| Project by George Gilbert | posted 328 days ago | 277 views | 4 times favorited | 15 comments |  |
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We awoke one summer day in June, 2000, to find that our toilet had been overflowing all night. In addition to ruining the bathroom floor, the water seeped into the utility room next door. The water also drained through the floor into the downstairs. It was a mess; but, as is true with many disasters, it turned out to be a blessing. A friend spent 3 1/2 months doing repairs. We took advantage of the project to do a little remodeling as well. When the work was done we were pleased with the results.
There was one lingering problem, however. The toilet in our new bathroom was backed against the middle of a wall with nowhere to conveniently mount a toilet paper dispenser. My solution was to design and build a standalone dispenser. The objective was to create an elegant addition to our bathroom that complemented the decor and was light enough to be moved while a person was engaged on the thrown. It also had to hold two rolls to prevent any embarrassing moments caused by running out while inconvenienced.
As pictured, the finished dispenser is made of oak with an open framework design that makes it quite light. The six cross members make the unit exceptionally sturdy. People have asked why I didn’t close the bottom so it could be used for storing spare rolls. That would have made the unit too heavy. Besides, with two rolls on board, it doesn’t matter where the spare rolls are stored.
Every part of this standalone TP dispenser (with the exception of the plastic roll holders and rubber feet) is hand made from oak including the handle on the top. The buttons showing on the side hide screw holes. The finish is a Golden Oak stain under two coats of water based polyurethane. To give the unit a very smooth finish, the entire piece has sanded with a Fine 3-M sanding pad. This removes the shine and leaves a finish that is as smooth as a baby’s behind. All finishing was completed before final assembly.
-- George ... my other passion is software development (http://www.2goodsoftware.com)
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15 comments so far
Russel
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1325 posts in 477 days
posted 328 days ago
How terribly convenient having a spare roll right there. A neat design and an attractive implementation.
-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.
TreeBones
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1456 posts in 561 days
posted 328 days ago
Another great piece born of necessity.
-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3
GaryK
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8561 posts in 526 days
posted 328 days ago
Alright! A two roller.
Good job.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
RobS
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1127 posts in 844 days
posted 328 days ago
Cool, could even double as a cane, like if your leg falls asleep or something.. Nice job.
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX
Grumpy
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6721 posts in 389 days
posted 328 days ago
Great design George, very practical. Just fo interest, which way does the paper roll over the top or underneath??, everyone seems to have a different idea on that.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
Karson
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13748 posts in 938 days
posted 328 days ago
Grumpy: I like the paper falling down on the front side of the roll. That way it is easy to find.
Great design George. I guess with a design like that you could put in the 1000’ rolls that they use in commercial water closets. Other than the paper is like cardboard.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
George Gilbert
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4 posts in 328 days
posted 327 days ago
RobS … You are right on. I have used the dispenser as a cane many times since I like to read while on the thrown. Legs falling asleep is a condition with which I am intimately familiar.
Grumpy … The paper rolls either way. However, Lois and I are firm “over the top” people.
Karson … I’m not a fan of commercial paper. Nor am I a fan of Charmin. I’m somewhere in the middle. (No pun intended.)
-- George ... my other passion is software development (http://www.2goodsoftware.com)
rpmurphy509
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292 posts in 392 days
posted 327 days ago
I need one of those :)
-- Still learning everything
Marge
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134 posts in 491 days
posted 327 days ago
The design is great – and to admire it you have a captive audience:)
-- Marge, Colorado
cajunpen
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5345 posts in 603 days
posted 327 days ago
Great solution to a very necessary piece of equipment. I’m an over the top guy too.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
Dadoo
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1557 posts in 528 days
posted 327 days ago
Elegant…Yes! Very nice.
There’s probably some personality disorder for people’s preference on how the TP flows off the roll. Mine is “going postal” when I discover that there is no roll! But I had this friend one time, who used to be a janitor, and said that “people use less TP if it comes off the top of the roll”. I don’t know where in the world she gets this info…probably some million dollar government research project from the 60’s!
-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!
MsDebbieP
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12282 posts in 698 days
posted 327 days ago
over the top.
great idea. Well done.
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
rikkor
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8574 posts in 412 days
posted 327 days ago
Over the top. Why put it on wrong?
-- Maplewood, MN
jockmike2
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4497 posts in 784 days
posted 326 days ago
Great idea George, you have my blessing. Nothing worse than trying to twist backward grappling for some s….. paper and then to run out. You have managed to solve both problems and do it in an elegant way, kudos.. mike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com
mot
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4859 posts in 574 days
posted 325 days ago
Keeps it at the ready! A lot of detail and work in that piece.
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)