johnsmachines

Stuart T has made a new valve chest gasket for the Fowler R3 traction engine. I will see him in a couple of days to pick it up. Meanwhile, a few days free, so I have started another home renovation project.

I installed this bath in our house about 45 years ago. A neighbour was renovating his bathroom and knowing of our fondness for antiques, he asked if we would like his old bath. Otherwise it was headed for the rubbish tip. It was cast iron, on lions paw feet. The taps were very large, and truly superb. They were mounted on a porcelain or ceramic shelf, which had the logo “Fin du Siecle” (“End of the century”) so it was probably manufactured in the 1890’s which was the period of my neighbour’s house. Unfortunately the surface of the ceramic shelf was badly crazed. The bath had many coats of paint. But it was huge, had an elegant shape, and we loved it.

My wife, SWMBO, spent many hours stripping off the many coats of paint, and sanding the surface smooth. I had the cast iron feet brass plated, we coated the brass surface with a lacquer to prevent tarnishing. I made new gaskets for the taps, and cut new washers from leather. The washers were also huge. The ceramic shelf was professionally sprayed with a bath resurfacing paint, and the “Fin du Siecle” logo was sadly covered (after photographs were taken).

It was so big that it would not fit through the bathroom doorway. But our bathroom renovation involved replastering a wall, so the very heavy bath was carried in through the opened wall by a much younger me, and a group of my then much younger friends. SWMBO says that our daughters learned to swim in that bath, it was so big.

The interior surface of the bath was professionally sprayed with a bath surface renewal paint, and that surface lasted about 15-20 years. Then it started to fail around the plug hole, with rust appearing, and gradually spreading. Then maybe a decade later the taps stopped functioning. I disassembled them, but they did not appear to be repairable with my skills at that time (pre metalworking). So I bypassed the antique taps and installed valves further back in the line.

We stopped using that bath, except for washing the dogs, which accelerated the surface deterioration. It really started to look disgusting, and earlier this year we made the decision to “fix up” the bathroom. That involved buying a new bath, repairing marble tiles, rebuilding the shower recess, replacing the shower screen, and getting the floor heating fixed.

But the first task was to remove the old bath.

Remembering how heavy it was, I was in no hurry to start the job. But a few days go we were visited by my son in law, who is Samoan, and incredibly fit. He is built like a rugby player. He noticed the large box containing the new bath, and offered to help remove the old one. So we did. I was not expecting to do this job just then, but the offer was too good to refuse, so we did.

Regrettably, it was impossible to remove the old bath intact, unless a large hole was made in a wall. So, I used a 9″ angle grinder to cut it into 3 pieces. The cast iron was about 8-10mm thick. A very dirty job. We wore safety glasses, ear muffs, and face masks. Even so it was a VERY dirty job. I had previously disconnected the taps and drain, removed the tap handles, drain, ceramic shelf, large lead drain plug, and lions feet.

The two of us carried out the 3 pieces, and with some effort, lifted them onto the Landcruiser tray. My eldest daughter wanted the old bath for her garden, but now that it is in pieces has decided to take only the lions feet and the round end of the bath. I will store the other cast iron pieces in case I want to use the metal for a model.

The cast iron dust is incredibly dirty, pervasive, and spread into nearby rooms.

I am happy that this difficult, dirty, heavy job is done.

But, I am sad that the grand, old, antique bath had to be destroyed to be removed. I feel like a Vandal.