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. Never the less It custom sink and faucet got a nice write-up on a wonderful website: Kelly’s Kitchen Sync, Designer musings on kitchen & home remodeling in her article Steampunk Sunday: Wild West Plumbing. Thank you Kelly!
The real challenge would come with building the exposed copper shower system. That would be the next step.
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This is exactly what I have been looking for, I was trying to explain the idea to my dad. But he didn’t like it until I showed him this picture. It is absolutely beautiful, and I have been welding for a while so soldering shouldn’t be to much of a challenge. Thank you for the inspiration! Wonderful job!
Hello Celina — Ahhh very cool — Im glad that you like it. The soldering is very easy.
I can’t find a faucet/valve with that look that will handle hot water….
Where did you find it?
Hello Phillip – for this sink as well as the shower system I used basic gate valves for both the hot and cold water. You should be able to find gate valves at your local hardware store. I constructed the faucets out of basic copper pipe. On the shower system, in addition to using gate valves for the hot and cold water, I used ball valves to control flow to the overhead shower, the hand shower as ell as the tub fill. Im not sure why you wouldn’t be able to find the valves easily. They will handle both hot and cold water. Perhaps I’m not understanding the question.
What a nice piece of work. I’ve been doing some research on creating a custom faucet for my outdoor garden sink. Your sink is exactly what I wish I had made for my last bathroom renovation, but I am definitely going to do a faucet in the same stile for the wall mounted garden sink. It will have just the right style and sensibility. Thanks for showing it off. Just great!
your faucet is amazing! I wish we were that handy. We too are beautifying a little cabin–ours is a 1920′s redwood board and batten cabin on Monterey Bay, CA. We have been looking for the right faucet for the bath for over a year–none of the good quality stock stuff works with the look of our cabin, is mostly made in China, and is still $500. And then I discovered the same Sonoma Forge stuff you did–gorgeous. And in case you had not realized, the cost is from each faucet/shower being handmade here in CA. But we just hit the jackpot–some guy from the same town the faucets are made in has listed several of the copper waterbridge on craigslist! We are driving up tomorrow to pick up that same shower, except without the handheld shower, new in box for $1,500! And we are getting the wallmount waterbridge for $200! I am very stoked. . . never could have done it otherwise.
But I actually really like your better! We have steampunk leanings and yours is so cool!
Need closure on the bathroom remodel!!
I’m thinking of tackling a copper tub fabrication for our oh-so-small bathroom where we’d like to have a deep soaking tub in our narrow alcove.
What’s the status of your bathroom. A pic of the tub tiled in (and maybe full of water *wink*) would be so reassuring…I’d like to know that with my perfectionist attention to detail and lots of hours’ planning, I won’t spend all winter fabricating only to have a puddle appear in the basement
Congratulations on your new Governor. About time…….
Let’s hope this is the change WE have been waiting for!
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