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Water/Electricity Panel

Combined to the sink, it makes the long lab hours more agreable.

From left to right:

• the water inlet from the standard faucet with flexible tubes
• the "clean water" section with a temperature stabilizer (a shower model) and a filtration unit (50 microns). A precision thermometer just before the faucet monitors the water temperature. A flowmeter is planned and will arrive as soon as I can find a good quality/price ratio ...
  My home is equipped with a water softener but for demanding processes (color mainly) I use demineralized water available is stores.
• some electrical plugs. The space over is now occupied by a computer flat screen, logical evolution of my  darkroom software.
• a faucet with a shower to clean the sink and the squeegee
• more electrical plugs including a timer that switch my CPA-2 processor one hour before my expected arrival at home and start the development as soon I'm home.
• the switches for the lights, white, red and amber
• the last faucet
• the GFI circuit breaker (the kind used in bathrooms) compulsory when you start to mix to closely water and electricity ...

Some more detailed views:

Except the thermometer which is really a precision model (Greisinger GTH175/ MOP, precision of 0.1°C), the other hardware is easily available in large hardware stores (for our french friends, at Bricorama ...)

The flat screen for my lab software.

The box at the upper right corner is the switch for the red and amber safelights (230V) and the white lights, 12V halogens.

We may not see that much the small box at the upper right corner, but it is absolutely essential: it is the GFI circuit breaker, the kind you have in bathrooms (it breaks the circuit if a very small amount of current goes to ground), that may save your life if you're to generous with the shower when cleaning the sink and water reaches the electrical plugs ...
The model shown is normally used in closets and has apparent electrical contacts. You must absolutely hide them, I've used transparent silicone caulking to cover them.

Another security aspect: all copper tubes should be electrically connected and grounded to earth.
In my example, the filter housing is made of plastic, which is an insulator, so, a thick copper wire should connect both tubes before and after the filter housing.

Realization

The panel is made similarly to the sink: MDF wood impregnated with outdoor varnish and covered with several layers of heavy-duty bi-component polyurethane paint normally used for garage floors.
This water panel signs my great first appearance in the plumbing world ...

The various tools needed for the welding:

• blowtorch
• sponge dipped in water to clean the welding
• plier
• pencil
• fire lighter
• scouring solution
• tin welding wire. Do not used lead.
• fine sandpaper
• rule
• heat protection tissue
• tube cutting tool
• needed tubes and fittings
• a water basin to cool down the parts faster

Parts positioning and measure of the tubes lengths

Tube cutting tool. Turning the knob presses the disk knives onto the tube. Rotate the tool around the tube, turn the knob once more, ... and so on several times to cut it precisely.

Clean the tube and fitting with the sandpaper, apply the scouring liquid and mount the tube onto the fitting.

Heat the assembly with the torch and apply the tin wire on the junctions of the parts.
The parts must be heated enough so that the tin melts and penetrates by capillarity between the tube and fitting.
Do not melt the tin wire with the torch, the heat of the fittings should be enough.

The parts welded together.

The electrical wiring on the back of the pannel.

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