Old urinal

[michael]

I have what I think is an old ceramic urinal trough. It’s approximately 4ft long by 11 inches wide by 6 inches deep extending to 9 inches deep where the back fixes to the wall. It has a drain hole at one end about 2 or 3 inches dia. with a small mound in front of the drain which I presume was to stop the fag buts going down the hole. At the other end there is an inbuilt lead pipe connection for flushing. Apart from its size and shape its construction is very similar to the old Belfast sinks i.e. very heavy and robust with all the exposed surfaces in a white ceramic glaze, the hidden surfaces (back and underside) are a yellow buff stone colour.
My problem is that this trough comes in two halves each half being 2 ft long forming the overall 4ft length. One half has a male connection moulded into the yellow buff stone, the other half has a female connection so both halves butt up perfectly together without sliding apart. I guess it was made like this just so that it could be lifted. Each half is extremely heavy.
I plan to mount this trough on an outside wall using some salvaged decorative cast iron brackets but I need to know what would be the correct cement/joining compound to join the two pieces together. All the modern plumbers and builders merchants can only offer “mamby pamby” plastic fitting adhesives which wouldn’t last five minutes on this beast. I’m sure that the old Victorian upright urinals in public toilets had a very dark cement in the joins of their various components but perhaps this was just grime. Any suggestions?

 

[chuckey]

Use 2:1 soft sand /cement. It will make the two halves one piece. The downside is that there will be no give and if it is not seated properly on your brackets, some thing will snap! You can get "prompt" cement, its very expensive ( £2 / 1/2 Kg) very fast setting 30 mins and totaly water proof, its used for repairing old saltglaze drains.
Frank

 

[michael]

Thanks chuckey. Great advice

 

[Nemesis]

In fact I think plain old putty was what the oldies used to use.

Sand and cement might not allow for it to come apart again in future of course.

 

[Tom]

I would go with Nemesis. Putty will have more 'give' and will allow the pieces to be parted again without damage.

Jaqy

 

[Penners]

an old ceramic urinal trough.....half has a female connection

The mind boggles! :shock:

 

[Flyfisher]

You can get "prompt" cement, its very expensive ( £2 / 1/2 Kg) very fast setting 30 mins and totaly water proof, its used for repairing old saltglaze drains.

Coincidentally, I saw some "20 minute mortar" mix for setting fencing posts at Jewsons earlier today. Not sure how much this was for but the bags were not very big, 5Kg perhaps, certainly no more than 10Kg. Anyway, at £4.95 a bag +VAT, it was too expensive for my fencing needs.

 

[alice]

It’s approximately 4ft long by 11 inches wide by 6 inches deep extending to 9 inches deep where the back fixes to the wall.

Wow. Built when men were men and women weren't, I suppose....

Out of curiosity, you're installing this outside and I'm assuming you want it to work. Is this a public convenience or a garden decoration?

alice

 

[michael]

Putty it is then.

I have a recessed area in an alleyway at the side of the house that is too shallow for a Belfast sink or cleaners sink but will accommodate this urinal trough perfectly. There is also a drainage gulley close by. I’m planning to mount the trough on the wall about a foot or two above ground level, get an external tap installed above it, connect the trough to the drain and use it for resting /filling buckets, watering cans that type of thing as well as other outside jobs such as, cleaning paint brushes etc. Could double up as a urinal as well I guess, save traipsing dirty boots into the house.

 

[Penners]

Could double up as a urinal as well I guess, save traipsing dirty boots into the house.

I'm not sure that washing your boots in urine is much better. :wink: