Updated 8/31/2015
It has been a long time since I updated, sorry about that. I have been working on the project but have been busy with many other things occupying my time. I have finished painting the brakes and have them mounted back on the handtub. I have also gotten the rest of the mahogany trim cut to the proper profile, stained, and varnished. The diamond shapes are where the screws that attach the trim to the tub are recessed and each one is hand cut with a chisel. The darker pieces of trim are the original aged and darkened pieces that were good enough to reuse.
Updated 6/8/2016
I have the brakes attached to the handtub now. It is hard to get a good photo since the garage is getting pretty cramped. I have also made the wood handles for the brakes. With the trim attached to the tub, I can add the brass corner plates. Four of these are original, the other four were missing and I have made replacements. All of the round medallions on the corner plates were missing. I was able to find some solid brass cabinet handle backplates of the right size as replacements. I have also found a bell that fits in the harp and made a bracket to hold it in place. I also found a nozzle of the right size. The original nozzle holders were missing. Based on photos of other handtubs and the location of the original holder holes in the handtub top, I made replacement holders. They are hacked from parts of solid brass candlesticks (from ebay, not the cupboard) with the cradles and leather straps added.
I had to totally rebuild the suction valve. This valve controls whether the pump takes suction from the hose inlet on the back of the tub or from inside the tub itself, which functions as a tank to hold water. The original valve was iron and many of the pieces were so rusted and pitted that they could not be salvaged or even disassembled. I had to make a new valve shaft (brass this time instead of iron) the valve disc, packing gland, and handle. I have also cut new pump leathers for the pistons and installed the pistons in the pump cylinders. I still have to fit all of the diamond plugs into the holes. I have all the plugs cut and now they just need to be hand fit to each hole and sealed in place.
I have the brakes attached to the handtub now. It is hard to get a good photo since the garage is getting pretty cramped. I have also made the wood handles for the brakes. With the trim attached to the tub, I can add the brass corner plates. Four of these are original, the other four were missing and I have made replacements. All of the round medallions on the corner plates were missing. I was able to find some solid brass cabinet handle backplates of the right size as replacements. I have also found a bell that fits in the harp and made a bracket to hold it in place. I also found a nozzle of the right size. The original nozzle holders were missing. Based on photos of other handtubs and the location of the original holder holes in the handtub top, I made replacement holders. They are hacked from parts of solid brass candlesticks (from ebay, not the cupboard) with the cradles and leather straps added.
I had to totally rebuild the suction valve. This valve controls whether the pump takes suction from the hose inlet on the back of the tub or from inside the tub itself, which functions as a tank to hold water. The original valve was iron and many of the pieces were so rusted and pitted that they could not be salvaged or even disassembled. I had to make a new valve shaft (brass this time instead of iron) the valve disc, packing gland, and handle. I have also cut new pump leathers for the pistons and installed the pistons in the pump cylinders. I still have to fit all of the diamond plugs into the holes. I have all the plugs cut and now they just need to be hand fit to each hole and sealed in place.
With tongue and brakes attached
Bell and harp
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Tub Corners
Tongue with irons attached and striped and rope installed
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Nozzle holders
Suction valve
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Pump connecting rods
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Pump piston in cylinder
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