The wife and I are starting to brainstorm ideas for a bathroom remodel. Our current bathroom has a standard 60″ tub/shower combo. She misses the larger tub and separate shower of our old house. We are both tall (6′ and 6’2″) and enjoy an occasional soak which includes being able to stretch our legs out straight.
Web-surfing for ideas, I came across a very cool, modern tub (see attached picture). A call to the local dealer to inquire about price just about caused cardiac arrest: $17,490! A second look at it, though, caused me to wonder whether I could build such a thing myself. Near as I can tell from their website, it’s made of 3/4″ plywood with the bottom being bent to create the lounge shape.
It seems to me that a tub could be constructed with marine plywood, with all joints carefully dadoed and joined with a waterproof epoxy (such as System Three SilverTip GelMagic) and stainless steel screws then caulked with 100% silicone. The inner surface could be covered with a plastic laminate that is carefully contact cemented to the plywood. The bottom could be constructed out of bending ply or could be subbed out to a company I found that does custom laminating and bending for marine applications. People have been building wooden boats for centuries. A bathtub is really just an inverse boat: same shape just meant to keep the water in instead of out.
So, tapping the collective wisdom of this forum, does anybody have any experience with building their own bathtub (maybe because of special requirements like size, shape, etc.)? What materials did you use? What would you do differently if you were to do it again? Besides the obvious (keep water out of where it doesn’t belong), anything special to keep in mind or things to avoid?
TIA,
Ian
Replies
we have a contractor who does fiberglass roofing for us, and he says that he has done several tubs over the years.....been thinking about having him do one for me....I do the rough shape with wood, and he does the rest with epoxy, resin, and fiberglass cloths....
we have a contractor who does fiberglass roofing for us, and he says that he has done several tubs over the years.....been thinking about having him do one for me....I do the rough shape with wood, and he does the rest with epoxy, resin, and fiberglass cloths....
Use a clear epoxy and have your last layer of cloth be carbon fiber and I think you'd really have something there......
Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
Only $18K and oh so chic. The stylish cane spigot probably comes in handy when the owner slips on the curved seat and needs to grab something to break their fall.
Many boats are built from plywood and they all float. But every wooden boat I've ever known also leaks. That's OK for a boat.
What about building it strong with plywood and bracing (or wire lath and concrete mud), covering it with a waterproof membrane named Kerdi, and then tiling it?
You can ask detailed tile questions at http://www.johnbridge.com
Billy
If you make and bend the form and then coat it with epoxy and then layer up some fiberglass almost like creating a paddle.
West systems
http://www.westsystem.com/
is a huge resource,
I have seen a bunch of wooden boats that are sweet, but they are big maintence. You might want to go to a marine supply and ask them for help too.
West marine is great too, but, shipping a lot of the paints could be prohibitive....
Jeff
Your ".tiff." image didn't open for me. Could you possibly post a web link where I could go check it out? I've have got to see what 18K of bathtub looks like.
Brian
Send me 18K and I'll make sure you get a one!
"Your ".tiff." image didn't open for me. Could you possibly post a web link where I could go check it out? I've have got to see what 18K of bathtub looks like."Sure. Click on: http://www.agapedesign.it/eng/listproducts.cfm?catID=20
Let all the thumbnails load, then click on the 2nd image in the 2nd row, the Woodline VAS902. I think you'll be most amused at what you can get for the price of a good condition used car, and you'll understand why I raise the question of building a similar one myself.
Here you go.
A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon. - Napoleon Boneparte
Hey, how'd you do that, I tried to save the image and I had to buy shares of Apple or something before they let me.
LOLI changed your .tiff to a .jpg, that's all.=0)
A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon. - Napoleon Boneparte
Can you change $20's into $100's by chance.
Wish I could.=0)
A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon. - Napoleon Boneparte
look for books on wooden strip built canoes . basically build with wood and then cover with epoxy and glass cloth as others have suggested.
I saw a sink made like that with various strips of hardwood covered in glass epoxy .. really was striking
Have a look at:
http://www.jasonint.com/index.cfm
before you go to the effort of building your own. Jason has tubs 72" x 42", maybe bigger, I didn't look all that carefully at their site. And for about 10% of the price you were quoted.
Another consideration: Perhaps you'd be happier with a big hot tub for soaking, and an economical bath tub for getting clean.
-- J.S.
Did you happen to see the weight on that puppy!! it better be going in on the slab, fill that sucker up and you got floor loading around 60lbs. sq. just for the tub!!
17,490!
>>does anybody have any experience with building their own bathtub (maybe because of special requirements like size, shape, etc.)? What materials did you use? What would you do differently if you were to do it again? Besides the obvious (keep water out of where it doesn't belong), anything special to keep in mind or things to avoid?
Yeah, I can do it for ya, cheap, not a penny more than 16,999.99
FOB!
Sorry, the details are a trade secret <G>
Might be worth looking out in the rural parts for a used stainless steel milk tank off a dairy farm.
I've got one with refridgerated piping around it so I'm trying to dream up a way to insulate and circulate hotwater around it in place of the refridgerant.
Hey, 3 people could lay down in it and it cost $17,390 less than the one you saw. Roar!
Only thing was the transporting got a little exciting.
'Nemo me impune lacesset'
No one will provoke me with impunity
3 people can lay down in it and the transporting is the only thing that is exciting ???Good to see you back, Rez.=0)
A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon. - Napoleon Boneparte
Have you considered a masonry based tub or are you enamored by the wood idea?
It wouldn't be that tough to build a concrete tub then tile it with mosaic. Curves and seat space plus the option of running numerous jets, etc. would be possible in a project like you're describing.
If the wood idea is what you really want though, clear heart redwood is the wood of choice for the old barrel stave type tubs. Several of the old hot springs in Oregon still have this type of tub and they've been around awhile. But they're a far cry from Chic...
Finally something I know a little about. Check out CLC boats - they sell kayak kits you put together using epoxy fillets. I've built a couple and you could build a neat tub using the same techniques. Here's a page that explains how the fillets work
http://www.clcboats.com/shoptips/shoptips_fillets.php/cart_id=df8a486a123bdf50de43e9f605d05bf3/
Very strong joints. Leaking not likely if you do a reasonable job (heck, even my boats don't leak). A layer of glass with silver tip epoxy would be beautiful. You've got me thinking what my next project might be...
Ted
Have built 2 fiberglass tubs, first was fiberglass and polyester resin over papier machie, didn't leak for 30 years. Did a 2nd one a little wider when redid bath, 74" long inside but only wide enough for one person to stretch out at a time so no big wate load. Only problem with it was color matching of the whole thing.
Just like building a fiberglas canoe or auto body work.
Would guess the one 6 years ago would cost about $200 in materials and total of about 50 hurs labor, most of that involved in repeated failed attempt for overall color match of final coat.
I think that might be the way to go. The photo looks like plywood or
some type of laminate. The bottom of the tub must be filled with foam
to support those curves. A tub full of water will put alot of presure
on the sidewalls. It looks like boltheads in the corners??? Might even
be full length steel rods running the full length. Hmmmmmm, I think
I could build that tub.
Just had a thought, Maybe its a steel tub with liminate glued to it.
Rob Teed
Dream Builders
Maybe Seeyou or Duane could build you a copper tub.
Joe H
Now THAT is a great idea !!
A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon. - Napoleon Boneparte
That tub looks way too angular and boxy for my taste, let alone the cost factor. Looks like you could nut yourself on those sharp corners getting in and out.
I believe there was a wonderfully ergonomic cedar strip & epoxy resin tub featured in Fine Shackbuilding magazine about 10 years ago. Does anyone else remember? What issue? It was shaped much like an old fashioned, deep claw footed tub, but was made of cedar strips. It had soul.
Scott.
Edited 11/19/2005 1:04 am ET by Scott
Couldn't find the tub article but did stumble across this new folk hero builder from down in Texas. Ish# 136
Castoff 2x4's and a $20 stair.
Man, I'd like to buy that guy a beerView Image
View Image
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
If you want a big tub take a look at http://americh.com and search for the Beverly 6040.
kestrel
Built two tubs out of white oak. Total material cost approx. $500. The shape was similar to a normal tub except the depth. I just raised the overflow outlet to permit filling the tub to a higher level. Sealed the interior using System Three epoxy, then covered the entire tub with fiberglass. A couple of additional coats of epoxy over the fiberglass completed the project. The entire tub was clear finished, including the tub surrounds. Individual pieces (tapered and beveled) were glued together using 5 minute epoxy. A small table jointer speeded up the process of fitting the pieces together.
One thing, a tankless water heater is mandatory. I can fill the tub with only hot water, try that with regular tank-type heaters, you'll run out of hot water.
Give it a try, it's not that hard.
butch