Shop Sink

For the last 8 months or so, I have been operating without a shop sink, something that is quite essential when working with glues and finishes. During the first 4 months, I had to go upstairs and outside to the detached garage where our temporary water service was located. Talk about inconvenience. Once the water service was connected to the house, I only needed to walk upstairs to the laundry room, a monumental improvement but still not ideal. Today, I decided it was time to install the sink I had planned for my shop. Because our septic tank is located above the level of the basement a lift pump is needed to pump the drain water up to the main drain line. I had the plumbers leave stubbed lines for the drain, vent, and water supply lines near the shop ceiling in anticipation of this day. The first order of business was to build a cabinet carcass and mount it to the wall. While I was at it, I decided to repurpose a set of floor standing shelves into a wall mounted version. Next, I connected the lift pump (lower left) to the drain, vent, and discharge pipes and plumbed in the hot and cold water supply lines and shutoff valves. Finally, I added the countertop, backsplash, sink and faucet before connecting up all the hoses and wiring . The faucet can be turned on and off with a gesture – very convenient when your hands are covered in varnish and hence the need for wiring. Eventually, I will add drawers and doors to the front of the cabinet but for now I am very content to have an operational sink no more than a few steps away.