Project Information
So I had a bathroom faucet in my home and the handle had started to break on the inside. Only a matter of time until it gives out. Some of that great pot metal they love to use.
As we all know to replace something you need to get the old one out of the way first. This is the original faucet to this master bathroom. I dread the part of taking out old stuff like this because most of the time the "years" lock it into place. But to my surprise not a big deal. Even the nut holding the drain pipe to the sink came off pretty easy!!! So now I am thinking boy this was easy!
All I have to do to finish is put in the new one. I know I have all the tools because I just took out the old faucet. Everything is going as smooth as butter until I need to tighten up the New plastic nut with the rubber washer to the sink. THE NUT WAS LARGER THEN MY WRENCH!!! I did my best to tighten the nut by hand but to no luck the water just leaked out around the rubber washer. If only I was CHUCK NORRIS I could look at it and it would tighten on its own. I like most everyone else start thinking "go to one of the big box stores to buy a larger wrench". But it's now 9:30pm and I just want to get this done so that we can use the sink again. I don't want to go and buy a wrench that might sit in a tool box for years before I will need it again. Don't get me wrong I like tools but… My largest wrench adjusts out to 1 3/8" but I need 1 ¾". What am I going to do now?
"Wood" wood pops into my head I know I can make one out of wood. Next thought it needs to be strong enough to take a little pressure. Oak, Maple… I think I could have a problem with the grain of the wrench so Baltic Birch Plywood comes to mind. So out comes some 5/8" thick drawer box material. 75 seconds later on the band saw and this is what I have. Now I know I could have spent more time laying it out and sanding it smooth but it was 9:30pm at night. Do what you got to do to get done. Immediately go to the pipe put on my new "wooden wrench" and tighten the nut. Turn on the water and now NO more leaks.
Now I feel like I am the king of my castle! I fixed the faucet myself and did it using a wooden wrench. As soon as I turned the wrench on that nut and saw that there was no more leaks I had to show off my new wrench. First to my kids to try to help them think about how to accomplish something when they don't have the typical tools to do the job. I try to explain that they sometimes need to "think outside of the box". I now they got what I was trying to say but the question back was what if we don't have any wood to use? That was not the point but they made me laugh. Next it was time to show my Wife and her Mom. I built up the story the best I could and then presented my fix to the problem. Thinking I was the knight in shining armor. I had just slayed the dragon with my new wooden wrench!!! But I think I built the story up to much because they did laugh at me and my wrench. But I am sure it's because I had now started to laugh myself. We had a good chuckle out of it!!! And that was the point of showing them the wrench anyway. But as always my Wife was proud of me for being able to take care of our home.
So you ask what is the morel of this story? I would say it's to think outside of the box (and the big box stores) use what you have. That's how the wiser generations did it to survive. Maybe someday I will be wiser still and find out how to fix the original faucet and not just go buy a new one of those. Don't know can you weld or glue pot metal?
5/8" thick Baltic Birch Plywood cut out on the bandsaw to make a wooden wrench. Not pretty but it did the job!!!
Thanks for looking.
What kinds of tools have you made to overcome a problem? Let me know I am not the only one to make a funny looking wooden wrench.
As we all know to replace something you need to get the old one out of the way first. This is the original faucet to this master bathroom. I dread the part of taking out old stuff like this because most of the time the "years" lock it into place. But to my surprise not a big deal. Even the nut holding the drain pipe to the sink came off pretty easy!!! So now I am thinking boy this was easy!
All I have to do to finish is put in the new one. I know I have all the tools because I just took out the old faucet. Everything is going as smooth as butter until I need to tighten up the New plastic nut with the rubber washer to the sink. THE NUT WAS LARGER THEN MY WRENCH!!! I did my best to tighten the nut by hand but to no luck the water just leaked out around the rubber washer. If only I was CHUCK NORRIS I could look at it and it would tighten on its own. I like most everyone else start thinking "go to one of the big box stores to buy a larger wrench". But it's now 9:30pm and I just want to get this done so that we can use the sink again. I don't want to go and buy a wrench that might sit in a tool box for years before I will need it again. Don't get me wrong I like tools but… My largest wrench adjusts out to 1 3/8" but I need 1 ¾". What am I going to do now?
"Wood" wood pops into my head I know I can make one out of wood. Next thought it needs to be strong enough to take a little pressure. Oak, Maple… I think I could have a problem with the grain of the wrench so Baltic Birch Plywood comes to mind. So out comes some 5/8" thick drawer box material. 75 seconds later on the band saw and this is what I have. Now I know I could have spent more time laying it out and sanding it smooth but it was 9:30pm at night. Do what you got to do to get done. Immediately go to the pipe put on my new "wooden wrench" and tighten the nut. Turn on the water and now NO more leaks.
Now I feel like I am the king of my castle! I fixed the faucet myself and did it using a wooden wrench. As soon as I turned the wrench on that nut and saw that there was no more leaks I had to show off my new wrench. First to my kids to try to help them think about how to accomplish something when they don't have the typical tools to do the job. I try to explain that they sometimes need to "think outside of the box". I now they got what I was trying to say but the question back was what if we don't have any wood to use? That was not the point but they made me laugh. Next it was time to show my Wife and her Mom. I built up the story the best I could and then presented my fix to the problem. Thinking I was the knight in shining armor. I had just slayed the dragon with my new wooden wrench!!! But I think I built the story up to much because they did laugh at me and my wrench. But I am sure it's because I had now started to laugh myself. We had a good chuckle out of it!!! And that was the point of showing them the wrench anyway. But as always my Wife was proud of me for being able to take care of our home.
So you ask what is the morel of this story? I would say it's to think outside of the box (and the big box stores) use what you have. That's how the wiser generations did it to survive. Maybe someday I will be wiser still and find out how to fix the original faucet and not just go buy a new one of those. Don't know can you weld or glue pot metal?
5/8" thick Baltic Birch Plywood cut out on the bandsaw to make a wooden wrench. Not pretty but it did the job!!!
Thanks for looking.
What kinds of tools have you made to overcome a problem? Let me know I am not the only one to make a funny looking wooden wrench.