Wooden sinks again -- has anyone actually tried?

Indeed, for beauty, or at least interest value ...

Thanks for all your help and comments!

I guess it looks like I won't be going this route either (although one
day I'm going to make a small trial).

Nigel.

No experience at all, sorry.

But if I were to try, I would be tempted by goncalo alves. Should make a
beautiful sink that will last forever.

Nigel wrote:
>
> Having googled I've found several conversations on the topic of wooden
> sinks and the difficulty or otherwise of building one but no actual
> reports of success or failure ...
>
> SO - did anyone actually try or were you all scared off?
>
> I'm talking kitchen sink here, not the photography type so the glass
> sheet treatment isn't going to fly. Epoxy seems to be what is generally
> suggested to finish and waterproof, together with some sort of
> laminated wood to minmimise the shrinkage/expansion problem. Mahogany
> or teak the recommended woods.
>
> This sink isn't going to see real hard work (single person household &
> there'll be a dishwasher too) but it needs to stand up to basic kitchen
> tasks.
>
> Shape is basically a simple, rectangular box with rounded internal
> corners (like a Belfast style sink) so the wood construction bit won't
> be too tough. Target lifetime is somewhere around 5-6 years I guess; by
> then the novelty may be starting to wear thin and I can replace it with
> a commercial belfast sink (and if not I can make a new one!).

Oh, it's doable, but I'd guess the 5-yr lifetime will probably be
optimistic if it's used at all---that is, if you intend to actually live
in the kitchen preparing meals, etc. If you eat out all the time and
never use it, that's something else.

Nigel wrote:
> Having googled I've found several conversations on the topic of wooden
> sinks and the difficulty or otherwise of building one but no actual
> reports of success or failure ...
>
> SO - did anyone actually try or were you all scared off?
>
> I'm talking kitchen sink here, not the photography type so the glass
> sheet treatment isn't going to fly. Epoxy seems to be what is generally
> suggested to finish and waterproof, together with some sort of
> laminated wood to minmimise the shrinkage/expansion problem. Mahogany
> or teak the recommended woods.
>
> This sink isn't going to see real hard work (single person household &
> there'll be a dishwasher too) but it needs to stand up to basic kitchen
> tasks.
>
> Shape is basically a simple, rectangular box with rounded internal
> corners (like a Belfast style sink) so the wood construction bit won't
> be too tough. Target lifetime is somewhere around 5-6 years I guess; by
> then the novelty may be starting to wear thin and I can replace it with
> a commercial belfast sink (and if not I can make a new one!).
>
> Advice, and above all practical experience (+ve or -ve), is solicited.


You could try the method used when building kayaks of wood.
Fibreglass cloth and epoxy.

Have a look here:
http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/index.htm
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/


JES

"Nigel" <[email protected]> wrote in news:1121196581.496726.319300
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

> Having googled I've found several conversations on the topic of wooden
> sinks and the difficulty or otherwise of building one but no actual
> reports of success or failure ...
>
> SO - did anyone actually try or were you all scared off?
>

Why? For beauty's sake?

I've used traditional Japanese ofuru (sp?) soaking tubs, and California
winery hot tubs, but I don't think I'd want to deal with a kitchen sink of
wood.

I'm certain the boat gurus could make it waterproof and/or beautiful. But
practical?

Patriarch,
exploring motivation today...

Nigel wrote:
> Having googled I've found several conversations on the topic of wooden
> sinks and the difficulty or otherwise of building one but no actual
> reports of success or failure ...
>
> SO - did anyone actually try or were you all scared off?
>
> I'm talking kitchen sink here, not the photography type so the glass
> sheet treatment isn't going to fly. Epoxy seems to be what is
> generally suggested to finish and waterproof, together with some sort
> of laminated wood to minmimise the shrinkage/expansion problem.
> Mahogany or teak the recommended woods.
>
> This sink isn't going to see real hard work (single person household &
> there'll be a dishwasher too) but it needs to stand up to basic
> kitchen tasks.
>
> Shape is basically a simple, rectangular box with rounded internal
> corners (like a Belfast style sink) so the wood construction bit won't
> be too tough. Target lifetime is somewhere around 5-6 years I guess;
> by then the novelty may be starting to wear thin and I can replace it
> with a commercial belfast sink (and if not I can make a new one!).
>
> Advice, and above all practical experience (+ve or -ve), is solicited.

No practical experience with one but no reason you couldn't build it
like a strip planked boat...one in which the planks are roughly square
in cross section and glued one to another with water proof glue
(Resorcinol being the best). Hulls like that are water tight - assuming
decent joinery - and very solid but a PITA to repair.

Expansion/contraction would be no problem as it is in the same direction
everywhere. Biggest problem would be joining the sides to each other
and to bottom so that the joints are water tight.

Gluvit might be a good material for finishing.
http://www.pyacht.net/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/h-gluv
it.htm?E+scstore


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On 12 Jul 2005 12:29:41 -0700, "Nigel" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Having googled I've found several conversations on the topic of wooden
>sinks and the difficulty or otherwise of building one but no actual
>reports of success or failure ...
>
>SO - did anyone actually try or were you all scared off?
>
>I'm talking kitchen sink here, not the photography type so the glass
>sheet treatment isn't going to fly. Epoxy seems to be what is generally
>suggested to finish and waterproof, together with some sort of
>laminated wood to minmimise the shrinkage/expansion problem. Mahogany
>or teak the recommended woods.
>
>This sink isn't going to see real hard work (single person household &
>there'll be a dishwasher too) but it needs to stand up to basic kitchen
>tasks.
>
>Shape is basically a simple, rectangular box with rounded internal
>corners (like a Belfast style sink) so the wood construction bit won't
>be too tough. Target lifetime is somewhere around 5-6 years I guess; by
>then the novelty may be starting to wear thin and I can replace it with
>a commercial belfast sink (and if not I can make a new one!).
>
>Advice, and above all practical experience (+ve or -ve), is solicited.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Nigel.


Did one in the late seventies and soaked it in PEG in a moderately
collapsed veneer bag for about a week.

Let it dry for thirty days and then used West System to clear coat it.

Had dinner at the owners about six months ago.

Still looked good.


Tom Watson - WoodDorker
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/ (website)

"Nigel" <[email protected]> wrote in news:1121196581.496726.319300
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

> Having googled I've found several conversations on the topic of wooden
> sinks and the difficulty or otherwise of building one but no actual
> reports of success or failure ...
>
> SO - did anyone actually try or were you all scared off?
>
> I'm talking kitchen sink here, ........


I did it with my bathroom sink, cherry top with an undermount
sink. I used two layers of System 3 thin resin, like the boat
builders use, purchased from Woodcraft. I sanded each coat
level, spent extra time making sure endgrain was well covered.
The epoxy did soak into endgrain more than you'd have thought.

The cherry was not laminated or otherwise engineered.

I applied several coats of spar varnish over it all for UV
protection and a better final appearance.

It's two years old now and no signs of problems. But we are
pretty careful not to leave standing water on the surface. No
big hassle, just a little attention. If we forget, the water
does not leave rings or stains.

A few dings so far, no signs of the epoxy coat layer degrading
where there are dings. No swelling or stains. If I'd only
used varnish, I'm quite certain that wouldn't be the case.

To answer the usual question: no it doesn't look like plastic.
The grain is very visible and rich.

Sorry, I don't have pictures available.

The epoxy I used is listed at woodcraft.com as the "Clear
Coat Kit" #144501 .

Try the epoxy on a sample board, subject the board to the
expected kitchen conditions. You'll only be out a couple of
bucks at the worst.