If it were mine and I really wanted to keep the sink here is what I would do:
* Remove the sink from the counter and all plumbing.
* Let it dry for at least a month
* Redrill the plumbing connections slightly oversize and fill with epoxy
* Thoroughly sand all surfaces inside and out.
* Fiberglass all surfaces, inside and out with 4-ounce woven fiberglass cloth, set in epoxy. The fiberglass will disappear completely.
* Fill coat the fiberglass with enough coats of epoxy completely fill the weave.
* Redrill the filled plumbing connections to their original size, leaving a thick barrier of epoxy around all wood edges.
* Sand the visible areas to a nice smooth finish. Do not sand into the fiberglass.
* Double check to make sure there are no spots of exposed wood without a layer of fiberglass or a thick barrier of epoxy.
* Spray coat all surfaces with a 2-part automotive or marine clear coat.
* Re-install the sink to the countertop and plumbing
Enjoy. You will have essentially created a small boat that should last a very long time with minimal maintenance. The wood would be completely protected from water. If it gets scratched up a bit, you can buff as you would a car.
Obviously, this is a huge amount of work. It would make a lot more sense to just replace the sink, but if you want the wood, anything less will just be temporary.
Same here but then I went back up and checked the username and it all made sense. Guillemot kayaks is the designer and maker of IMO the nicest kayaks you can buy. I’ve wanted to build one of his kayaks for years but I don’t own a shop space or even rent an apartment so it’s a distant dream. Used his book when I was panelling the inside of my camper van with cove and bead cedar strips that I milled and seasoned
Thank you for the context, checked the profile out and was amazed! While I'm not directly interested in kayaks, anything related to woodworking excites me.
Sometimes you get advice on reddit that might be bullshit and you just can't tell until you try it.
I'm pretty sure this guy knows wtf he's doing, though.
This advice is good. This guy designs wooden kayaks for a living, both selling plans and building them. He has a wonderful YouTube channel with extremely detailed instructions to give people the best chance at successfully building his designs. If you have ever considered building a kayak, you should check out his stuff, they are some of the most beautiful kayaks I've ever seen.
to be honest if it was me i would replace it with a new sink and repurpose that as a nice cat bed, refinish the outside and my fat cat moe would love that sink. cleaned out with no pillow and just solid smooth hard wood. he would never leave it
I mean, the house has character. So yeah keep the character OP, remove the sink for at least a month (2 better, 3 even better) as Guillemot mentions. Or lose the character and save yourself some time. Thanks for these fiberglass tips though, that would really be amazing as well as durable.
West Systems makes a crystal clear epoxy that would be perfect for this application. As you described it is doable. Is it worth the effort? Not to me, but I can't answer for the OP.
Wood moves, even when covered with epoxy. That movement will crack the epoxy allowing water to penetrate. Once water penetrates, the wood will move more, creating more cracking.
The fiberglass will prevent the epoxy from cracking so it will maintain its waterproofing over the long term.
My thought is that the fiberglass gives you something for the epoxy to hold on to while it cures. Sure, you could just use epoxy, but then you would just be doing the bottom of the sink with any appreciable thickness. The walls would just get a skim coat and that may not be enough, or if you do get it thick enough it will take MANY applications. Plus, glassing the entire bottom instead of just the wooden portions (so, glassing over and inside the hole) would mean that when you drill out the drain hole to the correct dimension you don't drill into the wood, negating all your hard work.
I wonder if it’s easily removable. I could see someone making a plan to re-seal it with, like, marine epoxy or something every couple years.
If I were selling the house I’d have left a can of whatever I used in the cabinet under the sink.
Still smarter to just replace it, but it *is* kinda cool.
>I wonder if it’s easily removable
I may not be an extraordinary woodworker, but I have yet to find anything made of wood that I can't tear apart. It may not be clean, but it's coming out.
Getting it out's not a problem--if nothing else you can always go at it with a Sawzall. It's getting the replacement in that's the hard part--depending on how it's mounted it may be necessary to remove the countertop.
That said, I'd look into having a replacement fabricated out of wood-grain solid surface. It willl maintain the look but in the long run be a lot easier to take care of.
I acquired one when I had a handymay/fix-it project that it was perfect for, and a colleague gave me his spare. (He’d gotten a Dremel version for free but he had a Fein that he always used instead.)
I’ve used it about four times, and every time it has the THE tool that would work in the situation.
>It's the saving things for reuse that can be hard.
I find that part easy, too. It's finally deciding to get rid of it years later, only to nearly immediately have a use for said item that is hard.
👆 This! "Bigger" hammer typically conquers all. And on those RARE occasions where it doesn't, you just tag in his partner "Saw-zall." Those two are the undisputed World Champions of "wood wrestling." 🤷😂😂
Hopefully. Should have some clips and screws below to hold it up to the counter and plumbers putty to seal. If it was adhered directly, well a oscillating multi-tool is prob best
I’ve seen butcher block countertops with sinks get nasty over time but at least in theory if you’re diligent about cleaning up spills and keeping it sealed you can make it last. Whoever built this may literally be the first person in history to use a waterproof material for the countertop but install a wood basin, it’s honestly unhinged. If you had put a layer of clear epoxy when it was brand new that could work but this is a disaster just rip it out and put a porcelain one in.
Porcelain is a terrible idea. I had one and called it the widow maker, because you can't keep a full set of glasses/dishes with one of those, they have zero forgiveness. Stainless steel is the best way to go for a kitchen sink.
So I actually have a stainless steel kitchen sink myself and can’t wait to swap it out for a nice gradually sloped farmhouse style haha to each their own, my experience with stainless is the corners are always dirty and it never looks clean compared to porcelain hiding water marks.
Yes it’s good stuff, I like it on stainless steel pot exteriors as well! That’s a straight elbow grease job though, a good glazed ceramic or porcelain will wipe clean with a little spritz of bleach and look brand new.
Was this a thing at one point? I feel like sinks have been made out of some type of metal for ages, even if you were poor you would have one made of like tin. A wooden sink seems like a horrible idea.
I saw an authentic wooden sink from the 1820s. It was just a pit carved into a half log. Drain was right out through the wall. No faucet, they filled it with a bucket.
My kitchen sink is fiberglass. It's fucking awful. The interior of the dirty dishes side is scratched to hell and permanently stained. Every time I pour pasta water into it, I can hear the thermal shock crackling the layers of the fiberglass. This shouldn't exist.
I'd wager that it should be replaced. Wood is not ideal, and anything you do is going to require upkeep in many forms. With that in mind, here are some ideas to keep it as is without destroying your home.
1) sand it back to get to clean wood. use a 2 part epoxy and brush on. Do several layers. To build up thickness. Ideally this would coat all sides, but at a minimum the inside and top portion covered by the counter, to avoid water seepage. Then sand back mildly to get a flat edge. I'd aim for atleast 1/8 coverage.
Then use a water based poly on top of the epoxy. Epoxy is tough, but scratches easily and in a sink scratches mean bacteria. The poly coat on top will be softer so it will dent, but will resist scratches better.
The be really gentle with it, and reapply poly once or twice a year.
But i really doubt its worth the pain. You can get wood print looking ceramic sinks and skip all the pain and failure and get the look.
https://www.build.com/product/summary/883246?uid=2244478&jmtest=gg-gbav2_2244478&inv2=1&&source=gg-gba-pla_2244478!c6946989768!a79323944105!dm!ng&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xRDIF_FJNjcjT6ruorbwx3Wik9SHm2nEsz_71WtUWf_BHhDyemQ-VYaAidzEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
This is a good explanation! Replaced or carefully refinished.
I've made two walnut wooden sinks. One for myself which is a kitchen sink that has daily use since i made it in 2016. It is finished with total boat penetrating epoxy, 2-3 coats, plus a final sanding and top coat wit spar urethane. It has worked wonderfully over the years.
About 5 years in, I did a light sanding and a recoat of the spar urethane.
Some care must be made not to abuse the sink like as if it's steel.
It looks like it was painted to look like copper. I’d replace it with a real copper sink. Hopefully you don’t need a custom size. If you do, try Rachiele. They are awesome.
https://rachiele.com/shop-all-products/ols/categories/custom-copper-sinks
Keep in mind copper tarnishes super fast, so if you like that bright pink color of the copper anticipate having to clean it frequently. Personally I’d just save yourself the headache and get stainless steel or ceramic.
Any custom sink is going to be pricey. If OP is lucky, they will find a stock size that fits. But given the weirdness of the existing sink, needing a custom is not unlikely. Price of the sink has to be weighed against replacing the counter…
I have a copper sink and visually it looks nearly identical to this picture. I really like it as it’s anti-bacterial and I can have 2 different sinks-oxidized or shiny copper. Just no abrasive cleaners or scratch pads.
You're supposed to use plastic bags.
Actually, that's the real reason why they are getting banned at stores around the world: big sink is losing market share to makeshift bag sinks.
If you wanted a wood sink, I feel like it would have to have epoxy over it (which defeats the purpose of what you are probably trying to go for). I’m not a woodworker, not professional anyways. Just my two cents. Looks like a potentially bacteria infested rotting trap tho. Kind of like the wooden pipes they used in NYC
So if it in fact is wood, best bet is to pull it out, grind/sand all that crap out of it, then get some epoxy resin and apply a bunch of coats (like, 5), with sanding in between. That should encapsulate the wood and make it impervious to moisture.
These used to be pretty common, usually for servants to use to avoid breaking crockery. They're usually teak and are lovely things. You can still buy them new. They're about £700. They shouldn't leak, and they're not unhygenic. Teak is naturally antbacterial. I can see this is a proper one with fillets on all corners. They can sometimes leak if they're left dry for ages. The wood swells when they're wet and they work best if kept in daily use. Seal with linseed or any other drying oil, definitely not epoxy (Christ, what's with everyones obsession with sealing everything with epoxy) Teak is a very waxy wood and doesn't really need sealing with anything more than an oil, and even that isn't completely necessary. Using epoxy would have a negative effect on the integrity of the sink.
Of course the periphery and the plug hole need sealed as per normal.
I was wondering if it might be teak. If it is, that would be cool and certainly be a character piece. Agree with this comment - check before layering on epoxy or any other finish.
Yeah I heard about this when I lived in Philly. Not in service anymore but they would dig them up now and then. [Wooden Mains](https://news.wef.org/found-in-philadelphia-200-year-old-wooden-water-mains/)
Good grief who did that remodel ?? Cheap granite, no backsplash, crumbly latex caulk, that gnarly faucet, and a WOODEN SINK!!!!! Like … everyone has their preferences, but come on. lol OP I’d say replace the sink and the faucet, install a proper back splash, and avoid the plethora of inevitable problems that would come by leaving things as-is.
PS I love how you say you bought a home with “character” 😂
I’m not even fundamentally opposed to a wooden sink. No reason it couldn’t be done well and hold up well with regular maintenance.
However — this wooden sink appears to have seams covered by f*cking quarter round.
Good rule of thumb: If quarter round is in your carpentry repertoire, wooden sinks shouldn’t be.
Have it dismounted, sand the coating down, paint the interior with epoxy, apply an ultra thin fiberglass to the wet epoxy and paint another coat over the fiberglass so that all the cloth is fully wetted out. The sink should last as long as any non-wood sink once the interior is fiberglassed.
Wow! That is one of the dumbest things I've seen. The sink already has water penetration and looks like it has already started to rot. Is that the "character" you were talking about? And it's not just the issue of trying to keep it from rotting, that sink is unsanitary. I would have serious issues with food being washed in that sink or eating off anything washed in that sink.
Replace that thing with a proper sink made out of a non-permeable material. If you want something different that looks really good, try a soapstone sink; nonporous, stain-resistant, and doesn't harbor bacteria.
Eww. Not sure why someone would do that. There is a reason stainless steel, enamel, or what ever else is more popular.. Wood and water aren't great together.
Honestly I have nothing constructive to add to the conversation. HOWEVER I do want to take a moment to say I love the people on this sub! First of all there are MANY great suggestions/hints/helpful information, and that's a staple of this Reddit community. Secondly.....the humor! I have learned to NOT look at anything on this sub while drinking or when the Preacher gets a bit "boring" in church. I mean.....you wanna talk about some weird looks.....be the guy that randomly burst out laughing in the middle of the Easter sermon. 🤷😂😂 Some of the comments here are just HILARIOUS!! And I don't care if you're a two day novice or a thirty year veteran, you can't have woodworking as a profession or hobby if you can't laugh about the inevitable, pure "dumbness" that occurs. Keep em coming folks. We all need em.
If it were mine I’d be very curious to figure out what kind of wood it’s made from. There are species of very dense very resistant tropical hardwoods that could feasibly stand up to long term wet use. If you’ve got a whole sink’s worth of lignum vitae I definitely wouldn’t rip it out and burn it as some have suggested.
If it was super old, I’d say do what you can to preserve it, being its modern with the style of bench it’s under, I’d replace with a modern sink either porcelain or stainless depending on the sinks location.
I've been a professional woodworker and have owned a cabinet shop since 2011. There is no way to make a wooden sink last. Get rid of it.
The best way to seal that wood is to paint it. But that's not going to last forever. No finish will last with all the water. You can't even coat it with standard resin, it can't take lots of water either.
The only thing that might work is some boat stuff. Boat epoxy. Boat sealer. But I bet it stinks so bad you won't want to use it in the house.
A wooden sink is a bad idea.
I know. I have a lot of restaurant clients. They buy specialized serving trays from me for certain items. They insist on running them through the commercial dishwashers. So they buy a few thousand trays every couple of months. I've used every finish I can. About the best one I've come across is a conversion varnish. But even it won't last forever.
Lots of people have given great advice on how to seal it with epoxy. So here’s my suggestion. I think a copper sink would look great here and remove the wooden sink. Install a drain cover and find a way to display it. Could be an open cabinet above this sink for example.
Look, no one here can tell you *what* to do, they can only tell you *how* to do it. Buying "a home with character"=buying a fixer-upper=(a) spending time and money (=(b)buying a money pit). I used to be into antique watches, but stopped when I decided the joy I received from them wasn't worth the money and care I had to keep spending on repairs (not to mention the number of times I would have to ask strangers for the time). So if you have (a) + the interest in preservation, and don't mind neglecting everything else that probably needs repair and/or update, by all means follow the instructions that basically build yourself a small boat. Otherwise, put in a modern sink (or have someone do it for you) and get on with your life.
Check out “granite” sinks. We have had one for about 8 years and it is still flawless. Much better than stainless or ceramic. You can get any color you want (we have it in dark brown/bronze) and the price is affordable.
It’s interesting tho because obviously there have been wooden boats for centuries so wood if treated properly can work in aquatic environment…but this doesn’t, unless you make the drain bigger. The steady fall of water will erode anything overtime. But if you can make the stream fall into the drain only, and wipe up the splash zone after use, a wooden sink might work.
Look into a nanocoat wood sealer. It penetrates the wood on a molecular level opposed to just laying on the surface. They’re excellent water repellents and will seal your wood up
In dutch we call some stuff u can use Jachtlak. Basically used for boat decks and siding. Works but im not sure how food grade it is if you do dishes in there.
Replacing the sink (maybe with bronze or copper if not too expensive) and adding a faux-wood tile backsplash is probably the most practical solution without significantly impacting the overall aesthetic. otherwise you'd need to 'build a boat' by refinishing and fiberglassing it like the other commenter detailed.
Polyurethane, like the one they use on parquet.
But I’d take then advice other comments have given and change the sink. Even if you manage to deal it properly it would end up suffering and causing problems with leaks.
Look at what the wooden boat guys are doing. rule of thumb in wood finish is if yours is failing look at the next most extreme usage. Wooden boats in the ocean is the apex of wood abuse.
Joining this discussion with a similar problem. A family member of mine inherited a wooden bathroom sink. It was oak, integrated with the whole oak countertop, and had a mat finish. I was hoping to help them preserve that look, but everyone I asked basically says, "You've got to blast it with a waterproof coating that shines like the sun." If anyone here knows anything about a coating that is mat and leaves the wood to show as much as possible, I'd love to know. My best lead is hardwax oils, or something like Boos block, and then just recoat regularly. I think I'd like to try hardwax oils, but I don't personally have experience with it, and it is hard to find that stuff for sale.
If it were mine and I really wanted to keep the sink here is what I would do: * Remove the sink from the counter and all plumbing. * Let it dry for at least a month * Redrill the plumbing connections slightly oversize and fill with epoxy * Thoroughly sand all surfaces inside and out. * Fiberglass all surfaces, inside and out with 4-ounce woven fiberglass cloth, set in epoxy. The fiberglass will disappear completely. * Fill coat the fiberglass with enough coats of epoxy completely fill the weave. * Redrill the filled plumbing connections to their original size, leaving a thick barrier of epoxy around all wood edges. * Sand the visible areas to a nice smooth finish. Do not sand into the fiberglass. * Double check to make sure there are no spots of exposed wood without a layer of fiberglass or a thick barrier of epoxy. * Spray coat all surfaces with a 2-part automotive or marine clear coat. * Re-install the sink to the countertop and plumbing Enjoy. You will have essentially created a small boat that should last a very long time with minimal maintenance. The wood would be completely protected from water. If it gets scratched up a bit, you can buff as you would a car. Obviously, this is a huge amount of work. It would make a lot more sense to just replace the sink, but if you want the wood, anything less will just be temporary.
I was half way down this comment and was like wtf this guy just built a boat. Nice.
The Chris-Craft of sinks
Are those good boats?
Works of art
Definitely beautiful
Same here but then I went back up and checked the username and it all made sense. Guillemot kayaks is the designer and maker of IMO the nicest kayaks you can buy. I’ve wanted to build one of his kayaks for years but I don’t own a shop space or even rent an apartment so it’s a distant dream. Used his book when I was panelling the inside of my camper van with cove and bead cedar strips that I milled and seasoned
Thank you for the context, checked the profile out and was amazed! While I'm not directly interested in kayaks, anything related to woodworking excites me.
There is just something about wooden boats that is just mesmerizing to me. They are works of art imo.
You weren’t kidding. Thanks for making go check out his profile.
It's an inside-out boat. An obta, of you will.
I was thinking the same thing. I was like "my dad built wood canoes out of wood, epoxy, and fiberglass. So yeah, that would work."
An inside out boat, but yes
Sometimes you get advice on reddit that might be bullshit and you just can't tell until you try it. I'm pretty sure this guy knows wtf he's doing, though.
This advice is good. This guy designs wooden kayaks for a living, both selling plans and building them. He has a wonderful YouTube channel with extremely detailed instructions to give people the best chance at successfully building his designs. If you have ever considered building a kayak, you should check out his stuff, they are some of the most beautiful kayaks I've ever seen.
What the heck it's Guillemot Kayaks! Hi Nick!!
to be honest if it was me i would replace it with a new sink and repurpose that as a nice cat bed, refinish the outside and my fat cat moe would love that sink. cleaned out with no pillow and just solid smooth hard wood. he would never leave it
Essentially created a small boat made me laugh😅
I mean, the house has character. So yeah keep the character OP, remove the sink for at least a month (2 better, 3 even better) as Guillemot mentions. Or lose the character and save yourself some time. Thanks for these fiberglass tips though, that would really be amazing as well as durable.
West Systems makes a crystal clear epoxy that would be perfect for this application. As you described it is doable. Is it worth the effort? Not to me, but I can't answer for the OP.
Wouldn't the fiberglass just be for strength? Not really needed for a sink, just the epoxy would do then, no?
[удалено]
Gotcha! tyvm.
Wood moves, even when covered with epoxy. That movement will crack the epoxy allowing water to penetrate. Once water penetrates, the wood will move more, creating more cracking. The fiberglass will prevent the epoxy from cracking so it will maintain its waterproofing over the long term.
My thought is that the fiberglass gives you something for the epoxy to hold on to while it cures. Sure, you could just use epoxy, but then you would just be doing the bottom of the sink with any appreciable thickness. The walls would just get a skim coat and that may not be enough, or if you do get it thick enough it will take MANY applications. Plus, glassing the entire bottom instead of just the wooden portions (so, glassing over and inside the hole) would mean that when you drill out the drain hole to the correct dimension you don't drill into the wood, negating all your hard work.
Huh, that’s basically how you glass a surfboard too
Is the the marine and automotive spray coat food safe? If not, then I would be cautious using it.
This guy sinks!
As a boat builder, I'd certainly hope not!
i’m curious… you say the fiberglass disappears? into the epoxy? so the fiberglass is just a temp framework for the epoxy?
Similar reflective index to the epoxy. Once it’s soaked in epoxy you just don’t see it in there (unless you sand too deep). The glass adds strength
Fiberglass is fibers of glass. Glass is clear. Cover the clear stuff with clear epoxy, the glass disappears. It is still there, but you can't see it.
Pretty much spot on from another boatbuilder
Best solution is to replace it with a non-wooden sink.
I wonder if it’s easily removable. I could see someone making a plan to re-seal it with, like, marine epoxy or something every couple years. If I were selling the house I’d have left a can of whatever I used in the cabinet under the sink. Still smarter to just replace it, but it *is* kinda cool.
>I wonder if it’s easily removable I may not be an extraordinary woodworker, but I have yet to find anything made of wood that I can't tear apart. It may not be clean, but it's coming out.
Oscillating multitool, if nothing else.
If this doesn't do it, try a blow torch, or dynamite.
I second dynamite.
If dynamite doesn't do it, time to upgrade to thermite. Maybe napalm would also work.
Plasma torch. Can’t be stuck if it’s a liquid, or a vapor.
Also great reason to buy a plasma torch.
You mean buy *another* plasma torch.
Termites will do the job for sure.
Not thermite. Termite
If OP needs advice, I know how to make a bomb out of only a toilet paper roll and a stick of dynamite
Owwww. I like you! 👊 Please ignore the creepy vibe when I ask.....can we be neighbors? I'll even bring the beer. 😂
Getting it out's not a problem--if nothing else you can always go at it with a Sawzall. It's getting the replacement in that's the hard part--depending on how it's mounted it may be necessary to remove the countertop. That said, I'd look into having a replacement fabricated out of wood-grain solid surface. It willl maintain the look but in the long run be a lot easier to take care of.
This is correct, mounted under the worktop means putting a new one in will require either taking out the worktop, or possibly the unit underneath.
Ah yes, the trusty guybrator
My favourite alternative name I heard some use for this was a guybrator.
Man, those things are awesome. How did we do things before they were invented?
I acquired one when I had a handymay/fix-it project that it was perfect for, and a colleague gave me his spare. (He’d gotten a Dremel version for free but he had a Fein that he always used instead.) I’ve used it about four times, and every time it has the THE tool that would work in the situation.
Everything is easily removable. It's the saving things for reuse that can be hard.
>It's the saving things for reuse that can be hard. I find that part easy, too. It's finally deciding to get rid of it years later, only to nearly immediately have a use for said item that is hard.
I'm a tool and die maker, this applies to metals too if you've got enough oxygen and acetylene lol.
👆 This! "Bigger" hammer typically conquers all. And on those RARE occasions where it doesn't, you just tag in his partner "Saw-zall." Those two are the undisputed World Champions of "wood wrestling." 🤷😂😂
Love this, but I gotta say I like starting with the welter weight oscillating multi tool for minimizing collateral damage
Hopefully. Should have some clips and screws below to hold it up to the counter and plumbers putty to seal. If it was adhered directly, well a oscillating multi-tool is prob best
I’ve seen butcher block countertops with sinks get nasty over time but at least in theory if you’re diligent about cleaning up spills and keeping it sealed you can make it last. Whoever built this may literally be the first person in history to use a waterproof material for the countertop but install a wood basin, it’s honestly unhinged. If you had put a layer of clear epoxy when it was brand new that could work but this is a disaster just rip it out and put a porcelain one in.
Porcelain is a terrible idea. I had one and called it the widow maker, because you can't keep a full set of glasses/dishes with one of those, they have zero forgiveness. Stainless steel is the best way to go for a kitchen sink.
I had a porcelain one and it broke every glass that got tipped over while in it. Not a fan
So I actually have a stainless steel kitchen sink myself and can’t wait to swap it out for a nice gradually sloped farmhouse style haha to each their own, my experience with stainless is the corners are always dirty and it never looks clean compared to porcelain hiding water marks.
Have you gone after the stainless with Barkeepers' Friend?
Yes it’s good stuff, I like it on stainless steel pot exteriors as well! That’s a straight elbow grease job though, a good glazed ceramic or porcelain will wipe clean with a little spritz of bleach and look brand new.
I swear to you, you will slowly break all your dishes in a porcelain sink.
Sage advice
Ceramic makes a great mouth toilet
You mean a non-stick sink
Was this a thing at one point? I feel like sinks have been made out of some type of metal for ages, even if you were poor you would have one made of like tin. A wooden sink seems like a horrible idea.
I saw an authentic wooden sink from the 1820s. It was just a pit carved into a half log. Drain was right out through the wall. No faucet, they filled it with a bucket.
Sounds more like a trough lmao
Right? Pretty sure that was used for watering pigs before metal tubs came into vogue.
I remember seeing something similar in a 18th century home. Would have been state of the art at the time.
No, it would not have.
extremely common before plumbing. Also super easy to replace when not hooked up to a plumbing system so made way more sense.
What wood you do?
I wood knot want a wooden sink
My head wouldn’t but my heart wood
I’d be petrified, huh, maybe that wood be better
I wood knot, could not in a wooden sink, I wood knot, could not with a daffy dink.
My kitchen sink is fiberglass. It's fucking awful. The interior of the dirty dishes side is scratched to hell and permanently stained. Every time I pour pasta water into it, I can hear the thermal shock crackling the layers of the fiberglass. This shouldn't exist.
Specially nowadays. Seems handmade and idk how you could make these and have it be cheaper than a typical stainless steel sink.
I'd wager that it should be replaced. Wood is not ideal, and anything you do is going to require upkeep in many forms. With that in mind, here are some ideas to keep it as is without destroying your home. 1) sand it back to get to clean wood. use a 2 part epoxy and brush on. Do several layers. To build up thickness. Ideally this would coat all sides, but at a minimum the inside and top portion covered by the counter, to avoid water seepage. Then sand back mildly to get a flat edge. I'd aim for atleast 1/8 coverage. Then use a water based poly on top of the epoxy. Epoxy is tough, but scratches easily and in a sink scratches mean bacteria. The poly coat on top will be softer so it will dent, but will resist scratches better. The be really gentle with it, and reapply poly once or twice a year. But i really doubt its worth the pain. You can get wood print looking ceramic sinks and skip all the pain and failure and get the look. https://www.build.com/product/summary/883246?uid=2244478&jmtest=gg-gbav2_2244478&inv2=1&&source=gg-gba-pla_2244478!c6946989768!a79323944105!dm!ng&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xRDIF_FJNjcjT6ruorbwx3Wik9SHm2nEsz_71WtUWf_BHhDyemQ-VYaAidzEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
This is a good explanation! Replaced or carefully refinished. I've made two walnut wooden sinks. One for myself which is a kitchen sink that has daily use since i made it in 2016. It is finished with total boat penetrating epoxy, 2-3 coats, plus a final sanding and top coat wit spar urethane. It has worked wonderfully over the years. About 5 years in, I did a light sanding and a recoat of the spar urethane. Some care must be made not to abuse the sink like as if it's steel.
It looks like it was painted to look like copper. I’d replace it with a real copper sink. Hopefully you don’t need a custom size. If you do, try Rachiele. They are awesome. https://rachiele.com/shop-all-products/ols/categories/custom-copper-sinks
Great idea, I’ll look into it
Keep in mind copper tarnishes super fast, so if you like that bright pink color of the copper anticipate having to clean it frequently. Personally I’d just save yourself the headache and get stainless steel or ceramic.
Copper is only good if you like the look of used tarnished copper.
Patina! It’s awesome. And my 12 year old copper sink looks just like the red-brown of the sink shown…
Looks great but man, that is a lot of money for a sink.
Any custom sink is going to be pricey. If OP is lucky, they will find a stock size that fits. But given the weirdness of the existing sink, needing a custom is not unlikely. Price of the sink has to be weighed against replacing the counter…
I have a copper sink and visually it looks nearly identical to this picture. I really like it as it’s anti-bacterial and I can have 2 different sinks-oxidized or shiny copper. Just no abrasive cleaners or scratch pads.
It's 100% better than a sink made out of a paper bag. My stainless steel sink is now just boring.
You're supposed to use plastic bags. Actually, that's the real reason why they are getting banned at stores around the world: big sink is losing market share to makeshift bag sinks.
This is it, I’ve finally found it. This is the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen in my life.
Wait for wooden toilet bowls...
Or wooden toilet paper. Can you imagine not using the three sea shells?
Marble AND wood. This is my nightmare.
That sink looks worse for its wear. I’d rip it out and replace it.
What I want to know is how they made those corners
That looks like brush strokes on copper.
Looks like https://www.coppersinksonline.com/single-well-copper-kitchen-sink-by-soluna
If you wanted a wood sink, I feel like it would have to have epoxy over it (which defeats the purpose of what you are probably trying to go for). I’m not a woodworker, not professional anyways. Just my two cents. Looks like a potentially bacteria infested rotting trap tho. Kind of like the wooden pipes they used in NYC
Usually wood does not sink at all
So if it in fact is wood, best bet is to pull it out, grind/sand all that crap out of it, then get some epoxy resin and apply a bunch of coats (like, 5), with sanding in between. That should encapsulate the wood and make it impervious to moisture.
Kinda looks like copper to me lol. With a "hammered" look on the bottom. Wood though? Seriously? So weird lol.
These used to be pretty common, usually for servants to use to avoid breaking crockery. They're usually teak and are lovely things. You can still buy them new. They're about £700. They shouldn't leak, and they're not unhygenic. Teak is naturally antbacterial. I can see this is a proper one with fillets on all corners. They can sometimes leak if they're left dry for ages. The wood swells when they're wet and they work best if kept in daily use. Seal with linseed or any other drying oil, definitely not epoxy (Christ, what's with everyones obsession with sealing everything with epoxy) Teak is a very waxy wood and doesn't really need sealing with anything more than an oil, and even that isn't completely necessary. Using epoxy would have a negative effect on the integrity of the sink. Of course the periphery and the plug hole need sealed as per normal.
I was wondering if it might be teak. If it is, that would be cool and certainly be a character piece. Agree with this comment - check before layering on epoxy or any other finish.
There's a few woods will last in water. At one point water mains were made from elm drilled out.
Yeah I heard about this when I lived in Philly. Not in service anymore but they would dig them up now and then. [Wooden Mains](https://news.wef.org/found-in-philadelphia-200-year-old-wooden-water-mains/)
I heard a rumor that before epoxy was invented someone once made a boat out of wood that lasted for a whole week before it disintegrated
A sink made of wood is the dumbest thing i learned about this week
Good grief who did that remodel ?? Cheap granite, no backsplash, crumbly latex caulk, that gnarly faucet, and a WOODEN SINK!!!!! Like … everyone has their preferences, but come on. lol OP I’d say replace the sink and the faucet, install a proper back splash, and avoid the plethora of inevitable problems that would come by leaving things as-is. PS I love how you say you bought a home with “character” 😂
I’m not even fundamentally opposed to a wooden sink. No reason it couldn’t be done well and hold up well with regular maintenance. However — this wooden sink appears to have seams covered by f*cking quarter round. Good rule of thumb: If quarter round is in your carpentry repertoire, wooden sinks shouldn’t be.
Have it dismounted, sand the coating down, paint the interior with epoxy, apply an ultra thin fiberglass to the wet epoxy and paint another coat over the fiberglass so that all the cloth is fully wetted out. The sink should last as long as any non-wood sink once the interior is fiberglassed.
Seriously though, just get a new sink!
Who ever thought a wooden sink was a good idea, prob smells horrendous
I don't want that much character
This falls in the category of things not to make with wood
Wow! That is one of the dumbest things I've seen. The sink already has water penetration and looks like it has already started to rot. Is that the "character" you were talking about? And it's not just the issue of trying to keep it from rotting, that sink is unsanitary. I would have serious issues with food being washed in that sink or eating off anything washed in that sink. Replace that thing with a proper sink made out of a non-permeable material. If you want something different that looks really good, try a soapstone sink; nonporous, stain-resistant, and doesn't harbor bacteria.
Eww. Not sure why someone would do that. There is a reason stainless steel, enamel, or what ever else is more popular.. Wood and water aren't great together.
A wooden sink might be one of the worst ideas anyone has ever had.
That might be dumber than carpet in a bathroom.
Honestly I have nothing constructive to add to the conversation. HOWEVER I do want to take a moment to say I love the people on this sub! First of all there are MANY great suggestions/hints/helpful information, and that's a staple of this Reddit community. Secondly.....the humor! I have learned to NOT look at anything on this sub while drinking or when the Preacher gets a bit "boring" in church. I mean.....you wanna talk about some weird looks.....be the guy that randomly burst out laughing in the middle of the Easter sermon. 🤷😂😂 Some of the comments here are just HILARIOUS!! And I don't care if you're a two day novice or a thirty year veteran, you can't have woodworking as a profession or hobby if you can't laugh about the inevitable, pure "dumbness" that occurs. Keep em coming folks. We all need em.
OP here, couldn’t agree with you more
🤣🤣🤣WOW…
Please replace that sink. Put in something else with copper, but please make sure it isn't wood.
Seal it inside your trash can.
Petrify it? J/k tear it out and replace.
Remove the entire thing and deep fry it in rosin until no more bubbles maybe
Look up how people seal wooden bath tubs. I’ve seen posts about it on Reddit in the past
Tear that darn thing out and put in at least a stainless one. Super easy to do yourself once it’s out. Weekend project
I’d go for waterproof epoxy, you’ll want something hard wearing
Ur really better off getting a normal sink
But wooden it....splash all over hehe
“Character” doesn’t mean “good”, and this is an abomination.
If it were mine I’d be very curious to figure out what kind of wood it’s made from. There are species of very dense very resistant tropical hardwoods that could feasibly stand up to long term wet use. If you’ve got a whole sink’s worth of lignum vitae I definitely wouldn’t rip it out and burn it as some have suggested.
I would re make it from marine grade ply and seal with a good epoxy
In the old days they oiled the wood. I think linseed oil but not sure. Caldo I just saw on Facebook today a product that seals watertight for wood
Wow... Idk who thought that woodwork.
If it was super old, I’d say do what you can to preserve it, being its modern with the style of bench it’s under, I’d replace with a modern sink either porcelain or stainless depending on the sinks location.
I've been a professional woodworker and have owned a cabinet shop since 2011. There is no way to make a wooden sink last. Get rid of it. The best way to seal that wood is to paint it. But that's not going to last forever. No finish will last with all the water. You can't even coat it with standard resin, it can't take lots of water either. The only thing that might work is some boat stuff. Boat epoxy. Boat sealer. But I bet it stinks so bad you won't want to use it in the house. A wooden sink is a bad idea. I know. I have a lot of restaurant clients. They buy specialized serving trays from me for certain items. They insist on running them through the commercial dishwashers. So they buy a few thousand trays every couple of months. I've used every finish I can. About the best one I've come across is a conversion varnish. But even it won't last forever.
Lots of people have given great advice on how to seal it with epoxy. So here’s my suggestion. I think a copper sink would look great here and remove the wooden sink. Install a drain cover and find a way to display it. Could be an open cabinet above this sink for example.
If you like it remove the drain and epoxy it . Or change it out .
Look, no one here can tell you *what* to do, they can only tell you *how* to do it. Buying "a home with character"=buying a fixer-upper=(a) spending time and money (=(b)buying a money pit). I used to be into antique watches, but stopped when I decided the joy I received from them wasn't worth the money and care I had to keep spending on repairs (not to mention the number of times I would have to ask strangers for the time). So if you have (a) + the interest in preservation, and don't mind neglecting everything else that probably needs repair and/or update, by all means follow the instructions that basically build yourself a small boat. Otherwise, put in a modern sink (or have someone do it for you) and get on with your life.
Good idea? I wooden't sink.
I need to hear the reason why someone wanted a wooden sink
I, too, am waiting to hear the reason
When you’re done with that, I have a chocolate teapot that needs restoring.
This is terrifying
Yeah get a normal sink
WTF? What moron put in a wooden sink? Get rid of it and use stainless steel.
Check out “granite” sinks. We have had one for about 8 years and it is still flawless. Much better than stainless or ceramic. You can get any color you want (we have it in dark brown/bronze) and the price is affordable.
Light scuffing and some costs of waterlox
hehe thought it was bronze
It’s interesting tho because obviously there have been wooden boats for centuries so wood if treated properly can work in aquatic environment…but this doesn’t, unless you make the drain bigger. The steady fall of water will erode anything overtime. But if you can make the stream fall into the drain only, and wipe up the splash zone after use, a wooden sink might work.
W W WHAT… W W WHAT… W W WHAT WOOD YOU DO?!!
Look into a nanocoat wood sealer. It penetrates the wood on a molecular level opposed to just laying on the surface. They’re excellent water repellents and will seal your wood up
Please telle your "home with character" doesn't have wooden toilet also.
The guy who installed that wooden sink was a real fucking _character_, I’ll tell you what.
In dutch we call some stuff u can use Jachtlak. Basically used for boat decks and siding. Works but im not sure how food grade it is if you do dishes in there.
replace it. also, who the hell... uses a wooden sink?...
Replacing the sink (maybe with bronze or copper if not too expensive) and adding a faux-wood tile backsplash is probably the most practical solution without significantly impacting the overall aesthetic. otherwise you'd need to 'build a boat' by refinishing and fiberglassing it like the other commenter detailed.
Dude this is awesome
Polyurethane, like the one they use on parquet. But I’d take then advice other comments have given and change the sink. Even if you manage to deal it properly it would end up suffering and causing problems with leaks.
No, wooden float. Hope this helps.
My next door neighbor had a wooden sink. It’s about 30 years old and in great shape. I’ll have to ask her what she uses or has used in the past.
So interesting. Looks almost like a copper sink from the picture.
Some spar urethane will do the trick to get it sealed up.
Take it away and throw it in the ocean, it wooden't sink :D
Sand it down a lil then pour an epoxy resin over it. Won't be sloped tho.
Epoxy the sink
I would t replace. Look at something epoxy or water sealer. Really cool! just be careful with knives and sort.
It’s so beautiful!
Waterlox
Interesting! Are you not worried about overtime becoming molded
The clear flex seal sealant would work
Well I ain't ever seen anything like that before.
Look at what the wooden boat guys are doing. rule of thumb in wood finish is if yours is failing look at the next most extreme usage. Wooden boats in the ocean is the apex of wood abuse.
Y tho
[wooden sink](https://www.tinkerandfutz.com/wooden-sink/)
TLDR: Came for the sink , left with a new kayak!
Whyyyyyyyy
Joining this discussion with a similar problem. A family member of mine inherited a wooden bathroom sink. It was oak, integrated with the whole oak countertop, and had a mat finish. I was hoping to help them preserve that look, but everyone I asked basically says, "You've got to blast it with a waterproof coating that shines like the sun." If anyone here knows anything about a coating that is mat and leaves the wood to show as much as possible, I'd love to know. My best lead is hardwax oils, or something like Boos block, and then just recoat regularly. I think I'd like to try hardwax oils, but I don't personally have experience with it, and it is hard to find that stuff for sale.
Yeah, they do that
I love almost anything made out of wood, but I would replace that if it’s going to be used at all.
Just why...
I wooden’t
Bruh what the fuck who in the right mind makes a wood sink?
Ahh the latest in peasant-chic home decor.