How to fix a leaking pond.

Damit: shalex.com.au/?...
Does the pond leak? Ummmm....possibly a tiny bit. Well, more than a bit...ok, the darn thing leaks like a sieve!
QUESTIONS ANSWERED:
Damit is not plastic. Therefore, there are no microplastics. I wish I had not mentioned plastic, but that is a very common polymer and I mentioned it as an example of a polymer. A polymer is simply a chain of repeating molecules, or "monomers." Cellulose is a polymer of glucose molecules. Starches are also polymers of various molecules such as fructose, maltose, etc. We have many polymers inside our bodies. In other words, just knowing something is a polymer doesn't make it bad, toxic, harmful, etc. However, this also doesn't mean all polymers are safe.
The specific polymer used for Damit is a trade secret, however, it has been closely scrutinized by multiple health and safety authorities. This includes the governmental authorities of Australia, the USA, Europe, and Asia. Not only have they determined that is safe to use in earthen ponds, and not harmful to fish, but it is considered safe to use in human potable water systems in all of these areas. And of course, they know the exact makeup of the polymer when making this determination. I'm told that the same polymer is in use by many municipalities to keep potable water storage tanks leak free. I can't tell you exactly what the polymer is, because I don't know, but given the confidence with which the governmental authorities have authorized its use, I would bet it is made of a monomer that we are exposed to all the time, like fructose or something.
It also breaks down in a matter of years, and does not accumulate in the environment. The end products of breaking down are CO2, water, and base minerals like potassium. The SDS reports no need for concern with ingestion, inhalation, or contact. If in eyes, rinse with water.
End result, can I say for sure that it is 100% safe? No, I don't know exactly what it is. But given people who do know exactly what it is, and have scrutinized it, have approved it for use in human potable water systems, I'm pretty comfortable putting it in an earthen pond.
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#Damit #farmpond #pond #farmlife #farmcraft101 #farming #farmer

[@FarmCraft101]

So far it is looking very promising. Check out Damit here: shalex.com.au/?. Shalex did not have any strings attached, and I was free to say anything I wanted in this video. Big thanks to them, and be sure to check them out if you have a pond leak. Have an awesome weekend everybody! If you have questions or concerns about the safety of this product, please read the description.

[@geo-s-8530]

A leaf blower with a bottle feed could have worked nice for this

[@leoglena2812]

Nice video, damit!

[@jeffallen3382]

What an interesting product!

[@shoaibmms]

Please Note: @FarmCraft101 COULD you have done it using your drone?? Tie a small bucket full of holes at the bottom of the drone such that the drone could carry that weight. Just hover the drone over the lake slowly so as to not disturb the water much due to wind from the drone, to cover the entire lake? Please correct me if i am missing something big here. Thanks

[@FixitFrank]

@@shoaibmms the air from the drone blades would blow it all around.

[@JCWren]

Ah man, no "gonna seal the bottom of this pond" jokes.

[@FarmCraft101]

Haha! Sorry!

[@miltonthecat2240]

The scene of Jon & the missus at 14:40 more than makes up for it.

[@willscottrell6919]

@@miltonthecat2240 Naa he would have made her row.

[@drewwagner7985]

Came here to say the same thing. Such a missed opportunity.

[@ArmchairDeity]

@@miltonthecat2240 I'm not sure what you're smoking, but that's John and his neighbor that owns the pond. Where is the missus?

[@stuartcookie133]

This stuff just plain works!! I put DAMIT in my mother in laws coffee every morning for a year and she hasn't said a word in 6 months! Thanks "Damit"!

[@nudebaboon4874]

Les Dawson would've liked that one.😂

[@silentepsilon888]

hasn't said a word in 6 months, ok ....but the real question is does she still need Depends?

[@dentech4710]

The pond construction series was fantastic. I hope this sealer works!

[@davidsmith-ih2kk]

Yep, I thought the same thing if only it works, it seems a bit impossible that it should work.

[@ElTelBaby]

@ 14:44 Damit ... ROFL ... I DAMIT;... nearly fell off mi chair...

[@random-person1]

Wait, you have typical stuff? Without blowing a ton of smoke in places no-one needs to know about, your channel is one of the best and most watched in my list of channels.

[@merlepatterson]

Chances are that if a pond leaks down and then stops at a certain level, the leak originates somewhere around the edge of the waterline area and not the bottom.

[@wombatillo]

Exactly. Was going to say this. It could be that the higher water level pushes the water through the soil all over the place and the lower water level reduces the pressure reducing the leak to a trickle. Or it's now at the equilibrium with the natural level of the perched groundwater or groundwater table. It could be that when the water goes back up again by 9 feet that the sides which were not sprinkled start leaking again with the increased pressure.

[@DoinItYT]

Seems like the problem would be in the area where it no longer had water,not where it was still holding water.

[@firefly2472]

Ah, yes. The pond build where we got more videos of fixing a dozer than the pond build itself. 😂😂

[@boppins]

"wasn't my typical stuff" -- feels like a lot your typical stuff is repairing! Which is extremely useful, and in a way it's nice this pond had a problem, as we get to see a cool solution I hadn't heard of.

[@xombies]

Dude, every damn one of your videos is amazing. No sense in apologizing that it isn't what you typically do. You are 1000% my favorite KZbin channel, and I watch a LOT of KZbin channels. Keep up the great work, man!

[@hurgle3197]

Dont worry about not putting out the usual stuff jon i think i speak for most when i say that the variety on your channel is very refreshing.

[@ryancasey4807]

Jon, in the future if you ever need to spread something from a pale very evenly by hand, put the pail under your left arm, think like you're hugging it with one arm at a little less than 45° angle, then take your right hand and with product on the lip of the pale / the edge of the pail, palm facing down, quickly flick the product out of the pail with your hand in an arcing motion, almost like you're petting a dog very quickly, this will throw the product very smoothly evenly and quickly with very little effort in a very large fan, it's very easy to learn this technique and get it to where you can throw a stream or a fan at any distance in front of you or way out far, this is how pretty much every crew salts sidewalks in the winter in our area or spreads fertilizer in small areas for lawn, hope this helps.

[@kolowski13]

Ah the pond, or as I like to remember it as, A drozer repair series intercut with using it to build a pond.😂 Shame the spreader didn't work, get a rare, Double Sponsored Video!

[@JanneRanta]

A boat? Reminds me of the saying that the happiest days of having a boat is the day you buy it and the day you sell it :D

[@lawrencewillard6370]

Had similar problem, used 3 bags of hydrated lime to fix it. Spread it over the surface as far as you can, it soon gets everywhere.

[@seijirou302]

Nice job. Lol after the skid steer videos I was half expecting to see you bust out a leaf blower with a venturi tube!

[@mrfishbulb7187]

That would help fix the leak in the neighbours pond!

[@seijirou302]

@@mrfishbulb7187 it's the neighborly thing to do!

[@wirenut003]

Really good time to be wearing a respirator because of the particulates that are air born as your spreading it out.

[@KJayYT]

That cut to the clip from the notebook 1 week later was awesome.

[@ckuethe]

I was half expecting you to use the drone... y'know, for chemtrails

[@mrfishbulb7187]

Drone delivery system would make a great idea, make an interesting video too.

[@Hey_Its_That_Guy]

Jon, are you sure you weren't consulted on the name of the product? 🤣

[@Bob_Adkins]

Naaaah, he would have named it "Seal (something) or "(something) seal".

[@BIllMcCambridge]

One foot of water at 62 degrees is.433 psi. So to find the water pressure at a certain depth multiply the depth in feet time .433. So the water pressure at 15 foot would be 6.99 psi. This would be the water pressure pushing through any cracks or fissues in the bed rock. Hope this helps explain why the pond would leak more from the deep end then the shallower water.

[@georgepretnick4460]

Remember the venturi suction device you used to empty the fuel tank on the skid-steer? Upsize it to blow Shalex, if you can get compressed air to the pond.

[@Bastiaan90]

Just a leafblower will do, i guess 😅👍🏻👌🏻

[@TheBibliofilus]

Sandblasting nozzle with a suction hose into the bucket..

[@derekadams729]

Only feeding fish this week. Damit!

[@HazItMade]

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[@user-tv5dt3nm9y]

Same thoughts. I like the leaf blower idea. They really blow!

[@whynotdean8966]

I couldn't find any mentions of what exactly the polymer is on their datasheet, which is kind of disconcerting. It's all fine and good that they claim it's non-toxic. But we've been lied to by other companies for too long about "biodegradeble plastic" to take their word for it.

[@realairplane261]

I wondered if it had PFAS.

[@ArmchairDeity]

I overslept today... so essentially I woke up to a new episode of FC101! Almost worth oversleeping in the first place... lol...

[@johngubler1260]

That stuff looks a lot like flocculant which is traditionally used to clarify water by causing the particles to settle to the bottom, it’s used where I work. With excellent results, I suspect it will solve your problem. Lots of naysayers in the comments should spend more time worrying about themselves or getting a life instead of criticizing others. Your videos are always interesting and greatly appreciated

[@Bob_Adkins]

It more closely resembles surfactant used by crop dusters to help mix powdered chemicals in water. A crop duster I know would trick everyone (including me) into washing his hands with it, and boy is it hard to get off! Think eel slime.

[@johngubler1260]

I have had flocculant on my hands as well and as you say it’s extremely difficult to get it off. We actually have a product called flock off to make it easier to remove from skin, hands etc. interesting about a similar product being used in crop dusting

[@lunchboxproductions1183]

That was my exact thought, it causes the suspended clay particles to "crash out" and settle as an impervious layer on the bottom

[@JTM_djg]

I see the humility you show in your videos and then the people you draw in as a community here. Good stuff sir!

[@court2379]

I have heard the way to seal a pond is put pigs on it for a few months. They stir the mud and poke it down with their hooves filling any cracks.

[@michaelcaprio5269]

I wonder if the spreader was slightly heating up the polymer and making it melt and cohere...? Damit worked too well, it blocked up the spreader!!

[@flashtwosix7841]

I think the spreader doesn't have a 100% duty cycle motor.

[@1soupasaurus]

It's really awesome that your channel can reach so far, that a company will offer to give you product, and tell you you can say anything you want.

[@makemeafirewall]

I really enjoy seeing you put in an effort to fix the pond leaking, going there and spreading the material manually and not hiring a contractor to do it. It's not your pond and it looks like you are working hard as if it is yours, even if you get paid, it looks like you take your projects seriously like a pro. Waiting patiently for the next video 😊❤

[@ltanthrax8435]

Farmcraft 101 never disapoints. 😊

[@Kalle1995]

"1 week later" i was laughing so fckn hatd 😂❤

[@download77]

You are my absolute favorite youtuber. Most people bury their mistakes (pun intended) but not you. You are extremely competent (theoretically and practically) and energetic yet rather than inflating your ego, it has made you wonderfully self effacing. Many hands on and moral lessons taught on this channel.

[@artemiasalina1860]

Leaf blower and a hopper is what comes to my mind.

[@plakor6133]

It's nice that you can see where it's already been applied.

[@svartorivigt5016]

Just two men in a boat dumping some white mystery powder in a pond.

[@JGnLAU8OAWF6]

Making slime

[@TheKallipugos]

Along with 200,000 other people watching... the best slime video on youtube. :)

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Lmfao Orbies On Steroids 😂😂 4:00 to Funny Jon @FarmCraft101

[@tommysts1920]

My (nurse-wife) said you should have worn a respirator while applying the Damit to avoid slimming your lungs.

[@donalddoty2543]

yes, that crap is bad

[@ScotReeder]

Little late now. He's definitely going to have Damit Lung

[@frankkelsey]

Oh boy..fix a flat for a pond. Interesting

[@kapurubanda6131]

Nah, he will be alright. He just has to make sure not to drown.

[@tinydancer7426]

@@frankkelsey I was thinking Bars Leak(or however you spell it)

[@MrBlack.]

Out on the boat, and then along came JAWS! No more JOHN unless you get a bigger boat.

[@mackfisher4487]

Need a closing thumbnail of dozer barking at the dozer

[@jontee3437]

I like how you get out of the boat and go "whew...I'm tired." And your friend still makes you drag the boat of the water lol.

[@sarl2121]

"Fights with Mother Nature" Love that expression.

[@richmuellersr18]

I seen your 4 legged buddy at end of video , WHAT a mess that would have been IF he decided to take a swim LOL When I was growing up a neighbor made a pond, and hit rock in clay, they sealed it up by fencing it off and about 10 or 15 hogs turned loose in it for about a year or so and until it was bacon and ham time, it worked. Man, that old building in the background with a little work would be a fantastic deer stand by the pond some day!!

[@JxH]

Throw the material way *UP* in the air to help ensure a more-even spreading. We Canadians have experience spreading salt and sand on icy roads. *UP* (not directly up) and let it rain down.

[@donalddoty2543]

Jon, I knew this was coming, hit the rock was bad, and you are not even to overflow problem you are going to have later. Last one we using 40 tons on Bentonite, incorporated into ground and sheep footed in. Don't inhale that stuff, sticks to anything damp, you lungs.

[@ronfurro4161]

So, this is what retirement is like? Jon works harder than most people at their prime!

[@rocksfire4390]

hes not retired, hes a farmer....they never REALLY retire.

[@DieselRamcharger]

@@rocksfire4390 i mean, hes not really a farmer...theres no crop production going on, and certainly not for income. this is a homestead.

[@GeneralSulla]

I retired and bought a small 5 acre horse and animal property. A little farm if you will. I lost 40 lbs the first year. I have to fix everything. Never been stronger. Retirement is good.

[@GeneralSulla]

I retired and bought a small 5 acre horse and animal property. A little farm if you will. I lost 40 lbs the first year. I have to fix everything. Never been stronger. Retirement is good.

[@charlesboyer5712]

You will find you work harder in retirement doing things you enjoy. 💪

[@paullangjahr4071]

OK Jon, how do you say that next week's video is one of the best when they all are. That's like saying one of your children is your favorite (we all do), it can't be😊

[@JohnChuprun]

The pond series was great, nice to see an update on it. Will be great to see it fully filled!

[@grogcurtris3552]

Nice quiet day fishing at the pond…. Catchin some boogies…. 🤣

[@pimpnick4920]

Bust out another thousand. I'm a boat owner. I do all my work too. I'm not sure I want to see the next video. It might bring back bad memories.

[@Thanetian577]

Great video. The Damit people should be working on their own spreader that does not clog.

[@delekham1863]

That product sound suspiciously like CMC (Carboxymethyl cellulos) we use it to seal off the Well Bore which we callled "The Filter Cake), which inhibits the water loss within the well bore. We use to mix it in a 40 gallon Drum and trickle it into the Mud Tank. Just stay upwind of it that stuff is NASTY! I wonder if you used a venturi system in its' liquid state if that would work better than hand spreading.

[@tompat9166]

this series was a great watch. a very impressive lone wolf project. I remember the makeshift ac, vehicles getting stuck.

[@Spitter-ud8jd]

You should have dumped a gal. of Damit into Val before you started working on her.🤔🍻

[@l.j.b9863]

This is almost exactly the same issues Adam at "Hometown acres " had with his pond build. You should have a look at his videos, fails, repairs etc well worth a watch. The 'snot' powder didn't work for him

[@realairplane261]

Any of those man made products that are introduced in nature are pure problems waiting to happen. If the soil does not hold water, it is not ment to be a pond.

[@peterwadham9788]

You needed a drone like the one I saw at the local field days. Could hold a 20kg/40lb sack of fertilizer and spread it in patterns or spot. Really good tech. It was a company which hires them to farmers.No good me providing a link I am in Aotearoa. Love the up dates I was wondering how the pond was going. Keep us up to date please.

[@davidamos2915]

Love the tease at the end gotta watch next week! Great content and a true joy to watch you learn as you go with lot's of practical advice

[@onyxpartitian]

Honestly these shorter videos are nice! I enjoy your content but I don't have several hours to set aside.

[@rottenrick1969]

I've found cow manure works amazingly well in sealing any water leaks. Try it out. Cheap too.

[@Mr.Unique.89]

Well, I was about to say PC7 .. But DAMIT .. here's the solution !! Love ur channel .. keep up the good work

[@stevebrown4294]

Holy god….you guys put so much of that DAMIT on that large puddle you might of sealed up the county….😂😃😆🤪

[@jackel440]

Thats some pretty cool science in that product. Great job and I hope it works !

[@robertmatthews7527]

See you next week for sure. U r one of my favorites out of 40 subscriptions. Take care & be careful.

[@nineteenandfortyone]

Well, it looks like you have graduated from making online videos to being a true broadcaster. Another milestone for your career.

[@alexlongoria3893]

Same FarmCraft Channel, Same FarmCraft Time. Thanks for the UPDATE!!!!DAMMMIIITT.

[@GrisleMcThornbody]

Perfect timing! I was resigned to getting a liner for my pond. Will try this first - thanks Jon!!!

[@chrissmith7655]

Hey Jon, ALL your videos are good. Many thanksfrom UK.

[@philipreich7035]

Thanks for the interesting video. I hope this solves your leakage! Thanks also for mentioning the pond build videos. I look forward to watching it in the future. Cheers from Oregon, Philip

[@johnnybgoode6466]

Hi Jon, good update on the pond.... I hope the farmer has been able to keep the gravesites clear from around the old remaining buildings in the foreground...... looking forward to next weeks boat episode ....

[@davidegan4124]

Hey John! I look forward to Fridays for the new video! Thanks for the content loving your work mate! 😊😊

[@ndafarachaitezvi1139]

Outstanding video.Thanks for sharing and taking us along

[@ronrichmond4694]

Great Video Jon! 👍❤️👍 Looking forward to next week.

[@mikemakuh5319]

T.G.I.F. Has just taken on new meaning for me: "Thank God its Farmcraft"! (Friday)

[@jimwelch4481]

Seems like stirring the particles into the water, after applying by hand, would be beneficial for even distribution. That would also get a large number of particles closer to the problem.

[@leer-winnobbeefarms2131]

Been there. Done that. (Pulling yourself out! Only it was my dump truck and backhoe.) Love the t-shirt! Thanks, Jon! Lee

[@rimmersbryggeri]

I think this was useful as sponsored content goes, and also you kept it tight. I have seen videos 4 times as long of a product working when you can't actually see it working and that is just to much. Good work Jon.

[@bobmcdougal738]

I absolutely love your videos you never fail to impress me. Sincerely thank you.

[@timhiggins4259]

Typical stuff? I found it very interesting and more knowledge to keep in the back pocket for my property. Excellent as always, sir.

[@davidr3431]

Thanks for the update. As always, looking forward to the next one.

[@BIllMcCambridge]

Good luck with your solution. Thanks for sharing your talents and adventures!!

[@KennethKlingler]

Fuel seals, oil seals, hydraulic seals, and now POND seals 😂

[@spinkey4842]

hahaha that spreader tho i've been in construction for over 20 yrs now and even though i'm watching a video, everytime dust or debris flys over the screen i hold my dang breath....... yup i know i got issues

[@rjkStudios]

No complaints from me. I'm happy to see another pond video (🤞hoping that everything seals up nicely) and looking forward to seeing it full in the future! As much as really enjoy the equipment repair videos, the variety of different FarmCraft projects is one of the many awesome things about this channel. 😎👍

[@piotrmadalinski8618]

Damit, I thought you were going to seal it with the usual PC 7.

[@barmanvarn]

I saw a guy with an issue like this once. Used a stuff made for ponds. You pour it in and it’s like stop leak for radiators. Apparently it worked.

[@donaldbrown9437]

I have one of the electric spreaders and I have the same problem, especially with fertilizers and even some seed. Clogs up the spreading mechanism!

[@richjfoxone]

Thanks Jon (no H) enjoyed the update, look forward to see it progress.

[@TheBibliofilus]

That polymer looks exactly like the flocking polymer used on sewage plants to get the fine organic suspended waste to fall out of suspension and form the sludge that can be separated from the water and allowed to thermally ferment and become inert organic fertilizer.. It's a real hassle if it contacts any water when stored and is the slickest, slimiest substance known to man! One kind is quite toxic and must be heat treated to break down to be safe, but there are biodegradable alternatives.

[@anthonyhoult152]

Morning John, I so enjoyed watching you build this pond and Damit it leaks! By damit, it looks like it's gone work and just hope that it doesn't leak high up

[@Alsintheshop]

Did you put a seep collar around the drain pipe? A 48” square vertical collar that the pipe goes through the center of. Obviously sealed around the pipe. Digging it in is a pain, but it also perverts animals from digging down along the pipe( which also causes leaks). Many people will dig in two collars, 8’ or more apart.

[@slimwantedman6694]

Good morning from Southeast South Dakota

[@johngassmann9581]

Thanks for the update, John.

[@EdgewoodApples]

Oh my goodness. Four seasons of bentonite and no luck. The leaks continue. This looks like it will be the trick. If this works, I'm subscribing because you are my hero!!!! Without you I wouldn't even know this stuff existed. One thing for sure, I'll never forget the name. :)

[@rwsullivan6230]

The water surface in the pond is at the groundwater level of the adjacent land. If the pond is to retain water above this level it must act as a pan. Good luck trying to seal the bottom. When a pond is dug below the groundwater table it can't go dry, unless the groundwater level drops.

[@bobwollard9105]

Jon, that WAS a repair video! Thanks so much for showing a new method for sealing ponds in porous soils. As for me (retired mechanical engineer) I think I would have attempted the blower/venturi method as suggested by others here. May not have worked, but sure would have been fun trying.

[@PaulBryant-uo1qy]

Thank you John.Once again you have delt with a problem that I have. This time with my dam. I will look into this type of product in Australia and see if it's available, will put some feed back from down under. Cheers

[@okanagansawmill]

Fingers crossed, looking forward to seeing if this works fully!

[@MRrwmac]

Nice! Hope it works out for the pond owner!!