisting it back and forth. Now carefully lift it off. If all goes well, you'll be able to start the carving. If the mold collapses, repeat the previous steps.

Carve a rough hydrant shape out of the sand with the trowel and sprinkle water over the sandcastle with the watering can. Use your putty knife for the finishing work, starting at the top. Keep the spray bottle handy as you go, spraying every few minutes. When you have completed the cap, use the trowel to scrape away the sand to the halfway point of the base. Using the putty knife, define the shape of the connection point. Complete the shaping of the base with the trowel. Carve the final detail with the putty knife, brushing away excess sand with the paintbrush.

Use the fan rake to clean the area around the hydrant. Now your only job is to keep the dogs away.

20-gallon trash bucket

2 or more pails or buckets

carving tools: trowel, putty knife

paintbrush

fan rake

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