Acrylic bath tubs

[Gothichome]

Folks, I seek the experience of the group. We are looking a getting a claw foot for the upstairs bathroom project. Finding an acceptable antique tub is proving a challenge. There are many out there in the wild for sale but all so far are not really worth the cost of re-enamelling. Prices are all over the place for these tubs.
Our options for a new claw foot are new cast iron or acrylic. Pricing for the acrylic are about a third of new cast. That still puts the cost for a good acrylic in the $1000. Range.
May question for the group, has any one had any experience or antidotes with the long term ware of acrylic tubs. I’m pretty sure Ajax cleanser is out of the question.

[1918ColonialRevival]

I wish I would have known this a month ago! A neighbor across the street actually got rid of an original circa 1915 5 foot cast iron clawfoot with good enameling that was in their house. I took it, but ended up giving it to a friend who wanted it since I didn't have an immediate use for it.

I'm sure you've put feelers out in your area to try to track down a decent original. Sometimes it can be hard if you live in a somewhat remote area. One thing I've learned from restoring a couple of originals is that just about any amount of dirt or staining can be buffed out as long as the enamel itself is not broken. Small areas are repairable, but big shards missing require more work.

I don't have any direct experience with the replicas, but I can't help but wonder about the long-term durability of the acrylic ones. To me, they seem a little fragile for something that's supposed to hold hundreds of pounds of water.

[Gothichome]

Colonial, thanks for the input. How did you repair the minor enamel issues with the kits to hardware stores sell? Upper management spotted a good contender last night about an hours drive. A five foot standard brand, looks good all but some missing enamel around the drain. For the $200 canadian might just be worth a look.

[1918ColonialRevival]

I did my repairs a little differently (this was before the kits were widely available). I used auto body glazing putty on the end of a flat toothpick to fill in the deepest areas of the chips. If you haven't used it before, glazing putty comes in a tube like toothpaste, so it's easy to handle. After that cured, I used an epoxy enamel on top called Porc-a-Fix that I believe I got from Ace Hardware if memory serves me correct. It turned out well and has been durable.

$200 CDN for an original isn't too bad as long as the only chipping is around the drain area. If it were me, I'd mention the work I need to do to it and see if I could get them down to $150 CDN.

[Gothichome]

Your thoughts Colonial. I fibbed, they are asking 300 for this, easy fix?

[1918ColonialRevival]

That shouldn't be too bad to fill. The rest of it looks good other than the one little area by the drain. Just make sure everything is sanded smooth around the area where the tailpiece sits so there are no high spots.

$300 CDN is roughly $235 USD according to today's exchange rate. Not bad, but I'd see if I could get them to come down a little. In this area, about $200-$250 USD is the going rate for a decent example, but then again they are more plentiful here.

[Gothichome]

Thanks, it is the best one we have found, got to pull the trigger at some point this might be the best we have.

[1918ColonialRevival]

Let me know how it works out!

[phil]

can the enamel be polished like that or is the great shine the work of a wax? like maybe a silicone car wax that will soon wash off? I think I could live with the drain being touched up , thing is, will it quickly turn dull or will is stay shiny looking? I could see it becoming disappointing if it looked great in the pic but when put into use becomes dull.

[1918ColonialRevival]

The epoxy enamel that the repair is topcoated with has a glossy finish, similar to that of vitreous china. It will soften over time, but I've never seen it go dull. The tub pictured above appears to have its original finish. These were never super glossy. They can be polished, though you don't want to do that on the surface you stand on.