UKC

Saw some wooden bath tubs on the internet, don't fancy paying £3k for one and reckon i could knock one up myself with the right construction and some boat varnish.

Good idea/bad idea?

I'm not a carpenter by any means but i'm pretty handy with a saw...

In reply to KingStapo:

Just use a small boat.

In reply to KingStapo:

Splinters could be nasty

In reply to butteredfrog:

Hollow out a fallen tree trunk.
Make sure there are no residual squirrels. Although their tail would make a great loofer.

In reply to winhill:

Just use a small boat.

Think you're talking complete and utter rowlocks there.

In reply to KingStapo:

Sounds like a cool project. The Japanese have some good traditional designs for wooden bathtubs which look to work a bit like barrel construction but they're not really suitable as every day baths. I think you're options would be to build one up out of sections/narrow planks, dowelling and glueing as you go then shaping the whole thing and putting a massive amount of marine varnish on. I wonder if a wood/fibreglass combo would be more durable though, fibreglass on the inside with strips of cedar on the outside or something. I believe you can get transparent fibreglass but not sure how exactly you would get it into the shape of a bath.

Good luck, way above my woodworking skills I think.

In reply to FactorXXX:

He was just floating the idea.

In reply to KingStapo:

I think it's way above your skills if you're not a woodworker, but if you have time and lots and lots of patience.....

http://woodgears.ca/reader/bathtub/

In reply to mwr72:

wow! That's seriously impressive.

In reply to Sharp:

Beautiful isn't it. I'd love to make one but have neither the space or my own house(we rent).

In reply to mwr72:




The bath does not appeal to me but look at the mountain bike if you scroll the page

In reply to KingStapo:


Great idea if you actually want to do the research and work at least as much as have the finished product. It doesn't look too difficult but it'd be a messy and slow project.

Finding a resin that doesn't soften in hot water might require some care especially if it sees heavy use as a shower tray. Marine varnish or a UV stable infusion epoxy with a high temperature rating would both likely work.

Also making sure the wood is all at the same stage of drying and in equilibrium with your bathroom humidity could be pretty time consuming. It'd be a real pain in the arse (possibly literally!) having to repair splits as it gains/loses moisture and moves.

jk

In reply to GLUF:

Yep, it's no longer available.

The site it's on is run by a guy called Matthias Wandel, a good engineer. He had something to do with (iirc) Apple inc. possibly the iphone, I can't quite remember and can't find the link to his bio, but his website is well worth looking at.

In reply to KingStapo:

Nail on head. Since becoming a woodburning stove owner I've come to appreciate just how much water is contained in wood and how much wood is subject to ambient humidity levels.

In reply to mwr72:

It is incredible yeah, I'm not sure I actually like the look in a way that I'd want to have it in my bathroom, but it is nice to look at. If that makes sense. It's probably quite warm to bath in as well, compared to enamelled metal or plastic.

In reply to Sharp:

As an aside, anybody got any ideas for insulating a normal bath?

In reply to butteredfrog:


When it's boxed in, fill the void with a shed load of expanding foam(?)

In reply to KingStapo:

I reckon waxing/oiling the wood may be more useful than varnishing it - damage the varnish and it'll be obvious. You'll need to use teak or something similar.

In reply to butteredfrog:

Spray on foam, be interesting to hear how much difference it makes. It'll be messy as well and I never bothered when I put mine in, although it's enamelled metal and despite being cold to touch when you get in it doesn't seem to lose heat too badly. don't forget lots of bubble bath as well!