Brass shower mixer spacer

[striker]

I've a mate who's just having his bathroom revamped. After a lack of communication between the tiler and the plumber. He has a gap to fill between the shower mixer plate and the tiles of 15mm. He doesn't want to dig the tiles out and there's no access from the rear.
He's asked if I can machine him a brass plate 15mm thick.
Looking for easier options! Any ideas. This is the back.

 

[hotponyshoes]

3d print it

 

[striker]

3d print it

I don't have a printer, but if I could get someone to do it, from what?

 

[striker]

How about a piece of white Corian? Maybe slightly larger than the brass cover, with similar radius corners? The tiles are white as is the shower tray.

 

[hotponyshoes]

How about a piece of white Corian? Maybe slightly larger than the brass cover, with similar radius corners? The tiles are white as is the shower tray.

If you are going to machine/cut it out of something then you may as well just make it out of Brass?

Regarding 3d printing, you can get filament that looks like brass plus plenty of white plastics of various suitability
Even printed out of brass itself (although I think most places print out for lost wax casting)

 

[Kram]

Printed parts are generally not solid nor smooth unless sanded, I can imagine the part filling with water and mould.

I would cut a lump of solid brass or stainless bar, radius the edges and polish it. Due to the step on the plate you may want a plastic spacer

How is the plate affixed?

Casting is another option but thats a reasonable quantity of brass to be melted and not very easy to DIY, tho it could be done with some large logs as a stump type furnace.

 

[striker]

Ok. Thanks guys. He and his tiler are looking at a piece of white marble to cut and polish. If this proves unsatisfactory then I'll machine him something from solid brass providing I can find a piece! I suppose it will have to be lacquered to prevent tarnishing.

 

[striker]

Printed parts are generally not solid nor smooth unless sanded, I can imagine the part filling with water and mould.

I would cut a lump of solid brass or stainless bar, radius the edges and polish it. Due to the step on the plate you may want a plastic spacer

How is the plate affixed?

Casting is another option but thats a reasonable quantity of brass to be melted and not very easy to DIY, tho it could be done with some large logs as a stump type furnace.

The plate just pushes over two square bosses and is siliconed on. There's an o ring in each square hole to seal where the bosses of the valves come through.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Printed parts are generally not solid nor smooth unless sanded, I can imagine the part filling with water and mould.

I would cut a lump of solid brass or stainless bar, radius the edges and polish it. Due to the step on the plate you may want a plastic spacer

How is the plate affixed?

Casting is another option but thats a reasonable quantity of brass to be melted and not very easy to DIY, tho it could be done with some large logs as a stump type furnace.

Plenty of printable options available nowadays, food-safe items are common enough, even medical implants.
I've printed a few biological safe implants for carriers.
A simple 'at home' version could be printed in nylon then 'polished' by waving a hot air gun over it.

I've probably got stainless in 15mm thick if required. Might have brass somewhere?

I don't think lacquer would be needed?
Boat parts are not usually lacquered (no idea about normal brass bathroom taps etc?)
They'll just have to clean and polish along with the rest of the bathroom I'd expect!

 

[Kram]

You may want to avoid acetic acid silicone then as it can tarnish brass.

I have a copper pipe to my shower which loooked ugly, about 15 years ago polished it up and brushed some 1k clear coat and it still looks reasonable now.

 

[Agroshield]

If you go the corian route, check availability. It only comes in 1/2" and 3/4" thicknesses.

What is the corner radius on the plate? Could it be made from 5/8" square brass, mitred at the corners and silver-soldered nicely into a rectangle? Or go up to 3/4" square. A length of square bar will be cheaper than a solid plate.

 

[Kram]

Boat parts are not usually lacquered (no idea about normal brass bathroom taps etc?)

they are usually these days, zinc, with a thin coat of brass plating We got new taps a few years back. Suspecting might not be real, solid brass I scratched the side of one. That scratched area now has powdery corrosion and is a great irritation!
The old taps were chrome plated but solid brass underneath.

 

[Onoff]

What's the bathroom colour theme, grey? Just print a chunk of grey PETG etc.

Or print the bulk and wrap a strip of thin brass around it, screwed at the bottom.

 

[Kram]

If you go the corian route, check availability. It only comes in 1/2" and 3/4" thicknesses.

What is the corner radius on the plate? Could it be made from 5/8" square brass, mitred at the corners and silver-soldered nicely into a rectangle? Or go up to 3/4" square. A length of square bar will be cheaper than a solid plate.

Nice idea, could even be formed from a 2mm thick strip of sheet, bent to the same radius as the plate and a sheet on top, brazed together.

However solid brass offcuts are cheap enough on ebay so unlikely to be worth the time.

 

[striker]

Plenty of printable options available nowadays, food-safe items are common enough, even medical implants.
I've printed a few biological safe implants for carriers.
A simple 'at home' version could be printed in nylon then 'polished' by waving a hot air gun over it.

I've probably got stainless in 15mm thick if required. Might have brass somewhere?

I don't think lacquer would be needed?
Boat parts are not usually lacquered (no idea about normal brass bathroom taps etc?)
They'll just have to clean and polish along with the rest of the bathroom I'd expect!

Thank you. I'll give you a shout if I need the brass, if you have a piece!

 

[Erie Fred]

laser or plasma cut a piece of stainless sheet.
Grind the edges mice and smooth, grain to match.

 

[striker]

laser or plasma cut a piece of stainless sheet.
Grind the edges mice and smooth, grain to match.

Gotta be brass if using metal!

 

[Onoff]

Wrap some plastic! Screw in the bottom:

Pardon our interruption...

 

[striker]

Wrap some plastic! Screw in the bottom:

Pardon our interruption...

Not sure what you mean.

 

[Erie Fred]

Gotta be brass if using metal!

Why ?