're very nice. They're a couple of grand each (and upwards).
Or do I import my own?
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how do I DIY? 16 gauge copper. Tinned or nickel plated on the inside. Excuse to buy / make an English wheel, or just mallets over logs? Plating shouldn't be too hard, I'm already tooled up for nickel (both kinds, electrolytic or electroless for patching holes). How much framing? Should I go for decoratively riveted, or just plain and metallic?
Copper may lose heat rapidly since it has little thermal mass (cast iron can have wonderful characteristics as you know from very good rust resistance to very high heat capacity as used in exhaust manifolds).
Has she tried one of the better designed white porcelin in a similar style? They are more practical and can be attractive with the right lip design and taps.
Probably both (and "sandbags" need to be leather), as needed. I'm wondering really about which is easier to work with on a piece this big?
...also an excuse to buy a wheel would be nice. I could use a few pre- war MG "batwing" front wings.
Planished (hammered with something slightly crowned rather than flat), but even that has variations in how visible the marks are. Also I need some planishing practice. It's a very skilled job to have really precise control over the end result, particularly in Finnish silver jewellery (another job that needs making).
Copper I've done in the past has had small & deep "Craftsman" textures like this:
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a bath would want something far smoother. I think "smoothish" is probably easiest to keep clean, even when lacquered.
I think it's far too awkward to do one piece and doubt if anyone bothers. I don't even think they're done in two pieces: the development of the sides would require a huge piece of copper, although it would make it quite easy. I'm thinking about nine pieces in total: bottom, sides, ends, and the roll-top made of separate sections too, just for ease of working it without a big flappy bit attached.
Once you've acquired to technology to do one side seam, doing lots doesn't seem too hard. One question is how to join them, in a manner that's not going to make the plating awkward afterwards. Silver solder's the likely way.
I'm even thinking of using riveted lap strips, just for the steampunk nature of it. That, and a DVD of the Kenneth Branagh Frankenstein (watch out for the bathtub in that!)
Some do, but not this one. That (and sheer cussedness) is why I'm talking about DIY.
I don't have iron casting capability, enough scrap bronze to cast one, or access any more to press tools to make a steel bath. GRP is hateful. So for any of those processes, I'd be happy to buy a bathtub. However I _can_ make copper stuff. It would be shameful to buy such a thing instead.
Excavate bath shaped hole in garden. Line with clay. Lay sheet of copper over. Place explosive charge in the middle. Light fuse and run away. After the police stop looking for you, return to find perfect bath cold-formed in hole.
I'm sure I saw it on Tomorrow's World in the 1970's. There might be some tricks with the explosive to make the force go downwards, but you probably know all about that.
Copper won't explosively form to these proportions, otherwise I might well use that. It's a great way to produce surface detail, but it won't deep-draw.
Purchase copper bath. Use as the basis of forming a suitable mould. Use resultant mould to hammer copper sheet into appropriate bath shape.
(Andy: I remember my grandparents had a copper bath; long time ago now, but I think it was just bottom, 'lip', and a single piece forming the sides rather than several sections - there was one obvious vertical seam at one end)
Nice thick sheet of copper, anneal to within an inch of its life, cast a concave mould in concrete from a 'nice' shaped bath tub, submerge in large water tank, explosive form it.
Explain to anti terror police what you were doing, thank %deity% that our police aren't armed (for the most part) and Git'mo is closing.
When hearing returns, damage it again by planishing unwanted dents out of the surface.
Polish until SWMBO is satisfied.
When SWMBO realises the distorted image of her bum looks hideous reflected in the beautifully polished surface, weigh it in (the bath tub, not SWMBO, although....).
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