After seeing the unique copper faucets for the sink and shower from Sonoma Forge in the last post and taking cues from the exposed copper plumbing throughout the Lodge I thought that I had zeroed in on what I would use for the new bath. The Sonoma Forge faucets were indeed beautiful for this application but the cost was prohibitive. I didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t make my own.
Granted mine would not be as refined nor finished but that was OK with me. Mine would probably end up looking a bit more raw but that was part of the fun. After all I did want something a bit fun, whimsical and rustic.
In the barn out at the farm I had several pieces of log that were remnants from when they squared off the large 24″ beams used in its construction back in the 1820s. I selected a small piece that I would use as a sink top and to that I mounted the beaten copper bowl. I mounted the sink and the top to a pecky cypress base I had made using scraps of pecky cypress. Pecky cypress had been used throughout the lodge for the ceilings, doors and much of the cabinets to its use here was a natural.
I pieced together the copper fittings and pipe from the local hardware store and with torch in hand and the Sonoma Forge inspiration I began to solder together my new sink faucet.
I knew my soldered seams would not be as clean as those Sonoma Forge lines but I was fine with that. If they didn’t turn out then no harm done but I figured that the finished faucet would be ‘fun’ for a log home.
I used gate valves, various fittings and mostly 1/2″ copper pipe.
Where I ran the pipe through the log I used a reducer fitting from 3/4″ to 1/2″ and after filing off the little nib on the inside slipped the fitting up the the pipe so that I could use it to hide my cut through the log and give it a more finished look.
Since I was not going to polish the copper but rather let it mellow to a soft patina i really didn’t care about any discoloration from the heat of the torch. If anything it added a bit of character.
The one thing I would have to figure out was making new handles as I really didn’t care for the standard handles on the gate valves but I could leave that for some time down the road.
Yes the end result if a little goofy I guess but it works for this log home bath.
The real challenge would come with building the exposed copper shower system. That would be the next step.
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Congratulations on your new Governor. About time…….
Let’s hope this is the change WE have been waiting for!