Clive A

Cheers Alan, I only read your reply a couple of days ago. This has really helped! Finally got my plugs out (none snapped- hooray!) but didn't know wether 2V or 12V, so was trying to find a 2V cell to check them. Now know they're 2V, 'cos of they're connected as shown with ceramic insulators! (They've got exposed filaments too) Hmmm.... now where to get that resistor? Once again Alan, thanks!

I've just finished scraping and wire-brushing my 100 gallon iron/steel water tank-my first ever, and my hat goes off to all who have undergone this gruelling task! QUESTIONS- My tank in built into my iron bow with a sheet of steel welded in as a bulkhead- will I need different applications for different metals? Do I need to remove every last bit of old bitumen? (whats left is rock hard,no moisture behind and up to 1/2 inch thick) The varied advice can be confusing- use of red oxide/ aggricultural red oxide?, use of rust converter?, (any of these toxic?), do I use just bitumen? My friend, a boat painter, has a completely different tack- he swears by aggricultural red oxide, then uses a rubber paint (not a rubberised paint) over the top. It is made by Trimite (serial no. to follow!). Anyone heard of this method? Ta, Clive

Plastic Boat - A boat made of fibreglass I've heard them called tuperware boats!

There's more I don't know about my boat than I do know! She's my first, and I'm relying on others views/opinion/assistance. One day I might know what I'm talking about! I take it she is made of iron being that old and rivetted, but what type of iron is she likely to be? I've been told to be very careful (possibly even to get a man in) when drilling pipe outlets into the hull.

I keep forgetting this is my first fit-out, I'm used to fitting out houses! I'm still sure that the bulbs will need rear ventilation (oo-er missus), isn't that what the 4" is all about (done it again!) ? The downlighters I mentioned go up to 60W, so less bulbs needed, I thought.

I was talking to an electrician on site about 12V downlighters, and about the 4" clearance, he warned me not to fit them as you shouldn't insulate between them! If they're household bulbs, they are designed to recess into a ceiling, where there will be sufficient airflow around the back of the bulb. Any insulation will hamper this flow, causing the bulb to keep blowing. And the thought of you just cutting a small hole into the sprayfoam is making me cringe with possible fire hazards. It might be possible to source different bulbs that'd work, not sure. I've decided to use 12V kitchen downlighters that are designed to fit under wall cabinets. They come in their own casing(so designed not to get hot) that is surface mounted - seen some stainless steel triangular ones! Clive

The problem with wood and swelling, comes from the expansion in width - there is very little expansion in length. With your flooring made of plywood, the multiple cross-grains limit swelling, so if your boat is damp it might be better to fit a veneered ply instead of T & G. Also,thin T & G tends to curl after a time.

You could get one of those little tanks with toy fish moving about 'cos of magnets!

I forgot to say that my Dorman is in a cast iron, rivetted butty from 1905, placed about 20ft from the end of the stern - so it's likely that the engine is from 1935, that's what the previous owner said. Ps. How do I chase the history of my engine, or boat come to that! Should I start a new topic?

Hi all, thanks for all your input. I managed to get a reply from Kevin Whittle from Oil Engine Company - "When I first strted the Oil Engine Company one of the first engines I rebuilt was a 4DSM. I went out and bout a new set of glow plugs that cost me trade £60. I connected them up and 15 seconds later I needed a new set !!! They are 2volt and the Dorman engine had a sheet steel dashboard that carried the gauges, throttle stop and the starter pushbutton. In addition it carried a device to drop the voltage from 12 to 2 volts. I think that's told me! Once again, thanks.

cheers Paul, I'll try giving them a call tomorrow

Hi, new to boats, so I might be asking the obvious. When I bought boat, owner started with blowtorch in air intake. Engine has glow plugs fitted, but not connected. In the original manual it states that "plugs are supplied with current from a 2V battery of not less than 130 amperes hours capacity" Is this what I need, or just a printing error?