Help fixing this bird bath to our balcony

[tinpanalley]

If there is a more suitable forum, I couldn't find one. This isn't exactly "garden".

We have this very simple heated birdbath we'd like to install on our balcony but I'm coming up against problems I don't know how to solve...

The photos in that link will show the mounting options it comes with. This is a photo of the part of our balcony/railing we'd like to use for installation but

• that top railing (covered now by pine branches) isn't flat, it's slightly rounded. So it doesn't take things clamped to it well. If there's another way that's done, I don't know it.
• the railing's also metal. So there's nothing I can actually screw into with the mounts
• That is pretty much the only place it can go but the rest of the rail is the same anyway.

Any ideas? I'm completely stuck.
Thank you!

 

[foxhole]

Just a small timber either side of a couple of the railing secured to each other will clamp timber in place and allow mounting of bird bath.

 

[tinpanalley]

Just a small timber either side of a couple of the railing secured to each other will clamp timber in place and allow mounting of bird bath.

I can't really go through those reeds because in the summer we have a lattice wall we place in front. I risk damaging the fragile reeds. I was hoping to do something that adheres to the top railing. Off to the side, I have a tree trunk, about 10cm in diameter that I attached a flat piece of wood to mount a bird feeder onto. But it's attached to a central part of the railing that doesn't have this reed/lattice covering it.

 

[foxhole]

I

I can't really go through those reeds because in the summer we have a lattice wall we place in front. I risk damaging the fragile reeds. I was hoping to do something that adheres to the top railing. Off to the side, I have a tree trunk, about 10cm in diameter that I attached a flat piece of wood to mount a bird feeder onto. But it's attached to a central part of the railing that doesn't have this reed/lattice covering it.

A couple of screws will pass thru the reed with zero damage.Why can’t you secure to lattice left side of pic?

 

[Mottie]

Could you not screw it directly onto the lattice?

Too late, foxhole beat me to it.

 

[tinpanalley]

I

A couple of screws will pass thru the reed with zero damage.Why can’t you secure to lattice left side of pic?

Hmm.. sounds doable then. So how would I bring these two pieces of wood together? Sorry, I'm having trouble visualising how screws would bring two pieces of wood together sandwiching the vertical rails to fix them strongly enough so they can take the weight of the birdbath...

 

[tinpanalley]

Could you not screw it directly onto the lattice?

Too late, foxhole beat me to it.

They're literally thin reeds as in the photo. The lattice off on the side is essentially purely decorative and simply zip tied to the balcony fence.

 

[foxhole]

Hmm.. sounds doable then. So how would I bring these two pieces of wood together? Sorry, I'm having trouble visualising how screws would bring two pieces of wood together sandwiching the vertical rails to fix them strongly enough so they can take the weight of the birdbath...

The timber does not meet , sits either side of railing with screws thru one into the other, if you want it demountable then use bolts with wing nuts.

 

[tinpanalley]

The timber does not meet , sits either side of railing with screws thru one into the other, if you want it demountable then use bolts with wing nuts.

I had to draw it out.. do you mean like this? The bottom is an overhead.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

That's what I would do.

 

[jj4091]

reusable tie wraps - Google Search

 

[foxhole]

I had to draw it out.. do you mean like this? The bottom is an overhead.

View attachment 333120

Correct.

 

[tinpanalley]

Correct.

Ok, that's what I thought you meant. Unfortunately, just playing with a bit of wood, the way this reed fence is stitched together, the wood is going to crush the reeds because you have to squeeze against the railing firmly to keep the two pieces of wood together. Actually, even if the reeds weren't there I still don't see how the wood won't just slide down the railings without anything but force gripping them but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Mottie]

Put the wood behind the Reed fence. Between the reed fence and the railing.

I still don't see how the wood won't just slide down the railings without anything but force gripping them

That’s exactly how it will work - by using force to grip the railing.

 

[foxhole]

Ok, that's what I thought you meant. Unfortunately, just playing with a bit of wood, the way this reed fence is stitched together, the wood is going to crush the reeds because you have to squeeze against the railing firmly to keep the two pieces of wood together. Actually, even if the reeds weren't there I still don't see how the wood won't just slide down the railings without anything but force gripping them but maybe I'm wrong.

Yes , you are wrong .Why worry about a tiny amount of damage to a $2 reed fence.