IanR

Hi folks, we've just spent a grand few days up the end of the Caldon painting the cabin on our mostly pre prepped boat, dodging the rain and picking the flies off!! We've managed to get three coats on and now are ready to think about the lettering. What do folks use to draw out the lettering that either doesn't permanently mark the paint or won't paint over etc? Also, what brushes are best, presumably flat square ended? Any recommendations? Also, which order to paint? The scheme chosen is the wartime period 'Austerity' GUCCCo Ltd, much less signwriting to take care of!! The lettering is white with a black drop shadow, to my brain it would be easier to do the shadow first? Sorry for the question bombardment!!! Ian.

Fabulous information this, there are certainly some knowledgable folks who know their subject!! Are health registration certificates available for most boats then or are they held in strictly private collections? Does anyone happen to know the lettering sizes for the livery I'm doing? The boat name size seems to work out (from looking at pics and measuring from cabin height to lettering ratio's) at 4" with perhaps a snadgers above 5" for the G.U.C.C.Co Ltd and fleet number, plus the drop shadow. Also, what do the painty folk use to draw out the lettering, chalk type pencil, water based pen?? And what style of brushes, presumable flat square ended. Do folks paint the drop shadow first, then the white, seems easier?? Sorry for all the questions, I'll ask these questions in the relevent section. We've managed to get three coats on our cabin now, just the final coat of magnolia for the go faster stripe and we are good to go for the lettering. Ian.

Ok then, I thought it was the steery pole bit from the back of a butty, which was obviously at the other end of this particular vessel!! Go on then, what colour should it be, red white and blue in thirds? I just lazily copied Fulbourne because it looked good and was easy!! While were at it, what colour should the gunnels be?!! Regards, Ian.

Couldn't find the rams head, must have left it at the other end!! The fenders will get a fettling when funds allow, the long button does looks a bit pitiful admittedly!!!

Cheers, and getting brighter by the day!! Magnolia striping and cabin back done today. Generally very happy with the results, although the blue looks lovely in most lights, in others though it looks a bit too bright but I guess (hope) it'll dull down a bit soon enough.

Many thanks Pete. That's a bit less lettering to do then! I completely agree on the 'making the difference' and hope my lettering will not disappoint me (or more importantly the missus) but doubt I'd have the confidence to tackle any roses and castles just yet!! Battleship grey seems an easier solution! Ian.

Here's where we are at the moment with the paint. One coat of blue, two of red. Another red and the ghosty shape on the back of the cabin over the weekend hopefully.

Certainly does look good Pete, I hope we get something similar looking when we've finished! Did you do the signwriting yourself? Was / is there a set way of writing Registered at ..... , you see it as REG. AT, REGD AT, REGISTERED AT etc. Was there a set way or was it painter, area dependant? I'm looking forward to having a go at the lettering, the only similar type painting I've done before is on large scale scale flying aeroplanes.

That is great news David as that is what we have gone with in the end. It looks a bit bright in certain lights but if you say its good enough then that is good enough for us!!! Ian.

You'd certainly think so, canal is just tuther side of the railway too! The trains are no bother whatsoever, sooner have those than neighbours!! Double glazing is on the cards, we've remade some of the opening lights ready for double glazed panels. The only window in the house that isn't original is in the ticket / work room, presumably had a sliding hatch or something but now has a nasty upvc jobby (for now anyway). Can't find out too much about the house really which I've been surprised about. Got a second topcoat on the cabin last night. Paint we are using is Dulux trade high gloss, Ruby Fountain 1 as per Tim Lewis with Fulbourne, the blue we've had mixed to match the recipe Tim supplied but the colour seems wrong to what is on Fulbourne, Sculptor et al. I guess we'll not know until we actually put it on, so it might end up being an undercoat for a better match at a later date! We've painted it outside with the problems that brings, bugs and rain, but seemed to have picked the right times to do it generally without too many problems. Ian.

Cheers Mark, certainly is a lovely house. Amazing that nobody wanted it though, mainly due to the lack of water, drains, proximity to the main line railway etc. It was built in 1846 by North Stafford Railway as a Halt for Barlaston Hall. Eventually it became a station house of a fashion, a platform was installed etc and it became an important link for the workers of Wedgwood Pottery, who owned the house from 1936 up until we bought it off them two years ago. The tiny ticket room is still in place, as is what was the waiting room. Hence the reason for the railway themed shed and gates etc. When the last crossing couple retired due to automation of the crossing gates, the manual gates were resited as the cottage access gates. These were long gone when we moved in but it seemed a great idea to remake some for garden access. (dog security more like) Roger and Martin Fuller gave us some ticket stubs from Stoke to Wedgwood that they found when Stoke station was revamped so we know you could buy tickets to Wedgwood but it's still uncertain whether you could actually buy tickets from the house or not.

Not got the hang of this gallery bit yet obviously!! Now the boat.

Its been a busy time fettling the boat and sorting a house this and last summers. House was first as it was needed for workshops and living more importantly than the boat to live on eventually! House didn't have any water, drains, garage and more importantly workshops so we lived amongst the missus' and I's workshop stuff 'til we built them. The boat was in dry dock the start of this school summer break, and latterly we've been sprucing up that cabin externals too.

What a location! Crying shame that the property has had every bit of character and history taken out of it though. Ian.

Cheers Rob, that is great news!! Ian.

Cheers folks, the injectors are first in line for a seeing to, any recommendations as to where to send them? Whilst they are away might be an ideal time to have the heads off and do the valves perhaps. Ian.

Our Ruston has always had a lumpy spot on the throttle range, about 1/5 throttle or so. Fine on tickover (though I've always thought it should be able to tick over slower) and fine above the lumps too. Had a bit of time to investigate this a little but am slightly puzzled by my findings, easily done as although I'm not particularly stupid, I've never really had much to do with these oily lumps. On tickover, I cracked the injector unions one at a time, all had similar effects on the running in that the engine would not stay running at the given setting until the union was tightened again. Same amount of fuel pi55ed out from each. When wound on a bit till lumpy, each union was cracked again. This time, 1 and 4 pots slowed the revs, but 2 and 3 made no real difference. Again, equal fuel flow. So, feeling brave, I swapped injectors 1 for 2, then 3 for 4. This time, cracking the unions when the engine was running lumpy, 1, 2 and 4 slowed the engine but the union on pot 3 mad the engine run smoother when the union was open. The engine now has a slower smoother tickover but still has the lumpiness in the same range. Does this then suggest that the injectors are similar, ie, one or two aren't worse than the other like we first thought? Could it be pump timing on number 3? I'm going to dive in and start altering stuff just yet as I do feel the injectors could benefit a service as it must be years since they've seen any attention. I also noticed that the exhaust valve of pot 1 is letting by as it smokes a bit from around the spring. It also smokes from around the governer lever, but that is apparently normal (ish) Many thanks in advance to the knowledgable folks on here!! Cheers, Ian.

There is a good Facebook Group on the subject. My boat has a Ruston too (1946 4VSH) and they've been a friendly and helpful bunch. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=408369335988386&ref=br_rs Hope this helps, Ian.

Cheers for the replies folks, much appreciated! Its for painting the hold of our undercloth conversion. The riveted hull is mostly staying uninsulated for now, with the kitchen and bathroom areas hopefully staying that way. The undercloth steel will be insulated and clad internally. Ian.

This is fabulous advice! We are still at the 'enjoying the boat whilst taking time to decide what goes where' stage! Our initial ideas haven't changed much, although they have been tweaked and reorganised a tad. Things have become apparent as we spend time using it, mainly what we definitely need and what we thought we needed etc. Ian.

We want to paint the insides of our hull red oxide and wondered if anyone has any recommendations on a product and supplier. I know some red oxides we've seen have had varying shades and shines, from dull pink to gloss brick red and everything in between. Any tips on the process involved? Our hull has had the loose paint scraped off but a lot of it is still intact, would the red oxide go straight on with any other primer, and would it need a coat over the to since I know a lot of primers are porous. Indeed, is it even red oxide I'm after, or just a paint that is red oxide colour!!?? We have the cabin roof and bulkhead to do too. Cheers, Ian.

Here's a link to an old page from Jem Bates website, including some written info and a couple of relatively recent photo's. I love the quirkiness of the Hotchkiss Cone propulsion. http://www.batesboatyard.co.uk/chance2.htm Ian.

Many thanks for the answer Pete, certainly was a nice boat for us to meet! I hope it get some use. Ian.

On our travels over new year we passed the motor Paragon. It's a riveted, clothed up hull back to the engine room bulkhead, then steel counter and wooden back cabin. Perhaps a motorised butty, and it seems to have been done a good while ago, anyone know anything of it's history? Jane snapped a pic or two as we passed which I'll post later, unless anyone has an objection to me posting such an image of Paragon?! Ian.