Sunday, April 1, 2012

Faucet and taps

Laurie had made some great sinks for her washroom trailer from a plastic paint palette. I didn't see exactly what she used but she ended up with a row of sinks in a white counter so I think she must have used one like this:

We came up with taps and a faucet made from some head pins, silver beads and two bugle beads.

The ones I made to show you are built on a piece of wood and would be glued in  place later. (The ones for Laurie's sinks could be built straight into the counter.)


For this you need:
1" piece of coffee stir stick
3  one inch head pins
3 silver beads
2 clear or white bugle beads
emery board
pin vise drill
silver pen
Tacky glue
needle nose pliers
wire cutters

Cut a 1" piece of wood from a coffee stir stick. Across the middle of the wood, drill three holes: at the 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" points.



Using the emery board, round the top edges of the wood, then colour it silver.

Feed the head pins through the three holes from the bottom so the heads of the pins are on the bottom of the wood. Run a small strip of tape across the bottom to hold the pins in place. From the top, add a silver bead to each pin. Glue each silver bead to the wood.


About 1/16" above the outside silver beads, bend the outside pins at right angles.
Using a round shape such as a pen or pencil, shape the top end of the middle pin into a faucet.

Put a small amount of glue on the outside pins near the right angles. Slip a bugle bead over each of the pins and slide the bead down to the right angle. Then, using the wire cutters, clip off the end of the pins extending past the bugle beads.


When you're ready to install this, remove the tape from the bottom of the wood and glue it to the counter top behind your sink. (If you're careful and keep the glue away from the pin heads, your tap handles will turn and the faucet will swivel.)


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