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Build this clever garden sink
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Make outdoor cleanup easier with this clever garden sink
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By Paul Lewis, photos by Roger Yip, illlustration by Len Churchill
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The Angle bracket design gives the shelf unit a sturdy structure
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Assemble the Brackets
Attach the shelf supports and angled brackets to the uprights with an outdoor-rated Type II PVA glue and coated exterior grade #8 x 21/2" screws. Drill a countersunk pilot hole at each connection before installing the screws.
The next step is to attach shelf slats to the shelf supports with more glue and screws. I drilled all the countersunk holes (there are 40 of them) on a drillpress fitted with stop blocks to position them accurately. Once you're done drilling, position the brackets on their backs on a flat work surface.
Attach the slat closest to the uprights first, then use a couple of scraps of 1/2"-thick material as spacers to find the location of the next slat. Continue this process until all 10 slats are installed, checking the assembly for square as you go. Each one of the countersunk holes in the shelf surfaces calls for a cedar plug for best looks. I cut these with a drillpress spinning a tapered plug cutter. Tap the plugs into place with a thin coating of glue and trim; sand them flush when they're dry.
Lastly, fit the soap shelf into the uprights with glue and clamp until the glue has dried.
Sink Hole
To make sawing the hole for the pail easier, temporarily attach the shelf and bracket assembly so that it's upright. Screwing the piece to the wall where it'll live would be ideal, or you can clamp the frame to a sawhorse. Either way, mark the centre of the sink hole on the middle slat of the top shelf and use a compass to mark the 9"-diameter hole to accommodate your bucket.
Cut the hole using a jigsaw fitted with a fine blade. Take the time to sand the cut edges. Drill 3/4"-diameter holes in the top and bottom shelves for the faucet pipe using a spade bit.
Water Works
The faucet is made from copper pipe and a few plumbing fittings (see “Sweating the Small Stuff” on last page).
Cut the copper pipe pieces to length with a pipe cutter and solder them together (a process called “sweating”) with 90° elbows and a shut-off valve. Don't sweat the threaded hose coupling on until you've slid the pipe down through the shelf holes. The shut-off valve acts as a stop to prevent the faucet assembly from slipping down too far, while still allowing it to swing out of the way if needed.
Finish, or Not
Like many of my outdoor cedar projects, I chose to leave this one unfinished. I like the way cedar eventually ages to a soft silvery surface-even if the interim stages are a bit ugly.
If you prefer to add a finish to the project, I recommend three coats of Sikkens Cetol 1. Then turn on the tap and make a splash!
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