Stone wishing well ideas?

[smalltown]

One of my near future projects is to build a stone/rock wishing well.
I wanted it to look real not a small well out of wood with cedar shingles.

I've got an odd shaped rock that I want to cover that would take about a 5' inside circle. I did not want to dig a deep footing, but I am in a 4' frost area. I thought about starting with a circular cement pad then setting the rocks in motor/cement and hoping for the best.

Anybody built one of these?

 

[Casco1]

This might help. I am not a mason by any means. I've never done this before. I wanted to build a rustic firepit, it's incorporated into a wall so that from the front it's about waist high and I can cook on it. From the back ( after the fill is in ) it will be in the ground like a traditional pit. My first problem was, I couldn't figure out how to make a circular form for the pad so I settled for an octagon, 22.5 degree cuts even length boards, no problem. the pictures tell the rest of the story. It looks better than the photos now. I spent some time powerwashing the stones and that brought out a lot of the colors in the stones (used cobblestones).

 

[forgeblast]

I would look at fire rings. Basically you are making a stone donut, so find your center point put in a piece of rebar. then tie a string to the to of a spray paint can and spray a circle, then move out say 6'' and spray another circle and then you have your inner and outer shapes. With this type of product you want to use type s motar, and keep your best stones for the outside. The best of the best are your capstones.
What you could do is dig out a 2-3'feet down and put in gravel and compress and then the last 1' pour a pad with rebar in it and then just build up from there(google rubble foundations).
You may find a small sledge hammer useful, angle grinder with diamond bit, and an old paint brush to finish the mortar joints.

 

[smalltown]

Casco1 thanks for the pictures looks good. How thick did you pour the base? Has it moved since install?
I am also drooling over what appears to be granite slabs (curbing?) in your photos. Yet another project for stairs in a garden area.

forgeblast thanks for you the info and the rubble foundation search info.
Very interesting. Seems like Frank Lloyd Wright liked them.

 

[Casco1]

Casco1 thanks for the pictures looks good. How thick did you pour the base? Has it moved since install?
I am also drooling over what appears to be granite slabs (curbing?) in your photos. Yet another project for stairs in a garden area.

forgeblast thanks for you the info and the rubble foundation search info.
Very interesting. Seems like Frank Lloyd Wright liked them.

The slab is about 41/2 inches. It hasn't moved at all but I'm on ledge. You can't be to far away, you're welcome to check it out in person. Here are two more pictures of the wall. I plan on getting it done this summer.