CastAway Tub

This project brings new life to two forgotten relics - a set of old LandCruiser leaf springs and a cast iron bathtub buried in the bush for over 20 years. Inspired by a passion for creating from throwaways, I challenged myself to build something practical, sculptural, and sturdy using only these two salvaged items.

The result: a unique freestanding outdoor bath that looks like it walked out of a Mad Max movie. It’s equal parts bush mechanic, steampunk creature, and backyard art piece.

To make your own CastAway Tub, you'll need to know how to cut, grind, heat, and weld metal - and have an appreciation for giving old parts a second life.

Leaf Springs: A pair of old LandCruiser leaf springs I salvaged from a neighbour’s suspension upgrade. Each spring pack has 8 leaves.

Cast Iron Bathtub: Mine’s a freestanding tub found on our rural property over 20 years ago.

MIG Welder: I used a BOSSWELD unit, but any capable MIG setup will do.

Angle Grinders: One large corded grinder with a cutting wheel, and a cordless grinder with a grinding disc for cleanup and shaping.

Oxy-LPG Heating Setup: Used to preheat the spring steel before welding. This is important to reduce the risk of cracking in hardened leaf springs due to thermal shock or internal stress. A standard oxygen/propane torch worked perfectly for the job.

Basic PPE: Welding helmet, gloves, face shield, ear protection, and goggles. Don’t skip the safety gear.

Spanners: A couple of decent spanners (socket or ring spanners work well)

Start by pulling apart the leaf spring packs. Each pack typically consists of multiple individual leaves clamped together.

Undo the centre bolt on each spring pack and separate the individual leaves. You should end up with 16 separate leaf springs (8 per pack).

Remove the rubber inserts from the eyes at the ends of the top leaf (if still present).

Scrape off any remaining rubber from inside the eye brackets or around the ends - this will help avoid burning, smoke, and stink when you weld or heat them later.

Keep the 4 U-bolts from the original setup - you’ll reuse them to help mount and stabilise the tub.

Turn the bathtub upside down on a flat surface — this gives you access to its base and the mounting bumps (the original “legs” or contours).

Take one of the main leaf springs with the brackets and place it across the tub so the bath’s legs sit within the footprint of the spring. Centre it evenly front to back.

Next, grab two of the next-shortest leaf springs and position them perpendicular to the first, just outside the cast iron legs of the tub — forming a cross or “H” shape. These will become the cross-braces and are mounted below the main spring.

Use heat-resistant clamps to hold everything in place, and check that:

1. The entire setup is square and level
2. The brackets line up neatly with the tub’s legs
3. The structure is centred on the tub

In my case, the spring lengths were already perfect for the spacing between the legs. If yours aren’t, cut the non-bracketed springs to length before clamping.

Use a marker to draw reference lines across all the overlap joints - basically anywhere the springs will be welded together. The more lines, the better.

Take off the clamps and prep the metal. Use a grinder with a flap or wire wheel to clean off rust, paint, and dirt at least 1 cm either side of each weld line. You want shiny steel to weld to.

Clamp all pieces back in the exact positions you marked. Make sure everything is still square and centred.

This step is crucial for spring steel. Use your LPG/oxygen torch to preheat each weld joint - aim to bring each leaf and surrounding metal out to about 10 cm from the joint up to around 300°C.

I used an IR thermometer to verify the temp - it really helps reduce cracking due to thermal stress.

Once hot, tack weld all corners of the overlaps to lock things in.

Go back and finish each weld fully - again, keeping things hot as you go.

Remove the clamps, carefully turn the whole frame over (it's hot!), and repeat the same process on the underside.

⚠️ Welding & Heating Safety Before you strike an arc or fire up the oxy torch, make sure you’re working safely:

1. Wear full PPE: welding helmet, gloves, long sleeves, boots, ear protection, and safety glasses.
2. Ventilation: work in a well-ventilated area to avoid fumes, especially when heating or welding old steel.
3. Clear your workspace: remove flammable items (rags, fuel, plastic, etc.) from the area.
4. Fire safety: have a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it.
5. Preheat safely: when using Oxy-LPG, double-check fittings and regulators, and never leave the torch unattended while lit.

Welding and heating steel comes with risk - take your time, think ahead, and protect yourself.

With the bath still upside down and the welded frame in place, it’s time to mock up the legs. This part is all about balancing form and function - and a bit of improvisation.

Weight the tub down to prevent any movement while you work. I used a few heavy objects I had lying around.

Clamp one leaf spring (leg) to the outer edge of the frame, oriented upwards. Use a prop or stand (like a milk crate) to help set the leg to your desired height and angle.

Take a longer leaf spring and place it on top of the first pointing downwards. It should naturally rest against the clamp and hold its position without slipping - no need to clamp the top one. Don't worry if the top leaves overhang too far - they can be trimmed to size later once everything is welded up.

At the outer join, I went with a leg height of about 900 mm, but you can adjust this depending on how high or wide you want your tub to sit.

Repeat this setup around the tub, using eight leaves total (two per corner - one clamped lower, one resting above).

Adjust each leg individually until you’re happy with the overall look and balance. It’s all visual from here - go for symmetry or something more creature-like if that’s your style.

Weld each leg at the overlap joint using the same process as before:

Once all legs are welded on one side, carefully flip the entire tub assembly over to access the underside.

⚠️ It’s getting heavy now — use help or leverage to avoid injury.

Repeat the same tack and weld process on the underside joints.

In the second photo above, you’ll see I added a small support tab - just a scrap offcut - welded between the lower leg and the frame. Don’t need to be fancy - just strong and well-positioned.The final step in securing the tub is to install the U-bolts onto the side brackets.

Once all the legs are welded securely, it’s time to clean up the ends.

The goal is to:

1. Remove any upward overhangs that could be a tripping or snag hazard
2. Improve the visual flow of the legs, especially from side angles

Use an angle grinder with a cutting wheel to trim the excess from each leg.

Then use a grinding wheel to smooth the cut edges and aim for a rounded and clean contour.

In the image above, you can see how I trimmed the outer tip to follow the arc and soften the profile — a small detail that makes a big difference in the final look.

This step ties provides a stronger support to allow for bath water weight and adds that distinctive "sled base" look using the largest remaining springs.

Grab the two largest leaf springs with the eyelets - these will become the sled legs.

Place them curved side down, centred beneath the frame, and spaced about one spring width apart.

To help with alignment, I ran a broom handle through the eyelet holes at each end - this kept things straight and made it easier to visualise the symmetry.

Next, find the last spring leaf - this one should be noticeably thicker and have a mounting bracket at one end.

Position this spring between the two skids, so that the bracketed end sits flat on one of the sled springs. Adjust the angle and height until it mates cleanly.

Once you're happy with the fit, clamp, mark, grind, pre-heat and weld as done in earlier steps

After welding the central vertical supports (the thick leaf spring between the sled skids), trim off the excess height so they won’t interfere with the base of the bathtub.

Once trimmed, carefully flip the entire frame upside down.

Repeat the welding process on the underside of the vertical supports:

At this point, the frame should be structurally complete, rigid, and symmetrical from all sides - and it’s probably getting properly heavy now, so move it with care.

With the frame fully welded and ready, it’s time to place the cast iron bath on top.

Lift the tub carefully - I used a front-end loader on the tractor with lifting straps. You’ll need something similar due to the weight.

Slowly lower the bath down onto the frame, taking care to align the bath legs with the mounts points on the frame.

Make small adjustments as needed while it’s still suspended to ensure everything sits level and square.

It helps to have someone guide the placement while one person controls the lift. The cast iron is heavy and unforgiving, so go slow and steady.

The final step in securing the tub is to install the U-bolts onto the side brackets.

Take the four original U-bolts salvaged from the spring packs and press them over the existing leaf brackets (on base frame). You shouldn’t need clamps - the natural spring tension of the U-bolts will hold them firmly in place.

Position each one so it sits snugly against the side of the bath, providing lateral support and helping to prevent any side-to-side movement.

Then prep and weld.

If you have done all of this right, your only leftovers should like this.

The most obvious use? Fill it with water, climb in, and enjoy the uninterrupted outdoor views - bush TV at its finest.

Or, if you're feeling more botanical than bath-ready, it makes a striking garden planter. Just add drainage and some soil, and you're off.

Feeling bold? Reckless? In possession of a steep paddock and questionable judgement? Turn your CastAway Tub into the Legendary Bath Sled:

1. Modify the front legs to run slightly more parallel with the base of the tub
2. Leave the leg ends untrimmed - instead, heat and curve them upward like ski tips
3. Secure the tub to the frame using U-bolts through the bath leg tabs and frame
4. Strap on a helmet, point it down a big hill, and hold on for dear life

☠️ Definitely not safe

🍺 Dubiously inspired

🚫 Not recommended

🛷 Not steerable

⚠️ Probably illegal