Copper Pipe Towel Rail

SUMMARY
This was my project to build a new towel rail for the bathroom.

TIME TAKEN
1.5 hours cutting pipe. 1.5 hrs soldering pipe. 1 hr cleaning and polishing. 0.5 hrs fixing to wall. ...........total time 4.5hrs

MATERIALS
6m of 15mm copper pipe
1 x blow torch (for soldering)
26 x elbow joints
18 t-joints
some wire wool
some flux
some metal polish
1 x 'pacman' shaped copper pipe cutter
1 x ruler

STEP 1
The first thing was pipe cutting. I wanted to hold 10 towels, so that would mean 11 shelves.
Using the 15mm pipe cutter.....I cut 42x10cm sections and 11 x 20cm sections of pipe (took about an hour)

STEP 2
I then dry fitted the whole thing to check the design would work and all the sections all lined up.

STEP 3

I then soldered the upright/vertical sections.
(10x10cm section with a t joint in between each and an elbow at each end)

On some very flat slate tiles and made sure they were very straight and inserted the 10cm pices that came out of the right angle of the t joint. being very careful to make sure it was all true.... i soldered the joints.  I then did the other upright..... making sure it lined up with the first one (and was straight)

STEP 4

I then inserted the 20cm pieces to join it all together.... checking for straightness along the way

the soldering was pretty easy.... just clean pipe ends add smear of flux, flux the joint, insert them, and apply copious heat!.... then let it cool naturally, and check the joints. if theyre still loose..... try again!

STEP 5

i finished it off by cleaning up the oxidisation from the blowtorch.... with wire wool.... and then a quick polish!

tadah.

Extra Note

As predicted, th copper tarnished pretty quickly.... and although i liked this, i decided to treat the metal (to avoid any contamination getting on clean towels.  I bought the stainless steel kit from everbright: "protect-a-clear".  This is a very easy fix. polish the metal..... wipe with the supplied degreaser.... then wipe on the self annealing polymer coat. Basically..... whatever 'look' you like you can keep it in that state with no tarnishing at all..... amazeballs.