Ice Sculptures - About Ice Sculpture Drip Trays

At Art of Ice Sculptures we supply almost all of our carvings with a drip tray to catch the water as the sculpture melts.

How big is the tray?

Our trays come in a range of sizes designed to accommodate our sculptures. The tray may not be as long or as wide as the overall dimensions of the sculpture itself. This works because as the sculpture melts, the water will run down the outside of the sculpture until it reaches the lowest point and will then drip from there into the tray below.

Standard Drip Trays	Sculpture size	Tray Type	Tray Dimensions
	Custom or corporate logos - 50cm wide	Metal with drain hose	35cm x 75cm
	Custom or corporate logos - 1m wide	Metal with drain hose	95cm x 40cm
	Extra Large Moulded Sculptures	Fibreglass with reservoir or metal with reservoir	93cm diameter x 10cm deep or 75cm square x 8cm deep
	Large Moulded Sculptures	White fibreglass with silver trim. Insert forms reservoir.	80cm x 55cm x 10cm deep
	Table Centrepieces	White fibreglass with silver trim. Insert forms reservoir.	60cm x 30cm x 8cm deep
		Clear perspex. Insert forms reservoir. Can be lit from beneath.	25cm x 25cm x 10cm deep
	Ice Bars	Metal with drain hose	Depend on the length of the bar.

Do I need to empty the tray?

There should be no need to empty the tray during the function as each sculpture comes with a tray that is capable of holding all the expected melt water during the show life of the sculpture. However at the end of the function you must remove the sculpture and dispose of it (we like to put it in the garden, it's just filtered water, no nasty chemicals). Otherwise the sculpture will keep melting and may overflow the tray.

Does the tray have a drain hose?

The white trays do not have a drain hose, they have an insert that creates a reservoir to hold the water, and keeps the sculpture out of the pool of water underneath.

Most of our metal trays have a drain hose, which you need to direct into a bucket, usually hidden discretely under the table. You must also ensure that the drain is not blocked while the ice sculpture is on display. If the drain becomes blocked (by food, cloth, ice or anything else that gets put in the tray) the ice sculpture will end up sitting in a pool of water and can easily become unstable. We cannot be held responsible for unstable sculptures if the drain hose is blocked during the function.

Where do I run the drain hose?

If your tray is fitted with a drain hose you need to run it downwards into a receptacle or sink or floor drain. Water will not drain uphill, it is vital that the drain hose only goes downwards from the sculpture. For a sculpture on a table, most people just put a bucket of some kind under the table. For a sculpture on the floor, you need to have a clear downhill path to a floor drain.

Can you give me a lit tray?

Most of our trays can be lit for an additional fee. We use LED lights, which refract the light up through the ice without generating enough heat to melt the sculpture.

Often the most effective way to light your sculpture is to use a spotlight or floor can, to do this we suggest you talk to your venue or lighting crew. Just make sure that the light is not too close to the sculpture as lights often generate a lot of heat which can melt the scultpure more quickly.

Can I decorate the tray?

Yes you can decorate both around the outside of the tray and inside it on the stand that the ice is sitting on. There is one golden rule with ice, and that is that you do NOT allow any cloth or material to go from outside to inside the tray as it will wick water onto the table or floor and make a big mess. We cannot be responsible for wicking if you choose to decorate the tray.