Pump faucet doesn't fit...how to fill hole?

[Zennifer]

Our new Whale V hand pump came today, and I LOVE the way it look. However, in my admiration of it, I forgot to Check the measurements.

My mine is moving on both temporary and permanent fixes; I need to somehow bridge and/or fill this hole in such a way that I can add a screw to mount the back of the faucet through, AND make it look good.

Any genius ideas?

[Zennifer]

One of my ideas is to replace the city water with this one, and cap the big hole with a chrome plumbing hold cap. We will never use the city water...I think. But, I hate to get rid of it out of hand.

[Jack L]

I can't really tell from the photo, but could you use the large hole for a soap dispenser and drill a new hole for the pump ?

[Triker]

Not exactly sure what you have there, but to fill the hole that is larger than necessary, you might look at escutcheons available:
Escutcheons & Flanges - Faucet Parts & Repair - Plumbing Parts & Repair - The Home Depot

Even a hobby shop may have something to use to cover the hole nicely. You may want to add a piece of wood underneath for your mounting screw to go thru, or some sort of backing.

I, too, would be hesitant to take out the city water faucet.

Good luck, and I enjoy and appreciate your info you post.

[Dave Fish]

There is a product made of a strong plastic. I forget the exact name but I found it by searching for "plastic wall panels". It is really strong and could cover the hole either by laminating it to the counter or putting a wood block under it.

By really strong, I mean I can't break it with a hammer but I can saw it easily. It is used on the walls of public restrooms. I have some scraps rescued from a remodel a few years ago. Unfortunately, I don't know if you could find it smaller than 4' by 8' sheets unless you visited my basement.

I was going to laminate it to the outside door of my Casita to hide belly band damage and to prevent further damage. A piece c went with the buyer when I sold it so he could finish that project.

2004 Georgetown 326DS

[Zennifer]

Originally Posted by Dave Fish

There is a product made of a strong plastic. I forget the exact name but I found it by searching for "plastic wall panels". It is really strong and could cover the hole either by laminating it to the counter or putting a wood block under it.

By really strong, I mean I can't break it with a hammer but I can saw it easily. It is used on the walls of public restrooms. I have some scraps rescued from a remodel a few years ago. Unfortunately, I don't know if you could find it smaller than 4' by 8' sheets unless you visited my basement.

I was going to laminate it to the outside door of my Casita to hide belly band damage and to prevent further damage. A piece c went with the buyer when I sold it so he could finish that project.

2004 Georgetown 326DS

Would you believe I just took a pile of scraps of that stuff to the Habitat Restore? That's what I get for ever cleaning out my garage. Maybe I missed a scrap...

[Zennifer]

I'll poke around at the hardware store and see if there's something flange like that will work...

[stevebaz]

Look in the electrical department for rigid conduit reducer rings. Put one on top and one on the bottom of the counter top. They come in various sizes. You will want to paint them first. White appliance paint in the spray can should be a close match. You can also use a plumbing cover for a shower depending on how big a hole you need.

[Borrego Dave]

I had the same problem with a garage sink faucet replacement. Just took an 1/8" thick piece of aluminum, cut the hole size I needed and trimmed the overall outside to fit the flat surface...done. I had the scrape material laying around in the "possible use" bin .

[Raz]

You might find a large fender washer will do the trick. Stainless would be best.

[steve dunham]

As Steve Baz suggested a set of reducing washers would work.
Guessing from the picture a set of 1" to 1/2" may work..
Electrical reducing washers are trade size so a 1/2" washer is for 1/2" conduit but the actual hole size is 7/8" . The washers are made in many combinations so finding the right size should not be a problem plus they are cheap and galvanized .

[Larry C Hanson]

Hello,

You might consider using Delrin hard plastic sheet.
It is available in many places including Ebay.
To make the adapter you could use a hole saw to
cut a disk of delrin the proper size for your application.
Then use a router bit to round over the top edge of
the fabricated adapter. Delrin is a very hard material
that is very durable and can be machined. It is
commonly available in white or black.

Larry H

[Zennifer]

A trip to the hardware store later, I remembered Bondo. It was so useful on our old house restoration...id forgotten about it.

They have a Bondo-glass now...maybe a good option? Fill, sand smooth and use something like the evercoat to put gel coat on?

Also found some interesting ideas for plate/plastic type filler. A cable filler is exaclyt the same size as the existing hole...

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Zennifer

A trip to the hardware store later, I remembered Bondo. It was so useful on our old house restoration...id forgotten about it.

They have a Bondo-glass now...maybe a good option? Fill, sand smooth and use something like the evercoat to put gel coat on?

Also found some interesting ideas for plate/plastic type filler. A cable filler is exaclyt the same size as the existing hole...

Email a sketch to me of with dimensions for a transition plate you could put between the two pieces and I'll send you a quote for one made of ABS white plastic. Probably $10 plus shipping from Oregon.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Zennifer

Our new Whale V hand pump came today, and I LOVE the way it look. However, in my admiration of it, I forgot to Check the measurements.

My mine is moving on both temporary and permanent fixes; I need to somehow bridge and/or fill this hole in such a way that I can add a screw to mount the back of the faucet through, AND make it look good.

Any genius ideas?

There are lots of things you could use.
Do you have a tools such as a table saw and hole saws?
Fabricating a mounting plate adapter is not all that difficult but it does require some basic tools and skills.

[Zennifer]

We have it all.

Tractors1, I might take you up on that custom made piece, as we don't have a lathe, however.

But...I give you our possibly temporary, but quickly created, cheap solution (camping in less than 10 days now, and don't even know if the plumbing works yet!)...a hole saw and a nylon electrical plate. I need to get new longer screws for the faucet screw holes.

This gives me reprieve to make sure our bed is in order, and we have everything else working, too.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Zennifer

We have it all.

Tractors1, I might take you up on that custom made piece, as we don't have a lathe, however.

But...I give you our possibly temporary, but quickly created, cheap solution (camping in less than 10 days now, and don't even know if the plumbing works yet!)...a hole saw and a nylon electrical plate. I need to get new longer screws for the faucet screw holes.

This gives me reprieve to make sure our bed is in order, and we have everything else working, too.

Lemme know, I could make two that you could use one above and one below the countertop to sandwich things together. Drills/cuts easily with common wood working tools.

[Triker]

I love your solution! And I hope you don't change it; you can caulk it if necessary, it looks great, and will remind you how clever you are!

Happy Trails!